Does anybody sweat swingweights?

[NiftyNiblick]

Maybe this is mostly for you fellow seniors out there, I don't know.

Remember buying "sets" of woods and irons?

Four woods, nine irons, sometimes a 5-wood/2-iron overlap and no sand wedge?

We all used to talk swingweights back then. A sign of quality was how every stick in the set balanced to a D1 or whatever, and an unmatching culprit was cause for concern.

Now, a typical bag looks like one of everything except for maybe a few matching numbered irons.

Anybody want to pull out the old swingweight scale now?

Has it become less important somehow?

Or do some of you go crazy with grinders or lead tape?

Curious about your thoughts.

Edited December 5, 2008 by NiftyNiblick

[+TourSpecGolfer]

Maybe this is mostly for you fellow seniors out there, I don't know.

Remember buying "sets" of woods and irons?

Four woods, nine irons, sometimes a 5-wood/2-iron overlap and no sand wedge?

We all used to talk swingweights back then. A sign of quality was how every stick in the set balanced to a D1 or whatever, and an unmatching culprit was cause for concern.

Now, a typical bag looks like one of everything except for maybe a few matching numbered irons.

Anybody want to pull out the old swingweight scale now?

Has it become less important somehow?

Or do some of you go crazy with grinders or lead tape?

Curious about your thoughts.

Swing weight is still important, there are some situations where a particular length / CPM / and head weight dont allow specific swing weights but outside of that I think across the board we all still do really care about it.

[Duffer19]

I dont understand the question in this forum? Doesnt everyone consider SW when they buy or build their clubs, especially members of this forum? All SW are listed in official websites, especially JDM and all the ho's here certainly know their preferred SW.

[idrive]

I dont understand the question in this forum? Doesnt everyone consider SW when they buy or build their clubs, especially members of this forum? All SW are listed in official websites, especially JDM and all the ho's here certainly know their preferred SW.

I would have to agree

It comes down to your involvement in the game. Most rookies most likely don't know what SW is.

People that are in to the game are very aware of their SW

[NiftyNiblick]

I would have to agree

It comes down to your involvement in the game. Most rookies most likely don't know what SW is.

People that are in to the game are very aware of their SW

Well, having taken up the game as a thirteen year old in 1959, I'm obviously not a rookie. But in fairness, I'm not a "club ho" either.

Fewer than half of my clubs qualify as the exotica or semi-exotica discussed in these parts--two fairway metals, one driving iron, and two wedges--and that's only because they had very specific appeal. I had played preciously owned "Speed Hits" and a Zoom 050i to make me aware of PRGR, and the Scratches were pointed out to me after all the complaining I did to my friends about not finding exactly what I wanted in short game gear.

In truth, it was my club ho friends who first guided me to this forum, and in my early posts, I got stern PMs from the moderator who questioned whether I belonged here. I was all but called a quack because I preferred lofted metals over long irons but nevertheless always packed a driving iron anyway, even in the gear that I was playing in '05. Perhaps this might jog his memory. Discussing my brief experimentation with Snake Eyes component hybrids nearly got me banned, as I recall!

Still, I enjoy the discussion here, even though egalitarianism isn't the distinguishing feature of this message board. If Iwas an intruder in the beginning, I've got a passport in the form of five high end clubs to be here now. And given the obsolescence of the "matching set," I didn't think that my question was from that deep in left field. Sorry to have offended.

[Blader-X]

No offense here; I think Duffer might've been referring to the sub-forum you posted to (Domestic Equip) rather than the Fitting Studio and Swing Academy. No worries, though I can move it.

As for your question on swing weights I myself am very particular in regards to them. For instance, my last set of irons, TourStage X-blade 2's; I never really liked the feel of my pitching wedge. When I took them in for lie bending I discovered that while my set was anywhere between D6-D9, the PW was I believe C9. I found this very disconcerting and never really did have the PW in the bag, preferring to substitute another wedge.

My new set has very exacting specs in regards to swing weights. The 3 and 4 are D7.5, 5-9 D8, the PW D9 and my two wedges are E1 and E2 respectively. My woods are all D6. For me, this is absolutely perfect. I've spoken here before in how I prefer heavier swingweights. In terms of a couple points (ie: D5 to D7) I don't think one could tell, but when one is going from C to D and back again with different clubs in the set, I think that's setting one up for problems. My current set is the most balanced set I've ever used. So yes, swing weight is still much of an issue, especially if one is really into golf and performing at their best.

[NiftyNiblick]

That's good to know. My gear is all within one or two points of D0 (slightly higher in wedges), but only the numbered irons are specifically matched.

I think it may be less critical with hitters like myself. I don't have the flexibility to be a pretty swinger so I hit from the position of shaft-vertical and load my shaft over a small arc. That's why I need a bit more flex than my overall strength would suggest, particularly with drivers and fairway metals.

As for my preference for lower swingweights, that's not a senior thing as much as sticking with that to which I'm accustomed. Those old four and nine sets to which I referenced on this thread's first post were specifically D0 sets when D2 was considered "standard." The club actually feels lighter if you're flexible and get your backswing back to parallel. Hitting from just past perpendicular, even as a youth, the vertically oriented shaft feels heavier in that position. On the other side of the coin, it's harder to accidentally get wristy or re-grip when initiating the swing. You just pull the butt end of the grip down toward the ball.

[Duffer19]

That's good to know. My gear is all within one or two points of D0 (slightly higher in wedges), but only the numbered irons are specifically matched.

I think it may be less critical with hitters like myself. I don't have the flexibility to be a pretty swinger so I hit from the position of shaft-vertical and load my shaft over a small arc. That's why I need a bit more flex than my overall strength would suggest, particularly with drivers and fairway metals.

As for my preference for lower swingweights, that's not a senior thing as much as sticking with that to which I'm accustomed. Those old four and nine sets to which I referenced on this thread's first post were specifically D0 sets when D2 was considered "standard." The club actually feels lighter if you're flexible and get your backswing back to parallel. Hitting from just past perpendicular, even as a youth, the vertically oriented shaft feels heavier in that position. On the other side of the coin, it's harder to accidentally get wristy or re-grip when initiating the swing. You just pull the butt end of the grip down toward the ball.

Offened no but confused by your original post yes. Everyone cares about SW and all JDM gears are very tight with their tolerance. Judging from the date you started golf, we are about the same age (started golf in 1965 as a freshman in college). I play mostly JDM most of my golfing life hence know what works for me. I also have conponent sets built but built to my spec of D0. If you look at the JDM iron sets here, you would notice that steel shafted are mostly D0 in R and D1 in S. Graphite shafted would be C9 to D0 in R and D0 to D1 in S. Epon would be the exception that you could specific SW when you order your set here. IMO, SW specification is tigher now than when we pick up the game in the 60's. Please remember all JDM clubs are targeted towards the domestic Japanese market and spec accordingly.

Most people can play a range of SW. I can play from a C9 to D2 but anything over D4 on a full swing would be too heavy and tiring after the game. You seem to be referring to North American standard which is not particularly relevant to some of the modern JDM available here. At the same time, I am not sure whether swing weight has anything to do with the flex of the shaft. The lady golfer that I play with ocassionally had a TM 5 wood built but the SW came back E5 which is way too heavy for most people, let alone a lady golfer although she is low handicap. The shaft is a Japanese R flex.

I would bet you that 99 out of 100 members here would know their preferred SW and buy accordingly but no one buy a full set (13 clubs) of the same brand here anyway.

[Richmond Golfer]

I think Duffer19 is right on that people can play a range of SW and most of thier clubs fall in that range. There is probably an optimum SW for each person and idealy all the clubs would be built to that spec. I would wager most custom sets built to a certain SW are off spec a point or two each way per club, in most cases.

[+TourSpecGolfer]

For many swing weight can also aid or hinder a persons fat or thin shots just as length can.

A heavier swing weight on a club that is slightly long for a player may cause fat shots.

A lighter swing weight on the other hand sometimes causes a player to hit them thin.

There are so many variables before reaching this logic but its one that stands true.