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Driver Weight Position and SW

Nippon Shafts
deekay729

deekay729

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I'm a long time lurker but not an active poster.

I tend to write a lot so strap in!

I bought a Rogue SZ Driver last year but only recently started hitting it (lockdown). Previous driver was a X2Hot Pro. I've been having no confidence w/ the Rogue SZ because I swear the driver felt so much heavier in my hands (using the shaft off of my previous X2HotP). Then I learned about swingweights and everything began to make sense. Out of curiosity, i measured the clubhead weights of both, using my highly scientific kitchen scale, and both heads (with the factory weights in the weight ports) were 2g from each other (actually the X2HotP was heavier out of the two). It boggled my mind even more! The Rogue SZ has two weight ports, one right off the face, and the other all the way by the end of the driver, and I currently had the 2g weight in the front and 14g weight in the back. Switched them around so the heavier one was in the front, and I swear the club felt just a tad lighter.

So my question is, all things the same, can the position of the where the weights sit on the club affect SW? Or is it just a placebo affect? Or maybe my hands are too sensitive? :eek:

Sorry for the long post!
 
Yes. Just the head weight alone is enough to alter swing weight when changing the lie angle. So when moving larger weights, although at the same lie angle, you can see variability in swing weight.


Regarding swing weight, if a club's lie angleis adjusted approximately 3 degrees flatter, the swing weight will likely change 1-point. A club made more upright will swing weightless but the ratio of 3 degrees does not always hold true.
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I think flipping the weights alone is likely to be placebo because the head weight is still the same but maybe there is an impact. If you want it to feel lighter, use a heavier grip.
 
Molten said:
I think flipping the weights alone is likely to be placebo because the head weight is still the same but maybe there is an impact. If you want it to feel lighter, use a heavier grip.
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It’s not just the weights being the same, but where the weight is in relation to the shaft. See my post above. It’s not guaranteed or universal either, it just depends on the head shape, the amount of weight, and the distance the weight is moving.
 
-CRW- said:
It’s not just the weights being the same, but where the weight is in relation to the shaft. See my post above. It’s not guaranteed or universal either, it just depends on the head shape, the amount of weight, and the distance the weight is moving.
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Certainly. I’m not saying one way or another because I don’t know but if the change is 1 point, it’s not all that noticeable in hand. At least in my hand. I couldn’t tell the difference between D0 and D1 with any conviction.
 
It'll change it a little. How much is hard to say. With most stock weights I've never seen it change more than half a swing weight point, but it makes sense it would be a tiny bit lower SW with the heavier weight forward. Not enough that it would likely be noticeable in hand though. I think my Mav SZ is .36 SW lighter with the stock weights (14g and 2g) set so the heavy one is forward if memory serves.
 
Moving the two weights back and forth will not change the swing weight. Changing the lie angle will in theory change it but it is so small as to be completely irrelevant.
If you have a driver with sliding moveable weights that run from heel to toe, then you can impact SW by moving the weights from the heel to toe or vise versa, more toe weight resulting in higher SW.
 
The SW is not going to change by moving the weights since the weight of the head is not increased or decreased. This chart from a Nike catalog is something everyone should have that wants to have a general idea about swing weighting (and lots on the web as well):

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I used to tinker with how changes in head weight, shaft length, weight of grips affect swing weight. There are a couple web sites that tell how combinations of changes with charts. I seem to recall that moving a weight heel to toe, does not affect swing weight, but can effect trajectory. Most know that moving weights laterally affects draw/fade bias. One example would be Taylor Made SLDR. MWT (Moveable weight technology, weight ports, e.t.c.) Then of course are the lead tape gurus.
 
Resultant center of gravity might make the weight of the head kinda "twist" the grip a touch in your hands? Feel it more in the front/left hand with the forward weight?

Like some face balanced putters with weight back/high MOI I've noticed will want to fan open if set on the ground or hovered, and your grip pressure is what keeps it square. That kinda thing?
 
It could change it slightly if the weight is moved further from the grip, but the difference would likely be negligible.
 
blueonblack said:
Resultant center of gravity might make the weight of the head kinda "twist" the grip a touch in your hands? Feel it more in the front/left hand with the forward weight?

Like some face balanced putters with weight back/high MOI I've noticed will want to fan open if set on the ground or hovered, and your grip pressure is what keeps it square. That kinda thing?
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To be honest, that might be what I'm feeling, just a general increase in effort to feel like I know what the head is doing.

For everyone else, thanks for confirming that it doesn't actually change the SW.

Been struggling with this driver's feel, to a point where I played a round with my old driver because it "felt" better. Just blows my mind since both clubheads are only 2 grams apart, and everything else it literally the same, since I'm just pulling the shaft from one head to the other.

As far as trying a heavier grip, I do plan to play a round tomorrow with one of the driver screw weights screwed into the back of my grip (certainly not ideal but should work as a trial/error thing before I commit to anything).
 
Hammer22 said:
The SW is not going to change by moving the weights since the weight of the head is not increased or decreased. This chart from a Nike catalog is something everyone should have that wants to have a general idea about swing weighting (and lots on the web as well):

View attachment 8951807
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This isn't something I've researched, and I can always be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that isn't true. As I've said, I've noticed what @-CRW- posted. That it does, and I've just tried 3 configurations in my SZ heads, and it did each time. And consistently so. Either my swing weight scale is off in the exact same different manner each time, or it can and does. It can't be both. Lateral deflection/torsion slightly affecting balance point or something?
 
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IMG_4462.jpgIMG_4463.jpg

Now it's a 3 gram difference, but nonetheless the older head is heavier, which is the complete opposite of what I'm feeling in my hands. Just an unusual observation.

And to answer your question @blueonblack, I do notice it more on my right hand (RH player).

And now that I've been opened up to the world of SW, gonna have to do a bunch of tinkering to find what SW my hands enjoy.

Sidenote: do people typically use the same SW throughout the bag (ie D3 from driver to wedge)?
 
as stated, calculating swing weight (a dynamic factor) is only an estimation. The exact placement of the fulcrum is critical and although you can achieve balance according to what your swing weight scale indicates, it will vary when changing other factors. Basically, four factors can give you a pretty good idea, but in the end, it is only an estimate.

All the calculator models I have seen, say nothing about weight placement/positioning as pertaining to swing weight, but only in regards to fade/draw bias or trajectory. That being said, opinions have been argued ad-infinitum. In the end, it comes down to what feels right for the individual and I would wager that even that can change from day to day.

Also, there are differences in tolerances by OEM's. Your club head might say it is a D2 when in actuality it may be closer to a D1 or D3. When a shipment of heads comes in the door, the heads are weighed and sorted by a person with often times limited experience. Hopefully this is minimized by the time the heads get to Q&A. Even then, they are weighed only to 3 or 4 decimal places tolerance.

  • Adjusting the weight of the club head by 2 grams adjusts the swing weight by 1 point
  • Adjusting the weight of the shaft by 9 grams adjusts the swing weight by 1 point
  • Adjusting the weight of the grip by 5 grams adjusts the swing weight by 1 point
  • Adjusting the length of the shaft by ½-inch adjusts the swing weight by 3 points
 
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