This page contains links to other useful resources I have found and can recommend related to golf swing speed, including long drive websites, golf fitness training facilities, and online speed training programs.
AtletSports.com is a sports training facility based in Midlothian, TX, that offers in-house and online training to professional, college, high school, and youth athletes. Athletes train with their peer group within the Titleist Performance Institute’s curriculum to address functional strength deficiencies, gain strength, improve speed and agility, and build rotational/plyometric power. If they are high school athletes, they are given help with filming recruitment videos, teaching them about the recruitment process, and networking them with college programs that align with their playing ability and academic preferences. Online training is also offered, with daily workouts and tracking, weekly video analysis, training notes, and other custom training advice.
Athletic Quickness is a series of short (15 min/d) isometric training programs designed by Dr. Larry van Such for golfers, footballers, basketball players, baseball pitchers, tennis players, and other athletes who need to train for speed. The programs use resistance bands to train the fast-twitch muscle fibers in the arms, shoulders, wrists, back, hips, and legs. These muscles are responsible for the speed of muscular contraction and the ability of a muscle to rapidly contract to a specific distance over a short period of time. For golfers, training these muscles using golf-specific holds can translate into increased clubhead speed and driving distance within a few days.
Greg Smith is a PGA Advanced Professional, Trackman Level 2 Professional, and Level 3 personal trainer based in Sutton Coldfield, UK. He provides a bespoke VIP premium service to serious competitive golfers who want to dramatically improve their all-around technique and play to the highest standard. He offers a personalised 6-week Long Drive Plan that promises a guaranteed minimum of 40 yards extra in driving distance with improved accuracy.
Mach 3 Speed Training is a year-round golf speed training protocol designed exclusively to increase clubhead speed. Since its inception in September 2017, Mach 3 participants have gained an average of 11.5 mph in driver clubhead speed. Mach 3 creator and certified master golf fitness instructor Michael Romatowski offers live workshops all over the US and there are also virtual courses to enable instructors and golfers from all over the world to learn and implement Mach 3 principles and training in their own programs. Training is focused on the attainment of power – the combination of strength and speed – using a blend of mobility, stability, and rotational strength training exercises.
Performance of the Average Male Amateur: This page from the Trackman.com website is an interesting summary of the average male amateur’s “numbers” on Trackman, plus an analysis of how they can be used to gain distance off the tee, improve accuracy and proximity to the pin, and lower scores. The point of the analysis is to show that course strategy (or “course smarts”) is an improvement that can be made without having to change anything relating to the swing, technique, or equipment.
Pro Long Drive is the world’s most comprehensive online resource for the sport of long drive. The site contains information on tour schedules, player profiles, rankings, tour events, results, and the history of long drive, including the men and women who built the sport. For people looking to get started in long drive, they provide a step-by-step beginner’s guide on how it works, what it costs, and what it takes to compete in the sport. There is also an online store with the largest selection of long drive products and services in the world.
StrongGolfers.com is the home to two online programs by Joshua Crews targeting golfers who are looking to increase their golf swing speed and increase flexibility. Joshua Crews is based in The Woodlands/Conroe, TX, and has 27 years of experience in golf, including PGA and Nationwide Tour experience. A former Collegiate and Top Ranked Junior Golfer, he is a 7-time finalist in the World Long Drive Championship and a former Long Drive World Record Holder. He has a top ball speed of 228 mph, a top clubhead speed of 164 mph, and a longest drive of 459 yards in the World Long Drive Championships. His programs are downloadable instantly and no gym or golf course is required.
Swing Man Golf is an online subscription-based swing speed training and game improvement program that was created by Jaacob Bowden, PGA Professional, in 2007 and has been running ever since. An average-length golfer at 27 years old, Jaacob increased his swing speed by an astonishing 37 mph in just 49 days and went on to become a long drive champion. He has won multiple qualifiers for the World Long Drive Championships and has a best competitive drive of 421 yards. His program claims that with a little effort, gains of up to 12-16 mph (about 30-40 yards) of driver swing speed can be made within a month. He is also the inventor of Sterling Single-Length Irons®.
The Stack System is a golf speed training system developed by Dr. Sasho MacKenzie, that was previously reserved for Tour players. In fact, it was used by 2022 US Open Champion Matt Fitzpatrick and was much talked about at the time. The 2023 British Open Champion Brian Harman also uses the program. Dr. MacKenzie is a Professor of Sports Biomechanics at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He has published over 20 golf-related research articles in scientific peer-reviewed journals. In addition, he has been invited to speak to golf instructors for the PGA of Australia, Great Britain & Ireland, Spain, and the French Golf Federation. In 2018, Dr. MacKenzie was the keynote speaker at the World Scientific Congress of Golf. He is a regular contributor to Golf Magazine as well as golf podcasts and radio and TV shows.
ThibArmy.com is the online home of Christian Thibaudeau, a professional trainer who has very interesting ideas on training for golf. In this article, he discusses the role of weightlifting in modern golf training, the link between vertical jump capacity and long hitting, and similarities between the golf swing and other athletic movements, such as the shot put, discus throwing, jumps in figure skating, and baseball batting. A highly thought-provoking article.
WorldLongDrive.com is the home of the World Long Drive Championship. It provides information on how to become a member and participate in World Long Drive events, either as a professional, amateur, or virtually at any Trackman location worldwide. It also has information on world rankings, event schedules, ticketing information, and the latest news. A number of membership options are available from $25 per year for the virtual package to $300 per year for the full professional package.