Swing Weight???? D2???? D4????

[Boosty16]

What exactly is swing weight? The irons that I will be purchasing have a swing weight of D2. I notice a lot of pros use D4. What is the difference and is it a big difference???

Before I invest in my clubs I want to make sure I get everything right!!!

[gas_can]

What exactly is swing weight? The irons that I will be purchasing have a swing weight of D2. I notice a lot of pros use D4. What is the difference and is it a big difference???

Boosty16,

Swing weight is a measure of the weights of the head, shaft, grip in relation to the balance point and length of the shaft. It is also a measure of rotational inertia - the heavier the head and the longer the lever, the tougher it will be for something to move in a circle. The old analogy of the ice skater with her arms out moving slowly and then speeding up as she brings her arms in. Swing weight is mostly about feel - however at the range you are talking about D4 players may lose a little bit of swing speed because the head is so heavy. It is related to tempo though for a lot of players. Often players who rely on tempo and timing like heavier swing weights because it allows them to feel the head better throughout their swing. Lighter swing weights can usually be swung faster and can lead to less fatigue during a round. It's pretty easy to experiment with swing weight, using quarters and tape to adjust swing weight. A quarter weighs 5.64 grams while a dime weighs 2.2g. Each two grams will increase the swing weight a point. So taping a quarter to a club head will increase the swing weight two and a half points, a dime one point. A good and easy way to experiment with swing weights.

[b_diddy746]

Does swing weight have anything to do with the launch angle of an iron?

[gas_can]

Does swing weight have anything to do with the launch angle of an iron?

b_diddy,

It has nothing to do with launch angle. That is determined by: 1. Impact dynamics. 2. Club head construction. 3. Shaft geometry at impact (combined with 1 and 2).

[Vanstonica]

I have a question along the same lines, if you don't mind:

I ordered a g5 sand wedge from the PGA Superstore, because I wanted the shaft lengthened and lie angle adjusted. I never specified the swing weight.

When it came in, I didn't notice it at the time, but the swingweight is D5. I haven't been able to hit it worth a crap.

Is swing weight something that can be adjusted on an existing club, or would I be better off just trading it in and getting a new one?

[gas_can]

I have a question along the same lines, if you don't mind:

Vanstonica,

Ordering a club over length is a sure fire way to increase swing weight. Any time you increase the length of the lever, the swing weight has to increase as well. In general - each half inch of length is good for three swing weight points. Some OEM's sort heads by head weights and can often pick lighter heads to use in longer than standard clubs to achieve realistic swing weights. Ping is good because they use different weights in their badges to swing weight their irons. You can always send the club back to Ping to be reweighted back to something you like. Another way would be to grind some material off the club to achieve a weight reduction in the head to get the club back to something more manageable. Many players prefer heaver than average swing weights for wedges because it allows them to grip down on the club and still allow it to retain some feel of the head. Also heavier swing weights allow for more feel on slower and half swings which helps many players. Give it a try and see how it feels, if it's not working out for you, send it back to Ping, they'll take care of you.

[Vanstonica]

Many Thanks Gas _Can!!!

[Gapwedge]

Vanstonica,

Good points made here.

Also, just the reverse is true. If you want to cut a driver down for more control, say from PING's standard 45 3/4 to 44 3/4 from the butt end you are knocking off 6 points. If you started with a D3 driver then you are now hitting in the upper C's around C9. Start off with a heavier weighted shaft or add some weight to the head if you are wanting to maintain the D3 swingweight.

[DaveLeeNC]

Here is what swingweight measures. Take a golf club and "balance it" by placing it across a bar 14" from the end of the grip (like a seesaw). It won't balance - the clubhead side will be too heavy and it will fall. Swingweight is a measure of how hard you have to push on the grip end to make it balance.

If you tape two dimes onto the head of a golf club it will increase the swingweight by around 2 points (say from D2 to D4). It isn't much. And there is no way to know in advance what swingweight is "right for you". D2 is probably a good guess given no other information. It is a lot easier to take the swingweight up vs. taking it down.

dave