I don’t see swing weights brought up a lot during fitting discussions. Was it part of your club fitting? I was recently fitted for new irons and the subject never came up. After doing some research, I learned a bit more about how finding the right swing weight for you can help your shot making ability. I’m still waiting for my new clubs to arrive and still playing with my current set which I was hitting very well during my last round. It made me think that if my new clubs were a different swing weight, that it might take a while for me to adjust to new irons. Or, maybe if you are having trouble with your present clubs, adjusting the swing weight could help. Because everyone is different, there is no formula for figuring out which swing weight is right for you, it becomes a trial and error task. I read a report that tested 6 different players who tested clubs with swing weights starting at D0 and increasing to D9. As the swing weights changed, different players responded differently. Do you know what swing weight suits your game the best?
Was swing weight part of your club fitting experience?
dhartmann34
Well-known member
Yes, swing weight was definitely talked about and adjusted during my fittings.
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Knot Right
Well-known member
I believe in Tom Wishon's point of view when it comes to swing weighting, because it is so interrelated to the overall club component make up.
www.golfwrx.com
I usually chuckle under my breath when some guy tells me that he needs his iron set in a D5 swing weight because he hits them so far. The same guy will usually be totally ignorant of his shaft, grip, and head weights at the same time when you ask about them.
Wishon: What swing weight should your clubs be?
In a previous article, I discussed the fitting of the shaft weight and mentioned that a discussion about the weight of a golf club should not only include shaft weight, but swing weight as well. The reason? These two elements are so interrelated, and so important when it comes to helping golfers...
www.golfwrx.com
I usually chuckle under my breath when some guy tells me that he needs his iron set in a D5 swing weight because he hits them so far. The same guy will usually be totally ignorant of his shaft, grip, and head weights at the same time when you ask about them.
nope
blueonblack
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My first fitting ever for a set of Ping i3's, outdoors, the pro asked me if I liked a heavier or lighter feel to my clubs and ordered the SW accordingly.
I had no idea what SW was at the time. I always asked going forward a certain swingweight then as I knew what the term was.
Used to play as heavy as D6 and that got taxing. Down to about a D2 these days.
I had read that when taper tip shafts came out, head weights were adjusted to put a certain flex/load on the shaft in addition to it being about feel.
With most shafts offering multiple flexes now, it seems less applicable in that sense.
I had no idea what SW was at the time. I always asked going forward a certain swingweight then as I knew what the term was.
Used to play as heavy as D6 and that got taxing. Down to about a D2 these days.
I had read that when taper tip shafts came out, head weights were adjusted to put a certain flex/load on the shaft in addition to it being about feel.
With most shafts offering multiple flexes now, it seems less applicable in that sense.
Shaft weight was a part of my fitting and my new shafts are lighter and gave me a bit faster swing speed.
I know what swing weight works best for the set that I'm playing. And other sets that I have. It's not the same across them though. Some shaft head combos seem to work at d2, others I play at 5.5. Totally dependent on the clubs/shafts. I've never been as big believer in a swing weight having a great importance in general. As long as the clubs are similar and the SW is within reason it's fine for me usually. I've never been formally fit, but I have had discussions with the fitters there about it when I'm trying clubs. Some definitely place more value on it than others.
-CRW-
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Yes. I’ve been through a few fittings and it was only brought up the times I’ve been at Club Champion. It did not come up at the Taylormade Performance Lab, Titleist Thursday fitting, big box stores, or the specific THP events I’ve been to.
blueonblack
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Do you tend to play the stiffer shafts with greater head/swingweight to pre-load them a touch?
I did that when I played PX 6.5's or they were too stout entirely. But then static overall weight starts to come into the discussion.
D5/D6 irons are HEAVY.
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Yep, this is one of the differences between what I call a comprehensive fitting and all the shortcut fittings out there. Club weight, shaft weight and swing weight are all interrelated.
I've also seen evidence of some club fitters taking into account swing weight, even putting it on the spec sheet, but never talking to the customer about it. But I think it's far more popular for 'fitters' to ignore it completely.
I'm a big advocate for industry standards for club fittings. What passes for a fitting is in most cases ridiculous.
I've also seen evidence of some club fitters taking into account swing weight, even putting it on the spec sheet, but never talking to the customer about it. But I think it's far more popular for 'fitters' to ignore it completely.
I'm a big advocate for industry standards for club fittings. What passes for a fitting is in most cases ridiculous.
As a 'tendency', I would say yes, I do. I don't mind total weight much.Do you tend to play the stiffer shafts with greater head/swingweight to pre-load them a touch?
I did that when I played PX 6.5's or they were too stout entirely. But then static overall weight starts to come into the discussion.
D5/D6 irons are HEAVY.
blueonblack
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I recognize the term, but no it has never affected any of my fittings directly (at least to my knowledge)
During the fitting, we have tried different shaft weights, and I provide feedback on how the club/head feels during the swing so I guess in a sense you could say yes, but it's never been a case of "well that's a D3 swingweight". We try shafts until I the combination of performance and my comfort collide. I have never known what the sw is at that point. It's just a head, a shaft and me.
During the fitting, we have tried different shaft weights, and I provide feedback on how the club/head feels during the swing so I guess in a sense you could say yes, but it's never been a case of "well that's a D3 swingweight". We try shafts until I the combination of performance and my comfort collide. I have never known what the sw is at that point. It's just a head, a shaft and me.
Yea they don’t bring it up. I did though. Mentioned I was really sensitive to it. They told me they way they do swing weights is basically how you hit certain clubs. Various heads weigh different. Then they build whatever you hit the best to exact specs. Done. I kinda laughed and said well that doesn’t sound like the best method but I was immediately told how many fittings true spec had done and how hardly any ever come back. Etc. so I couldn’t really argue. I was hoping for like adding removing weight via lead tape to fricken dial it in. Then build them to that spec. But all high end will use frequency to measure stiffness. So adding weight would change that. All their irons are spec checked Daily during he fittings. Even more than once. To ensure what people are ordering matches what they hit best. So idk. Could be done but it’s not done at our level.
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When I did a Club Champion fitting early last year, the only time it ever came up is when we discussed wedges. We talked about my issues and what I felt. He took my wedges and checked them only to find out that one of my Callaway MD4 wedges I had was a full 3 swing weight points different than the other wedge. He put some lead tape on the hosel to get the weight back up.
I now have Ping Glide 3.0 with the same shafts as my irons. I need to get the swing weight checked on those because I will want any wedges I own in the future done to these specs. I didn't ask for anything specific but for the first time I can actually feel the weight of the head come through and I love it.
I now have Ping Glide 3.0 with the same shafts as my irons. I need to get the swing weight checked on those because I will want any wedges I own in the future done to these specs. I didn't ask for anything specific but for the first time I can actually feel the weight of the head come through and I love it.
It was a point of the end result of the PXG fitting what I wanted in SW if I cared. I do and they are being built D3 4-9, PW-LW D5.
The test clubs were in the D3- D4 range depending on the head and shaft but to be honest I could not have told you what they were except some felt lighter and some heavier. But none felt bad in my hands, the results were certainly different in some combos.
The test clubs were in the D3- D4 range depending on the head and shaft but to be honest I could not have told you what they were except some felt lighter and some heavier. But none felt bad in my hands, the results were certainly different in some combos.
Buckeyegolfnut
Well-known member
And, it should be! It's the "heft" of the club, and you need to feel that!
TrueMotionMatt
Well-known member
Yes, and I have been fit by a really good fitter here in the Bay Area, I'm sure you've all heard of him. He is what I would call 'artsy', looks at your swing and says hit this. That's hard for a technical person like me. 
It drove me bonkers that we didn't go through A/B testing or narrow things down in a systematic way, but I'm in the minority here.
It also drove me bonkers that he didn't build to MOI matched specs, so I went out and bought my own MOI machine, used the 6-iron Swing Wt. he fit me into, and then built my own set, which worked out great for me. I've built hundreds os sets, so thousands of clubs, so I know how to be dangerous in the shop.
Have you guys read, 'Common Sense Clubfitting' by Tom Wishon? It's THE book for how to fit golfers and swingweight, MOI, & shaft weight are all part of the equation. It relates to how you transition and release the club. And 9 times out of 10, if you are more aggressive or release early, all else being equal, heavier is better.
Long story short, your fitter should have definitely fit you for weight, but maybe your fitter took my fitter's approach and did it behind the scenes without bothering you with the deets. Or he just winged it
It drove me bonkers that we didn't go through A/B testing or narrow things down in a systematic way, but I'm in the minority here. It also drove me bonkers that he didn't build to MOI matched specs, so I went out and bought my own MOI machine, used the 6-iron Swing Wt. he fit me into, and then built my own set, which worked out great for me. I've built hundreds os sets, so thousands of clubs, so I know how to be dangerous in the shop.
Have you guys read, 'Common Sense Clubfitting' by Tom Wishon? It's THE book for how to fit golfers and swingweight, MOI, & shaft weight are all part of the equation. It relates to how you transition and release the club. And 9 times out of 10, if you are more aggressive or release early, all else being equal, heavier is better.
Long story short, your fitter should have definitely fit you for weight, but maybe your fitter took my fitter's approach and did it behind the scenes without bothering you with the deets. Or he just winged it
Acesteve
Well-known member
No is the short answer. They generally can't let me test a 44 inch driver shaft either. I think both matter but more in terms of consistency then distance.
I've got multiple sets of basically same club (shaft same, heads a generation apart). Just in the last month I took my newer set and put light weight grips on them. Increased SW roughly 7 points. I now choke down roughly 1/4 inch and give a bit back. I like the feel of the heavier head and play a bit better then a traditional D1 or D2 iron.
I've got multiple sets of basically same club (shaft same, heads a generation apart). Just in the last month I took my newer set and put light weight grips on them. Increased SW roughly 7 points. I now choke down roughly 1/4 inch and give a bit back. I like the feel of the heavier head and play a bit better then a traditional D1 or D2 iron.
TrueMotionMatt
Well-known member
Length and Face Angle are huge determinants of playing consistent golf (weight & shaft flex/feel are big as well). Off the Rack is not helping anyone get better at golf. Here's what really matters...this is public from Wishon Catalogue. A items have big affect, B, pretty big, so a few of them matter, and where things are blank, not such big deals.
