Overspeed Training
Overspeed training is a method of swinging a lighter-than-normal club or speed stick to train the brain and nervous system to move faster, so a golfer can eventually swing their real club at a higher clubhead speed.
What is overspeed training?
Every golfer has a built-in speed limit, and a lot of it lives in the brain rather than the muscles. The nervous system holds a sense of how fast the body should move during a swing and quietly caps it, partly to protect the joints. Overspeed training works against that cap. By swinging something lighter than a driver, a golfer moves faster than usual, and repeated exposure to that faster motion gradually teaches the body that the higher speed is safe and normal.
Coaches often describe this internal limit as a “governor,” like the part that keeps a golf cart from speeding. Overspeed training loosens the governor. It does not make a golfer physically stronger or more powerful; instead, it helps them reach speed they already have but rarely use. Kyle Shay, co-founder of SuperSpeed Golf, describes the goal as resetting the mental governor that decides how fast a person swings.
Golfers chase this because distance tends to lower scores. Arccos Golf found that adding 10 or more yards off the tee helped 81% of players gain strokes. The method sits alongside strength work, mobility, and lessons rather than replacing them. Most often, a golfer hears the term during a lesson, or on a broadcast when a player suddenly starts hitting it much farther.
How overspeed training works
The idea rests on a simple principle: speed is a skill the body can learn. Swing an implement that weighs less than a normal club, and the arms and hands travel faster against less resistance. Do that enough, and the nervous system starts recruiting muscle fibers more quickly, which can carry over to the regular swing.
Most systems pair a light club with a slightly heavier one so the golfer trains both underspeed and overspeed, a combination sometimes called overload training. The SuperSpeed set, for example, includes three sticks: one 20% lighter than a driver, one 10% lighter, and one 5% heavier, according to the company. Sessions are short and intense. SuperSpeed’s Kyle Shay says each protocol takes about five to eight minutes after a warm-up, performed roughly three times a week with a rest day between.
The effect can appear fast. Chris Finn of the Titleist Performance Institute reports seeing golfers pick up 5 mph or more in under 10 minutes in the right situation. Practical Golf notes that an overspeed session asks the body to move as much as 8 to 13 percent faster than it can manage on its own.
Overspeed training vs. strength training
Most confusion around the term comes from mixing it up with strength or power training. They improve a swing by different routes. Strength training builds the muscle and force a golfer can produce. Overspeed training is about access: it improves how quickly the body uses the force it already has.
| Aspect | Overspeed training | Strength training |
|---|---|---|
| Main goal | Move faster in the swing | Produce more force |
| Mechanism | Nervous system adaptation | Muscle and force development |
| Tools | Light and heavy speed sticks | Weights and resistance |
| Speed of results | Quick, then plateaus | Slower but sustained |
| Best role | Short bursts to unlock speed | Long-term foundation |
Par4Success, whose founder Chris Finn reviewed the research for SimpliFaster, ran two randomized studies in 2018 and 2019 in which golfers gained around 3 mph on average in six to eight weeks. That was roughly three times the 1 mph average gain seen over 12 weeks from traditional strength work alone. The same studies found the gains plateaued quickly, with meaningful improvement by week three but little added benefit by week six. That pattern is why most coaches use overspeed work in short phases rather than year-round.
Common overspeed training tools
A golfer meeting the term will usually run into a few product names. SuperSpeed Golf popularized the category with its three-stick set and, by SimpliFaster’s count, is used by more than 650 tour professionals. The Rypstick and The Stack System take a similar approach with adjustable weights and companion apps. These are speed-training aids, not clubs a golfer hits balls with; the point is the swinging motion rather than striking a ball.
The best-known example of the payoff is Matthew Fitzpatrick. Working with biomechanist Sasho Mackenzie and The Stack System, Fitzpatrick raised his average clubhead speed by roughly 5 mph between 2019 and 2022 and climbed from 59th to 10th in strokes gained off the tee, per Golf.com, the season he won the 2022 US Open.
Common misconceptions about overspeed training
The most frequent mistake is treating overspeed training as a way to build power. It does not. As Chris Finn puts it, swinging a light stick faster improves speed in that one motion without improving a golfer’s ability to jump, squat, or deadlift more. The power has to already exist for the speed to appear.
A second misconception is that more swings mean more speed. The Par4Success studies found no meaningful difference between a high-volume protocol of hundreds of swings and a low-volume one of about 30 swings twice a week, so the extra reps mostly add fatigue and injury risk. A third belief is that overspeed training suits everyone. Finn’s framework flags golfers who already swing faster than their strength can support as poor candidates, since piling speed onto a weak foundation raises the chance of getting hurt.
Related Golf Terms
- Rotational power — The explosive power produced by turning the body.
- Flexibility — Muscle and joint suppleness that aids rotation and turn.
- Locker room — A clubhouse facility where players change and store belongings.
- Speed training — Structured practice aimed at increasing clubhead speed.
- Core strength — Midsection strength that stabilizes the swing and adds power.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does overspeed training actually work?
For many golfers, yes, at least in the short term. Research from Par4Success found average gains near 3 mph in six to eight weeks, though improvement tends to plateau after a few weeks.
Is overspeed training safe?
It can be, but risk rises when a golfer’s speed outpaces their strength and mobility. Coaches at the Titleist Performance Institute recommend building a strength base first and skipping overspeed work if the body cannot control the added speed.
How often should a golfer do overspeed training?
Common protocols suggest about three sessions a week with a rest day between, each lasting only a few minutes. Daily maximal training is discouraged because the nervous system needs time to recover.
How much speed can it add?
Reported gains run widely, from a few mph to 10 mph or more, depending on a golfer’s starting point and strength. The bigger jumps usually come from golfers who were swinging well below their physical potential.
What is the difference between overspeed and overload training?
Overspeed uses lighter implements to move faster, while overload uses heavier ones to build force. Most programs combine the two in a single routine.
Sources
- SuperSpeed Golf. “Swing Speed Training.” Accessed August 2026.
https://superspeedgolf.eu/pages/swing-speed-training - Titleist Performance Institute (Chris Finn). “The Safe Way to Train Fast: Determining Your Readiness for Overspeed Training.” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.mytpi.com/articles/swing/the-safe-way-to-train-fast-determining-your-readiness-for-overspeed-training - SimpliFaster (Chris Finn). “Overspeed: Facts and Fallacies of Training Beyond Maximal Velocity.” Accessed August 2026.
https://simplifaster.com/articles/overspeed-training-beyond-maximal-velocity/ - Par4Success. “Overspeed Training for Golf Swing Speed.” Accessed August 2026.
https://par4success.com/overspeed-training-golf/ - Golf.com. “How Matt Fitzpatrick Transformed Himself Into One of the Game’s Long Bombers.” Accessed August 2026.
https://golf.com/instruction/how-matt-fitzpatrick-transformed-long-bomber/ - Golf Digest. “The Story Behind the Training Aid That Helped the U.S. Open Champ.” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/matt-fitzpatrick-us-open-the-stack-system-speed-training-aid - Arccos Golf. “The Distance Debate: Does Hitting Farther Improve Scoring?” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.arccosgolf.com/blogs/community/distance-debate-does-hitting-farther-improve-scoring - Practical Golf. “SuperSpeed Golf Review.” Accessed August 2026.
https://practical-golf.com/superspeed-golf
