Center of gravity (COG) imparts maximum energy transfer, minimum twisting, and less spin than below COG Find and mark COG (not the center of the face) by balancing the driver head on a point Use a loft/lie gauge to determine loft at the COG (generally greater than loft stamped on the club)
Full Answer
Where is the center of gravity on a golf driver?
As you might expect given its label, the center of gravity is always located very near the center of the clubhead. The CG of every driver measured for this series of articles is located within a box that’s 14mm front to back and 12mm top to bottom.
What determines the center of gravity of a person's head?
"The deeper the head shape from face to back and the more weight is positioned in the very rear of the head, the farther back the position of the center of gravity will be (and vice-versa for narrow head shapes and/or weight placed more in the face area of the head).
How do you determine the CG of a golf club head?
"In a golf clubhead, the CG can be determined by balancing the head on its face, sole, or any place on the head; the intersection inside of the head of all these different balance points is the center of gravity of the clubhead. "Because the center of gravity is a single point inside the clubhead, its location has to be defined in 3-dimensions.
How do you determine the center of gravity of a club?
He then applied the general definition specifically to golf clubs, saying: "In a golf clubhead, the CG can be determined by balancing the head on its face, sole, or any place on the head; the intersection inside of the head of all these different balance points is the center of gravity of the clubhead.
Checkpoints for Practice
Center of gravity (COG) imparts maximum energy transfer, minimum twisting, and less spin than below COG
Video Transcription: Driver Center of Gravity
The center of gravity is something that's tossed around a lot in golf lexicon. It's not something that really is given enough credit, and most people don't understand it enough.
What is center of gravity in golf?
Center Of Gravity is the point in the golf club head where half of the weight lies on either side. AKA the Balancing point of the club.
Why move the CoG closer to the face of the putter?
Many studies have been done on this and the consensus is that moving the CoG closer to the face of the putter can improve launch conditions and even aid the stroke. Moving the CoG toward the heel or toe can even cause side spin to be imparted on the ball during a putt.
What does a low CoG mean on a golf club?
This may be the most important factor behind the performance of a club. A low CoG nearer the club face can reduce spin and increase distance, it can also makes the club less forgiving. A club with a CoG that is off-center would impart side spin on the ball and make it hard to hit it straight.
What is the CoG of a golf club?
In simple terms, the CoG of anything is the point at which the weight of an object is perfectly balanced. This definition, extended to golf, means the point of your club where the weight is concentrated and often balanced, this is usually in the center of the club head. Many manufacturers would have you believe that you can move ...
Do golf clubs have moveable weights?
Anyone who has ever had a club with moveable or adjustable weights has had the ability to move the CoG of their driver. It is arguably the most important factor in the performance of a club yet it is something that most golfers don’t know much about and you certainly should care about it if you want to find your potential in the game.
Is buying golf clubs complicated?
Golf clubs are complicated things and buying them seems evermore complicated. As technology develops we have more and more to think about when it comes to choosing the correct clubs for our games. Thankfully people out there are trained in helping us get it right and cutting through the noise.
Do higher handicap players have higher swing speeds?
The easy way to remember it is that higher handicap players and slower swing speed players will tend to do better with high CoG. Low handicap players with higher swing speeds will do well from a lower CoG. As always, get a fitting and speak to a pro about this for best advice.
What is the center of gravity of a clubhead?
Finally, the center of gravity is also defined by how far back from the clubface it is located .".
What is center of gravity?
"Center of gravity" (abbreviated CG) is term golfers often encounter in articles about golf equipment, advertisements of golf clubs, and on the websites of golf club manufacturers. Clearly, it's an important technical aspect of golf club design.
What is the position of the CG in the head?
The taller the clubhead and/or the more weight that is placed on the upper portions of the head, the higher the position of the CG will be in the head. The more shallow the clubhead and/or the more weight that is placed on the bottom or sole of the head, the lower the position of the center of gravity will be.
Where to balance driver head on golf club?
It's set up in a vice here. You can actually balance any driver head on the sweet spot or the center of the club face, which is going to help you determine the center of gravity for that club. You can balance it both on the face and on the sole, and by doing that you'll find exactly where the center of gravity is.
How to find the center of gravity?
Find the center of gravity by balancing the head on a point such as a pen - it's probably not in the center of the face. The sweet spot gives maximum ball speed & minimum spin. However, when the sweet spot is off center you lose COR, which can reduce ball speed.
What does the red dot on the clubface mean?
The red dot represents the place on the clubface where the loft is actually a true 9.5° as measured with a loft gauge. You see, Titleist isn't lying to you that this driver has 9.5° of loft. It's just that where that 9.5° is on the clubface is absolutely useless unless you are trying to hit the ball at a gopher.
What is the sweet spot on a driver?
The true sweet spot on a driver is the size of a pin point and simply CAN'T be made any bigger. There is only one true sweet spot on any driver where you will get maximum ball speed and no twisting of the driver head at impact. Missing this spot by the tiniest amount imparts sidespin on the ball and costs you ball speed and distance.
Why doesn't Max Cor spring the ball forward?
Max COR doesn't "spring" the ball forward because the face acts like a trampoline. In fact, the exact opposite is true. The face needs to deflect so that we can transfer maximum energy to the ball.
Is there a sweet spot on a golf club?
Unfortunately, the truth of the matter is the sweet spot is tiny; the size of a pin dot. There's no enlarged sweet spot on any club face, whether it's an iron, a driver, or what have you.
Where is the center of gravity on a golf club?
As you might expect given its label, the center of gravity is always located very near the center of the clubhead. The CG of every driver measured for this series of articles is located within a box that’s 14mm front to back and 12mm top to bottom.
What is the center of gravity?
Center of Gravity (CG or CoG) is the point at which all of the weight of an object appears to be concentrated. An object can be balanced on a small flat point placed directly beneath its center of gravity.
Why does the driver head have a slight forward bias?
Now that said, the CG location of a driver head has a slight forward bias because: The face is much thicker and heavier than the rest of the body. The hosel (and all of its weight) is near the front of the club. 2.
Why does CG location matter?
CG location matters because it heavily influences both performance and feel. How high your driver launches, how low it spins, how it feels, and how it sounds at impact, that all begins with its center of gravity. Before we dig deeper into the specifics of how CG location impacts both performance and feel, there are a few things we need ...
Why are forward CG drivers harder to square?
A forward CG location will cause the shaft to feel stiffer. Because of the effect on closure rate , forward CG drivers may be harder to square, and some golfers will find it difficult to control the club during swing. While it may not be universally true, I ...
How does CG affect golf?
On a comparative basis: 1 Drivers with forward CG locations often feel heavier than those with rear CG placements 2 A forward CG location will cause the shaft to feel stiffer. 3 Because of the effect on closure rate, forward CG drivers may be harder to square, and some golfers will find it difficult to control the club during swing
What are the three things that affect CG movement?
The significance and impact of flipping, sliding, or any other type of CG movement depends on three things: 1. The direction the weight is being moved. 2. How much weight is being moved. 3. How far the weight is being moved. The more weight you can move over a greater distance, the more the CG will shift.
What is the neutral axis of a golf club?
As illustrated by the image above, the neutral axis is an imaginary line running perpendicular to the center of a lofted driver face. Before you ask, let me tell you why that matters. As the center of gravity moves closer to the neutral axis, you get less gearing (twisting), and a more efficient transfer of energy between the club and ball. As with everything else in our CG discussion, the distance from the center of gravity to the neutral axis (or CG NA as it’s called for short) is measured in millimeters and those millimeters matter.
What is a forward CG position?
Forward CG positions often produce higher ball speeds, lower launch, and less spin. Back positions bring higher ball flight, more spin, and increased MOI. That last one usually leads to more forgiveness, which is nice. Extremely high CG positions are generally less than ideal, but they can benefit golfers who consistently hit the ball high on ...
What is the difference between a high CG and a low CG?
Extremely high CG positions are generally less than ideal, but they can benefit golfers who consistently hit the ball high on the face, while low CG designs typically work for high spin players and golfers who hit the ball low on the face. Finding the perfect driver is rare.
Is there a center of gravity for golf?
There is no single center of gravity location that is ideal for everyone. There is no right CG or wrong CG – although I would argue that some (low-forward) are more niche than others, and a few (high-forward) are quantitatively bad for the majority of golfers. Different manufacturers have different philosophies and different design ...
Does the center of gravity matter in golf?
The center of gravity location of your driver matters, and not just because the golf equipment makers say so. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about low and forward, low and back, deeeeeep, or somewhere in-between, golfers would benefit from an understanding of how center of gravity positions influences real-world performance.
