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Anyone have any experience counterbalancing a driver?

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InTheRough

InTheRough

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With the arrival of counterbalanced shafts, and given that I'm losing swing speed, I'm wondering about a shaft insert for my driver. I found this on the internet. They're about $70 whereas a counterbalanced shaft is about $300 - 400. I'm wondering it this contraption is worth a try?



 
I wrapped lead tape around the butt end of the shaft to do the same thing and cost about $7 Went from D5 to D2, Now I also use midsize grips so there is that.
 
There have to be cheaper counterbalanced shafts out there than that. Isn't the HZRDUS Yellow considered counterbalanced/backweighted/high balance or whatever? Seems there must be cheaper counterweights than that, too.
 
Found this on golfworks.com

www.golfworks.com

Shaft Butt Weight Ports-BWP

A great tool for counterbalancing steel shafted woods, irons and putters.
www.golfworks.com www.golfworks.com

Not sure how much weight you're wanting in the butt.
 
OGputtnfool said:
... and these...

Tour Lock Pro+ Weights | The GolfWorks

Tour Lock Pro+ Weights
www.golfworks.com www.golfworks.com
Click to expand...
These are solid. Way easier to deal with than the butt weight ports, too. If you have someone nearby with a port and a bunch of weights your could try different setups pretty easily. If you don't, I'd research your needs, take a guess, and order a tour lock. If it works out or doesn't you're only out a grip.

Everyone is different with counterweighting though. It increases my swing speed, but it does it by increasing my flip rate of the swing, basically. Also my dispersion. So I'm not a fan, but lots are.
 
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I have one of these that I used when I was testing counterbalanced shafts. It goes under the grip in the butt of the shaft, so if you are blowing your grip on with air you can insert, test, then blow the grip off and adjust. I adjusted by wrapping some extra lead tape around it. When I played it I used it at around 27 grams. If you are using double sided tape and solvent probably not the most convenient method unless you know exactly the weight you need.

www.golfworks.com

Tour Lock Pro Counter Weight Plugs

Tour Lock Pro Counter Plugs, Reusable counter balance weights that require no epoxy.
www.golfworks.com www.golfworks.com
 
I played around with it a bunch of years ago with a carriage bolt I inserted in the end of the grip then I put grip tape over the top of it. I wasn’t crazy about it. I have the Tour Lock system in a putter right now and it is pretty slick.
 
I've experimented with the Tour Lock weights. So easy to swap them out, tested them throughout the bag.

In the end, like Chef, I only really meshed with the putter being counterbalanced.
 
Thanks. It looks like if I go counterweighting there's a second question. Does anyone know what the standard weight is in a Ping G410 Plus driver? Note: my driver is not standard length and is D3 swing weight, so Ping put a heavier weight in the club.

I suppose I could take the weight that's in my driver down to the local pot store and ask them to weigh it. lol. Since pot stores are open and considered essential businesses.

So it's basically counterweighting or ordering a lighter weight for the head to lighten the SW. I'd like an effective C9.
 
I don't know how well it would work with a driver but I effectively counterbalanced a putter on the cheap with a 5/16 diameter clevis pin. You'd need a little tape on the shank so it wouldn't slip but the top of the pin would be the same size as the top of that expensive device you posted so won't slip inside the shaft or create a protruding ridge. I inserted the pin and regripped but you could probably just open the hole in the butt and insert that way too. D3 to C9 is 4 sw points I think which would require 16 grams in the butt of your driver shaft. An easy way to check if that might be what you'd need for the feel you seek would be to attach 3 nickels (15 grams) to the butt end and take some rips. If not try other combos. Nickels weigh 5 grams pennies weigh 2.5 grams. A 5/16 x 1.5 long clevis weighs a little over 15 grams.
 
InTheRough said:
Thanks. It looks like if I go counterweighting there's a second question. Does anyone know what the standard weight is in a Ping G410 Plus driver? Note: my driver is not standard length and is D3 swing weight, so Ping put a heavier weight in the club.

I suppose I could take the weight that's in my driver down to the local pot store and ask them to weigh it. lol. Since pot stores are open and considered essential businesses.

So it's basically counterweighting or ordering a lighter weight for the head to lighten the SW. I'd like an effective C9.
Click to expand...
I think the stock is 16g, and I'm not sure what the heaviest single is. It might be 20? I know i've heard a fitter say what the heaviest replacement available is, but I can't recall it atm. Do you have a build sheet/spec sheet on your driver? It should say what's in it. I think lowering that weight and the SW makes more sense than counterweight and adding more to the total weight, but that's just me.
 
OldandStiff said:
I think the stock is 16g, and I'm not sure what the heaviest single is. It might be 20? I know i've heard a fitter say what the heaviest replacement available is, but I can't recall it atm. Do you have a build sheet/spec sheet on your driver? It should say what's in it. I think lowering that weight and the SW makes more sense than counterweight and adding more to the total weight, but that's just me.
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This.

I'd personally opt for the lighter moveable weight.

I experimented with counterbalancing my G410 Plus with a 20g and then a 30g weight. Tried this because the clubhead is heavier than my G400 Max that I happen to hit well.

GMax is more accurate but the G410 is longer for me by a good margin, just a bit unpredictable. With the weights, I found it to be even more so.

Strangely enough, with the counterweights, I'd have the tendency to leave shots farther right. Counter to what the prevailing effect should be, certainly counter to what I'd hoped.

Last couple of rounds without the weight though, were far better. Back flared up since, so it might be a while before I can test further.

FWIW, I can somewhat eliminate the issue as being shaft related as I experimented with 4 different shafts of varying profiles. Tendencies were similar across the board.
 
Unfortunately I don't have a build sheet. Ping built it. I'll have to call them and give them the specs. The stock driver is 45.75" and D3. Mine is 44" and D3 w/ a 65 g shaft, so they probably added some extra weight to the club head. Going back to standard weight or just over it won't significantly change the mass of the club head but if it gives me 5 MPH it could give me 10 yds. carry.
 
Years ago I counter-balanced all of my clubs, including the driver, with weights from Balance-Certified. They were different back in those day than what is shown in the video. They didn't go down the shaft as far. They came in different weights and the heaviest I used in my putter and, IIRC, the lightest in my driver, fairway woods and hybrids. The ones in the irons were a step up in weight up from there. They added overall weight to the club while dropping swing weight and I did feel I could add swing speed as a result. I did get a little more distance and slightly tighter dispersion. But that was my experience.
 
InTheRough said:
Unfortunately I don't have a build sheet. Ping built it. I'll have to call them and give them the specs. The stock driver is 45.75" and D3. Mine is 44" and D3 w/ a 65 g shaft, so they probably added some extra weight to the club head. Going back to standard weight or just over it won't significantly change the mass of the club head but if it gives me 5 MPH it could give me 10 yds. carry.
Click to expand...
Can't you just pull the weight and weigh it?
 
OGputtnfool said:
Can't you just pull the weight and weigh it?
Click to expand...
i just shortened my ping g400 max took out the 8 gram weight anx to gef the correct points i hade to throw in a 16 gram weight.
 
A counter balanced shaft and what you all are describing (back weighting) are very different things. The point of a counterbalanced shaft is that it doesn't add any additional static weight, it only manipulates where the weight is located along the shaft. Back weighting through the use of a plug or lead tape or heavy grip etc, is manipulating the SW but the overall weight of the club is still going up.

If you are losing speed, adding weight anywhere is not the ideal solution for that as in many cases (not all, as it varies by golfer) you will slow down your average club speed even more. Now you may make better contact in some cases but that is a different discussion.
 
I called Ping, but they're not taking calls because of the pandemic. However, their techs must be working from home by e-mail, so I sent them the specs on my driver and asked them about the weight. I don't have a scale. Like I said, I could pull it and take to the local MARIJUANA store where they have scales that weigh by the gram. It's hit or miss whether they'd weigh it given how paranoid people are today given the virus. Ping is supposed to get back within 24-48 hrs. I asked them what weight I would need to lighten it to C9.
 
Cheaper than Tour Lock or Balance Certified. Next time you re-grip, try these:

Lead Counterweights for Steel Shafts

Lead Counterweights for Steel Shafts
www.golfworks.com www.golfworks.com


Alternately, if you want to spend money, these are good too:

Boccieri Secret Grip

<p>The Secret Grip raises the balance point of your club – improving your consistency, control and distance.</p>
www.golfworks.com www.golfworks.com


Also, if you do decide to go with TL or BC, be aware that the internal diameter of some graphite shafts are too small for them to fit...my Proforce V2, for example.
 
I have a 14 gram weight in the driver head. Ping is mailing me a 10 g weight. That should reduce it about 2.5 swing weights.
 
Glad they responded to you(y)
 
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