I’m 56, I Placed Top 8 in SCGA, and I’m Chasing 115mph and 300 Yards
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Last year, at age 55, I set out to achieve 115mph swing speed at 56 years old—something most golfers think is impossible. I competed in my first SCGA One-Day Series tournament.
By the end of the season, I’d won Desert Falls, placed top 3 in five other events, and fought to the 20th hole in championship match play.
A few years earlier, I was playing golf maybe 4 times a year with an 89mph swing speed.
What changed? I committed to Stack speed training, relied on my 10 years of hot yoga, changed my entire equipment setup, and decided to actually test myself in competition.
Now I’m 56, swinging 105mph, and getting ready for my second SCGA season. The first tournament is February 9th at Palm Valley.
But I’m not satisfied with 105mph.
My goal: achieve 115mph swing speed at 56 and hit consistent 300-yard drives.
This site is going to document the whole thing: every tournament, every piece of equipment I test, the training that’s working, and what I’m learning about competing at 56.
Here’s the full story.
How I Got Here
I started playing golf in the mid 90’s and was hooked the first time I hit a club. I played as much golf as I could with my brothers and friend at the local Muni’s in the Bay Area.
Then life happened. I moved to Hawaii, met my wife, got a job, moved to San Diego, got married, had children. Golf completely stopped.
About 10 years ago, I started playing again—maybe 4 times a year. Over the past 2 years, I’ve been playing 1-2 times per week.
I’ve always had a nice tempo-ed swing modeled after my favorite golfer, Freddy Couples. It’s not a perfect swing, but it’s mine.
Ten years ago, I started hot yoga—mainly to manage my low back pain, and it helped greatly. I also love to stretch and strengthen my core. A huge benefit I discovered was the breathing. I used it to focus in my yoga classes: 1 breath, 1 movement. I took this to the golf course to remain focused in the moment and keep myself calm.
By 55, I was playing pretty consistently. But like most golfers my age, I was losing distance. My swing speed had settled around 89mph—pretty average for someone in their mid-50s.
That’s when I discovered Stack speed training.
I thought: “What if I actually tried to get BETTER instead of just accepting decline?”
So I committed:
- Stack speed training 3-4x per week
- Hot yoga 3-4x per week (continuing my 10-year routine)
- Test myself in real competition
The Results After One Year:
- Swing speed: 89mph → 105mph (16mph gain)
- Typical carry distance: 240 yards → 260 yards
- Longest drive: 280 yards
- Entered SCGA One-Day Series
- Qualified for championship (top 30)
- Finished 3rd in championship, top 8 in match play
At 56 years old, I was competing against golfers of all ages—and winning.
My First Competitive Season (2025)
I played in 11 SCGA tournaments last season, plus 2 championship rounds. Here are my results:
- Feb 10, 2025 – Desert Falls: 1st place
- March 1, 2025 – Soboba Springs: 12th place
- March 7, 2025 – Rancho California: 2nd place
- March 15, 2025 – Rancho Vista: 16th place
- April 11, 2025 – Recreation Park: 25th place
- June 16, 2025 – Encinitas Ranch: 3rd place
- June 23, 2025 – San Juan Hills: 3rd place
- June 30, 2025 – Shadowridge: 21st place
- July 14, 2025 – Sierra Lakes: 2nd place
- August 25, 2025 – Riverwalk: 3rd place
- October 3, 2025 – Los Serranos: 13th place
Championship (November 3-4, 2025 – Los Serranos):
- Round 1: 3rd place (qualified for top 8 match play)
- Match Play: Lost 1 down on the 20th hole
One win. Five top-3 finishes. A championship match that went to the 20th hole.
Not bad for my first competitive season at 56.
Update – That training showed up with a 356-yard drive at Desert Falls.
What Surprised Me About Competitive Golf:
1. Tournament golf is completely different
The pressure changes everything. Shots you make easily in casual rounds become way harder when they actually matter. The mental game is 50% of competing.
2. Equipment reliability matters more than I thought
You need clubs you trust. When you’re standing over a shot with nerves, you can’t be second-guessing your equipment. I stuck with TaylorMade—switching from my Stealth 2 to the Qi35 Max driver mid-season—because I know what TaylorMade does.
3. Speed training actually translated to better scoring
The extra 40 yards didn’t just help me hit it further—it changed my entire course management. I was hitting shorter clubs into greens, which meant better accuracy and lower scores. Recently I’ve had to navigate Stack training through a foot injury — here’s how plantar fasciitis is affecting my speed training.
4. Hot yoga was my secret weapon
While other guys my age were dealing with stiffness and injury, I stayed loose and healthy all season. I used my breathing techniques to keep calm and focused. The flexibility from 10 years of yoga let me make a full turn and generate speed without getting hurt.
5. Age can be an advantage
Younger guys might hit it further sometimes, but I had better course management and made fewer dumb decisions. Experience matters in competition.
What Changed When My Speed Increased:
When I went from 89mph to 105mph, I had to change almost everything:
- Driver: TaylorMade Stealth 2 → TaylorMade Qi35 Max (9°)
- Golf balls: Soft balls → Callaway Chrome Tour Triple Track (can actually compress tour balls now – get them here on Amazon)
- Entire approach to club selection changed
My Stack Training Journey
I started Stack training in February 2024. Here’s my progression through five complete protocols:
- Started Feb 22, 2024: 89mph
- Started May 11, 2024: 94mph
- Started July 27, 2024: 99mph
- Started Oct 21, 2024: 101mph
- Started Dec 31, 2024: 106mph
- Current (Jan 6, 2026): 105mph
My max speed is 106mph, but I can’t consistently maintain it.
Get Stack System with code: 115@56
Where I Am Now (January 2026)
Here’s where I stand as I start my second SCGA season:
Physical:
- Age: 56
- Health: Excellent (some back pain managed by yoga, no major injuries)
- Hot yoga: 3-4x per week (10 years consistent)
- Stack training: Session 5 of 24 (current protocol)
Golf Stats:
- Swing speed: 105mph
- Max speed reached: 106mph
- Typical carry distance: 260 yards
- Longest drive: 280 yards (with roll)
- Rounds per week: 1-2
Competition:
- 2025 SCGA: 1 win, 5 top-3 finishes, championship top 8 match play
- 2026 Schedule: 4 tournaments confirmed (more to come)
- Goal: Qualify for championship again (top 30)
- First event: February 9 at Palm Valley Golf Club
My Current Equipment:
- Driver: TaylorMade Qi35 Max (9°)
- 3-Wood: TaylorMade Qi35 Max (15.5°)
- 9-Wood: TaylorMade Qi35 Max (24°)
- Irons (5-9): TaylorMade P770
- Wedges: Scotty Cameron Vokey SM9 (48°, 52°, 56°, 60°)
- Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom X5
- Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour Triple Track
I’m a TaylorMade guy. I’m interested in testing the new Qi4D driver, but I’m not sure if I’ll be testing other equipment brands.
Which brings me to the goal…
The 115mph Swing Speed at 56 Pursuit
Here’s the truth: I’m chasing something most people think is impossible at 56.
Where I Am Now:
- Swing speed: 105mph average
- Max speed: 106mph
- Typical carry: 260 yards
- Longest drive: 280 yards (with roll, perfect conditions)
- Age: 56
Where I Want to Be:
- Swing speed: 115mph consistent
- Typical carry: 280+ yards
- Consistent total distance: 300 yards
- Still: 56 (unfortunately, can’t change that)
The Gap:
- +10mph swing speed (from 105 to 115mph)
- +20 yards carry
- +20 yards total distance
Why This Matters:
Let me put this in perspective.
The average 56-year-old golfer swings around 84mph and carries it maybe 200 yards. I’m already 21mph faster than average, carrying it 60 yards further.
But 115mph consistently? That’s college golfers. That’s mini-tour pros. Very few recreational golfers of ANY age swing that fast.
And 300 yards consistently? There are scratch golfers who don’t hit it that far.
At 56 with 115mph swing speed, I’d be hitting it like someone 30 years younger who trains seriously.
What That Looks Like on the Course:
Right now at 260 yards carry:
- I’m hitting 6 or 7-iron into par 4s where my playing partners are hitting 4 or 5-iron
- On 400-yard holes, I have 140 yards in while they have 160+
- Long par 5s are reachable in two (sometimes)
At 300 yards total:
- I’d have 8 or 9-iron into those same par 4s
- Driver-wedge on multiple holes per round
- Most par 5s reachable in two
- Significant scoring advantage in competition
The difference between 280 and 300 yards isn’t just bragging rights—it’s a stroke or two per round in SCGA competition.
Is It Possible?
Honest answer: I don’t know.
I’ve gained 16mph already (89→105), and my max is 106mph. But getting from 105mph average to 115mph consistent might be exponentially harder. The law of diminishing returns is real.
What I do know:
- I’m healthy (10 years of yoga, manageable back pain)
- My max is 106mph—so I’m already close to breaking through
- I’m willing to train consistently
- I’m competing regularly (real testing and motivation)
- I have time (12-18 months to pursue this)
Milestones I’m Tracking:
- 265 yards carry (first 5-yard gain)
- 270 yards carry (halfway)
- 275 yards carry (getting close)
- 280 yards carry (this is the big one—my current MAX becomes my AVERAGE)
- 290 yards total (within striking distance)
- 300 yards total (the goal)
Timeline:
- Target: End of 2026 or early 2027
- First progress check: After Feb 9 tournament
- Quarterly speed tests: March, June, September, December
- Final assessment: January 2027
How I’m Getting There
I’m currently on session 5 of 24 in my Stack speed training protocol. Based on my last cycle (which took 70 days), I should complete this by mid-March.
Current Training (January – Mid-March):
- Stack speed training: 3-4x per week (sessions 5-24 in progress)
- Hot yoga: 3-4x per week (10 years consistent)
- Golf: 1-2 rounds per week
- SCGA competition: Starting Feb 9
Why 70 days for 24 sessions?
Real life. Tournament schedules. Travel. Recovery. Some weeks I get 4 sessions in, some weeks only 2-3. I’m not a robot, and I’m prioritizing staying healthy over rigid programming.
At 56, an extra rest day matters more than perfect protocol adherence.
What’s Next:
After I complete this Stack protocol, I’ll reassess. If I gain at least 3mph and see real progress, I’ll continue with the current approach. If not, I’ll explore adding other training methods to break through.
The Question:
Can Stack training alone get me to 110mph, then 115mph? Or will I need to add something else?
I’m tracking everything:
- Session dates and completion
- Speed measurements (every 6-8 sessions)
- Tournament performance and scoring
- How my body feels and recovery
- Distance gains
Start your own speed training journey with Stack – Use code: 115@56
My 2026 SCGA Tournament Schedule
I have four tournaments scheduled for February and early March, with more to come through the season. My goal: qualify for the championship again by finishing in the top 30.
Tournament 1: February 9, 2026 Palm Valley Golf Club
- My 2026 season opener
- 27 days away as I write this
- Testing my current form
Tournament 2: February 16, 2026 Desert Falls Country Club
- Back-to-back events (we’ll see how recovery goes at 56)
- Only 7 days after Palm Valley
- Real test of conditioning—I won this event last year
Tournament 3: February 28, 2026 Soboba Springs Golf Course
- Should be around session 20-22 of Stack training
- Mid-protocol speed check opportunity
- Played here last year (12th place)
Tournament 4: March 7, 2026 The Golf Club at Rancho California
- Two-person scramble with my brother
- Different format, different strategy
- Should be fun (less pressure than stroke play)
- Finished 2nd here last year in stroke play
More tournaments will be added as the season progresses. Last year I played 11 events plus championship.
My Goals for These Four:
- Stay healthy through all four events
- Defend my Desert Falls win from last year
- Compete well (repeat or beat last year’s results)
- Gather data on how my 105mph speed translates to scoring
- Document everything for this site
What I’ll Share:
For each tournament, I’ll write:
- Preview article (course strategy, preparation, goals)
- Post-tournament recap (results, lessons learned)
- What’s working in my training
- Honest assessment of progress toward 115mph
First test: 24 days away at Palm Valley.
What You’ll Find Here
Starting with the Feb 9 tournament, I’m going to share:
Tournament Coverage:
- Pre-tournament preparation and strategy
- Post-tournament recaps and results
- Lessons learned from competition
- Mental game insights
Training Updates:
- Stack speed training progress (sessions 5-24, then reassessment)
- Hot yoga routine for golf
- Speed measurements and data
- What’s working, what’s not
Equipment Reviews:
- Everything I use, tested in tournament competition
- Honest reviews (good and bad)
- Equipment changes as speed increases
- What actually matters vs. marketing hype
- TaylorMade focus (I’m a TaylorMade guy, but honest about what works)
The 115mph Journey:
- Monthly progress updates
- Speed gains
- Training adjustments
- Honest setbacks
- Ultimate results (success or failure)
This isn’t going to be perfect. I’m not a tour pro. I’m not a professional writer. I know nothing about videos or editing, etc.
But it’ll be real.
A 56-year-old golfer documenting the pursuit of something most people think is impossible.
Follow the Journey
First tournament: February 9, 2026 at Palm Valley (24 days)
I’ll post:
- Tournament preview next week
- Full recap after Feb 9
- Regular updates throughout the season
Want updates?
Email: marino@mygolfswing.net
I’ll send you:
- Tournament results after each event
- Monthly progress reports on the road to 115mph
- Equipment reviews and recommendations
- Training updates
Connect on social:
- YouTube: @115at56
- Instagram: @115at56
- TikTok: @115_at_56
Thanks for reading.
Let’s see what happens in 2026.
Marino
P.S. – Want to start your own speed training journey? Get Stack System here and use code: 115@56