- Swing-weight is universal, and is based on the comparative weights between the clubhead end of the club to the grip end of the club (D9 will “feel” heavy, while C9 ...
- Swing-weights range from A0 to G9
- D0-D6 are probably the most common swing-weights (anything you buy at a golf store off the rack)
- Swing-weight is not a measurement of total club weight
How does swing weight affect your golf swing?
Swing weight is interpreted as a linear function and is calculated as the product of the overall mass of the golf club and the distance from its center of gravity to the axis. Swing weight is measured in terms of mass-times-length and converting the result to an artificial scale. The final value is expressed as a letter-number combination.
How to change the swing weight of a golf club?
Swing-weight is universal, and is based on the comparative weights between the clubhead end of the club to the grip end of the club (D9 will “feel” heavy, while C9 will “feel” light) Swing-weights range from A0 to G9 D0-D6 are probably the most common swing-weights (anything you buy at a golf store off the rack)
Can swing weight affect performance?
Swing weight is one of those factors that is sometimes overlooked when it comes to increasing distance. This is because other variables like choosing the right driver head and driver shaft are more primary factors for increasing distance. Swing weight is a secondary factor, but that doesn’t minimize its importance.
How much does a swing weigh?
What is a good swing weight for irons?
Most men's clubs fall in the range of C9 to D8, with D2 being the standard, and ladies' clubs are usually between C4 and D0. One point on the scale is equivalent to a weight difference of . 07 oz. at the club head, about the weight of a penny.
How much does swing weight matter?
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.Mar 4, 2015
What swing weight do pros 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.
How do I know my 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.Mar 31, 2020
Is D2 swing weight heavier than D3?
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.
Which is heavier D1 or D2?
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.
How many grams is swing weight?
Weight can be removed from irons and wedges by grinding material from the club head. Golfers can add one swingweight point (increase from D4 to D5, for example) by adding 2 grams of club head weight. Conversely, decreasing club head weight by 2 grams will deduct one swingweight point.
What swing weight does Tiger use?
D4The club has a finished length of 42.5 inches with a swing weight of D4. Tiger's old 3-wood had 15 degrees of loft and was fitted with the same shaft. While many pros will pull a 5-wood out of the bag and go with a 2-iron or a driving iron when they play on firm courses or in windy conditions, 3-wood changes are rare.Oct 23, 2020
Does swing weight affect swing speed?
Does Swing Weight Affect Swing Speed? 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.
What is the average swing weight of a driver?
In the next year the typical driver will start to vary greatly, but for now let's say the average driver length is 45" long and equipped with a 65g shaft and 50g grip. Lastly, the average driver head will weight approximately 200g.
Should driver swing weight be the same as irons?
All of Your Clubs Should Have the Same Swing Weight Even if you think your clubs are a bit light or heavy for you, all the clubs in your bag should at least be very close to the same swing weight. Using clubs with different swing weights typically leads to poor performance on the course.
What is swing weight?
In non-technical terms, swingweight is a measure of how the weight of the club feels when you swing it. It is not the same thing as a club's overall or total weight, and isn't even expressed as a weight measurement (swingweight is expressed through a letter-and-number combination code explained below).
Who is Brent Kelley?
Brent Kelley is an award-winning sports journalist and golf expert with over 30 years in print and online journalism. Swingweight is a factor that casual golfers rarely concern themselves with and serious golfers often concern themselves with.
Is a lighter shaft better for golf?
"Research indicates that lighter shafts are, in general, better for the average golfer. Less weight produces shots of greater distance and accuracy for beginning and intermediate players.
What is Golf Swing Weight?
Contrary to what we first think about the term golf swing weight, it is simply the measure of how the gold club’s weight feels whenever it is swung.
What factors impact golf swing weight?
Now that we know what is golf swing weight – the feel on how weight is distributed and balanced in a golf club.
How is the golf swing weight measured?
Since we’ve already discussed what are swing weights in golf clubs, let’s now see how they measure it.
Can Swing Weight Affect Performance?
We know what are swing weights in golf clubs. Let’s now dive deeper and check if this can affect your performance.
Final Takeaways
In this article, we were able to answer the following questions: what is swing weight in a golf club, how is it measured, and how does it impact performance?
More Information
Learning how to correct your golf swing is essential to allow greater contact between the ball and your golf 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 ...
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 MOI match?
Matching all clubs in a set to their MOI has become a viable alternative to swing weight matching for many golfers. MOI matching may also be thought of roughly as building the clubs in a set to progressively increase swing weights from long to short irons in the set.
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.
What is a golf swing?
In contrast, the golf swing is just that – a swing of the club. You have total control over where the ball is going to be so that you can be quite precise in the relationship between your body and the ball and the target line. You can swing when you want to at the pace you find comfortable.
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.
Why is my golf ball fat?
Turf contact. A heavy swing weight may result in hitting the golf ball thin. In contrast, you may be hitting the ball fat because of too light swing weight. Shot contact with the club. If the swing weight is heavy, the shots tend to get hit towards the golf club’s heel.
What is swing weight?
Swing weight refers to the weight of a golf club at one-third of its top section (head) and two-thirds of its bottom section (grip). Although swing weight can have a major impact on a golfer’s performance, it can’t be considered as an absolute measurement.
How to increase weight of golf club?
Using a lead tape to increase the swing weight. Stick a few lead tape strips on the clubhead of your golf club. Depending on the width of the tape, a 1-inch long strip of tape will increase the weight of the club by 1 gram. Apply the strips on the lower back of the golf club towards its center.
Does weight matter in golf?
Yes swing weight of a golf club does matter. A golf club that is too heavy will be difficult to swing, and can cause a golfer to tire out faster during a game. Secondly, a lightweight club makes it difficult for you to retain the right path through the swing and control the club.
Why is precision important in golf?
The precision is very important because a small error in weight or position of the center of gravity will result in the swing weight point of errors in the final measurement. Measure the balance point distance of the golf club in inches from the end of its grip cap.
What is the best scale to measure swing weight?
This is one of the most common methods of measuring the golf swing weight of your golf club. The 14-inch Lorythmic scale is a popular swing weight scale that has a sliding weight and a fulcrum.
How to get a comfortable feel in golf?
Attach the lead tape near the grip end of the golf club. This will lessen the swing weight of the club while increasing the weight of the grip. This will give you a comfortable feel without affecting the flight of the ball.
Weight Adjustment Guidelines (Useful Reference)
Here are some useful conversions that will help you when swing-weighting your clubs :
Finding Your Optimal Swing-Weight
As I’ve said, experimentation is the best way to do this, but I would recommend starting with lead tape until you have determined a swing-weight that you prefer for different clubs. I recommend lead tape because it can be applied and removed quickly without taking apart the entire club.
Measuring Swing-Weight
You can measure the swing-weight of your clubs through a mathematical formula in this Swing-weight DIY Calculator, or you can purchase a scale here.
Methods for Altering Swing-Weight
There are several ways that you can alter the swing-weight of a club. Each of these methods will have corresponding tutorials, so be sure to check them out!
Summary
I know this might seem overwhelming to the newcomer, but I have plenty of tutorials regarding this topic, so work your way through them, and I promise everything will start to make more sense!
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.
What is the mass of a club head?
The mass of the club head including the mass of the first 4 inches of shaft attached to the club head is the only mass that will affect the ball at impact. All other things being are equal, the heavier the mass of a clubhead plus the first 4 inches of shaft, the more ball speed (and thus more distance) will be created.
Why is swing weight important?
This is because other variables like choosing the right driver head and driver shaft are more primary factors for increasing distance. Swing weight is a secondary factor, but that doesn’t minimize its importance.
What part of the clubface strikes the ball?
What part of the clubface strikes the ball? The center of the clubface is typically thought to be the best place for distance, although some golfers do improve performance when they impact the ball slightly above the sweet spot, slightly toward the toe, or a combination of the two depending on the driver head design.
Who is Jon Sinclair?
Jon Sinclair is a PGA Tour Player Coach and Fitter, and he’s also the TPT Head of Performance. He has spent countless hours analyzing golf equipment on the most advanced performance monitoring machines such as Trackman and Gears, and the best players in the world trust him to improve their performance. This is painstaking work, but there are also ...
Swingweight, Technically Speaking
Swingweight vs. Actual Weight
- Swingweight and the actual weight of the club are different things, and understanding the difference goes a long way toward understanding the role of swingweight. 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 u…
What Is Swingweight Used For in Golf?
- The key application of swingweight is in matching the clubs within a set. You want all your clubs to feel the same weight during the swing. If you are replacing a club or adding one, you want the new club to match the swingweight of your current clubs. But how important is swingweight, really? Recreational golfers who fancy themselves equipment "experts" might argue that it is ver…
The Swingweight Scale
- Swingweight is expressed with a letter and number; "C9," for example. The letters used are A, B, C, D, E, F and G, and the numerals 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 (G goes up to 10). Each combination of letter and number is known as a "swingweight point," and there are 73 possible swingweight measurements on this scale. A0 is the lightest measurement, progressing up to the heaviest, G1…