It’s Not Just Momentum: Heavy Mace or Club Swings Can Wreck You!

It’s Not Just Momentum: Heavy Mace or Club Swings Can Wreck You!

“It’s just momentum, right?”

If you’ve ever grabbed a heavy mace and knocked out some heavy sets of 360s, 10-2s, or single arm swings, you know how false that statement is.

Because if it were just momentum, you wouldn’t feel wrecked for the next three days.

This post (and the video below) explains why heavy mace swings can drain your power, shock your nervous system,and demand more recovery than you expect—and why that actually can be a good thing.

👇 Watch the breakdown:

It’s Not Just Momentum...It’s Lever Driven Load

One of the biggest misunderstandings in mace and club training is this idea that momentum makes it easier.

Let’s be clear:
Yes, there is momentum...just like in kettlebell swings, Olympic lifts, or med ball throws. But momentum isn’t cheating. It’s a training variable.

When controlled with intent, momentum builds:

  • Timing and coordination

  • Dynamic strength through full ranges

  • Focused, precise movement

But here’s what truly sets maces and clubs apart: lever length.

Because the load sits far away from your hands, even a light mace becomes torque-heavy mid-swing. This is the lever arm principle in action:

The farther the mass is from your grip, the more force you must produce to decelerate, stabilize, and redirect the load.

That’s why a 30 lb mace can feel like 50 lbs when it's moving.

It’s not just about how much weight is loaded. It’s how the weight moves.

And that movement taxes your entire body...from grip to core to CNS.

Why Heavy Mace Swings Hit Harder Than You Think

Here’s a common scenario:

  • You crush a heavy mace session...say, single arm 10 to 2s or loaded up 360s.

  • You come back the next day for presses or squats and suddenly, you’ve got no gas in the tank.

That’s the hidden cost of training with leverage and momentum.

It’s not just sore muscles. It’s:

  • CNS fatigue

  • Joint and tendon stress (especially shoulders, elbows, and wrists)

  • Grip and core depletion

  • Mental fatigue from high attention reps

Sometimes, depending on how hard you went, you’ll need several days—or even a week—to recover fully.

Train Smart: Respect the Recovery Curve

There are two ways to approach heavy mace training without burning out:

  1. Program Intelligently
    Treat mace work like you would heavy compound lifts. If you go hard on swings, make sure your next sessions are adjusted, especially if they involve pressing, pulling, or overhead work.

  2. Train by Feel (But Track the Cost)
    If you enjoy self directed sessions, great. Just stay aware: heavy swings today might mean reduced output tomorrow. Honor that, or risk crashing.

Either way, don’t underestimate the physiological toll or the long term gains.

Control Builds Strength

Here’s what makes mace and club training so valuable:

  • It demands your attention

  • It reveals imbalances

  • It builds resilient, rotational strength you can actually use

And yes...it uses momentum.

But it’s not just momentum.

It’s torque.
It’s leverage.
It’s dynamic load mastery.

Train smart. Train with intention.
And above all, control every rep.

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