I struggle trying to get more ball speed. I don’t know if it’s my timing or my swing. They say if you get the ball into the swing faster it’s going to make your feet run faster to the foul line, which should help increase your ball speed half-mile to a mile more. For me, slowing the ball down works by moving up 6 inches or a foot on the approach and using softer steps. That
allows my hand to be less aggressive.
WES MALLOT: I move up and back on the approach. If I move up, the shorter steps and shorter swing are going to reduce ball speed. If I move back, longer steps and a longer swing are going to generate more ball speed. I think ball speed is aff ected most by your legs and steps, not from muscling the ball. It’s easy for me now, but it wasn’t always that way. You have to practice it and get comfortable and confi dent with doing it. It’s all about repetitions. We call it “waiting on the ball.” You have to let the ball drop into the swing. You can’t force it into the down swing. If you do, your hand’s not going to be in a position to generate the rotation that you need, and you end up in a dead position trying to generate rotation. Your ball isn’t going to read the lane correctly.
MIKE FAGAN: It’s all in your footwork. For me, slowing down the ball speed means bending my knees more than usual and
moving up on the approach. Shorter steps,
shorter backswing, shorter everything.
When I’m trying to throw the ball harder, I move back on the approach, little less knee bend, little bit quicker feet and a longer swing. That usually helps me keep in time. I base it all on footwork.
CHRIS BARNES: One philosophy is to lower or raise the ball in your stance to in- crease or decrease speed. I don’t subscribe to that. Most of the guys on tour will simply move up or back on the approach and posi- tion the ball the way the do for every other shot. The amount of time your approach takes is the same. So, if you move back a foot and a half on the approach, now you’re cov- ering 18 feet in 3 seconds. If I want to throw it slow I’m at 15 feet, but my approach is still 3 seconds. My ball placement and timing are the same. The swing takes the same time. What changes is the length of your steps. It’s a simple momentum equation. There’s going to be more momentum in covering 18 feet in 3 seconds.
MIKA KOIVUNIEMI: I shorten my steps and lower my ball position to slow the ball down. To throw harder I