How does a PGA Tour coach help me increase my swing speed
Hitting the ball has been my goal for a long time. However, I recently decided to take a serious decision about it.
After years of putting it off, I started chasing speed in earnest last summer. And much to my dismay, that life required something I had long avoided: the gym.
As someone who isn’t exactly the gym-bro type, that was a tough pill to swallow. But after consulting speed experts across the sport, one thing became clear – if I wanted more speed, I needed more power.
It starts slowly
At first, I kept it simple. A few nights a week in the gym, learn what to do and how to do it. This work was not glamorous, but it laid an important foundation.
Slowly, my swing speed started to creep up on the radar. The progress was encouraging – but I also knew I could be more effective. That’s when I connected with PGA Tour coach David Sundberg.
Working with a Travel Coach
Sundberg works with many Tour players, including Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay. If anyone knows how to build golf-specific strength, it’s him.
“Whether you’re a Tour player or a recreational golfer, the principles are the same,” Sundberg told me. “Go well, be strong, and speed will come.”
When I started the Sundberg foundation fitness routine (which you can read more about here), I hit a plateau. But when I started training with more structure and purpose, my speed jumped almost immediately.
From the beginning, his approach was methodical. Before adding a speed-specific workout, he wanted to see where my strength levels stood.
“I’d like to see where we are in terms of strength development and what your body mass measurements look like,” she said. “We want a good ratio of strength to body weight before we can fully rely on speed strength training.”
In other words: get right to speed training.
After seeing those early benefits, I asked Sundberg to create a 90-day season plan for me. Now, almost halfway through, the results are still coming.
Off-season benefits
Many golfers dread the off season. I’ve been enjoying it — it’s usually when I make swing changes. However, this year, the focus has changed. Instead of just grinding out a mechanic, I committed to three (sometimes four) days a week in the gym, with the remaining days devoted to acting.
The core strength program I followed late last year helped build the foundation. This offseason program has taken things up a notch. I’ve been sore more days this winter than ever before – well, “actively sore” – and my swing speed continues to climb.
As the program progresses, the emphasis will gradually change.
“We’re going to start reducing the heavy lifting and moving on to speed work,” Sundberg said. “Small loads, explosive intent – but only once is the power base where we want it.”
The biggest surprise so far, however, hasn’t just been raw speed. It is patience. It may not seem taxing, but maintaining a strong mechanic during a four-hour cycle or more – or a long simulator session – is required. When fatigue sets in, posture slips, sequences become sloppy and poor flexibility ensues.
Even though we train for maximum strength, Sundberg explained that the benefits of endurance are a natural byproduct.
“Even if you’re doing high strength training, there’s a downstream effect on endurance and overall strength,” he said. “You can do more for a long time before getting tired.”
That was one of the most obvious changes I noticed. I can hit a lot of balls without my mechanics breaking down. I don’t feel my posture crumbling late in the sessions. And when fatigue doesn’t set in, practice is always productive.
“It’s happening gradually, so you might not see it yet,” Sundberg said. “But if you keep stopping and swinging deep in the round, that’s a big win.”
And if that translates into holding form on holes 15 to 18, that’s when the actual score starts to drop. Another reason why the gym is a permanent part of my routine.
Check out below for a breakdown of the offseason workouts I’ve been doing.
Off-season training program
Weekly layout
- Monday: Lower Body
- Wednesday: Upper Body
- Friday: Full Body
- Weekend: Active recovery / mobility
Day 1 – Lower Body (55-65 minutes)
It’s ready
- Half-Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch w/ Reach – 30 sec/side
- 90/90 Hip Rotation – 8/side
- Open Book T-Spine Rotation – 6/side
- Glute Bridge w/ Band Abduction – 12 reps
- Side Plank – 25–30 sec/side
- Front plank – 30-40 seconds
- Wall Slides – 10 reps
Plyometrics (Level 2)
- Pogo Jumps – 3×12–15
- Lateral Line Hops (one leg) – 2×10/side
- Box Jump (12–18”) – 3×5 (step down after each rep)
Power
Rear-Foot Elevated Split Squat
- Week 1: 3×10, 10, max (20 lb dumbbells)
- Week 2: 3×6, 6, max (25 lb dumbbells)
- Week 3: 3×8, 8, max (25 lb dumbbells)
- Week 4: 2×8 (15 lb dumbbells)
Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
- Week 1: 3×10, 10, 12 (16 lb)
- Week 2: 3×6, 6, 8–10 (20 lb)
- Week 3: 3×8, 8, 8–10 (20 lb)
- Week 4: 2×8 (16 lb)
Core Circuit
- Mini-Band Lateral Walks – 3×12 steps
- Kneeling Pallof Press + Hold – 3×8/side
- Deadlift and Band Pulldown – 3×8/side
- Single Leg Balance Reach – 3×6/leg
Day 2 – Upper Body (50-60 minutes)
It’s ready
- Wall Slides – 10
- Serratus Wall Slides – 10
- External rotation of the band – 12
- Cat-Cow to T-Spine Rotation – 6/side
Upper Body Plyometrics
- Plyo Pushups (hands on the bench) – 3 × 5
- Band Pull-Aparts – 3×8 (between plyo pushup sets)
Rest 45 seconds after each sequence
Power
Rest 90–120 seconds between sets
DB Incline Bench Press
- Week 1: 3×10, 10, max (20 lb dumbbells)
- Week 2: 3×6, 6, max (25 lb dumbbells)
- Week 3: 3×8, 8, max (25 lb dumbbells)
- Week 4: 2×6 (15 lb dumbbells)
2-Arm Prone DB Row
- Week 1: 3×10, 10, max (20 lb dumbbells)
- Week 2: 3×6, 6, max (25 lb dumbbells)
- Week 3: 3×8, 8, max (25 lb dumbbells)
- Week 4: 2×6 (15 lb dumbbells)
Accessory Work
- Y bench – 2×12 (light plate or dumbbell)
- Facelift – 2×12–15
Rest 60 seconds
Core Circuit
- Bear Crawl – 3×20–30 sec
- Side Plank – 3×25–35 sec/side
- Anti-Rotation Press with Step-Out – 3×6/side
Day 3 – Full Body (55-60 minutes)
It’s ready
- Wall Slides – 10
- Serratus Wall Slides – 10
- 90/90 Hip Rotation – 8/side
- Cat-Cow to T-Spine Rotation – 6/side
- Half-Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch – 30 sec/side
- Glute Bridge w/ Band – 12
- Side Plank – 25–30 sec/side
- Front plank – 30-40 seconds
- Band Pull-Aparts – 10
Plyometrics
- Pogo Jumps – 3×15 sec
- Jump Vertical (land is soft, fast rebound) – 3×4
- Lateral Bound to Stick – 3×4/side
Power
Half-Kneeling Landmine Press
- Week 1: Find a weight you can do 10 quality reps for; 3 sets, 90 second rest
- Week 2: Add 2.5–5 lbs; 3 sets (leave 1-2 reps in reserve)
- Week 3: Add 2.5–5 lbs; do 4 reps, 4, then max reps (record weight and reps)
Goblet Squat to Box
Rest 90 seconds between sets
- Week 1: Use the previous 12-rep max
- Set 1 and 2: 8 reps
- Set 3: 12+ reps
- Week 2: Add 5 lbs
- Set 1 and 2: 8 reps
- Set 3:10 reps
- Week 3: Add 5 lbs
- Set 1 & 2: 6 reps
- 3 sets: 8+ reps (record weight and reps)
- Week 4: 3×8 per week 1 weight
1-Arm Half-Kneeling Lat Pulldown
- Weeks 1–3: 3×8–10
- Week 4: 3×10 with half the weight (controlled tempo)
Rest 60 seconds
The Tall-Kneeling Cable Chop
- 2×6/long (use a challenging but controlled weight)
Rest 60 seconds
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