Swing Speed

[Courty]

I went in to the new Drummond Golf store up here the other day and managed to make a few swings on the swing speed thingamejig. Unfortunately I only had a go with a 5 iron. I was wondering how the speed I swung with that would translate into SS with a driver (roughly, of course). The speeds were between 81 & 86 mph apart from one freak swing which was clocked at 123mph (I think there was a low-flying jet doing a flyby at the same time) The club I used was a Silver Cat III 5 iron with 37.5" True Temper shaft. I will be interested to see who can estimate the closest as I will be taking my driver in in the next fortnight when the launch monitor arrives.

[BrisVegas]

I'd guestimate 108mph with driver. Your 5 iron speed is pretty close to mine.

[goughy]

I was tested at gci a year or so ago with a 5 iron. It was about 83mph. Gary said he adds about 15mph to that to approximate your driver swing speed. So I'm 'spose' to be in the high 90's for driver speed.

When he got my 5 iron speed he said that it was pretty much the same as his, and that should equal a 5 iron distance of about 160mtrs, which is what he hits and is pretty much what I was at at the time.

My driver distance varies as I tend to snap hook or block/fade/slice at the moment. On average I would fall somewhere between 220 and 240mtrs (if lucky). I can get the odd one out to 250, and even 260mtrs, but that is very odd.

[BrisVegas]

Gary said he adds about 15mph to that to approximate your driver swing speed.

That can vary a LOT though!! My driver speed was 22mph higher than 5 iron (113 v 91). But then, I'm a big girl's blouse with my irons...

[goughy]

I'd guestimate 108mph with driver. Your 5 iron speed is pretty close to mine.

If your 5 iron speed is 91mph, then courty's anywhere from 6 to 10mph less than your speed. He's more in my more 'human' range than your 'super human' range :P

[goughy]

If your a 'big girls blouse' with your iron speed, I must be a 'moo moo (however you spell it)' with my irons

[BrisVegas]

I just mean in relative terms Goughy. Most people don't have such a big difference as me. A good iron player like Terry has a smaller difference than that. He hits his long irons very solidly, hence the high iron speed. Someone like Nudgee is probably around 100mph wth 5 iron and around 115-120mph with Driver. Jaster and Iain are probably pretty fast iron swingers too. I'm trying to improve my hand speed with irons, but I've got a long way to go....

I stand by my estimate for Courty. 108mph. I've heard him describe some of the drives he's crushed. It would be at least 108, probaby higher.

[goughy]

I was only having a dig at ya because you said courty had a 5 iron swing speed similar to yours. But he said his is between 81 and 86mph and yours is much faster at 91mph. That's all mate. I'm just in a funny mood this arvo and felt like picking on ya :P

[Jono]

My guess is between 100 and 103mph.

My 5 iron speed is similar to Courty's, and I hit my 5 iron about 160m-170m. Driver clubhead speed around 100mph.

[Courty]

I was tested at gci a year or so ago with a 5 iron. It was about 83mph. Gary said he adds about 15mph to that to approximate your driver swing speed. So I'm 'spose' to be in the high 90's for driver speed.

When he got my 5 iron speed he said that it was pretty much the same as his, and that should equal a 5 iron distance of about 160mtrs, which is what he hits and is pretty much what I was at at the time.

My driver distance varies as I tend to snap hook or block/fade/slice at the moment. On average I would fall somewhere between 220 and 240mtrs (if lucky). I can get the odd one out to 250, and even 260mtrs, but that is very odd.

Thanks for the responses guys, exactly the sort of info I was looking for. I must say though, goughy, my distances vary a bit to yours. I hit my 5 iron 170 (even longer if I really flush one ) As far as driver distance, I hit my Ezy-Drive #3 220m, so needless to say, the driver does go much longer. Just yesterday I hit one 270 into a 10 knot headwind. This has been a common occurence in recent times (new driver).
So, goughy, shall I lock in 97-98mph then?

[goughy]

Not with those distances courty. I'd be thinking even your 5 iron speed could be recorded a bit slow.

I read an article in agm about fixing swing path and how it can affect club distances without increasing swingspeed. Some of the routines are things jaster's suggested I try, and I think some of them will be on the cards.

I can get the odd one out there (hit about 300mtrs on about 4 occasions) but my reality is that I'm not going to average more than about 230ish meters.

I'd be ok with that if I was hitting 70% of fairways instead of the usual <25%

[Courty]

Not with those distances courty. I'd be thinking even your 5 iron speed could be recorded a bit slow.

There's a fair chance you are right, goughy. I went in there on my lunch break and only had 4 or 5 swings first so I hadn't really loosened up properly (until the 123mph swing )

[goughy]

I luv the poll courty. I'm having such a ball in this thread.

I'm gonna pick whichever is closer to 103mph, and I reckon your 5 iron will come out closer to 88mph.

Specific enough for ya

Luuuuuuuv the avatar

[davidp]

That 5 iron speed looks a little bit slow for the distance. I hit my 5 iron 170m and I am about 97 mph swing speed. Probably not as solid a ballstriker as you though, Courty.

I would have to say your driver swing speed is going to be 111.5 mph with those kind of distances you're getting.

I hit it about 265 m with a 108 mph swing speed, but again, I'm probably not as solid as you are. Pity I suffer from goughy's disease. I only find about 55% of fairways.

[markTHEblake]

My Driver/5iron speeds are 98/90.

not every one has the same comparitive speed between the two.

[Iain]

That 5 iron speed looks a little bit slow for the distance. I hit my 5 iron 170m and I am about 97 mph swing speed. Probably not as solid a ballstriker as you though, Courty.

David,
Is that 97mph ss for your 5 iron or Driver?? As if it is 5 Iron, that is a very fast ss for a 5 iron....

Iain

[davidp]

Iain, my swing speed was measured about 18 months ago. It was 97 mph, which I thought was fast at the time, I still think it was fast, but there it is. I don't think I swing like a dysfunctional washing machine stuck on spin cycle, but maybe it was an incorrect reading.

Looking at everyone else's swing speeds, I should be hitting a 5 iron 240 metres shouldn't I?

Btw, anyone read the latest Golf Magazine. The guy they are tracking in there hits his 5 iron 250m. That's obscene..

[McMw]

back in perth....I was hitting 5 irons in the hitting room at the shop...

for fun, me and my mate turned on the swing sweed measurer thingy (does that thing work?)...
I swung 3 5irons....all at 100...
so I knew than that the bloody thing was buggered...

[senecio]

I agree with the other guys, I reckon 81 to 86mph seems a little slow for the distance that your getting. Every one of those swing speed analysers give a different reading so its a bit hard compare one to the other.

I had my swing speed measured in a large chain golf store with one of those little battery operated devices. Every swing was around 98 to 100mph. Then not that long ago, I had it measured by Gary at GCI and it was consistantly 92 to 95mph, a little closer to reality I think (both using my own 5-iron, standard lnegth DG R300).

Most recently my driver swing speed was measured at 105 to 109mph with a launch monitor at Oxley (Thanks Terry), so it looks like I'm pretty close to Goughy's approximation of 15mph difference between 5-iron and Driver.

Back to your poll,

5-iron ~90mph
Driver ~108mph

Ryan