Help with modifying x-22 swing weight and flight characteristics

[Ernest Jones]

Hi Guys,

Looking for a little guidance from the clubfitting gang. I'm thinking maybe @WUTiger , among others, might be able to help?

My father recently passed away and I find myself the owner of a mint set of Callaway X-22s (non-tour model). As many of you know, I'm not a huge fan of wide soles and thick toplines but due to the immense sentimental value I would really like to keep them and play occasional rounds with them, especially at my fathers old course.

Here's where I need help, the clubs feel incredibly light to me, I believe the swing weight is D1 or even D0 which I find difficult to feel. I also remember hitting them way too high with a ballooning ball flight. Ugh.

I'd like to get the weight up a bit so I can feel the clubhead better and I'd like to get a lower, more penetrating flight.

Currently the clubs are shafted with Callaway A-flex (senior?) graphite 65 gram shafts . I will look into the fitters at Golftown as well but wanted to get some insight from the gang here at the Trap first. I'm assuming that a heavier, stiffer shaft will bring the swing weight up and the ball flight down? I'm also thinking that due to the x-22's naturally high ball flight I might benefit from playing a shaft stiffer than I normally would?

I'm trying to stay within about $100-150 budget for reshafting and regripping the 5i-9i set (I'll use my own wedges) which seems to be feasible as GT's website advertises several DG shafts at under $15 and there are always deals to be had on grips in the winter months.

Thanks.

[saevel25]

I really don't like the use of swing weight. It's a nice try by clubmakers, but outdated. Back to topic. I believe a person should swing the heaviest shaft they can with out sacrificing to much distance. Heavier golf clubs are just easier to control.

A heavier stiffer shaft will bring the ball flight down. As well as other characteristics. Heavier shafts may or may not increase swing weight depending on its profile. That is the thing about swing weight, it is just a measure of the balance point on the club, relative to the overall weight. The reason being, I found that I can add weight to the club in a way that it keeps the sames swing weight, but the club feels heavier. This means that the balance point must change based on overall club weight to make it feel lighter. So swing weight is actually too simplistic.

No sure if X-22's are naturally higher, probably more so than a better player iron. You could always soft step a stiff shaft if it is to stiff for you. Kinda get in between a stiff and a regular flex. Just another option.

If you are going from a graphite A flex to something like a regular dynamic gold, you should see a big drop in ball flight.

[Ernest Jones]

Alright, I just looked around at some online sources for shafts and now my head is spinning! LOL. I think I better get down to Golftown and just see what they have in stock. Regarding swingweight , are you saying that using a heavier shaft will allow me to "perceive" that I can feel the clubhead better? What's a good baseline for steel shaft weight in irons? I'm looking at the True Temper Lite XL , which seems to be appropriate for bore-through irons and is listed as 128grams which would twice the weight of the graphites. Does that sound like a good starting point? It's almost doubling the shaft weight but I have zero knowledge here and don't know if that's a good or a bad thing?

[WUTiger]

Uniflex steel (between R and S), about 114 grams average, with low torque and Mid-Kick | Swingweight D0.

X22 Graphite, about 75 grams average, with mid-low torque and Low kick (high launch) | Swingweight D2.

Your father had them fitted with an even lighter shaft - it's not in the 2009 Callaway catalog. The lighter flex and lighter weight combine to get the ball up in the air.

I played the X20 irons with Uniflex shafts for two seasons, and was able to get up well without ballooning it. So, the X20 and X22 could vary a lot on ball height - as do all clubheads - depending on what shaft is in the club.

Quote:

Originally Posted by saevel25

I really don't like the use of swing weight. It's a nice try by clubmakers, but outdated. Back to topic. I believe a person should swing the heaviest shaft they can with out sacrificing to much distance. Heavier golf clubs are just easier to control.

As saevel25 notes, heavier golf clubs are easier to control. Golf design researchers have found that lighter shafts work better for good ball strikers,- average golfers just can't feel the club "drop into the slot" with too-light shafts. Again, it's the Goldilocks zone: you want a shaft that's not too heavy and not too light.

Swingweight can be useful for the feel of a golf club. If I get new irons with lighter (but not superlight) steel shafts, I will want to keep the D2 swingweight to maintain feel at the top. For your X22s, ask a good clubsmith to calculate what the swingweight change would be with a specific heavier shaft.

Might I suggest you keep the clubs as is, and reserve them as a loaner set when older family members or friends play golf with you. You could probably pick up CallaPreowned X22s (5-9i) in Uniflex shafts for about what you would pay for a reshaft.

[Ernest Jones]

Might I suggest you keep the clubs as is, and reserve them as a loaner set when older family members or friends play golf with you. You could probably pick up CallaPreowned X22s (5-9i) in Uniflex shafts for about what you would pay for a reshaft.

Yeah, I may just do that. Play them occasionally as is for sentimental reasons but at the end of the day they really aren't the right irons for me, they just don't suit my eye. A good friend (just moments ago) has suggested I keep them for my kids, that may be the way to go.

Last question, if I play them as is, other than ballooning ball flight should I expect some particular miss associated with the overly soft shafts? Can I mitigate that by slowing down my tempo? Not that it matters considering I miss all over the place anyway!

[WUTiger]

I suspect you likely would either draw-hook (overpower) or spray the ball. You'll know which in about three holes.

I play R-flex shafts in my non-wedge clubs. About once a year I try Senior or A-flex irons, and find I spray the ball a lot without any real distance gain.

Note: On my original reply I got the swingweights reversed. Should be D2 = Uniflex / D0 = graphite.