Conference 7.286::golf

231.0. ""SEE WHY THEY CALL THEM PROS?"" by WILMER::GLASS () Sun Mar 20 1988 13:59

    The following article appeared in this month's issue of Golf Digest
    and is worth coping/forwarding due to the vast interest in shafts/
    swing weights in other Notes.
    
    *******************WHAT'S YOUR SWINGWEIGHT?**************************
    
      Equipment's most misunderstood measurement, and why it's important
                              to your game
                             
                        APRIL,1988 GOLF DIGEST
                           by Lew Fishman                   
                          
    The most misunderstood concept surrounding golf equipment is
    swingweight!
    
    You probably have heard the term a number of times from your club
    professional, playing partners or local equipment salesman. Yet
    it remains a source of confusion for the average golfer who doesn't
    want to spend his weekends worring about such things as fulcrum
    points and lorythmic measuring devices.
    
    The easiest way is to think of swingweight as a guage for clubhead
    feel. The greater the percentage of clubhead weight to the club's
    total weight, the higher the swingweight. Swingweight is expressed
    in a letter(A,B,C,D,E) followed by a number(0 to 9). The higher
    up the letter scale, the greater the swingweight.
    
    Now, how important is swingweight? Does it matter that the swingweight
    of your driver is C-6 when the clubhead feels relatively light,
    or that it's D-6 when the clubhead feels relatively heavy? If you're
    happy with the performance of your driver and aren't anxious to
    make any changes, then the swingweight is incidental. However, if
    you are looking to buy a new set or are thinking of altering your
    present equipment, you should be aware that each adjustment will
    have an effect on the balance, feel and the swingweight of your
    clubs.
    
    Before proceeding to more practical applications, let's first take
    care of the misconception that the overall weight of a golf club
    correlates directly with its swingweight. A hypothetical driver
    weighing 100 pounds can have the same swingweight as one one weighing
    the more typical 12 1/2 ounces, if the weight of each is divided
    in equal proportions. In fact, the lighter club can be made to have
    an even higher swingweight than the 100 pound monster, if a greater
    precentage of its overall weight is in the clubhead. Conversly,
    two clubs weighing the same can feel different depending on how
    the weight is apportioned within each club.
    
    If you played golf with only one club, swingweight wouldn't matter
    very much. It is important because you want every club in your bag
    to have a similar feel.
    
    Let's see how it works:
    1.If you decide to lengthen all of your clubs 1/2 inch, you will
      without changing the clubhead, raise the swingweight three points,
      say, from D-0 to D-3. This holds true whether your clubs possess
      standard weight or lightweight shafts.
    2.If you take the same clubs and shorten them 1/2 inch, the swingweight
      will drop from D-0 to C-7.
    3.If your clubs have the standard-weight shafts such as Dynamic
      from True Temper and you have a lightweight-steel shaft installed,
      the swingweight of your clubs will drop two points, from D-0 to
      C-8, even though the weight of the clubhead remains the same.
      But, if you replace them with an ultra-lightweight steel shaft
      such as Extra Lite, you will drop three points from D-0 to C-7.
      Although graphite shafts vary in weight, you can generally expect
      to lose between five and six swingweight points when you move
      from standard-weight steel to carbon. Reshafting your present
      clubs with titanium shafts will result in a swingweight reduction
      of two points.
      If you go the other way, from lightweight to standard-weight steel
      shafts, the swingweight will go up accordingly.
    4.If you think your shafts are too flexible and you want to move
      up a notch from Regular to Stiff, the swingweight will go up only
      slightly less than one point. If you move from Regular to an X,
      the difference is barely two points.
    5.If you change the grips from leather to rubber, you will add one
      swingweight point. If you go from rubber to leather then you will
      lose a point.
    6.If you have your grips built up 1/32 of an inch, the swingweight
      will slide one point, from D-0 to C-9.
    7.When you have a wood sanded and refinished without re-balancing,
      you can expect to lose about two swingweight points.
    8.Having your irons re-chromed will cause a drop of two swingweight
      points.
    9.When you flatten the lie of your clubs by three degrees the
      swingweight will climb one point.
    10.If you change the insert material in your old driver, the
      swingweight will be effected. Going from an epoxy insert to fiber
      will add one point. Installing an aluminum or gamma-fire(glass)
      insert can raise the swingweight three to four points, depending
      on the width of the inlay. Conversely, a lighter material such
      as graphite will reduce the swingweight one point.
    11.To raise the total weight of your club without disturbing the
      swingweight, you will have to counterbalance. For evey one inch
      inch strip of lead tape added to the clubhead, two are neeed under
      the grip.
    
    Although any one of these adjustments may not significantly alter
    your equipment specs, combining two or three might.
    
    Suppose you have a classic driver from the 1950s with a rusty
    standard-weight steel shaft and D-2 swingweight. You want to have
    it refinished and reshafted with lightweight steel. Your driver
    is now C-8. If you then replace the fiber insert with a graphite
    one, the club would be C-6.
    
    So, as confusing as the concept may be, there is merit. And now
    that you are thoroughly conversant on swingweight, your merit badge
    is in the mail.
    

    	Good point Kevin.  I too, read the article and was left with
    the same impressions or questions.  It told me what swing weight was,
    and how to increase/decrease it, but left me high and dry on how
    to determine which swing weight was right for me!  I tend to fade
    and sometimes slice my driver and often wondered whether or not
    I could solve this by changing the swing weight.  But most golfers
    and pros tell you it's more likely to be in your swing characteristics
    as opposed to being the swing weight.  My driver is a D2 swing weight.
    	I would think that increasing the swing weight would not give
    you more distance on center hits, but would on off center hits,
    due to the fact that the club face would not twist offline as much
    if the club head was heavier.  This is just a guess on my part,
    it's not backed up by any facts.
    	I have the ability to change the swing weight on my metal woods
    rather easily, and if anyone could tell me whether or not this would
    help my fade/slice, I would gladly try it.
    
                                                       Beak

    .1 and .2 make very good points as to the Golf Digest article.
    
    The main point is that golf is also a science and it takes a pro
    to really decide where our equipment should start to allow us to
    make the best of our swings.
    
    As to slicing and hooking,isn't it alot more subtle.If the face
    is open when the ball is struck,the spin causes a fade/slice.When
    the face is closed when the ball is hit,a hook is the result.So,this
    may involve swingweight,but most likely other things such as swing
    plane or grip size(i.e.fingers or palms in the swing).
                
    Nothing about this auld game is simple!
    Tom

    
    Beak,
    
    	As Tom said in .3 slicing/hooking is a function of the face
    angle at impact.  It's hard to say if changing the swing weight
    will help.  If it's easy to change the swingweight then lower it
    to say D0 and see what happens.  I would think making it heavier
    would make a slice worse.  Of course it could make matters worse
    all around, but you never know until you try.
    
    I'm going to be doing some non-scientific experiments tonight with
    our friend "Ace".  The last time we were at Billy Max I hit some
    balls with his driver.  I was able to generate club head speed between
    98 and 102 MPH.  I think his driver is D4.  I just finished fixing
    up an old Haig Ultra that somebody traded that I swung out at C8
    (I think)  If anything interesting comes out of it I'll let you
    know.
    
    BTW Since I'm making a new driver for myself, I could easily be
    persuaded to part with this cherry Ultra (I even customized the
    face to give it a bigger sweet spot) for the tiny sum of $50.  
    
    
    						KO

    
    FWIW.
    
    	I did the non-scientific experiment with club head speed vs
    swingwieght last night.  With the C8 and Gene's D4 I was able to
    generate speeds in the low to mid 90's.  (It must have been the
    hangover slowing things down).  I seem to remember getting slightly
    more carry with the lighter driver although I can't remember if
    I was hitting the lighter driver more on the center of the insert.
    At any rate we managed to prove absolutly nothing about swingweight
    vs club head velocity.
    
    I did notice though that when Gene was hitting the driver, he caught
    all of them right on the screws.  It's clear that this club is easy
    to hit and makes the ball go straight and long.  It's still for
    sale! 8-)
    
    
    					KO

    
    	I can vouch for the fact that Kevin's driver did have a good
    	feel to it. He tried to make the sale on the spot too...
    	
    	Gene (sticking_with_my_D4_TITANIUM)

    
    If you are really interested in trying to modify a club to correct
    slicing or hooking there are a few options. As I mentioned earlier
    in another note the shaft flex can have an impact on ball flight
    path. A shaft too stiff can cause constant slicing. If you feel
    the shaft is not the problem and want to experiment with weighting,
    try to add some lead tape to the toe area of your driver. The tape
    should go right over the "Genuine Persimmon" or "Pittsburg Persimmon"
    decal on the front of the toe area. This will help to square, or
    close , the club face prior to impact. Use enough tape to increase
    swing weight by 1-2 points. Lead tape at the heel area of the club
    will help to square, or open, the club face for hooking.
    
    				Fred Deady
    

    
    	Perhaps someone here can shead some light as to the direction
    I should go? Two years ago my clubs met with a slight mishap. The
    result was a purchase of RAM irons and a reshaft of my Staff 4
    wood and my Staff driver. This past year every club in my bag was
    great except for the Driver. The driver was originally shafted with
    a stiff shaft and that is what I had it reshafted with. Using the
    4 wood off of the tie gave good results. Straight with good distance.
    The driver was another matter. I couldn't get away form fading the
    ball. My swing when analysed showed a slight inside out swing with
    a head speed of 107. The face was between 3 degrees closed to 7
    degree open. 
    	What can I do mechanically to get this under control? Can a
    fly away right elbow contribute to this?  From a swing weight
    perspective what would be the result if I cut an inch off of the
    drivers shaft to get it closer to the 4 woods length?
    
    
    						Tom (searching for answers)

    
    Tom,
    
    	To cut an inch off your driver would reduce the swingweight
    by 6 points, ie. if you are currently at D-2 you would drop to C-6.
    Before doing that try choking down on the shaft and see if your
    consistancy inproves. Also look at the possibilty of using a 2 wood
    to tee off with. A 270 yrd. drive means nothing if 30 of those yrds.
    are into the woods left or right.
    
    			Fred Deady