Up until a couple of years ago (right before I turned 60), I still had driver clubhead speed close to 100 mph. With a respectable smash factor, that translates into drives around 270 yards. I would take that all day long.
But in the last couple of years, that clubhead speed has dipped to the low 90s. While adequate for a senior player, I sure like hitting shorter clubs into greens (And yes, I know I can move up another set of tees). I decided to see if there was anything I could do about it. So I recently employed a product called Perfect Hands, which I checked out at this year’s PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, to see if I could regain most of, if not all of that lost speed.
Perfect Hands claims if you follow the regimen that goes along with this product, you will gain clubhead speed - 8 to 10 mph or more - and it also will create muscle memory to help your swing. In fact the first time you use it, they say it’s not unusual to see speed tick up a couple of miles per hour, probably more because it smooths out your swing motion rather than creating more speed. But again, I was definitely more intrigued by the idea of adding clubhead speed rather than fixing any swing flaws. It is important to note here that if your swinging motion is already pretty solid, using the middle ring on the gloves will not change, but rather reinforce a good motion.
The backstory is that Perfect Hands founder Mario Karagianis developed this product - which uses stretch bands connected to special gloves and a pivot point on a special waistband - as a way to help his own game. He went through several prototypes before arriving at the current product, which has four different resistant bands from 10 pounds to 40 pounds that connect from the strap to special gloves you wear. Once you set up, you simply make swings, without thinking about it, to build speed, strength, and perhaps muscle memory to build a better swing motion.
Each system comes with two gloves, one for the left hand and one for the right hand, so you can balance out your workout by swinging both ways. And here’s the part I really like: it only takes 10 minutes or less to get in a daily workout. And you do not hit balls with it, so you can do it anywhere you can swing a club.
I started with the 10-pound, just like the program says, and made 20 swings on each side and slowly increased my reps after a few days. Then because I was at a range the first time. I hit a few shots. I might have seen an uptick of a mile or two right away - from 92 mph that I measured before I did the workout - to around 93 or 94 mph. But that might be just because I was loosened up more at that point. It’s hard to say. More important to me was where I would be in a few weeks.
After week two, I already saw a difference. I was in the 96 to 97 mph range. I measured again in week three, and I hit 98 mph. And in week four, I made it to 99 mph. By week six, I was almost at 100 mph, so I did seem to plateau a bit later in the program. Still, 99.7 mph isn’t bad for a 62-year-old. And if I can continue, it seems I might be able to add a little more.
As far as helping to round out my swing, I can’t say it did that, but here’s the part of the system that’s supposed to help with your swing: Each glove is equipped with three rings. The center ring is neutral. The one closest to the forefinger is supposed to help you close the clubface faster. The one nearest the pinky is to help you keep the clubface open longer if you have a tendency to hook. The bands are also supposed to help you stay on plane.
The Perfect Hands folks will tell you, “Don’t think; just swing.” But best I can tell, it strengthens about every muscle you need to produce faster speeds, from the lats on both sides, your core muscles, triceps, and your hands and wrists. It’s been my experience that you can’t underestimate how important it is to have strong hands and wrists in the golf swing.
My workouts consisted of the basic regimen, which started with the 10-pound band at 20 reps on each side. After you're comfortable at 20 reps, you can increase to 25 and so forth until you reach 50 and then move onto the next band. There is a more advanced program you can do for more dramatic results, but I felt like this was enough for me.
It’s no surprise that several long drive competitors use this product, and it’s endorsed by several partners, including a couple of junior tours and the NAIA, as well as the Southern Texas PGA Section.
In the end, I went from 92 mph to just a tick under 100 mph. That translates into driving distances that went from around 245 yards to 270 yards. On a 400-yard par-4 for me, that’s the difference between coming in with an approach with a 7- or 8-iron to a 9-iron or wedge. I like the latter better, which makes this one of the best golf training aids I've tried in recent times. And on shorter par 5s, it means I have a chance to hit them in two with the faster swing speeds. What’s not to like?
