Pre-Shot Priming
Pre shot priming is especially valuable on the course. You might go 15 or 30 minutes between drivers, sometimes longer. If you only make a full driver swing every half hour, it’s hard to be at full speed when it’s time to hit.
Padraig Harrington is a good example of someone you will see using pre-shot speed priming. You’ll see him doing very fast, aggressive swings on tee boxes before hitting the driver.
This will excite his nervous system and muscles, getting them ready for high output.
In simple terms, you’re “blowing off the cobwebs” a little bit.
All it takes is one or two aggressive practice swings where you focus on making the club swish loudly. Then you carry that same feeling into your actual shot.
I like to do one aggressive practice swing using the “Pump Drill” before hitting a driver on the course. I think it helps my overall sequence as well as my speed.
You don’t want your “pre-shot priming” to take too long or be fatiguing. Just make sure your body is ready for a fast, athletic move. These priming swings are small details, but they help you access the speed you’ve trained. The foundational work is your physical training and speed sessions.
To learn more about training for club head speed, check out Swing Speed Training – The Fit For Golf Guide.