In the early 2000s, Tiger Woods ushered in the fitness revolution with his running, lifting, and Navy Seal training. Now that strength training is part of golf, swing speed has become an important measurable that golfers strive to improve.
In June, as Matt Fitzpatrick won the U.S. Open, people noticed he was hitting the ball as far as — and sometimes farther than — bombers including Dustin Johnson. Quietly, over the years, the diminutive and short-hitting Fitzpatrick had been working on his swing speed in search of more distance.
I empathized with Fitzpatrick. Last winter, after a season of watching my playing partners walk past my ball on their way to their tee shot, I decided it was time to increase my own swing speed and try to gain some distance off the tee. I didn’t have the time or resources of someone like Bryson DeChambeau, but I knew there were options that didn’t involve eating 6,000 calories a day and spending three hours in the gym.
I did some research and ended up purchasing SuperSpeed sticks (starting at $230). It’s probably one of the best golf purchases I’ve ever made.