How fast a golfer swings the club has had an increasingly higher correlation to how much money the top PGA Tour professionals make in recent years—this is no secret.
What has been a secret, until now, is how fast other golfers your age swing and how you compare. No one has known, or if they have, they didn’t share it. We are going to reveal in this article, based on the research and data we have been collecting for over six years, where you stand compared to where you could be. No longer will you be held captive to father time and the belief that you are doomed to get worse with age!
After reading this article, you will see what is possible for you, depending on where you are in your golf life based on the cold, hard facts of science. The data sample we have is almost 800 golfers large and ranges from ages 10 to 80. The really cool thing about this article, though, is that we aren’t stopping there. We are then going to dive into the top three tests that you can do at home that correlate to clubhead speed at an incredibly high level.
If you find yourself in the 25th percentile for club speed but 90th percentile for the power tests, you have more speed in you right this second, we just have to get it out of you. It might be figuring out which of your four rotary centers are locked up or could be a simple nervous system fix such as over-speed training. All it takes is a simple assessment and application of the correct fix and you are good to go!
If, however, your swing speed is in the 75th percentile and your power numbers are only in the 25th percentile, you are swinging faster than your body can handle. The only way you are getting faster and minimizing the risk of injury is by improving your physical abilities.
You are likely already maximizing your equipment and technique as far as they will take you at this moment. Your low-hanging fruit is in either the mobility or the power quadrants of speed. This is again easily determined with a simple assessment so that you can apply the correct fix to your problem. If, however, you skipped the assessment and just started over-speed training or something other than what you actually needed, your likelihood for injury is probably quite high.
So let’s get into it…
STEP 1 – Power Assessment
The three tests that we measured in our research to look at their relationship to club speed were standing shot put from both sides (6 lb medicine ball), seated chest pass (6 lb medicine ball) and vertical jump. The correlations for each test to club speed for the entire sample are below. A correlation of 1.0 means that there is an exact relationship between the two variables, a correlation of 0.0 means there is absolutely no relationship. As you can see, vertical jump had the lowest correlation while shot put right (strong side) had the strongest correlation.
Shot Put R 0.822
Shot Put Left 0.809
Seated Chest Pass 0.802
Vertical Jump 0.644
For a more in-depth look at each test’s correlations to the club speed within each specific age group, I would encourage you to download the entire free report here.
Below are the charts for the power tests and their percentiles for each age group (click the image to expand)
Each of these tests is the first step for you to take to objectively assess where you are in terms of your ability to produce power. Complete each test, write down your numbers and then write down what percentile you fall into.
The next step is putting in your swing speed, assessing the relationship and then coming up with a plan.
Step 2 – Swing Speed Assessment
This is the one everyone is excited about. Find your age group bracket and see where you fall in the percentiles. Write this number and your percentile down and compare it to your power numbers. See anything interesting yet?
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Swing Speed Data Table
| Percentiles | 25th | 50th | 75th | 90th | 99th |
| 10-13 years old | |||||
| Males | 73.0 | 82.0 | 90.1 | 98.0 | 104.6 |
| Females | 70.7 | 77.3 | 82.6 | 87.9 | 95.1 |
| 14-16 years old | |||||
| Males | 98.5 | 103.9 | 107.8 | 111.5 | 115.1 |
| Females | 85.0 | 87.2 | 92.2 | 96.4 | 101.8 |
| 17-29 years old | |||||
| Males | 108.8 | 112.9 | 117.3 | 122.1 | 127.2 |
| Females | 87.0 | 93.4 | 96.6 | 98.8 | 102.3 |
| 30-39 years old | |||||
| Males | 102.2 | 107.9 | 112.3 | 118.3 | 128.5 |
| Females | |||||
| 40-49 years old | |||||
| Males | 97.0 | 100.8 | 106.1 | 110.4 | 114.5 |
| Females | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| 50-59 years old | |||||
| Males | 96.5 | 100.2 | 104.0 | 109.4 | 114.3 |
| Females | 72.7 | 73.9 | 80.9 | 86.0 | 87.4 |
| 60-69 years old | |||||
| Males | 87.6 | 94.0 | 97.8 | 100.2 | 104.0 |
| Females | 71.9 | 73.5 | 75.2 | 76.7 | 79.6 |
| 70+ years old | |||||
| Males | 84.6 | 93.7 | 96.9 | 100.2 | 107.5 |
| Females | 69.1 | 71.1 | 72.1 | 72.9 | 73.0 |
Step 3 – Asses Mobility
This is the most important step but also the least exciting. In order to complete step four, which is going to be coming up with your plan, you need to know how your mobility is at your four main rotary centers. Normally we charge $10 for this at-home assessment, but since you are reading it here at GolfWRX we are giving it to you for free.
Click here to download the free assessment.
Once you complete these simple mobility tests, we’ll give you the email to send your results to so we can send you some simple fixes complementary.
Write down your mobility results next to your power numbers, swing speeds and your percentiles for all categories. At this point, you should have a simple yet clear picture of you as a golfer.
Step 4 – Your Plan
This is where the magic happens. At this point, you have done more than 90 percent of golfers, golf instructors, and golf fitness gurus. You assessed objectively where you are today, all the major physical quadrants of your power profile. And it should not have taken you more than 15 minutes.
Now, look at all your numbers and first, identify any mobility restrictions you have. These are the most important ones to address first. Without question. Do the fixes we send you.
Next, take a look at your power percentiles vs. your club speed percentile.
Three Possible Outcomes
More RPM Under the Hood
If your power percentiles are higher than your speed percentile, you have more speed in your tank right this instant, we just need to let it out!
Fix any mobility restrictions you have and that will gain you speed. If you had no mobility restrictions, solutions such as over-speed training could be huge for you! That being said, avoid high volume protocols. We have found in some of our other research that you can gain the same speed numbers with a lot fewer swings. If you’re interested in learning more about these, stay tuned. I would also recommend looking at your equipment for ideal fit and your technique for maximal efficiency. Your solutions could lie in those areas as well.
The Ticking Time Bomb
If your power percentiles were lower than your speed percentile, you are swinging faster than your body wants to. You likely have optimized your equipment and technique to a degree. You are essentially defying nature. This sounds great until you understand the injury risk potential that exists for you.
Making sure your mobility is up to par is step one. If you want a sure-fire way to assure injury, swing faster than your body is capable of handling and do it without rotational mobility. Guaranteed poor outcome in that situation.
The next thing you need to do is get involved in a golf performance program of some sort that works on the specific areas of detriment that were identified in the power testing.
This doesn’t mean to start training the tests, however. This means that you should be implementing exercises and drills that train up the skills necessary to maximize power output in a pushing, rotational and vertical manner. Depending on your training experience and background, oftentimes seeking out help from a professional in designing this part of the solution is a wise move.
The Balanced Golfer
If you find that all your percentiles were pretty much the same, congratulations! You are a balanced golfer. As with the other two types, check your mobility and make sure you close any gaps there first. The next step for you will likely be a balance approach of technique, equipment, mobility, and strength conditioning for golf.
Once you figure out where you land, you likely will have questions about where to go next. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for complimentary calls to discuss your results and give you suggestions of what to do next.
Happy speed gains!