Swing weight experiment: new grips and lead tape

[morningTeeTime]

I regripped my G LS Tec stiff recently and started an experiment with swing weights (SW). It is a 9* adjusted to be 10*.

 

Standard SW: D4

- Ping 5L grip at 52.5g

- Pure shots have a slight pull fade (about 5yds left at the curve apex then about 15yds of fade to land 10yds right of target)

- Misses are usually on the heel and slicing or the occasional snap hooks

 

Attempt 1 SW: C7.5

- CP2 midsize grip at 63.5g, 11 grams heavier on the grip end so I’ve moved my SW to C7.5 (D4 - 5.5 SW points = C7.5)

- Pure shots have the same traj, maybe a tad bit less fade

- Missed shots are still slicing. But when I’m missing left they are dive hooks instead of pop snap hooks. What’s worse? 30 yards into the ground left or left OB?

 

Okay so I’ve solved one problem, pure shots are a straighter and left misses aren’t going OB. But I’ve created another problem! My tempo is off now and I can feel it. Here’s my theory: lower SW means less club heads feel, meaning more jerky transitions.

 

The experiment: crank up the SW! I’ve added 8 strips of lead tape, about 2 inches each which should be 2g or 1 SW addition per strip. So if my math is right, I should be at D6.5. My previous driver was a D6 and I was actually much straighter with it. I’m also testing a theory with less fade tendency by adding it to the heel portion of the club head.

 

The weather has been bad here the last week so I haven’t gone out to test the new configuration. What are your thoughts on how things will turn out? Will I be able to hit it straighter and maybe even further? (I won’t be changing my set up/swing/path at first).

 

Update:

Took it out to the range today. Launched them straight and virtually no fade traj. Misses didn’t go right, there was the occasional pulls but that was more my fault. Let’s see how it will do on the course this weekend!

 

Swing weight ratings for reference

C7 C8 C9 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6

 

 

[Socrates]

I regripped my G LS Tec stiff recently and started an experiment with swing weights (SW). It is a 9* adjusted to be 10*.

 

Standard SW: D4

- Ping 5L grip at 52.5g

- Pure shots have a slight pull fade (about 5yds left at the curve apex then about 15yds of fade to land 10yds right of target)

- Misses are usually on the heel and slicing or the occasional snap hooks

 

Attempt 1 SW: C7.5

- CP2 midsize grip at 63.5g, 11 grams heavier on the grip end so I’ve moved my SW to C7.5 (D4 - 5.5 SW points = C7.5)

- Pure shots have the same traj, maybe a tad bit less fade

- Missed shots are still slicing. But when I’m missing left they are dive hooks instead of pop snap hooks. What’s worse? 30 yards into the ground left or left OB?

 

Okay so I’ve solved one problem, pure shots are a straighter and left misses aren’t going OB. But I’ve created another problem! My tempo is off now and I can feel it. Here’s my theory: lower SW means less club heads feel, meaning more jerky transitions.

 

The experiment: crank up the SW! I’ve added 8 strips of lead tape, about 2 inches each which should be 2g or 1 SW addition per strip. So if my math is right, I should be at D6.5. My previous driver was a D6 and I was actually much straighter with it. I’m also testing a theory with less fade tendency by adding it to the heel portion of the club head.

 

The weather has been bad here the last week so I haven’t gone out to test the new configuration. What are your thoughts on how things will turn out? Will I be able to hit it straighter and maybe even further? (I won’t be changing my set up/swing/path at first).

 

Swing weight ratings for reference

C7 C8 C9 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6

 

 

You are making a fatal mistake in compensating for the weight of the bigger grip. When you are figuring out SW, you should base all your calculations on a normal grip weight (52g). So you are likely way over the D6.5 weight you think you are at.

 

FYI - at 45" you only need about 1.5 grams per SW point.

 

Add the weight to anywhere you want on the club. It isn't going to make a difference in shot pattern.

[morningTeeTime]

So you’re saying even with a heavier grip, the calculation should still stay at 52g? How does that make sense if my new grip is a whole 11g heavier meaning it will be heavier towards the grip end, meaning lower swing weight.

[morningTeeTime]

And btw, what’s “fatal” about it?

[juggernaut0629]

Club total weight is a factor. Not just sw. lighter can sometimes be higher. It depends on you. Sometimes that miss left is because there's nothing there to hold you back. Conversely sometimes heavier can smooth you out . But that can also make it harder to close the face or push the ball. Especially later in a round. It depends on you, your swing, strength, release, tempo. Adding weight to the heel or toe doesn't affect ball flight unless it's VERY substantial increase. Then it's only a minimal effect.

[Socrates]

So you’re saying even with a heavier grip, the calculation should still stay at 52g? How does that make sense if my new grip is a whole 11g heavier meaning it will be heavier towards the grip end, meaning lower swing weight.

SW is really just a meaningless number. Total weight is a fairly big factor. When you add weight to the butt end (grip or counter weight) you are adding to the total weight of the club and not really changing the performance of the club since you aren't adding weight to the head or altering the shaft. Chasing that SW number isn't "fatal" but it rarely is good.

 

If you put the club on a SW scale and see that your SW is now X points lighter and you think that you now have to get back to that magical SW number that you had before, you add weight to the head. Now you are again increasing the total weight of the club (heft) which now makes the club heavier and consequently, requires even more effort on your part to swing the club. You also are changing the way the shaft performs because now the head is heavier and will flex differently during the swing (much, much more so than just the added weight of the grip ever did). This is in most cases is compounding a problem. Sometimes it may work in the golfers favour, but I think that is rarely the case.

 

If you really feel inclined to increase the SW, you should do it incrementally by adding lead tape to the head slowly. Hit some shots and use the feel and performance of the club to determine how much more you should add.

 

Note: you can make a sledgehammer SW at D2 if you like, but it is damn tough to hit a golf ball with it.