Okay, so I’ve been trying to figure out this whole “tour average ball speed” thing, and let me tell you, it’s been a journey. I started by just whacking balls at the driving range, thinking, “Yeah, I’m probably close.” Spoiler alert: I was not.
My First Attempt: Pure Guesswork
I went to the range with my usual driver, teed up, and just let it rip. I felt pretty good, the ball seemed to go far, and I figured I was hitting it like a pro. I had no way to measure anything, though. It was all based on feel. Looking back, that was pretty dumb.
Getting (Slightly) Smarter: Using a Launch Monitor
Next, I decided I needed some actual data. A buddy of mine had one of those portable launch monitors, so we headed back to the range. This thing measures all sorts of stuff, including ball speed.
- First Swing: I was hyped up. Swung as hard as I could. The number popped up, and… it was way lower than I expected. I won’t even tell you what it was, it’s embarrassing.
- Second Swing: Tried to be smoother, less “Hulk smash.” The number went up a bit, but still, not great.
- Third Swing and Beyond: We spent a good hour just hitting balls, trying different things. I adjusted my stance, my grip, my backswing… everything.
The Slow Climb: Practice and Tweaks
It was clear that just swinging harder wasn’t the answer. The launch monitor showed that my “smash factor” (basically, how efficiently I was hitting the ball) was pretty bad. So, I started focusing on that. I looked up some drills online, worked on my technique, and kept practicing.
It was a slow process, but over weeks of hitting the range, I started seeing improvement. My ball speed gradually crept up. I wasn’t suddenly hitting tour-level numbers, but it was progress.
Still Working On It
I’m still nowhere near the tour average, but I’m a lot closer than I was when I started. The biggest lesson? It’s not just about brute force. It’s about technique, efficiency, and, well, a lot of practice. I keep track of the numbers on the launch monitor, so i can see where i getting better.
I’ll keep hitting balls, keep tweaking my swing, and keep chasing that elusive tour *’s a long way to go, but at least now I have a plan, and, most importantly, actual data to work with.
