How to Change the Swing Weight of a Golf Club


After the golfer has considered material, flex, kick point and torque, he or she must then look at the weight of the shaft for this has a bearing on the club’s overall playing characteristics.

For instance an average, regular Apollo steel shaft with mid kick point weighs about 5.19 ounces, while its exact match in graphite weighs only 4.19 ounces. A light boron-graphite shaft comes to about 3.2 ounces, but without the boron it can weigh as little as 2.6 ounces.

A light shaft will allow the golfer to achieve greater club head speed which, combined with the clubhead having a greater percentage of the club’s overall weight, places the shaft under additional stress and it will flex and torque more. This means a stiffer flex is required to give the same playing characteristics as a club with a regular-weighted shaft.

Swing Weight Golf Club

A heavier shaft has the reverse effect. A lower percentage of the club’s weight is in the clubhead, reducing the amount of stress placed on the shaft; as a result you need a shaft with more flex.

Swing Weight

Simply put, swing weight reflects the weight distribution within a club. The higher the swing weight of a club, the heavier the clubhead in relation to shaft and grip.

The lower the swing weight, the lighter the clubhead in relation to shaft and grip. The dead weight of each of the club’s components – clubhead, shaft and grip -determines its swing weight, which has a direct impact on the way a club and its shaft perform.

For example, changing from a regular shaft to a light weight shaft will reduce the dead weight of the club, but increase its swing weight, because a greater percentage of the dead weight is now in the clubhead. If you change any one of the components in your club, the swing weight changes as well.

A lighter swing weight places less stress on the shaft during your swing. If you fit identical shafts to clubs with different swing weights the shaft on the club with a lighter swing weight would perform like a stiffer shaft. Counteracting this phenomenon to a degree is the fact that you should achieve greater clubhead speed with the lighter club. There is, however, no remedy for the loss of feel that accompanies a light swing weight.

Finding the optimum swing weight is a matter of trial and error, but it’s vital you go through the trouble to find out what’s right for you so you can play better golf. In golf clubs, it usually ranges from C6, used by women and juniors, through D2 for men. Just remember, if you change any of the components of the club, the swing weight changes as well.

Filed Under: Sports & Fitness

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About the Author: By profession, Ralph Crutcher is a swimmer but enjoys playing football, Golf, and regularly goes to the gym to keep himself fit and healthy. This is one of the reasons; he likes to write about sports and fitness.

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