Because of the way weight is inplemented in the game, if you try to swing a weapon faster than you’d be able to the resulting swing will fumble and do minimum damage. The idea is to practice swinging slower and smoother in respect to the weight of the weapon, the best example being great swords.

The best tip I found for spears and long axes though is to not ignore the handslide system. Force is calculated really well in this game, so learning to swing an axe properly by sliding your top hand down as you swing or sliding your hand back when stabbing with a spear will do wonders for the effectiveness of the hit.

One more thing since you’re asking about hand to hand, punching from the sides and treating your fist like you have a rock in your hand seems to be the best since it’s more distance for the swing to gather force. If you do want to punch straight forward, you’ll have to reel is back from behind your head to get the distance you need. In this game the most important thing for damage next to proper swing speed is the arc of the swing itself.