Club Head Speed By Age Group: What Percentile Are You In?

 

In the past four years at Par4Success, we've worked with and tested junior, amateur, professional, and senior golfers in North Carolina and throughout the country. Our goal has been to gather information and data on these "average" golfers to understand better how to assist most golf enthusiasts who love and play the game.

Our extensive testing, which has accumulated over 600 data points, has identified several critical metrics in the physical aspect that you should aim for to reach your highest potential in golf. While we have discovered more than ten crucial metrics for golfers, today, we want to focus on the one that is most frequently asked about club head speed.

If you work in the golf industry, you've likely encountered golfers who swing, check their speed, and turn to you with the question, "Is that good?" Before we had this data, we often relied on our memory of other golfers we've worked with to make a comparison, which isn't the most scientific or accurate approach.

Answering this question is essential because most available data pertain to PGA and LPGA tour averages. It's absurd for 13-year-olds and 65-year-olds to compare themselves to the 113 mph PGA Tour average or the 98 mph LPGA Tour average. It's like an average person comparing their wealth to Warren Buffet's fortune. Let's be realistic and compare where you are today and where you want to be in the coming months and even decades.

On the LPGA and PGA Tours, it's evident that distance matters, as the top earners tend to be long hitters. It's reasonable to assume that the same applies to amateurs, juniors, and seniors worldwide. The longer you hit the ball, the easier it should be to score better. You'll have shorter approaches and avoid using hybrids on every green.

However, it's important to clarify that you don't "have" to be an exceptionally long hitter to play at a professional Tour level or perform well. You can have a successful career on the Tour without swinging at 120 mph, and as an amateur, you can excel without hitting the ball 300 yards. Nevertheless, the statistics clearly show that having length provides a significant advantage in terms of earning potential on the Tour.

When children are young, parents often recall being told by the physician which percentile their child's height and weight fell into. Although this is a fun metric, it doesn't predict their future height, athletic ability, or anything else. However, it does provide an objective measure to understand where your child stands compared to others of the same age and gender.

With our data, we have done the same for club head speed. The following percentiles are designed to assist you depending on where you are in your golfing journey.

If you're a junior golfer, this data allows you to see how you compare to others in your age range and older golfers at the next level. For example, if you're between 10 and 16 years old and want to know how fast college players swing, look at the 17-30 age group. This gives you a target to aim for to be competitive with the other players you'll be facing.

If you're a working amateur in your 30s to 50s, this data provides a realistic expectation of what is suitable for your age and how much speed the average golfer loses over the years. Use this information as a barometer to identify any abnormal power loss based on age.

If you're 50 or older, this data helps you understand your current level and potential. A club head speed of 90 mph at 65 years old could be more impressive, and there is likely room for improvement.

Industry professionals can utilize this data to counter the belief that getting older means accepting a decline in performance. There are ample opportunities for improvement and growth well into your 60s if you follow an organized plan based on sports science.

The next question most people will have, unless they are in the 99th percentile, is likely, "How can I increase my club head speed?" The answer lies in the science and the four areas of speed improvement: technical efficiency, equipment optimization for speed while considering accuracy, mobility enhancement for total rotational capacity, and power development. Power is determined by the total force a player can generate and how quickly they can produce it.

The solutions for increasing speed may vary depending on where a player is in their golf journey. For instance, let's consider two players: a senior with limited mobility and a junior with excessive mobility. Their approaches to increasing club head speed would be different. Assuming both players have equal equipment and technical efficiency, the senior would benefit more from mobility improvements. At the same time, the junior would see more significant improvements by focusing on strength and controlling their mobility.

This doesn't mean that both players should neglect the other areas of speed improvement. However, they should prioritize the low-hanging fruit. For example, the hypermobile junior would still work on mobility but focus on better control within their entire range of motion rather than attempting to increase it further. This can be done during active rest breaks between strength and power training, offering the additional benefit of injury prevention.

The senior player would respect strength and speed training and incorporate eccentric strength training periods throughout the year to enhance mobility gains while building strength. To increase speed, the senior player would also work on speed and deceleration drills specific to golf, including vertical, horizontal, and torsional movements. However, these drills would be implemented after a significant focus on soft tissue work, mobility drills, and attention to golf-specific rotary centres.

Knowing your percentile based on age and gender provides a starting benchmark and allows you to set achievable goals. Following a sports science-based plan that maximizes your progress is crucial, as demonstrated above. Seek the guidance of golf fitness, medical, and teaching professional who can help you assess your current level and identify the areas of speed improvement you should prioritize.

Regarding the data, it's important to note that age groups with larger sample sizes can provide more reliable extrapolations than those with smaller samples. This is just the beginning of the database we're building, and the numbers will continue to grow and become more informative. If you're a female aged 30-50, please get in touch with us so we can include your age group's numbers, as there's currently a gap in our data for that range.

Stay tuned for our upcoming article on the top tests we've found for identifying areas of improvement related to club head speed based on your age. These tests correlate strongly with club head speed and can provide insights into which quadrant you should primarily focus on to enhance your speed. If you want to access our complete research report, including all the numbers from ages 10 to 65 and beyond, you can download it for free here.

At Par4Success, our expertise is helping golfers improve their game, increase swing speed, and reduce injuries. Based on our research and programs, the average golfer experiences a gain of over three mph (equivalent to around 10 yards) in less than 12 weeks, with many achieving even more significant improvements—50% more—when they follow power and strength training methods tailored to their age and developmental level. Let us know if we can assist you in reaching your goals!

Read More: Increase Your Swing Speed