According to figures from Tom Wishon, one of the most knowledgeable club designers in the game, the swing speed of an average woman golfer is 62 mph. That compares with 84 mph for an average male golfer. An average LPGA professional has a swing speed of 96 mph, and an average PGA player has a swing speed of 108 mph. At the top of the range are long hitters on the PGA Tour, such as Tiger Woods and Bubba Watson, with swings speeds of around 130 mph. The highest swings speeds of all, in the 148 to 152 mph range, are those of the national long-driving champions.
Significance
In general, swing speed determines the distance you can hit a golf ball. If you raise your swing speed by 1 mph, your shots will carry an extra three yards. In order to compensate for slower swing speeds, women have a number of options available to try to achieve more distance. The best option might be to get stronger and fitter and more flexible, which will enable you to swing the club faster. Another option is to change your swing in ways that will generate a higher swing speed. A third option is to get fitted with clubs and balls that will maximize the results you get from your particular swing speed.
Getting Stronger
Most LPGA pros work out like madwomen to get stronger, fitter and more flexible. That's one reason women pros routinely hit the ball more than 250 yards. Most players work out several times per week, and more often in the offseason. If you want to increase your swing speed -- and lose weight and gain strength at the same time -- get in the gym. There are many workout routines you can utilize, including the stringent and grueling routine of Annika Sorenstam. As a result, Sorenstam became one of the longest hitters on the LPGA Tour, hitting the ball far enough to compete with the men when she teed it up in the Colonial Classic in Texas.
Changing Your Swing
Some instructors advise women to alter their fundamentals in order to generate more clubhead speed. One instructor, for example, outlines ways to generate more clubhead speed, including strengthening your grip, taking a firm stance with your knees slightly pressing away from each other, and consciously holding your hips and knees in place so as not to overturn on your backswing; However, altering your fundamentals in such ways might leave you with swing flaws that gain you a bit of swing speed and distance while making your swing less sound and your shots hard to control. For example, strengthening your grip tends to produce a hook. Pressing your knees away instead of inward might cause you to sway, a major swing problem. So eschewing good fundamentals might be a poor trade-off for a bit more swing speed.
Club Fitting
To maximize your ability to get the most out of your swing speed, whether it is 60 mph or 100 mph, the right clubs, shafts and balls are essential. You should have your clubs checked for the right lie and loft -- women or men with slow swing speeds should have clubs with more loft. The shafts of your clubs are critical. If you have a slow swing speed, your shafts should be more flexible in order to generate more whip in the club to launch balls as far as possible. The same theory applies to golf balls. If your swing speed is slow, balls should be softer, so they will compress more easily and travel the farthest when launched from the clubface. Finally, since there is no "average" man or woman, club fitting is essential.
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