A base station retransmits data to a user equipment (UE) using a fast beam selection process before the retransmission. The UE transmits an uplink feedback in a beam sweep manner to facilitate fast beam selection in retransmission. The base station can measure the beam sweep patterns from the UE to decide the best beam for retransmission. The UE can send a negative acknowledgment (NACK) or a reference signal in a beam sweep manner to facilitate beam selection at the base station for retransmission.