Change body, change clubs?

[dmnoland]

I'm currently 47 and 5' 5" tall. In 2015 I lost about 75 pounds. I also lost my swing. I've been fighting what I call the wobbles. At 200 pounds I had a fairly repeatable swing. Now at 127 lbs I have to really focus now on the fundamentals, especially on my turn, to avoid swaying (mostly forward). I've made great strides in rebuilding a swing but it seems to come and go far more often then it used to. Any suggestions for making it repeatable?

To make matters more complicated, I've spent alot of time working out. At first it was all cardio which actually helped my golf swing by making me more flexible but now weight lifting has me questioning my golf club choices. I was playing regular flex Ping G10 graphite irons and I hit them well up until the weight lifting. Now I have no feel of where the club is in the backswing. I just bought a set of regular flex Ping G25 steel irons thinking that it would help swinging a heavier club even though the swingweights are close.

I saw mixed results over the last 4 days at the range and I know some of this is my new, not yet solidified swing. The feel is different going back to steel and the ball flight is lower but distance seems to be about the same if not a little longer with steel. I played 9 holes this morning (par 3 course) and played 2 balls off each tee hitting both sets of irons. I was surprised to find on 7 of the 9 holes the steel shaft was the better shot even though it felt like the opposite at contact.

Usually golfers go from steel to graphite but has anyone near my age gone back to steel? 

I never had any negative effects on my swing when I originally switched to graphite and I'm wondering how long it normally takes to get used to a big switch like this?

I don't want to take a backwards step in the evolution of my golf swing so I'm asking if you all think I'm on the right thought path or should I just add a bunch of lead tape to my graphite heads and sell the new ones. Obviously I'm a little unsure of the best path for getting better.

Thanks for your time.

[newtogolf]

Congrats on the weight loss!

The swing you had at 75lbs heavier likely compensated for your additional girth and reduced flexibility.  Unless you were very flexible for an overweight person your current body is allowing you additional movement your old body didn't which could throw off your swing and or timing.  

There are a few pro's who lost weight and struggled with their swing, some worked through it like Dufner while others gained the weight back.  

You'll likely find with the additional flexibility and smaller waistline your swing speed will increase so you may not feel the benefits of graphite are necessary any longer.  

Give it some time, it probably wouldn't hurt to take a lesson and have someone check your swing to make sure it's looking okay or create a My Swing thread here and post some video.  

[dmnoland]

46 minutes ago, newtogolf said:

 

Give it some time, it probably wouldn't hurt to take a lesson and have someone check your swing to make sure it's looking okay or create a My Swing thread here and post some video.  

The guy I played with today is a PGA club pro but also a friend of mine. I've seen numerous people bug him for free advice and I don't want to be one of those guys. He normally waits until the last tee shot of the day to say anything to me knowing I already have too many swing thoughts in my head at once. Today he pointed out that I have too much arms and not enough core in my swing. Well that's probably because I'm fighting the forward drift. I'll see if I can post some video but still concerned about the shaft choices given my age and slower swing speed.

[EMC2144]

I'm going through a similar, albeit less drastic change.  I've lost 30 pounds since February/March, and I know my swing speed went up.  My whole body just feels like I'm falling apart in my swing.  At 5'-9" (when I wake up on a good day) and 190, I felt so poised and balanced, which helped with my long swing (except for wedges, I generally have my body turned completely and the club has wrapped back so you can look down the shaft at the target).  Now I feel my arms pulling my body when there's less weight holding myself back.  My driver swing speed went from about 105-110 to 115-120 (and sometimes higher if I feel great), and I think is some of the cause of my issues with the driver.  My irons I can't explain, but I do feel part of it is being healthier.

 

The thing I've been trying to work on is slowing down.  Even though I have the capability to swing that hard, I learned to swing with less force, and with a more planted body from the extra weight.  It's been working on my woods and my wedges, and I've been working in.  My go-to 7 through 9 irons have been the worst for me recently.  I figure eventually I'll have to look at clubs that can help me to unleash some of that speed, but for now I need to reestablish my fundamentally sound swing and build up core strength that I used to have before college ruined me.

 

But anyways, congrats on the weight loss, that's a huge amount.  I have read, in regards to working out, that some exercises could actually hurt your game.  Have you been working out with golf in mind, or just in general?  One guy I know claims that yoga is his secret.  He works out everything, and lifts a decent amount, but he says that doing yoga once a week (and stretching all the time) has been the biggest benefit.  All the balance and flexibility that you work on help your golf swing immensely.  I just can't find the patience to learn all those poses.