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2 October 2026 · 10 min read

Overspeed training in golf: what studies on faster swings really show

Plus 2.6 mph in the first set with 12 golfers, plus 1.5 mph with 13, and hardly anything afterwards: what studies on overspeed sticks show and how to test it at the simulator.

Overspeed training in golf: what studies on faster swings really show — post image

Overspeed training means swinging sticks that are lighter than your driver, or barely heavier, as fast as you can. Two university studies tested it as a warm-up: with twelve golfers clubhead speed rose by 2.6 mph in the first set, with thirteen by 1.5 mph, and bodyweight exercises worked just as well. For training over weeks I found no study that tests the sticks alone, only figures from the sellers. This post shows what was measured and how you check it yourself.

What is overspeed training, and what is a swing trainer?

A swing trainer is the umbrella term for devices you swing without a ball. The post Practising golf at home places it as a device. Overspeed training is the form for speed. In the study by Bliss and colleagues there were three sticks. The light one was 20% lighter than a men's driver, the medium one 10% lighter, and the heavy one had the weight of a driver or up to 5% more (Bliss et al.).

The idea comes from sports such as baseball. Bliss and colleagues write that overspeed training has drawn attention there and is seeing a revival in golf. An article by the Titleist Performance Institute explains the effect like this: the training tricks the brain into releasing its own brake (TPI). That is an explanation, not a measurement. Read on 2 October 2026.

What two university studies measured

Hébert-Losier and Wardell from the University of Waikato in New Zealand had twelve golfers with a handicap below 3.0 hit five sets of five swings with their own driver, with a SuperSpeed warm-up and without (Sports Biomechanics). In the first set clubhead speed rose by 2.6 mph. Ball speed did not change, so the smash factor got clearly worse (effect size d minus 0.82). Almost all changes were no longer meaningful in the later sets. The authors conclude: on the first tee you can expect more speed, from the second tee hardly any.

Bliss, Livingstone and Tallent from London tested thirteen men with a handicap of 1.0 (± 2.1) on three days seven days apart. After each warm-up they hit ten drives, measured with TrackMan 4. They compared a standard warm-up, one with fast bodyweight exercises such as jumps, and one with the sticks. The stick programme: ten swings each with the light stick on the strong and the weak side, plus ten with the medium and ten with the heavy one on the strong side, 40 in all.

StudyPeopleTestedResult
Hébert-Losier and Wardell12 golfers, handicap below 3.0SuperSpeed warm-up against controlclubhead plus 2.6 mph in the first set, ball speed unchanged, hardly any effect afterwards
Bliss, Livingstone, Tallent13 men, handicap 1.0warm-up with sticks against bodyweight exercises against nothingclubhead 110.1 mph without, 111.6 mph with sticks and with exercises; carry 261.5 yards without, 267.1 with exercises, 268.2 with sticks

Two things stand out. First, the gain is small, and in both studies ball speed did not rise. In the study from London the effect size for speed was 0.28, small by the authors' classification. Ball speed and total distance did not differ, and the sticks appear to bring no extra benefit over the bodyweight exercises. Second, the effect varies from person to person: one participant hit 20 yards further with the sticks, another came up 9 yards short (carry).

What the reviews say

The review by Uthoff and colleagues analysed 20 studies on resistance training in golf (Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research). Exactly one study tested purely golf-specific training, with medicine balls. Two of the seven studies with combined programmes used weighted clubs, one of them in a six-week phase of an 18-week plan. Jermyn and colleagues found 25 studies on weighted implements in sport and note that there is hardly any research in golf (Jermyn et al.). In baseball they repeatedly saw worse batting performance with overweight bats, including lower bat speed and altered swing patterns.

The largest review is by Johansen and colleagues: 33 studies with 798 participants, 26 of them with a control group (Sports Medicine). Physical training over at least four weeks raised clubhead speed in the controlled studies by 1.05 m/s on average (95% interval 0.39 to 1.71) and carry by 9.33 m (5.12 to 13.55). The authors rated the certainty of the evidence as low. 1.05 m/s is about 2.3 mph. That holds for training in general, and the abstract does not report overspeed separately. More in Golf fitness.

And the sellers' figures?

The maker SuperSpeed Golf lists on its page six studies by its research director Tyler Standifird, who according to the page is Assistant Professor at Utah Valley University and Director of Research for SuperSpeed (SuperSpeed Golf). Four of them give, for overspeed training, the group size (9 to 15 people) and a gain of 4 to 8 mph. Chris Finn of Par4Success, a physiotherapist, names in a TPI article studies of his own over 6 and 8 weeks with about 3 mph on average (TPI).

SourceGroup and durationStated gain
SuperSpeed, recreational golfers15 people, 6 weeksplus 5 mph clubhead
SuperSpeed, juniors aged 6 to 149 children, 5 weeksplus 8 mph
SuperSpeed, recreational golfers with an average handicap of 15+11 people, 6 weeksplus 4 mph
SuperSpeed, weak side only10 people, 6 weeksplus 6.4 mph
Par4Success in the TPI articleown studies, 6 and 8 weeksabout 3 mph on average

These figures may be right. But the research director's studies come from the maker itself. The page says nothing about a control group, and I did not read the reports behind the links. A search for "SuperSpeed Golf" in Europe PMC on 2 October 2026 returned exactly one hit, the study from New Zealand above. Without a control group you cannot separate what the stick does from practice and motivation. Take the figures as a hint, not as proof.

How often and how much? What the sources give

There is no proven dose. The university studies tested a warm-up, not a training plan. What the sources describe is in the table.

SourceDose
Bliss et al., warm-up before 10 drives10 swings each with four stick variants, 40 in all
TPI article, common protocols in golf3 times a week, rising over the year to just under 12,000 extra swings
TPI article, two studies from 2018 and 2019 that the author cites30 swings, 2 minutes' rest after every 10 swings, 2 times a week; no significant difference in speed gain from the programme with more swings
Uthoff et al., strength with golf-specific movements (not overspeed)8 weeks, 3 to 4 sets of 5 to 15 repetitions

Two hints for practice. The effect of the warm-up lasted in the study with twelve golfers only in the first set. And for training with the sticks over weeks the TPI author says himself that he found no study that examined improvements over a longer time.

Which risk is documented?

In the abstracts of the studies I read, injuries do not appear as an outcome. That does not mean there is no risk, only that these papers did not measure it. From baseball we know that weighted bats can change swing patterns; in golf, according to Jermyn and colleagues, that is hardly studied.

From practice comes a warning that is an opinion, not a study result. The TPI author writes that anyone who gets faster without building strength and power probably raises their injury risk. What the studies say on golf injuries and prevention is in Golf injuries, the warm-up in Golf and back pain. With pain, the question belongs with a professional.

What it means for you: a test with your own numbers

Do not expect ten mph. The university studies found 1.5 and 2.6 mph in the warm-up, and training in general brought about 2.3 mph on average over weeks, with great uncertainty. In the study from London the sticks raised mean clubhead speed by 1.5 mph and mean carry by 6.7 yards, about 6.1 metres. That is the mean of thirteen men with a handicap around 1, not a promise for you.

This is how you check it yourself, with a launch monitor. Beforehand hit ten drives with the same driver in the same bay and write down the mean of clubhead speed, ball speed and smash factor. Then train for six weeks, as long as most of the sellers' studies lasted, and measure again under the same conditions. Count ball speed too, not only the speed of the club: in the study with twelve golfers the club got faster, the ball did not, and the smash factor fell. How to read the values is in Understanding launch monitor numbers, benchmarks by handicap in Measuring and raising clubhead speed, and a plan with one measurement a week is in The winter golf training plan.

Where you can measure and work with a pro

You can measure where shots are tracked: in a simulator bay. The directory lists 110 indoor venues, 81 of them offer coaching (as of 2 October 2026, own entries). A pro with a launch monitor can tell you whether your problem is speed or strike. You find venues with coaching under indoor golf training, the first visit is explained in golf simulator for beginners, the nearest venue is on golf simulator near me, and all of them by canton on the map.

Frequently asked questions

Does overspeed training in golf raise clubhead speed?

As a warm-up yes: plus 2.6 mph with 12 and plus 1.5 mph with 13 golfers, in the first study hardly any after the first set. For training over weeks I found no study that tests only the sticks. The makers' figures of 4 to 8 mph name no control group on the page.

How long does the effect of an overspeed warm-up last?

In the study with 12 golfers clubhead speed rose by 2.6 mph in the first set of five swings. Almost all changes were no longer meaningful in the later sets. The authors see the benefit on the first tee, from the second tee hardly any.

How often should I train with overspeed sticks?

There is no proven answer. A TPI article names 3 times a week as common. Its author cites two studies in which 30 swings, 2 times a week, brought no significantly different speed gain than more swings. Both are statements of a practitioner, and I did not read the studies.

Is overspeed training dangerous?

Injury figures do not appear in the abstracts of the studies I read. A physiotherapist writes that anyone who gets faster without building strength and power probably raises their injury risk. That is an assessment, not a study result. With pain, ask a professional.

How do I check whether overspeed works for me?

Before training, hit ten drives with the same driver at the simulator and note the mean of clubhead speed, ball speed and smash factor. Measure again after six weeks under the same conditions. If only club speed rises and ball speed does not, the smash factor falls, as in the study with 12 golfers.

Sources