Welcome to Gear Questions You’re Afraid to Ask, a GOLF.com series produced in partnership with Cleveland/Srixon Golf. This week we cover issues related to total weight, back weight, and the often confusing measurement of swing weight.
Can you explain in simple terms what happens with total weight, back weight and swing weight? –Mike W., Iowa
Ahh, back to basics this week. We are ready to answer this question and will do our best to keep things simple. We covered this topic about a year ago, but why not give another quick overview? Here we go:
Let’s start with the weight of the club. This is easily understood since it measures the total weight of a golf club, including the club head, shaft and grip. The United States Golf Association (USGA) has various regulations regarding club length and dimensions, but it places no restrictions on overall weight. This means you can have a club as light or as heavy as you want. Additionally, many drivers now feature adjustable weighting, allowing you to add or remove weight from the end of the club head to change the feel and performance of the club (more on this below). And in case you’re wondering, your clubs typically weigh a little less or a little more than a pound, with the short irons, wedges, and putter typically being the heaviest.
Ryan Barath
Next, let’s talk about back-weighting, also known as counter-weighting or counter-balancing (which are all the same thing). Back weighting a club involves adding weight to the grip end of the club, either using a lead strip placed under the grip or a weight cartridge inserted into the end of the handle grip. This adjustment, which we’ll explain in more detail in the next section, can actually make your club lighter despite increasing its overall weight. It may seem strange to think about adding weight to make something lighter, but it’s true. To feel this for yourself, try holding any club in your bag by its head end and swinging it. You will notice that the club feels much lighter than when swinging it from the end of the grip.
Now let’s move on to the complex part: the oscillating weight. Swing weight measures the weight felt by a golf club during a swing. This depends not only on the total weight of the club but also on the weight distribution. The swingweight is determined using a scale, where the club is balanced on a fulcrum 14 inches from the end of the grip. The extent to which the end of the clubhead drops indicates the weight of the swing, and values are assigned on an alphanumeric scale from lightest at A0 to heaviest at G10.
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Still with us? Most clubs available on the market fall in the C7 to D7 range, with each measurement differing by approximately 2 grams in the club head, 9 grams in the shaft, and 4 to 5 grams in the grip. Shaft length is also important, as a difference of 0.5 inch longer or shorter can impact swing weight by up to 3 measurements. As you can see, swing weight can get finicky very quickly.
Why is it important? Swingweight is undoubtedly about feel, but it can also affect your ability to hit golf shots. For example, increasing swing weight will likely slow your swing, but for some, increasing swing speed is a worthwhile tradeoff if it allows you to hit more fairways or straighter iron shots. On the other hand, players looking for more power, who already have a consistent ball strike, can opt for a lighter swing weight. Although accuracy may be slightly compromised, the gain in club head speed outweighs the possible loss in accuracy.
Swing weight doesn’t just affect distance. Some players prefer a heavier clubhead to feel more in control, while others prefer a lighter feel that matches their slower tempo. There is no definitive right or wrong answer when it comes to what swing weight value is best for any player. Just be aware that a simple adjustment to the grip, shaft, lead tape, or even a weight cartridge can significantly change the swing weight of your club and have a huge impact on its feel. Next time you have the chance, go to your local club fitter and have your clubs weighed based on total weight and swing weight. Not all clubs need to be the exact weight, and some players like a heavier swing weight in shorter clubs and lighter swing weights in longer clubs, or vice versa.
Again, swingweight is a matter of feel and the right answer for you is what feels the best for your swing.
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