There is a certain amount of curvature to the face of a club which causes gear-effect. Because the head of a wood shaped object is more 3-dimensional in shape, curvature is incorporated onto the face of the club to help compensate for directional problems caused by shots hit other than where the center of gravity is located.
Full Answer
What does lengthening a shaft do to a golf club?
Lengthening the shaft increases the swing weight, which makes the club head feel heavier. It may even make the club too heavy for you, which will slow down your swing speed and actually reduce your distance.
Do heavier golf clubs hit longer balls?
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. However, a heavier club will be more challenging to swing at higher speeds because there is more weight involved.
How does the weight of a golf club affect its speed?
Increasing The Speed The Club Head Is Travelling At Impact When a shaft is lighter, it reduces what’s known as the total weight of a golf club, which is the weight of all components: the head, the shaft, the grip, and the things that hold them together such as the tip, tape, and epoxy.
What is head weighting in golf?
It’s the practice of moving weight to positions in the clubhead where it can best improve performance: distance, accuracy, or even feel. We know that, in general, the heavier a club head is the more energy it can transfer to a golf ball if the clubhead speed remains the same or very close to the same.
Why do my golf clubs feel heavy?
You move the head farther from your hands and it will automatically feel heavier. Most golfers can tell the difference in clubs with 3 swing weights difference, but only the very sensitive golfers can feel one swing weight difference.
What does it mean when a golf club is oversized?
Golf irons which are oversized have a larger club head. These larger club heads provide a larger club face which provides a generous hitting area. Most oversized irons have a cavity back design, which along with the larger club face provides more forgiveness and more consistency with distance on off centre strikes.
What does a heavier driver head do?
It allows for more weight to be added to the clubhead, without impacting the total weight of the club. If you are swinging a heavy driver clubhead with a heavier shaft, the club may be difficult to gather sufficient swing speed to generate the necessary ball speed for lift-off.
How do I know if my golf clubs are too heavy?
How to Tell if your Iron Shafts are Too HeavyYou get less wrist-snap when you swing.You have decreased swing speed.Your golf ball speed is decreased.You get less spin on your golf ball.You lose distance on the course.Shot dispersion to the left or right or both of your intended target.More items...
Are oversized clubs easier to hit?
The benefit of using an oversized iron is that it is incredibly forgiving in comparison to a regular iron. Traditional irons are notoriously hard to hit, especially for beginners. The enlarged head on an oversized iron makes it a lot easier to hit and make consistent contact with.
Who should use oversize golf clubs?
Oversized Golf Grips Ease Tension, Add Power Reducing tension with oversized golf grips can boost your power and consistency in one fell swoop. Golfers with arthritis or similar challenges sometimes turn to oversized grips for relief. Less squeezing means less stress on joints and tendons.
How does club head weight affect distance?
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.
Is a lighter golf driver better?
Usually, lighter clubs produce higher spin rates. And with spin rates that are too high, you might actually lose distance. Second, a lighter club is sometimes more difficult to control and can wreak havoc on your ability to make a smooth, rhythmic swing that accelerates through the ball.
What is the ideal swing weight for a driver?
What Should Be the Specifications for Your Next Driver?Cut Shaft Weight (Grams)Driver Length (Inches)Swingweight Range4546D0-D34545.5C8-D15546D1-D45545.5C9-D26 more rows
What happens if your clubs are too long?
What Happens When Golf Clubs Are Too Long? For most golfers, having clubs that are too long will result in the most inconsistent shots. Clubs that are too long will make you stand too upright, which can cause both heel and toe shots as well as a tendency to pull the ball.
What happens if Swingweight is too heavy?
Since swing weight is how heavy or light a club feels to a golfer, it can significantly impact the game. For golfers that are playing with a club that feels too heavy they may start rushing their golf swing and trying to attack the ball in order to get the club to perform.
What happens if my shaft is too heavy?
Nippon suggested that a player should be able to tell largely by feel. A shaft that's too heavy will cause a “labored golf swing.” A shaft that's too light will hurt your ability to make solid contact. When you find the right shaft weight, you'll experience a “high energy swing” with uniform contact.
Why do golfers need a weaker loft?
Slower swinging golfers that struggle with consistent carry and total distance , may prefer a weaker loft to help them with launch.
Why add weight to driver head?
A common legend that is thrown around golfing circles is that adding more weight to your driver head will help you to increase ball speed, and gain longer carry and total distance.
How Important Is Driver Head Weight In A Driver?
The driver head weight is as important as the shaft and the club features.
How Does It Effect Performance?
The weight of your driver head will impact you differently, depending on your swing.
Where To Add Weight For What Performance Tweak?
To achieve a higher launch you will want to place weights at the rear of the clubhead, to focus the CG in this area.
Does The Head Weight Vary Among Drivers By Much?
In the study conducted by Mackenzie et al (2015), three-driver weights were used 174 g, 190 g, and 200g.
How much does a driver head weigh?
In tests conducted by Mackenzie, et al (2015), they found that the best performing driver head weight is 174 grams for golfers across the board.
What happens if you have too little resistance in golf?
With too little resistance the golfer may over-swing, cast the club, or simply lack the mass in the club head necessary to maximize distance. ( Eureka!!!)
Can you hit off center on a golf club?
It won' t, but it will be more forgiving than any other club on the market. Hit anywhere on the face the ball will travel the same distance and no gear effect from hitting off-center.
Do single length irons have threads?
Please try to stick to the topic. Single length irons have a few threads of their own.
Does a heavier club make tempo better?
As my swing has improved my tempo works better with heavier clubs. There is a limit though, and when a club is too heavy I can notice it too.
Is distance important in golf?
Both matter. Distance is very important. Often, distance is more important. Also, there are other threads for this as well. Discussing distance as it relates to heavier clubs is fine here; as a general strategy or goal for your golf swing is different.
Does more mass drive a ball further than less mass?
I think there are too many variables to get a definitive answer. As already stated, more mass will drive a ball further than less mass at the same velocity. But attaining that velocity is the issue.
Does a heavier clubhead affect the ball?
Yes, a heavier clubhead hitting the ball with the same characteristics - including clubhead speed - will impart more force on the golf ball.
How does lengthening a shaft affect swing?
Timing and Feel. In many ways, the biggest effect of lengthening a club shaft is how it affects your ability to swing the club. The combined changes in length and swing weight make the club feel different. In turn, these changes will affect your timing and even your mechanics, perhaps without you even realizing it.
What does swing weight mean?
Swing Weight. Swing weight isn't an actual weight so much as a comparison of the difference in weight between the club head and the butt end of the shaft. It's expressed as a letter-number combination, such as C9 or D2. Lengthening the shaft increases the swing weight, which makes the club head feel heavier. It may even make the club too heavy ...
Can you use extenders to lengthen a golf club?
However, using extenders to lengthen a club will change the flex of the club, sometimes by an unpredictable amount. Not only does the shaft become more flexible than before, thus further affecting accuracy, but it lowers the kick (or bend) ...
Does lengthening the shaft make the club head heavier?
Lengthening the shaft increases the swing weight, which makes the club head feel heavier. It may even make the club too heavy for you, which will slow down your swing speed and actually reduce your distance.
Does lengthening a golf club shaft affect accuracy?
Accuracy. As a general rule, lengthening any club's shaft will reduce your accuracy with that club. The longer the club, the more difficult it becomes to hit the ball solidly. This is especially true when the ball is on the ground rather than on a tee, since hitting the ball fat is more likely.
Is shaft length a factor?
Shaft length is certainly a factor in how far you hit a given club. However, some clubs benefit more than others. Installing longer shafts in wedges and short irons will almost always result in more distance, as most players have little trouble swinging the shorter clubs.
Do golf clubs have longer shafts?
Effects of Lengthening a Golf Club Shaft. Tall players like Bubba Watson have to use longer shafts in all of their clubs. Most players consider using longer shafts in their clubs at some time or another, believing that longer shafts equal more distance, although that isn't necessarily true. There are two ways to lengthen your shafts.
How does the clubhead affect the speed of the golf club?
Feeling the balance of the club during the swing insures proper balance which increases clubhead speed.
How to practice golf clubhead?
Practice with your feet very close together, 3 or 4 inches apart. Make a full speed full swing to feel the balance of the club head. When it gets easier to keep your balance, hover your back foot heel (right heel for right handed players and left heel for left handed players) slightly off the ground. With this drill you should be able to:
How to feel your weight on the arches of your feet?
With this drill you should be able to: Feel your weight on the arches of your feet during the swing. Complete a full speed full swing in balance – swing fast, don’t chicken out and go slow. Feel the weight of the clubhead – release your grip pressure to 3 out of 10 if you can’t. This is a fun drill to practice as you can feel when you are doing it ...
How does a club head work on a swingset?
The clubhead travels on a swing arc as a child swinging on a swingset. To push the child higher you push the seat as the child swings forward. If you push too quickly the child’s momentum tilts backward and the child does not swing higher.
How to feel momentum in golf swing?
A drill to allow you to feel this momentum is swinging with your feet together. When you swing and feel too much weight on your toes or your heels at any time during the swing, or if your body feels out of balance then the club is out of balance. Practice with your feet very close together, 3 or 4 inches apart.
What happens if you push too hard on a swing?
When you push with even pressure with both hands as the child reaches the bottom of the swing the momentum propels the child higher into the air.
How to do a full swing?
With this drill you should be able to: 1 Feel your weight on the arches of your feet during the swing. 2 Complete a full speed full swing in balance – swing fast, don’t chicken out and go slow. 3 Feel the weight of the clubhead – release your grip pressure to 3 out of 10 if you can’t.
Why is the face of a golf club curvature?
There is a certain amount of curvature to the face of a club which causes gear-effect. Because the head of a wood shaped object is more 3-dimensional in shape, curvature is incorporated onto the face of the club to help compensate for directional problems caused by shots hit other than where the center of gravity is located.
How does vertical gear affect the ball?
An impact made high on the face above the CoG will create a higher launch angle, and the vertical gear effect will actually cause the ball to spin less. This can produce greater distance as the ball is subject to less lift or drag that a higher spin creates. An impact made below the CoG will cause the ball to fly at a lower launch angle. However, the positive effect of the vertical gear effect will increase the spin rate of the ball to help maximize trajectory and distance.
What happens when the head rotates the other direction in response to a shot hit off the heel?
Conversely, when the head rotates the other direction in response a shot hit off the heel, the ball slides, then rolls, sideways across the face from the heel toward the center of the face, which causes the ball to leave the face with a slicing or fade sidespin.
What is horizontal bulge?
HORIZONTAL BULGE: The curvature of the face of a wood from heel to toe. Bulge aids in imparting corrective spin to shots hit on the toe or heel of the wood face. Bulge, which is responsible for horizontal gear-effect, is measured in inches, and the majority of drivers are built with 10 inches of bulge. To provide an example, imagine ...
Why does the ball roll sideways across the face?
Impact toward the heel of the club and you get an entirely different feel, because of gear-effect. When the head rotates in response to a toe-hit, the ball slides, then rolls, sideways across the face from the toe toward the center of the face. This causes the ball to leave the face with a hooking or draw sidespin.
How does a golf club rotate?
The club head at impact will rotate around its vertical center of gravity (CG) axis, and not around the shaft’s axis. At impact, if the ball is aligned directly in-line with the club head’s CG, then no sideways twist will occur. However, golf is a game of misses. Hit the ball near the toe and you can feel the club twist open in your hands. Impact toward the heel of the club and you get an entirely different feel, because of gear-effect.
What is the gear effect of a ball?
Think of the head and ball as a pair of gears. As the ball (Gear #1) strikes the head (Gear #2) on the toe, Gear #2 turns to the right. As Gear #2 turns right, Gear #1 turns left. This is what is called gear-effect.
Why do golfers swing heavier shafts?
A key factor in maximizing swing speed is maximizing muscle activation, which is why certain golfers can swing heavier shafts faster than lighter shafts. Slightly heavier shafts can activate additional muscle groups, effectively “turning on” more speed in a golfer’s swing.
How many inches of shaft is closest to clubhead?
The first four inches of the shaft nearest to the clubhead also play a role in energy transfer, but it’s a minor role as the first four inches of the shaft, regardless of shaft model, does not vary as much as clubhead weight.
Why use lighter shafts?
Using a lighter shaft allows more weight to be placed in the clubhead through adjustable weights, hotmelt, etc. without increasing the total weight of the club. This “redistribution” of shaft weight into the clubhead can be one of the last tweaks in a fitting that unlocks more distance off the tee.
What is in person club fitting?
An in-person club fitting is the only way to know for sure that a golfer has the best shaft for them. For that reason, the purpose of this article is not to help golfers “fit themselves.” After all, even the best golfers in the world rely on fitters to help them optimize their performance.
What happens when a golf club shaft is lighter?
When a shaft is lighter, it reduces what’s known as the total weight of a golf club, which is the weight of all components: the head, the shaft, the grip, and the things that hold them together such as the tip, tape, and epoxy. When the total weight of a club is reduced, it allows some golfers to swing faster.
How to increase distance on golf clubs?
There are two factors that are critical to increasing distance, and lighter shafts can help with both factors. These factors are: 1 The Speed The Club Head Is Travelling At Impact 2 The Mass Of The Club Head
Does the weight of the club head affect the energy transfer?
We know that, in general, the heavier a club head is the more energy it can transfer to a golf ball if the clubhead speed remains the same or very close to the same. This is because, at impact, the transfer of energy is related almost entirely to the weight of the clubhead. The first four inches of the shaft nearest to the clubhead also play a role in energy transfer, but it’s a minor role as the first four inches of the shaft, regardless of shaft model, does not vary as much as clubhead weight.
How to feel the weight of the club head?
Start with a good takeaway and backswing and learn how to feel the weight of the club head. Start with small swings take the club back, feel the weight, maintain it, then deliver it into the ball. You will begin to feel the possibilities with power, but don't get ahead of yourself, work on just feeling the weight and delivering it into the ball. You will make crisp contact and it will seem effortless, then you can take a bigger backswing. If you can't do this at 20 yards how will you do it at 200.
How to feel the weight of a golf club?
Start with a good takeaway and backswing and learn how to feel the weight of the club head. Start with small swings take the club back, feel the weight, maintain it, then deliver it into the ball. You will begin to feel the possibilities with power, but don't get ahead of yourself, work on just feeling the weight and delivering it into the ball. ...
What is lag in golf?
In my mind lag is just the club head trailing or lagging behind. It's not about angles or holding them, although it creates an angle. For me it's about being able to feel the weight of the club head and then delivering that at the correct time at impact. If you can start to feel the weight and then deliver it into the ball, you will not cast, early extend, hit it fat, come over the top, or do just about all the swing problems I read hear on this forum everyday. You will create great tempo, put your body in the right positions without thinking about it, and you will get lag and forward shaft lean as a result not a cause, you will gain distance and accuracy and learn how to increase your swing speed without swinging wildly or out of control.
How to get power in golf?
Start with small swings take the club back, feel the weight, maintain it, then deliver it into the ball. You will begin to feel the possibilities with power, but don't get ahead of yourself, work on just feeling the weight and delivering it into the ball.
Is there a lag in golf swing?
Basically in the golf swing, you are NEVER holding lag - you are either in a condition of creating or destroying lag. He advocated trying not to be a "creating lag" condition until the transition, because it is difficult to be in a 'creating lag' condition for very long.
Is lag a byproduct of swinging?
I for one believe that if you do things correctly in your swing lag and forward shaft lean are a byproduct or the result, not the action. Trying to force it usually results in trouble and a breakdown of some sort in the swing. That being said I can see that good swings produce lag and lean. I think where people get in trouble is trying to hold the lag angle as long as possible or in trying to create the biggest angle of lag they can. Good swings are fluid, not forced.
Why do men golfers find the center of their faces?
Compared to lighter equipment, most of your average male golfers will find the center of the face more often and realize more purely struck shots. This will increase your average distance and minimize the difference between your great shots and your misses.
How much does a golf ball weigh?
But consider that a golf ball weighs around 45 grams. The difference between heavy and light equipment for someone with three wedges is the equivalent of roughly three sleeves of balls in your bag. If that’s enough to break your back, then you should consider weight/endurance training or move to a push/pull cart.
Do pro golf clubs have heavier shafts?
Thankfully, most of the player or “pro” models still come with heavier shafts. But even there, you still have driver shafts in the 50-gram range, and they seem to be getting lighter each year. This follows the old club thought:
