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what is golf iron swing weight

by Bill Monahan Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Swing weight, simply put, is how heavy a golf club feels when you swing it. It is not a finite measurement and is not something measured in grams like the weight of a golf club's shaft or grip. This measurement was invented in the 1920s to describe the dynamic feel of a golf club as the player swings it.

Full Answer

What is the correct golf swing for Irons?

· Like many golf skills, the first step to hitting an iron pure is getting into the proper position, then developing a good swing– in this case, swinging down and into the ball on the downswing instead of scooping it up on the upswing. Practice your starting stance and your swing technique to hit your irons … More ›

How does swing weight affect your golf swing?

The four factors that come into play when measuring swing weight are:

  • Weight of the club head
  • Weight of the grip
  • Weight of the shaft
  • Length of the golf club

What is the best iron swing?

  • Backup next to a wall, positioning yourself as you would be at the top of your golf swing. The clubhead should be against the wall.
  • Take your downswing. If the clubhead immediately comes off the wall, you know you’re pulling the handle.
  • Practice your downswing motion a few times, careful to keep the clubhead on the wall through the early transition.

How to properly shift weight in a golf swing?

Proper Weight Transfer in the Golf Swing

  • Athletic Base. As he indicates in the video below, it all starts with “an athletic base; weight distribution on the balls of your feet; shoulders a little bit out on ...
  • Shift versus Slide. ...
  • Hip Moves Up and Behind Back Leg. ...
  • Baseball Drill. ...
  • Contact John. ...

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What is a good swing weight for irons?

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?

But the good news is that a trend around swing weight has developed during Sinclair's thousands of hours of testing TPT shafts with golfers of all abilities. More than 80% of the time, he finds that golfers are creating the best results with a swing weight of D5 with Red Range shafts.

What does swing weight D4 mean?

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.

What is my clubs swing weight?

Here's how it works: the swing weight of a golf club is measured on a 14-inch fulcrum that assesses the balance point of a club, which is displayed on an alphanumeric scale. The heavier a club “feels,” the more the club will tilt toward the club head side when balanced on that fulcrum.

What if swing weight is too heavy?

Swing weight has a direct impact on swing speed. If you are swinging a club that feels too heavy for you, you will not be able to swing it as fast. If, instead, you have a club that feels lightweight, you should be able to get quite a bit more distance.

Does swing weight affect distance?

The swing weight (aka head weight feel) of each golfer's clubs have a key influence for on center-hit consistency and can also affect the swing path, release and angle of attack — all of which can have a significant effect on shot distance.

What is a C9 swing weight?

The actual weight of a golf club is expressed in grams. Swingweight is expressed as "C9" or "D1" or some other combination of letter and number (more on that in a moment). Those measurements are taken using a swingweight scale, and yes, individual golfers can buy and use one if they really want to.

What is the difference between D2 and D3 swing weight?

The difference between each swing weight measurement is incredibly small. For example, all it takes to make a golf club go from a D2 to a D3 rating is about . 07 ounces in the club head. That is approximately the weight of a single penny.

Are heavier golf irons better?

“Efficient golfers hit with their body and get their body weight into it,” Mucklow says. “Going to a heavier club makes that easier for most. If you can imagine swinging a sledgehammer or an axe, those things are so heavy, it's almost impossible to swing them incorrectly. You have to use your body.”

What swing weight does Tiger use?

See the Process of Making Tiger Woods' P•7TW IronsCLUB39LIE59.5°63°OFFSET2.3mm1.3mmSTOCK LENGTH39.00"36.00"SWING WEIGHTD3D31 more row

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 a heavier swing weight heavier than a lighter swing weight?

A club with a heavier swing weight will feel heavier to a golfer than one with a lighter swing weight, because its balance point is closer to the club head. As with the fitting of the shaft weight, the club fitter also has to evaluate the golfer’s transition force, tempo, strength and any pre-determined feel preference the golfer may have ...

What is the difference between a baseball hitter and a golf swing?

He has to rely on quick eye-hand coordination. In contrast, the golf swing is just that – a swing of the club.

What is shaft weight?

Shaft weight is by far the biggest contributor to the total weight of the club, which is simply a measurement of how heavy a club is. Swing weight is the measurement of the head-weight feel of a club. A club with a heavier swing weight will feel heavier to a golfer than one with a lighter swing weight, because its balance point is closer to ...

What happens if you don't hold your golf club properly?

Then you learn good posture and setup. If you don’t start in a good position, the body can’t perform the swing motion properly. With a good grip and a sound setup posture, I believe anyone can learn a functional golf swing pretty easily.

How wide is a golf ball?

The ball is 1.68 inches in diameter, and the functional striking area on a golf club is about 1.5-inches wide. If you vary in your setup by even 3/4 inch, you have imposed a serious obstacle to success. If you do nothing else to improve your golf game, learn how to set up the same way every time.

Do you fit shaft weight and swing weight at the same time?

Both elements — shaft weight and swing weight — are influenced by the same golfer swing characteristics, which is why good club fitters will fit for both the shaft weight and the swing weight at the same time in the fitting process. In the actual fitting process, however, the shaft weight comes first. This is because the test clubs required ...

Is swing weight measured in grams?

Remember, swing weight is NOT an actual measurement of weight as are grams, ounces or pounds. Swing weight is an arbitrary measurement of the relationship of weight in a golf club about the 14-inch fulcrum point on a swing weight scale.

What is the swing weight of a golf swing?

While C-0 is a swing weight that is recommended for senior women and ladies, D-8 is pretty much the maximum that is played on tour. This swing weight can usually only be achieved with heavy heads, heavy shafts and light grips. Few tour pros actually play longer shafts so this is rarely an option.

Can you build a swing weight with a special construction?

In short: both a very heavy and a very light swing weight can only be achieved with a special construction - at least if you build the club "correctly". With incorrect construction, as we have seen in this test, it is indeed very easy to achieve such a swing weight.

Do drivers and wedges swing heavier?

In drivers and wedges, many professionals prefer a slightly heavier swing weight than in irons and woods. Basically, if you don't see yourself in one of these categories and you deviate significantly from the swing weight, you should be able to justify this and question it.

Do tour pros play longer shafts?

Few tour pros actually play longer shafts so this is rarely an option. To achieve a swingweight of C-0, the exact opposite is needed: very light clubheads and shafts. Heavy grips and shorter shafts are often not an option because, for example, ladies cannot play thick grips.

What is swing weight?

In simple terms, swing weight is how heavy the club head feels when you swing it . More technically, it’s how much the club tips towards the club head when you balance the club on a fulcrum.

What is the difference between a D0 and D1 swing weight?

The difference between two swing weights, D0 and D1 for example, is approximately two grams of weight in the club head.

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.”.

How does a golf club swing affect the weight of the club?

A club’s swing weight is affected by the weight of its three main components -- the head, shaft and grip -- as well as the shaft’s length and balance point. Altering any of these five items will change the club’s swing weight.

How to increase weight of golf club?

A quick and easy way to increase a club’s swing weight is to add lead tape to the club head. Adding tape to the grip will decrease the swing weight. The precise amount of increase or decrease will depend on the club’s overall characteristics.

How to increase swing weight from D2 to D4?

To increase swing weight from D2 to D4 you can add about 4 grams of weight to the club head, subtract 10 grams of weight from the grip or lengthen the shaft by 1/3 inch. Altering the swing weight by changing the shaft’s weight is a little trickier, but you will increase the swing weight by approximately one unit for each 9 grams ...

Who invented the swing weight scale?

The swing weight scale was developed in the 1920s by club maker Robert Adams, although some credit Kenneth Smith, who developed the fulcrum scale used to measure swing weight. While the scale is basically arbitrary, it has survived to become the standard.

Can two golf clubs weigh the same?

Indeed, two clubs that weigh the same may have different swing weights. For example, if one of the identically-weighted clubs has a heavier head, it will have a greater swing weight.

What is swing weight?

Swing weight is probably something that only a fraction of all golfers have ever heard of. Every player knows the difference between steel and graphite shaft. Or between stiff and regular. But if you ask a player what swing weight he has in his irons, you'll probably only get questioning looks. And yet, the swing weight is of elementary importance.

How many swing weight points does half an inch of shaft make?

And that is the last thing you want: a set of irons with varying length and swing weight. With the shaft, you can roughly say that half an inch makes up about 3 swing weight points.

What weight swing does Sergio Garcia use?

The wedges are extremely heavy, but the long irons are very light. Sergio Garcia plays with a swing weight of C-8, which is very light. On the other hand, he plays one of the heaviest shafts of all, the Modus 130, and adds some weight to the end of the shaft.

How does swing weight affect performance?

The swing weight has a big influence on how you can move and accelerate a club during the swing . Among other things, it determines where the club head is at the moment of impact and how it can be controlled. As you can see, these are all important points that have a great influence on performance. But why is the swing weight not right ...

How to make a club head lighter?

To make the club head lighter, the shaft must be removed, the weight removed (drilled out) and the shaft remounted . Both processes are not very simple and require a lot of experience.

Can you make sure the swing weight does not fit you?

On the contrary: by making small changes you can even make sure that the swing weight does not fit you at all. Two short examples: - You buy a new iron but choose a shaft that is 1 inch longer because you are quite tall. The manufacturer makes this club for you by simply adding a longer shaft.

Is shaft weight a reliable indicator?

Always assuming the weight distribution in the shaft is identical - which it rarely is. In this respect, the shaft weight is not a reliable indicator, especially since one rarely knows the exact weight distribution. The grip also has a great influence and is often underestimated.

How is swingweight adjusted?

Swingweight is adjusted by changing head weight. During assembly, this is done by adding tip weights. The numbers D1, D2 are simply the scale, and are historical in nature. It takes roughly 2g of weight in the head to move from D1 to D2.

Is 5gm a good weight?

You’re right that there is a fairly wide tolerance for weight - 5gm out of spec is not unheard of and a 5gm spread (2.5 either way) is really pretty good. You’re also right that some manufacturers (Mizuno) will sort for weight, especially if they know that a certain head is going on graphite rather than steel or is going to be built under or overlength. They will also sort out specific heads for Tour players. Guys like Dana Upshaw who have a special relationship with Mizuno may be able to ask for specific tolerances, and any Wishon fitter can ask for handpicked heads from TWGT at a small upcharge.#N#However, any competent fitter can adapt heads to get smooth weight progression, even if they’re pretty far out of whack when they first get to him.

Do Mizuno clubs have to be spec?

Adjust accordingly.......and yes most manufacturers clubs are not to spec.....always have your clubs checked whether custom ordered or off the rack, do not assume because mizuno says their D2 that they are......this goes for every company....

Is there a direct relationship between swing weight and shaft performance?

There is not actually a direct relationship between swing weight and the shaft performance (or flex). The flex or the performance of the shaft is really a function of the head weight, not the swing weight.

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