Why swinging hard is slowing you down

Why swinging hard is slowing you down

Here's why trying to “hit hard” ruins your tempo and costs distance.

Read time: 2.5min

Most golfers swing beautifully until there’s a ball in front of them — here’s why trying to “hit hard” ruins your tempo and costs distance.

Hard vs. Fast

In a recent driver fitting, a golfer came in convinced that the solution to more distance was “swinging harder.”

He wasn’t short on effort — he was strong, athletic, and determined. But every ball flew too high, spinning wildly, and losing distance.

The problem wasn’t his strength. It was tension.

He was swinging hard — not fast.

The Problem with Swinging Hard

When you try to hit the ball harder, your swing immediately changes:

  • Your grip tightens.
  • The wrists lock up.
  • The swing shortens and steepens.

The result? You slow the club down and add backspin — exactly the opposite of what you want.

Golfers think they’re increasing power, but all they’re doing is taking the athletic motion out of their swing.

When you stay loose and sequence properly, the club releases through impact. That’s where true speed comes from — not effort, but flow.

The Practice Swing Problem

Almost every golfer makes a better swing in practice than when the ball is there. Without a ball, the swing looks fluid, balanced, and confident. As soon as a ball is introduced, everything changes — they stop swinging and start hitting.

That tension makes the swing collapse. Instead of moving through the ball, they chop down at it or steer the face to “make” contact. The funny thing is, when they go back to a practice swing, everything looks perfect again. The fix isn’t technical. It’s mental.

When you take that easy, fast practice swing — and then repeat it exactly the same way when there’s a ball — the results are always better. When people take a practice swing, they swing the golf club. When the golf ball’s there, they hit the golf ball.”

That’s the problem.

How to Feel “Fast” Without Forcing It

Here’s what worked during the fitting:

  1. The golfer was told to back up, take two practice swings, and “do it faster — faster again.”
  2. Then he was asked to step in and make that same fast, free swing with the ball in place without taking extra time to address the ball.
  3. Instantly, the contact improved and the ball flight straightened out.

He didn’t gain speed by trying harder — he gained it by letting go.

When you stay athletic and swing through the ball instead of at it, the club naturally accelerates.

That’s real speed.

The Takeaway

  • A hard swing is tense, choppy, and inefficient.
  • A fast swing is fluid, athletic, and free.
  • Your practice swing already contains the right motion — you just need to trust it when it counts.

So next time you’re on the range, take your best practice swing — then step in and make that your real swing.

Don’t swing hard. Swing fast.

🎯 Curious if your tempo affects your performance? Book a club fitting — we’ll check your setup,rhythm, release, and speed.

Ready to swing smoother and hit it farther? Shop premium driver shafts — engineered for speed, stability, and consistency.

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