We look at the Tour Van report every week during the season and know that all tour players on every tour (PGA, LPGA, European, Web.com, Champions) are playing their set of clubs with progressive shaft weights. This means the lightest, longest, stiffest club in their bag is the driver while the shortest, heaviest, softest flex clubs are the wedges.
Full Answer
Are progressive swing weights better for golf clubs?
On one hand, some golfers/fitters prefer that each club in the set has the same swing weight to keep feel consistent. On the other hand, some say a progressive swing weight is better, with the longer clubs having a lighter swing weight and the scoring clubs having a heavier swing weight.
What is progressive offset in golf clubs?
Golf clubs with progressive offset offer more forgiveness in the long irons, where it's needed most. Since most golfers are fairly proficient with the short irons, there's no need for much offset in the 8-iron and up.
Do golf clubs need to be built for their weight?
There is no question we golfers need to have our golf clubs built so that the amount of weight we feel in the clubhead is matched properly to our individual strength and our natural sense of swing tempo, timing and rhythm.
What is swingweight in golf?
It is an expression that attempts to describe the ratio of the amount of weight in the bottom 2/3’s to the weight in the upper 1/3 of a golf club. Some golfers like to think of swingweight as an indication of how much they can feel the presence of the weight in the clubhead when they swing the club.
What is a progressive set of golf clubs?
The longer the club, the harder it is to square up. That's why many sets feature “progressive offset,” meaning the amount of offset gradually decreases the shorter the clubs become. For example, the 4-iron has slightly more offset than the 5, and so on through the wedges.
What swing weight should my golf clubs be?
The lightest possible swing weight is A0 while the heaviest possible swing weight is F9. If you pick up a men's golf club off the rack with stock options, the swing weight will generally be between D0 and D2. With women's golf clubs, the standard range will be from C5 to C7.
What are progressive irons?
Golf clubs with offset have a face that is set slightly behind the hosel, a design that gives golfers an extra split-second to square the clubface before impact. In a set with progressive offset, the amount of offset gradually decreases as the clubs become shorter.
What is the difference between D1 and D2 swing weight?
Swing Weight System Each letter is then subdivided into tenths -- from zero tenths to nine tenths. The greater the letter or number, the heavier the club's swing weight. Therefore, a club with a swing weight of D1 is heaver than a club with a C1 swing weight, and a D4 club has a slightly greater swing weight than a D2.
Is D5 swing weight too heavy?
If it feels too heavy at D5, you can remove strips of lead tape one by one until it feels right. If your driver is heavier than D5, ask your club fitter to add a heavier grip or a counterweight to reduce swing weight to D5. Get Fitted By A TPT Authorized Fitter.
Does a heavier golf club hit the ball farther?
Together, the speed and mass determine the magnitude of the force that is applied to the golf ball. It stands to reason that given the same swing speed, a heavier golf club will apply more force to a golf ball than a lighter one and will, therefore, result in greater distance.
What are the most forgiving golf irons?
Most Forgiving IronsTitleist T400 Irons. A hybrid-style design that offers the most forgiveness in the Titleist range. ... TaylorMade Stealth Iron. ... Cobra King LTDx Iron. ... Callaway Rogue ST Max OS Iron. ... Tour Edge Exotics E722 Iron. ... Srixon ZX4 Irons. ... Ping G425 Irons. ... Mizuno JPX921 Hot Metal Irons.More items...
Are offset irons easier to hit?
Offset irons are usually designed with high-handicappers in mind. "Offset" simply means that the face of the club is set back slightly from the shaft. This allows a precious few extra milliseconds for a golfer to square the blade and hit a solid shot, avoiding a slice.
What is the advantage of offset irons?
Those two benefits of an offset design are that it can help a golfer square the clubface for impact, improving the odds of a straight (or at least not a sliced) shot; and it can help a golfer get the ball up in the air.
Does choking down on golf club change swing weight?
Choking down lightens the club's swing weight and effectively makes the shaft stiffer.” Sadly, Anthony Kim has seemingly left the game forever but Trevino is right about how gripping down affects the club. Choking up does change the weight and makes the club shorter and slightly stiffer.
What swing weight does Rory McIlroy use?
The swing weight of irons probably varies between D2 and D5 for 95% of Tour players. Most will be somewhere in this range. Players with high club head speed like Rory McIlroy or Dustin Johnson tend to be around D5-D6. Players with more average tour club head speed are around D3-D4.
What is a good swing weight for a senior golfer?
A swing weight between C-8 and D-1 is the best swing weight for a senior driver, and the shaft should be 55-60 grams. Loft should be 12-13 degrees or higher, and seniors should look for 2-4 degrees of hook in the face or consider an offset driver head to prevent slicing.
mvhoffman
Just wondering for my own knowledge, do most people use progressive swing weights? When looking at some club specs I noticed that most "standards" from the factory are slightly progressive. 2017 M2 irons are listed as D2 from 3-GW and D3 w SW and LW. 2013 Cobra Amp Cells are listed D3: 4-9 iron, D4: PW, GW and D5: SW and LW.
gioguy21
mine are roughly .7 or so between each club, starting with D4.5 in the 7i.
TomWishon
Just wondering for my own knowledge, do most people use progressive swing weights? When looking at some club specs I noticed that most "standards" from the factory are slightly progressive. 2017 M2 irons are listed as D2 from 3-GW and D3 w SW and LW. 2013 Cobra Amp Cells are listed D3: 4-9 iron, D4: PW, GW and D5: SW and LW.
mvhoffman
Thanks Tom. Just seemed a little weird to me. Figured I’d throw it out there and see the responses.
Nessism
My clubs have a progressive swingweight all through the set. I didn't plan to build the clubs that way, it was a result of the Recoil shafts since they are ascending weight. I like the result though and could build other sets that way.
mvhoffman
My clubs have a progressive swingweight all through the set. I didn't plan to build the clubs that way, it was a result of the Recoil shafts since they are ascending weight. I like the result though and could build other sets that way.
mvhoffman
A few years ago, after building clubs that were swingweight matched for the longest time, I began to research and to experiment with building iron sets that were MOI matched.
Tdsjfb
I had a set of clubs built by a top 100 fitter back in 2010. Not until now, since I had them (independently) spec'd out and I'm looking to build a new set, did I realize that they were built with progressive swing weights. BUT, I could tell they were VERY different and LOVED THEM.
Nessism
Why guess on swingweight? Weigh the clubs you like and go for the same progression with the new set.
Tdsjfb
Can you add a little more color to that comment? Find the right weight/feel combination then migrate the progression from that configuration?
Nessism
Your said that you had a set of clubs with a progressive swingweight which you liked. My advice is to benchmark swingweight off these. Measure each club in the set and then when building the new set match them.
Tdsjfb
So …. regardless of the specs on the new set (static weight will be less with Modus 120 shafts), I just replicate the ascending swing weight starting with the 5 iron? Or is there additional math involved - you indicated weighing the old set. I guess I'm confused as to the interpolation of the old into the new.
Nessism
If you want to hedge your bet you can bump swingweight by a point. KBS Tour has a high balance point so the shafts will feel somewhat different regardless of swingweight. There is always a trial and error element to any build.
Why is it important to use a heavier swing weight in wedges?
The heavier swing weight in the wedges and short irons can possibly help club and club face awareness for greater precision. It’s important to remember that swing weight and overall weight are mutually exclusive. A heavy club can have a light swing weight and vice versa. That’s because swing weight is merely addressing the balance point ...
What happens if you swing heavy?
A light swing weight can prohibit the golfer from properly feeling where the head is during the swing and cause issues with squaring the face at impact, while a heavy swing weight can cause fatigue and negatively affect performance over time. ADVERTISEMENT.
Is swing weight too heavy?
Finding the proper swing weight for your game is mostly preference-based, but according to Tim Briand, Senior Vice President of GOLF’s sister company True Spec Golf, issues can arise if swing weight is too light or too heavy. A light swing weight can prohibit the golfer from properly feeling where the head is during the swing ...
Why is swingweight important?
The importance of swingweight is that golfers need to have a point of reference for how head heavy or how head light our golf clubs feel when we swing them – so when we find the right club weight balance that feels the best to our natural swing tempo and timing, we then can know how to duplicate that same weight feel in other golf clubs we may buy. ...
What happens if a golfer is too fast?
If a strong golfer with a fast, forceful tempo uses golf clubs with a low swingweight, the golfer will struggle with maintaining a comfortable, repeating swing tempo, will continually fight the tendency to swing too fast, and will suffer from a higher percentage of off center hits. Conversely if a weaker golfer with a smooth, ...
What is the letter number on golf clubs?
One of the very first technical points a golfer learns about his equipment is the letter + number designation which describes the SWINGWEIGHT of the clubs. C8, D1, D4 are examples of the letter/number designation which have been used to label the swingweight of golf clubs.
Is swingweight a weight?
That’s all well and good but just what is swingweight? First of all, it really is not an actual weight or an actual measurement of a weight or mass. It is not a standardized accepted weight/mass parameter like “grams”, “ounces”, or “pounds.”.
Weight Adjustment Guidelines (Useful reference)
Here are some useful conversions that will help you when swing-weighting your clubs :
About the Author: Zach Gollwitzer
Hey!! I'm Zach, the founder of The DIY Golfer. I created this site in 2015 while playing D1 collegiate golf to help myself understand the game of golf better and improve as a player. Fast forward a few years, and it has become much more than a journal.
