Impact of shaft weight for you

[dlow206]

For those of you who have tried different shaft weights, particularly in irons, what differences did you see? Also list your swing speed and tempo for context?

Note: I am not trying to extrapolate how shaft weights impacted you will impact my game, simply curious to see the results others have had for themselves

[ejgaudette]

My main testing was with irons when getting fit for my i500s. Tried the stock AWT, DG 120, PX LZ, and Dynamic Gold. Spin was similar with all the models, but the Dynamic Gold gave the most consistent results with dispersion. As I have learned more since then, this makes sense as I have a bit of a quicker tempo and transition from playing hockey and heavier shafts many times help smooth this out. I have not gone heavier in woods yet, but would love to move to some lower spinning heads and slightly heavier shafts in the 3 wood and hybrid, but still working on that.

[Wedgie]

My single length 6 iron swing speed in around 82 MPH with my 60 gram graphite shafts and when I'm right fairly neutral transition. At club champion I was looking for new shafts for my ones lengths and only hit the 6 iron. When I went up 10 grams in shaft weight my swing speed dropped about 1/2 MPH. As we kept adding weight in roughly 10 gram increments that trend continued. As we added weight my smash factor continued to go up so I was actually hitting the ball farther with more weight and a slower swing. My sweet spot ended up being 95 gram shafts and although I was down to around 80.5 MPH I was hitting the ball about 7 yards farther than the 60 gram shafts because I was so much more consistent in hitting the center of the face.

[RickyBobby_PR]

I went from s300 to recoil 110 in the same irons and didn’t have any issues with the transition of shaft weight and the swing weights came out the same in all heads with only 6i needing a small piece of lead tape.

Ive been mostly on the 120g since that with modus 120s, Px 6.0 and now back to recoil 110 in one sets.

During the ping testing a couple years ago and with the release of the original p790 I tried the modus 105 and dg 105 and 120. 
 

The 105s were too light and created to a higher ball flight and too much spin. The dg120 just felt off compared to what I’m used to with dg shafts 

[edingc]

I seem to be more sensitive to swing weight than shaft weight. When I get too light in the head I start to lose consistency in my strike location. The last two iron sets that I built came out on the heavy side of D4, and I struck/strike of both them much better than the Cobra SpeedZones built at D2 from #CobraConnect. The shafts for all three sets are within 5 grams of each other (all in the 110-115 range). For woods and hybrids, I seem to be best around D2 or D3.

The two iron fittings I've had both put me in the 110-115 range, and I haven't moved out of it because I've had good success with that range. I tried a bunch of different shafts in my last iron fitting for #CC but nothing beat the 110 gram range shafts.

 

[CRW]

130 gram. Helps to keep me from attempting the worlds fastest backswing. 6i club head speed in Trackman is right at 100 mph. 
 

I’m currently in X100, but have spent a season each with PX 7.0 and X7’s. I didn’t see much difference and it’s easier to find deals on lightly used clubs with X100’s installed. 

[Chip Strokes]

132g. i went with the DG x7 over the x100 because it tightened up my dispersion during my iron fitting. 

swing speed with my 7i is right around 110. i swing fairly smooth, but i generate a ton of torque on the transition and the x7 really stays with me through the whole swing and gives me good face control. 

[cnosil]

2 hours ago, dlow206 said:

For those of you who have tried different shaft weights, particularly in irons, what differences did you see? Also list your swing speed and tempo for context?

Note: I am not trying to extrapolate how shaft weights impacted you will impact my game, simply curious to see the results others have had for themselves

I really didn't see any.  Have tried shafts ranging from 40gr to 120gr as part of most wanted testing.  I have personally played 120gr and now play 85gr.   Driver swing speed is in the 110 range.  Can't remember iron swings,  but I am pretty sure I can get 7 iron into low 90s.   Really didn't notice any difference in feel,  but I think mentally I hold back a bit with lighter shafts and it smooths out my tempo as I have a tendency to get a bit aggressive.  

[dlow206]

One thing I have noticed with medium weight shafts (around 115 grams) is that my swing starts to get sloppy later on during the round, and i feel like i have exerted myself more. 

This is something I wouldn't have noticed during a fitting, because the physical exertion of playing a round is more than just the culmination of swings. My course is very hilly (steep) and I always walk. Slogging along up steep hills (especially in the fall and winter with the mud) is tiring. This is something I hadn't thought about previously in relation to shaft/club weight. but now have more awareness about. 

 

[Chip Strokes]

1 hour ago, cnosil said:

I really didn't see any.  Have tried shafts ranging from 40gr to 120gr as part of most wanted testing.  I have personally played 120gr and now play 85gr.   Driver swing speed is in the 110 range.  Can't remember iron swings,  but I am pretty sure I can get 7 iron into low 90s.   Really didn't notice any difference in feel,  but I think mentally I hold back a bit with lighter shafts and it smooths out my tempo as I have a tendency to get a bit aggressive.  

i’ve gotta agree actually that shafts don’t “feel” much different to me. 

i’ve hit iron shafts across the weight and flex spectrum, starting with the precision rifle 80g R flex hand me downs that i started playing with, my dad’s 105g shafts, my brother in law’s PX 6.5s, and finally my x7s. i can feel the differences in weight, but i don’t really feel them load and unload differently. i’ve always been able to accommodate to make them go straight(ish). 

[aerospace_ray]

6 hours ago, dlow206 said:

One thing I have noticed with medium weight shafts (around 115 grams) is that my swing starts to get sloppy later on during the round, and i feel like i have exerted myself more. 

This is something I wouldn't have noticed during a fitting, because the physical exertion of playing a round is more than just the culmination of swings. My course is very hilly (steep) and I always walk. Slogging along up steep hills (especially in the fall and winter with the mud) is tiring. This is something I hadn't thought about previously in relation to shaft/club weight. but now have more awareness about. 

 

From my own experience I have experienced a correlation regarding total club weights and my late round endurance. So I use to play a course like you reference (hilly) and I walked (carried my bag). It took several months but my body adjusted. Actually got to where I could occasionally play 36 walking. It was during this time that I switched from heavier True Temper Dynamic Gold's to lighter graphite shafts. One of the first things I remember is I felt stronger late in my rounds. 

The shaft weight was a secondary concern for me going into a fitting or club demo test. The primary concern for me was total club feel/weight. Feel is subjective. I like a balanced club feel, not club head heavy and not back weight/counterbalance -- just a smooth feel. And desire a soft flex feel in lower part of my irons. In other words I like to feel a slight kick with my irons at impact. To achieve everything I like I play iron shafts anywhere in the 65 gm to 85 gm range. Driver swing speed at moment is averaging 100-103. 

Another thing I have learned the last several years is how to practice smarter, work out and rest properly and stretch. I only mention this as for me it makes a huge difference for me holding up during walking/playing extremely hilly courses today and/or suffering through long slow play rounds. In the past I spent too many hours on the range before playing a round and definitely did not do what I consider the little things that add up (work out properly, stretch, practice/train smarter) to health/recovery. May not apply to you but I wanted to share. 

[Herts JoaTMoN]

I'm a strong supporter of ascending weight shafts. since I play 90g in my hybrids and 120 in my wedges, and the AMT blacks just work perfectly between them giving me the tempo and control i need in the shorter clubs and the slight added speed and launch in the longer ones.

Having only played 3-4 years (with last year being a complete write off) and having almost always used this style of shaft (was using AWT 2.0s previously), I'm used to the more MOI matched feel rather than consistent swing weight through the set.

I never had a proper fitting in my first year or so, but through trying a whole bunch of cheap second hand 7 irons (which I then resold) i realized that 105 give or take was the sweet spot for me weight wise and have built around that ever since. I also used the Mizuno DNA analyzer tool about a year later which ended up recommending lighter shafts for me but I think that may have been more because of my slower swing speed as it doesn't take into account ball striking and flight. They do feel faster but i don't feel comfortable.

[ballplayer002003]

I am a bigger guy, I like to have a heavier club.  Being a former baseball player, I want my clubs to feel like a bat if that makes sense.  I have light clubs, I struggle a lot with positioning if I can't "feel" where the club is.  My irons, thanks to a ton of lead tape, are now weighted to a D6 with a 7 iron swing between 93-97mph (at least last time I was on a launch monitor).  I have Modus 120x shafts as well.  I am working on slowing my swing down a bit or actually trying to swing a bit smoother.  I have changed my backswing and now have more of a Jon Rahm or Tony Finau looking swing.    This has put me in a much better position and it seems to be working a lot better for me.  

[fixyurdivot]

In all honesty, I've read various discussions about the whole swing weight thing and there seems to be less than a consistent position on "it" and its affect on swing. 

I'm moving from a 98g AWT 2.0 that is ~D5 with the +1" to the MMT 80g which will be D2 at +1/2".  That's what the Truespec fitter fit me for and that's what I've ordered.  I did notice they felt lighter, but did not seem to make my already quick tempo even faster.  In fact, for some odd reason, both the MMT and the Recoil 780's felt a little smoother with both the G425 and ZX5 heads.  

[cnosil]

11 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

In all honesty, I've read various discussions about the whole swing weight thing and there seems to be less than a consistent position on "it" and its affect on swing. 

I'm moving from a 98g AWT 2.0 that is ~D5 with the +1" to the MMT 80g which will be D2 at +1/2".  That's what the Truespec fitter fit me for and that's what I've ordered.  I did notice they felt lighter, but did not seem to make my already quick tempo even faster.  In fact, for some odd reason, both the MMT and the Recoil 780's felt a little smoother with both the G425 and ZX5 heads.  

Keep in mind he asked about shaft weight not swing weight.   While shaft weight does influence swing weight,  shaft weight is probably more applicable to total club weight.    

[fixyurdivot]

1 minute ago, cnosil said:

Keep in mind he asked about shaft weight not swing weight.   While shaft weight does influence swing weight,  shaft weight is probably more applicable to total club weight.    

I did note that and why I mentioned my shaft weight change from the AWT's to the MMT's.  I asked why moving me for 98g to 80g was the best option.  He provided a great explanation that made perfect sense... to him .  I totally get the basics it's just the jargon and context that eludes me.   

[Micah T]

I originally had project x 5.5 shafts in my AP3’s; I broke my 7 iron, and could only find a 6.0 project x to replace it (I had a 2nd swing credit) there’s only a 5 gram difference between the two shafts(115 vs 120 gram) but I quickly switched all my irons and my 52 degree vokey into the project x 6.0. My experience is that the flight and dispersion are identical, but my miss(dead left pull) isn’t as bad with a heavier shaft, and I can swing easier/slower with the 6.0 without sacrificing distance. It’s maybe 2 mph less(90mph compared to 92) but it feels like I’m swinging so much easier...


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[Reid Thompson]

Heavier keeps me from coming over the top.  83 mph 6 iron.  shaft vertical at top.  

[Inferno2ss]

I just had a fitting and discovered that I needed a heavier shaft to help with my transition and tempo.  Got fitted for True Temper Rifle Parallel Tip 6.0 shafts that are 141 grams.

The interesting thing was I picked up over 5 mph with the heavier shaft without any additional effort (83 to over 89mph)

Edited June 23, 2021 by Inferno2ss

[staffwilson]

On 3/23/2021 at 12:44 PM, ballplayer002003 said:

I am a bigger guy, I like to have a heavier club.  Being a former baseball player, I want my clubs to feel like a bat if that makes sense.  I have light clubs, I struggle a lot with positioning if I can't "feel" where the club is.  My irons, thanks to a ton of lead tape, are now weighted to a D6 with a 7 iron swing between 93-97mph (at least last time I was on a launch monitor).  I have Modus 120x shafts as well.  I am working on slowing my swing down a bit or actually trying to swing a bit smoother.  I have changed my backswing and now have more of a Jon Rahm or Tony Finau looking swing.    This has put me in a much better position and it seems to be working a lot better for me.  

You know that you can never get your baseball swing back now..sorry

[staffwilson]

On 3/23/2021 at 8:54 PM, fixyurdivot said:

I did note that and why I mentioned my shaft weight change from the AWT's to the MMT's.  I asked why moving me for 98g to 80g was the best option.  He provided a great explanation that made perfect sense... to him .  I totally get the basics it's just the jargon and context that eludes me.   

Never met anyone in real life (not on twitterverse) who liked their clubfitting and stuck with the clubs..one guy on the range absolutely hated his..luckily, he had told me first that my golf pro neighbour had fitted him so i kept quiet...ps...most the comments here suggest heavier for consistency..think i will start spring off with the steel shafted irons in the garage vs the graphite ones. If I remember correctly i think i start speeding up my swing over a number of rounds with graphite...now back to snowblowing.

[CHINES63]

Went for a fitting on Saturday. Tried anything from 50-70 gram in my driver, the weird thing for me was the heavier shafts had a higher club head speed. My fitter said he has been seeing that more and more often. Dispersion is tighter with heavier and no loss of distance. 

Club head speed is 110-112, quick tempo/transition. 

Iron shafts are project X LS 6.5 - tried lighter DG and project x LZ, they tend to go left for me. 

[staffwilson]

48 minutes ago, CHINES63 said:

Went for a fitting on Saturday. Tried anything from 50-70 gram in my driver, the weird thing for me was the heavier shafts had a higher club head speed. My fitter said he has been seeing that more and more often. Dispersion is tighter with heavier and no loss of distance. 

Club head speed is 110-112, quick tempo/transition. 

Iron shafts are project X LS 6.5 - tried lighter DG and project x LZ, they tend to go left for me. 

Great info...i like how you seem to have ownership of your fitting...perhaps the guys who get "bad" fittings just let the fitter do all the thinking for them and perhaps get talked into buying clubs from the fitter that give the fitter the most profit??..At a callaway demo day the cally rep said i was hitting my drives with his carbon crap driver  so well when i could plainly see otherwise..kept my 2007 bb driver. ..  ps even though yesterday i said i wasnt going to play the graphite shafts i decided to try to change the grips myself last night. Got the grips off ($3 aliexpress curved grip knife)..going to try to use my tire compressor to blow new grips on maybe tomorrow.

Edited January 24 by staffwilson

[RickyBobby_PR]

3 hours ago, CHINES63 said:

Went for a fitting on Saturday. Tried anything from 50-70 gram in my driver, the weird thing for me was the heavier shafts had a higher club head speed. My fitter said he has been seeing that more and more often. Dispersion is tighter with heavier and no loss of distance. 

Club head speed is 110-112, quick tempo/transition. 

Iron shafts are project X LS 6.5 - tried lighter DG and project x LZ, they tend to go left for me. 

Heavier weights usually help with timing and using the bigger muscles. Lighter weight especially for faster swings usually messes with the timing of the swing and the club gets out of position. This isn’t anything new, fitters have seen this for a long time now

[staffwilson]

2 hours ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

Heavier weights usually help with timing and using the bigger muscles. Lighter weight especially for faster swings usually messes with the timing of the swing and the club gets out of position. This isn’t anything new, fitters have seen this for a long time now

Seems to me fitters should then just call it a day.

Edited January 25 by staffwilson

[RickyBobby_PR]

7 minutes ago, staffwilson said:

Seems to me fitters should then just call it a day.

Theres more to it. Not everyone swings a heavier shaft faster just like lighter doesn’t equal faster and for some it means slower.

The key thing is to get the weight and feel right. It’s why for many fitters the shaft is used to fine tune the setup. Get the weigh then play with stiffness profiles  

 

[staffwilson]

31 minutes ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

Theres more to it. Not everyone swings a heavier shaft faster just like lighter doesn’t equal faster and for some it means slower.

The key thing is to get the weight and feel right. It’s why for many fitters the shaft is used to fine tune the setup. Get the weigh then play with stiffness profiles  

 

Cant you then just go old school and just hit heavy, med wt and light shafts on the range (guess demo days are not that old school)..i used to just ask to try a buddy's club or even a total stranger's...they would like that because it gave them the nerve to say try my driver..i swapped a driver that way....question....would adding lead tape to my graphite irons just be counter productive? I could just play the steel set, but my graphite irons do have longer shafts and stronger lofts..graphite is also nice in cold weather.

 

Edited January 25 by staffwilson

[RickyBobby_PR]

9 hours ago, staffwilson said:

Cant you then just go old school and just hit heavy, med wt and light shafts on the range (guess demo days are not that old school)..i used to just ask to try a buddy's club or even a total stranger's...they would like that because it gave them the nerve to say try my driver..i swapped a driver that way....question....would adding lead tape to my graphite irons just be counter productive? I could just play the steel set, but my graphite irons do have longer shafts and stronger lofts..graphite is also nice in cold weather.

 

Some people could self fit to some degree, most golfers I see on the range probably couldn’t. Too many golfers play too low of a ball flight and many don’t like seeing a higher ball flight that’s better for them. It’s hard to convince someone to change what they are used to. I have a friend that likes the old school driver flight or starting low that continues to rise up. I tried to convince him to tee the ball up and get a couple degrees more launch but he didn’t like seeing that ball flight. He wanted to get from around a 2-3 handicap down to scratch or better. He went to an instructor I used to see for lessons. The instructor tried to get him to do the same showed him the numbers on trackman and he still struggled with the change. 
 

When we talk about adding or removing weight or the length of a club it’s hard to say if something will be counter productive or not because of the feel aspect. Some golfers are more sensitive to weight changes than others. Those who are sensitive to the change will see some kind of change in their swing to compensate for how the club feels. Too heavy and they may try to muscle the club, feel like they need to go at it harder. Too light and they have slow things down and throw off their tempo.

The good thing with lead tape is it’s an easy way to test how weight affects your swing or if at all. For me anything under 95g in graphite isn’t good. With steel depending on the shaft profile under 110 isn’t good for me. In drivers 64-67g is a sweet spot, but with certain profiles 70-72 works better.

Get some led tape and use your 7 or 6 iron and test it out