Over the past few years, SuperSpeed Golf has become one of the best-selling training aids in the entire golf industry. Their Overspeed training system has been embraced by more than 700 touring professionals and thousands of amateur golfers around the world. They have also done a ton of research into how golfers can add speed to their swings.
Recently, they introduced their second product called the SuperSpeed C. The singular speed stick focuses more on hand and arm speed using a concept called counterweight training. It can be used by itself or in conjunction with their traditional set, which features three clubs that have different weights.
The product description on their website reads:
Counterweight training alters the physics of your golf swing by significantly changing the balance point of the golf club and moves mass behind your hands. This allows for significantly faster release speed of the golf club which produces much faster hand and arm speed in your golf swing.
Ever since the SuperSpeed C debuted at the 2020 PGA Show, there’s been a lot of interest and questions surrounding how it works, and what makes it different from the original release. I’ll try to answer some of those questions in this review, and give you my thoughts on how it could potentially fit in for those of you who are serious about adding clubhead speed to your game.
Why Counterweights?
The idea of counterweighting golf clubs is not new. Interestingly, Jack Nicklaus played them almost his entire career. His clubmaker, Jack Wullkotte, used to add hot lead into the butt end of his shafts because Jack felt that the added weight in the handle allowed him to “stabilize his hands for steady acceleration through the ball,” according to a Golfweek article. Additionally, the club manufacturer XXIO has just announced a set of clubs that have counterweighting.
SuperSpeed Golf was first introduced to the idea by an industry colleague named John Marini. John had developed a prototype for a clip-on weight that could be attached to a club to add weight in the handle. At first, the team at SuperSpeed couldn’t seem to make it work because there was too much overall weight with their current speed training set (which has weights concentrated at the end of the shaft). After analyzing swing speed, release speed, and some other data, there were no noticeable gains with their traditional set of Men’s speed sticks.
When they started experimenting with the lightest model they had from their Ladies and Senior Set, that’s when they began to see some significant results. Adding weight in the handle with a very light weight at the end of the club showed more gains in arm and hand speed than they had usually seen in their other product. So they developed a prototype and eventually brought it to market based on those results.
Understanding Arm and Hand Speed
SuperSpeed Golf has done a ton of research over the last few years to understand what creates speed in the golf swing, and where players lose it. To simplify things, they usually refer to this pyramid:
Their first product targets all three of these factors. What they found, though, is that most golfers experienced more significant gains with ground mechanics and the sequencing of their swing. In other words, players who used SuperSpeed typically learned to use the ground more efficiently and turn their pelvis and torso faster. The third element, lag, which deals more with hands and arms, usually did not see as big of a jump.
The SuperSpeed C targets the hands and arms more efficiently through an extra weight in the handle, and lighter weight at the end of the shaft. For players who are not as effective with that part of their swing, training with the club can help them “feel” that speed more efficiently.
If you take a few minutes to watch this video, it can help explain how golfers can generate more clubhead speed with their hands and arms to help illustrate the concept:
How They Fit Together, Or Separately
When I first heard about the SuperSpeed C release, I had a similar reaction to a lot of other people who have trained with the original product – how does it fit in?
I spoke with co-founders Kyle Shay and Mike Napoleon to get a little more clarity on that topic.
To make things simple, the traditional SuperSpeed set and the new product are designed to work separately or together. If you go to the training protocol section of the SuperSpeed site, you can find separate workouts for either product. There are also instructions on how you can add the counterweight trainer into your current workout regimen with the original set.
While every golfer might experience different results based on the speed leaks in their swing, here are a few guidelines Kyle and Mike gave me:
- Both products will address all three parts of the swing-speed pyramid
- The traditional set will usually lead to more gains in ground mechanics and rotational sequencing
- SuperSpeed C will focus more on creating arm and hand speed
So, in theory, they’ve created a “good, better, best” scenario. SuperSpeed C costs $100, and the traditional set is $200. The likelihood is that you’ll have some gains with the counterweight trainer, but perhaps not as much added speed as you would with their original set. If you use both of them together, you’re giving yourself the best chance at addressing all three areas of increased swing speed. As always, it’s impossible to predict how each golfer will respond because everyone’s technique and abilities are variable.
If you want to take a deep dive into the concept, you can watch this webinar that co-founder Mike Napoleon hosted recently.
My Impressions
I’ve only had a chance to train with the SuperSpeed C trainer for a few weeks, but I’ll give you some instant reactions.
First, it’s considerably lighter than the traditional set. I’ve been following the level 1 training protocol, which lasts six weeks. You can view the training by watching this video:
Also, I’ve been keeping track of my speed in each session with the help of the SC200 Plus and PRGR Launch Monitors as a cross-reference tool. Both of these launch monitors allow you to track swing speed without hitting balls, which makes them nice companions in your training.
In the first sessions, I was topping out at about 110 mph but saw increases along the way. Several weeks later, my last session saw a peak speed of 124 mph. I’d say that has transferred about a 1-3 mph jump in driver speed so far, but it’s still early.
I sense that the SuperSpeed C trainer is definitely helping, but perhaps not as dramatically as my training did with the original set. Eventually, I’d like to combine the two to see the multiplier effect it might provide.
One thing I have learned from training with SuperSpeed over the years is that the longer you do it, the more gains you will see, and they will stick with you longer. One question I often get is what happens if you stop using their products – will your swing speed drop? It depends on a few things. This chart from SuperSpeed is a good guideline to use:
It’s no different than any other fitness regimen. If you start to lift weights, bike, or run, it takes a while for your body to adjust. If you quit early, then you can’t expect too much. If you’re committed and follow a smart training regimen, then you’re giving yourself a much better chance of increasing your fitness and strength for the long haul. But eventually, if you don’t use it, you will lose it.
Final Thoughts
I think SuperSpeed Golf was smart to release this product. It will allow for people who are on the fence for Overspeed training to start at a lower price level with perhaps a less intimidating program. Additionally, it allows thousands of hardcore fans around the globe to enhance their current training by focusing more on hand and arm speed.
SuperSpeed quickly sold out of the first batch of counterweight trainers when they initially released it (they are now back in stock) – so there’s a lot of interest in the marketplace for the concept. While I don’t think speed training is appropriate for every golfer, if you’re serious about adding swing speed, I don’t think there is a better product out there.
Much of the competition is cheap infomercial offerings that don’t have any proven system that guides you through the process. Remember the SuperSonic X10? Or similar products you see on TV- well I bought one, and it didn’t even work.
With SuperSpeed, you can access up to two years of training protocols, and there is plenty of proof around the golf world that their product delivers on its promises (if you put the work in). I would say the main challenge is not the efficacy of the program; it is whether or not a golfer will stick with it.
You can purchase the SuperSpeed C trainer on their website here for $99. You can receive a 10% discount at checkout using code PRACTICALGOLF.
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