St. Johns June 2019 Newsletter P1_STM79871 June Newsletter | Page 5

NOTE FROM THE TEACHING PROFESSIONAL
JUNE 2019
How to Transfer Speed into Power
After watching Brooks Koepka win yet another Major this weekend, the question that
must be answered is, “WHY”? That answer lies in science and one of the four quadrants
of speed. The four quadrants that a player can gain speed in are improving technical
efficiency, improving equipment to match the player’s needs of speed, improving mobility
to allow full rotational capacity and improving power. Power is the simple sum of how
much force a player can generate plus how fast they can produce that force. Simply put,
Power = Strength + Speed.
As a golfer begins to assess what opportunities they have to gain speed, it is also
important to realize how the quickest gains may be achieved. For a Senior player changing
equipment to improve their launch angle and spin rate will yield a quicker result versus
working on range of motion and mobility exercises. It is not to say those quadrants will be
ignored, but it is usually best for the student to show the quickest results possible and plan
to address larger scale issues in the future. The opposite may hold true for a junior golfer
who is hypermobile yet has trouble creating power. For this golfer, the quickest gain in
power will come from understanding how to engage the proper muscle groups to create
Force and the ability to harness their speed.
The technical consideration for the power equation is “Centeredness of Hit” or finding
the sweet spot. While club head speed is important, Ball Speed truly determines how far
the golf ball will travel. If two golfers swing at 100 m.p.h and one golf ball is struck on
the sweet spot the ball speed will be approximately 150 m.p.h where a ball struck on the
toe will be drastically less. This designation is important as every mile per hour of ball
speed is worth three yards of distance. As a golfer begins to improve rotational capacity,
consistently finds the center of the club face, and has a properly fit Driver, the likelihood of
creating more distance greatly increases. Each golfer will be different when they examine
the four quadrants, but a deeper look will help provide a roadmap for increasing the
distance and improving overall driving.
John Mousley
PGA, TPI
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