Ask a group of amateur golfers how to hit the ball further and you’ll get a fairly consistent answer: get more flexible, make a bigger turn, work on your stretching.
That advice has been repeated for decades. When researchers pooled the evidence, it didn’t hold up.
A systematic review with meta-analysis examined which physical characteristics are actually associated with clubhead speed. Here’s what came out, ranked — and the ranking is more useful than any single tip, because it tells you where to spend your training time.
The Rankings
The analysis reported associations between clubhead speed and a range of physical qualities. Roughly in order of strength:
Jump impulse produced the strongest association of anything measured.
Upper body explosive strength and jumping peak power followed, both notably strong.
Jump displacement — how high you jump — came next.
Upper body strength and lower body strength were both significantly associated, but at a lower level than their explosive counterparts.
Anthropometry — your build — mattered, and isn’t something you can train.
Muscle capacity showed a small but significant association.
And then two things showed no significant association at all:
Flexibility.
Balance.
The Finding Worth Sitting With
The researchers noted it directly: contrary to popular historical belief, flexibility was one of two characteristics not significantly associated with clubhead speed.
That’s a genuinely awkward result for an industry that has been selling golfers stretching routines for distance since anyone can remember.
It’s also consistent with the rest of the ranking. Explosive force production predicted speed better than maximal strength. Upper body explosive strength showed noticeably larger associations than upper body strength, most likely because it better replicates the severe time constraints the upper body operates under during a swing. A golf swing takes a fraction of a second. The relevant question isn’t how much force you can produce; it’s how fast you can produce it.
Two Important Caveats
Before anyone stops stretching entirely:
Association isn’t the same as trained improvement. These studies measured which qualities track with clubhead speed across golfers, which is not identical to proving that training a quality raises speed in an individual. That said, the direction of the evidence is fairly clear, and intervention studies do support strength and power work — one summary of combined general and golf-specific training reported an average increase of around 4.1% in clubhead speed and 5.2% in hitting distance.
Mobility still matters — just not for the reason you were told. Restricted hip internal rotation, thoracic rotation, or ankle dorsiflexion will shape your swing and push compensations into your lower back. What the evidence doesn’t support is the idea that becoming generally more flexible adds yards. Targeted range at specific restricted joints is a different proposition from stretching everything for distance.
So: don’t abandon mobility work. Stop expecting it to be your speed program.
What to Train Instead
If jump impulse and explosive strength are what track with clubhead speed, the training implications are fairly direct.
Lower body power. Jumping, in some progressed form. Countermovement jumps, box jumps, hops, and — importantly for older golfers — landing mechanics trained before jumping volume increases. Jump height correlates with clubhead speed, and explosive lower body power supports faster hip and torso rotation.
Lower body strength as the foundation. Squats, deadlifts, split squats, hinge patterns. Strength is what power is built on, even though power correlates more strongly.
Rotational power. Medicine ball throws — rotational and seated — appear throughout this literature as relevant measures. They’re also easy to progress and specific to what the swing asks for.
Upper body explosive work. Not just pressing heavy, but producing force quickly.
Ground force capability. Golfers who generate the most speed are effective at using the ground. That depends on the lead leg’s ability to push, which depends on quad strength and knee stability. Previous knee injuries — ACL tears, meniscus problems, osteoarthritis — can reduce the confidence and capacity to transfer weight quickly and forcefully into the lead leg, blunting the pressure shift that produces speed.
Glutes. Gluteus medius resists lateral sway and stabilizes the pelvis; the posterior chain generates hip extension into impact and protects the lower back.
The Uncomfortable Implication
Most golfers who want more distance buy a driver.
The evidence suggests the higher-return move is two strength and power sessions a week — which is less exciting, costs less, and takes months rather than an afternoon.
It also happens to be the intervention that keeps you playing into your seventies, which a driver does not.
A Note for Golfers Over 50
Power declines faster than strength with age when nothing is done about it, and power is the quality most closely tied to clubhead speed. That’s the physiological reason distance fades — not lost flexibility, which is the usual assumption.
The good news is that power responds to training at every age. The caveat is that jumping and explosive work need building up sensibly rather than starting at volume, particularly with any history of knee, ankle, or Achilles problems. This is a good reason to be assessed before starting rather than after something flares.
What About Speed Training and Overspeed Work?
Overspeed training — swinging lighter implements faster — has become popular, and the sensible reading is that it works best combined with strength and power work rather than instead of it. Speed also has to eventually be trained in the swing itself, which is where your coach comes in.
The sequence that makes sense: build the physical capacity, then train speed in the movement, then let your coach integrate it.
What Not to Expect
Instant results. Strength and power adapt over months. Expect meaningful change across a season, not a fortnight.
Distance without contact. Clubhead speed only becomes distance if you strike the ball well. Speed added to inconsistent contact produces longer mishits.
A single fix. Speed comes from the whole chain — ground, legs, hips, trunk, arms, club. Improving one link in isolation gets limited returns.
When to Get Assessed First
Get checked before beginning explosive training if you have current or recent knee, ankle, hip, or back pain; a history of Achilles problems or ankle sprains; any joint replacement; osteoporosis or reduced bone density; or if you’ve been largely inactive for a long period.
Speak to your physician first if you have cardiovascular risk factors or haven’t exercised in years.
And seek prompt medical care for chest pain, unusual breathlessness, or dizziness during exertion.
Train the Right Thing
Most golfers are training the quality that doesn’t correlate and neglecting the one that correlates most strongly.
Park Rehab offers a free discovery visit at no cost and no obligation. You’ll get an assessment of your strength, power, and movement, an honest picture of where your speed is actually being lost, and a program targeted at the qualities the evidence supports — progressed safely for your age and injury history.