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After a day of speed training, I take at least 2 days off. I usually go to the gym the day following speed training to do plyometrics. I was really tired during my last session and did not see any gains so I'm resting up for my month long finale. However, the 14 mph I gained in the first 2 weeks was hard to believe.

Christo,
Here is a forum link for the speedchain, in which people using the speedchain, and other methods, are working to increase clubhead speed. I bring it up because a lot of people found that less is definitely more in terms of speed work. Some of the guys mention that their best gains came from speed training only once a week, and doing minimal reps. The focus is on the neuromuscular reprogramming to keep improving the max speed for a single rep.

forums.delphiforums.com/golfspeed/messages

Good luck with the second half of the transformation.
Bart

Thanks Bart, this is uncharted territory for me and I realize now it could be insanely beneficial to most golfers. The rope training you sent me looks fantastic, and many of my MMA friends are using it. I never thought about it for golf! I do think you should be completely recovered before a new bout of speed training in order to fire the engine 100%.

Christo, Were you always a double shift swinger? It looks like you have been following Paul Kopp,s excercises. Have you been getting on line lessons from Bradley Hughes also? I like your action and was curious of what inputs went in to make it.

I have been following Bradley Hughes work from his youtube site, but I'm not familiar with the term "double shift" and I don't know Mr. Kopp's work very well. I am starting to come around full circle back to my own swing with input from all the great teachers I've had the honor to work with personally, and study online.

Looks like you will have to keep an eye on your drive heads now.

Most will flatten and crack over 120mph

Christo just watched your latest vid, just tread cautiously when going to that lightweight stuff, it can slowly deteriorate your swing and you'll end up back square one wondering where your consistency went. Remember F=MA, lighter and faster does not mean more distance. A heavier club swung at a slightly slower CHS will still get you the same distance. The great ball strikers of the past used heavy clubs, Moe Norman used clubs that were in the mid E swing weight range.

Don't let the temptation of distance lead you away from your ultimate goal.

Thanks for the advice. I got screwed up with the lightweight irons in the 80's!

Thats awesome Christo your in the 120 range and your swing looks balanced....wow,thats got feel good..

Diz

Christo,
Swing looks great! You mentioned in a previous video that using the devise to track club head speed has given you some insight into what helps create a little more speed. Care to share what adjustments in the swing have given you a little more speed? Has it given you any new insight, or just confirmed what you had previously learned about creating speed in the swing?
Keep up the great work! It’s been inspiring to see someone make such great improvements! Gives us hackers some hope...

I have a new motto, "Speed is Truth". By being able to see what works for me and what doesn't I have gone from 109 mph to 131 mph in one month!!!

Here's the broad strokes of what works for me... 1. Longer Swing 2. Stronger Grip 3. Wider Stance 4. Lift my Left Heel 5. Stay Super-Loose 6. Think Faster, not Harder

I didn't believe after 35 years of golf there were any magic bullets. Now, I realize I had 40 extra yards laying dormant in my swing that I tapped in just one month.

This is what my new 130 mph swing looks like at the top.

thats amazing speed

Good work Christo man. My theory is that you need strong legs to throw that force into for a fast swing. Is that what you've experienced or is there speed in the hands and arms that we can all tap into?

I did not use my legs properly before I started this training. By allowing my left heel to come up, I can wind up much deeper into my hips and set my weight into my right heel. I take a much long backswing with a bigger turn, and I'm using a much stronger grip. At this point my long drive swing is very different than my iron swing, which has not changed.

What looks clear to me from your videos is the increase in your hip speed. Your hipturn to the left is dramatically faster and sharper. Your swing still looks balanced, you just removed the syrup.
Bart

I've followed your you tube channel for the past few months and really enjoy all you vids. I did get Toms ebook after I watched your first long drive vid and am getting ready to start my own training. My question is, did you continue using just the shaft for your under load training or did you you do as Tom suggests and epoxy 2 or 3 balls on the end of the shaft? I believe he says to use a club that is about 10% lighter than your regular driver. If not, do you think the lighter weight of just the shaft may have helped even more? Once again, great vids and great work! Your hard work is very inspirational. Thanks.

Danny

Tom just sent me a speed swoosh that I have been using. I actually hurt my shoulder swinging the headless shaft last week, kinda like throwing a baseball too hard before you are warmed up. It weighs almost nothing. I need to do more speed drills I think, but my gains have kept coming. I played yesterday and missed a 2 foot putt for birdie to tie my all-time low score. I really think this work has changed my game, big time.

Thanks Chris. Kinda thought that just the shaft might be a bit too light and cause some damage. I just epoxied 3 balls to the end of an old shaft and gonna give it a try tomorrow. Good to hear your hard work is translating to good play on the course. Keep it up.

So have you noticed any difference in your iron distances?

I found these series of videos on increasing driver distance, and a lot more, from Paul Wilson and Mike Dobbyn
(2007 Re-Max World Long Drive Champion). There is a lot of interesting info in these videos.















Hope you all enjoy as I much as I did.

Dan

Here's my assessment of how my long drive training program has affected my game. So far, I'm extremely happy with the results.

Really enjoyed watching the progress here and all the info. Was thinking about swing speed drills the other day and remembered that quote from Phil Mickelson about bunker practice - "As bunker play increases so does driving performance".
He and Pelz reasoned that the correlation shown from the stats was due to the rhythm that hitting though soft sand develops and transfers to the rest of the game.
Of course the trick is to find soft sand instead of the wet dirt most practice facilities have. Don't know if it's as dynamic an approach as other methods but it could be another to add to the tool bag.

Wow. That's a pretty awesome suggestions! Now I want to practice in the sand!

phily wrote:


I always thought it was the other way around, at least with Phil...as driving performance decreases, bunker play increases.

Sorry, couldn't resist.