Joe,
What is swingweight and how much does it matter?
Bill
Hi Bill,
Swingweight is the ratio of the weight of the clubhead to the overall weight of the whole club. This idea was intended to give a consistent feel from club to club in a matched set. Some people do not care about feel because when they start hitting good shots with a funny-feeling mismatched club, that starts feeling good mighty quick. Swingweights are measured in a goofy letter-number scheme, the higher the letter and number, the heavier the swingweight. Most swingweights are in the C and D areas, longer hitters prefer D. All D’s are heavier than all C’s, so D1 is heavier than C9. How much does this matter? Some people (techno-geeks) swear this is important to them, others (like me) feel it cannot be so important because in a set of irons, as the iron numbers get higher, the shafts get shorter and the clubheads get larger, therefore the feel will not be exactly the same anyway. So you have to do your own experiments and come to your own conclusions.
Joe
Friday, October 15, 2004
Joe,
I was wondering if you could provide insight into an issue that I am encountering while inquiring about golf clubs (since my clubs are 20+ years old and not in the greatest shape). What is preferable -- regular flex or stiff flex? I have read that it depends on your clubhead speed -- and with my size (I'm 5'11" and approx. 210 lbs) and the techniques taught by Mark in the Body Golf series -- I probably can generate above average club speed. However, I'm still not sure whether I should get regular flex or stiff flex for my clubs. I would appreciate any insight you can provide on this issue so I am more knowledgeable when shopping for new clubs. Thanks,Bill Kemple, Jr.
Hello Bill,
The proper shaft flex for you depends on your clubhead speed. The shaft acts as a spring to increase clubhead speed at impact. If your swing speed is slow, then a stiff shaft may rob you of distance because there is too little spring action, but a more flexible shaft will bend more at the top of the swing and on the downswing it will begin to catch up to your hands. As your hands reach the impact position, the shaft “unbends” and springs forward to catch up to your hands, and as a result the clubhead speed becomes greater. A more flexible shaft will not work for those with higher swing speeds because it bends so much that it cannot “unbend” fast enough to catch up to the hands. For people with higher swing speeds, a stiffer shaft will work better because it unbends faster. Be careful, there are a lot of variations in brands, for example a stiff shaft from one brand might flex just as much as a regular shaft from another brand. The best thing to do is to attend demo days at a driving range where you can hit several different shaft types and compare results. Some driving ranges will even let you hit their demo clubs if you pay for a bucket of range balls. If you don’t mind paying a fee, you can get more scientifically fitted by a professional club fitter. When in doubt, decide what is more important to you, distance or accuracy because you might get a little more distance from a more flexible shaft with less accuracy, while a stiffer shaft is less likely to twist and cause the clubface to turn off square, so the accuracy might be better at the expense of a little distance.
Joe
I was wondering if you could provide insight into an issue that I am encountering while inquiring about golf clubs (since my clubs are 20+ years old and not in the greatest shape). What is preferable -- regular flex or stiff flex? I have read that it depends on your clubhead speed -- and with my size (I'm 5'11" and approx. 210 lbs) and the techniques taught by Mark in the Body Golf series -- I probably can generate above average club speed. However, I'm still not sure whether I should get regular flex or stiff flex for my clubs. I would appreciate any insight you can provide on this issue so I am more knowledgeable when shopping for new clubs. Thanks,Bill Kemple, Jr.
Hello Bill,
The proper shaft flex for you depends on your clubhead speed. The shaft acts as a spring to increase clubhead speed at impact. If your swing speed is slow, then a stiff shaft may rob you of distance because there is too little spring action, but a more flexible shaft will bend more at the top of the swing and on the downswing it will begin to catch up to your hands. As your hands reach the impact position, the shaft “unbends” and springs forward to catch up to your hands, and as a result the clubhead speed becomes greater. A more flexible shaft will not work for those with higher swing speeds because it bends so much that it cannot “unbend” fast enough to catch up to the hands. For people with higher swing speeds, a stiffer shaft will work better because it unbends faster. Be careful, there are a lot of variations in brands, for example a stiff shaft from one brand might flex just as much as a regular shaft from another brand. The best thing to do is to attend demo days at a driving range where you can hit several different shaft types and compare results. Some driving ranges will even let you hit their demo clubs if you pay for a bucket of range balls. If you don’t mind paying a fee, you can get more scientifically fitted by a professional club fitter. When in doubt, decide what is more important to you, distance or accuracy because you might get a little more distance from a more flexible shaft with less accuracy, while a stiffer shaft is less likely to twist and cause the clubface to turn off square, so the accuracy might be better at the expense of a little distance.
Joe
Monday, October 11, 2004
Joe,
I must admit to really enjoying the compilation of dvd's finally with the book. My frustration is that consistency for me is in my faults, not where it should be. The one problem I can't seem to get rid of with my irons is all too often I top the ball, or hit it with the heel. I rarely gain height in my shots. Unfortunately I tend to tense up when this occurs which only further frustrates me. The local golf pro keeps saying that I don't use my legs, if I did all would be well. I toe drag quite well and finish through fine so I just try to concentrate on relaxing. I'll get there one day!
Geoff
Hello Geoff,
Topping the ball can be caused by a number of things, so here are some possibilities. First, if you are trying to lift the ball with your swing, you must change your thoughts into hitting down more sharply at the ball. Strike the ball and then the ground, taking a divot. The ball will then spin up the clubface and go airborne. I am not the first to say in order to make the ball go up, you must hit down. You can see this with a ping pong ball if you give it a downward stroke with the paddle it will rise, and if you hit it with an upward stroke it will dive downward. If you are also hitting the ball on the heel, then a possible cause is having your weight too much on your toes. Try putting a little more of your weight on your heels and you may feel better balance during your stroke.
Joe
I must admit to really enjoying the compilation of dvd's finally with the book. My frustration is that consistency for me is in my faults, not where it should be. The one problem I can't seem to get rid of with my irons is all too often I top the ball, or hit it with the heel. I rarely gain height in my shots. Unfortunately I tend to tense up when this occurs which only further frustrates me. The local golf pro keeps saying that I don't use my legs, if I did all would be well. I toe drag quite well and finish through fine so I just try to concentrate on relaxing. I'll get there one day!
Geoff
Hello Geoff,
Topping the ball can be caused by a number of things, so here are some possibilities. First, if you are trying to lift the ball with your swing, you must change your thoughts into hitting down more sharply at the ball. Strike the ball and then the ground, taking a divot. The ball will then spin up the clubface and go airborne. I am not the first to say in order to make the ball go up, you must hit down. You can see this with a ping pong ball if you give it a downward stroke with the paddle it will rise, and if you hit it with an upward stroke it will dive downward. If you are also hitting the ball on the heel, then a possible cause is having your weight too much on your toes. Try putting a little more of your weight on your heels and you may feel better balance during your stroke.
Joe
