Has anyone backweighted their irons?

Siamese Moose · July 27, 2023

My bag has a set of 65g graphite shafted irons (M3), and 125g steel shafted wedges (TM MG). I've been having great difficulty with feel using the shorter irons (esp. PW), as they feel like twigs compared to the wedges. I've had some success by treating the PW as a 10 iron, and ignoring the "W" on the sole, but it's still a big difference between clubs. Yesterday my instructor said I could try backweighting the irons. (He has 20g under the grip of his short irons.) Does anyone have experience with this, good or bad? Any recommendations for the easiest way to experiment with different weights without burning through grips or lots of trips between home and the range? (I can blow off and reuse grips.) TIA!

release · August 10, 2023

Weights in the grip will make the heads feel lighter, yet.

If you want to feel the heads, you should slap a few pieces of lead weight on the head.

Or properly increase the shaft weight by inserting the additional weight below the grip in the shaft, but this might also increase the chance of ripping the fiber of the graphite shaft. Especially the light weight shafts with thinner wall.

I'd start by applying a few wraps of lead tape just below the grip.

Edited August 10, 2023 by release

McGolf · August 14, 2023

I have to ask, is the "twig feeling just in the PW or the entire set of graphite irons.

Or

are the wedges so heavy you dont have a choice but to drop them behind the ball.

As you said the difference between a 65 gram iron shaft and old school wedge is staggering. You might find a common ground selection in a 95 g iron shaft with a 105 to 115 wedge shaft to make the transition easier.

Cagolfer · September 5, 2023

I had a test iron I built with one of he Nicklus Secret Grips, and I hit it great. I put a 20g weight in my irons, but it is not working out in my gamer set. The club overall feels heavier, and I lose the feel of the head. I may pull the grips and give up on the experiment. They are now at a C6-7 swing weight now. Golfworks sells these kits as well. https://www.golfworks.com/tour-lock-pro-weights/p/tl0026/

release · September 20, 2023

On 9/4/2023 at 8:08 PM, Cagolfer said:

I had a test iron I built with one of he Nicklus Secret Grips, and I hit it great. I put a 20g weight in my irons, but it is not working out in my gamer set. The club overall feels heavier, and I lose the feel of the head. I may pull the grips and give up on the experiment. They are now at a C6-7 swing weight now. Golfworks sells these kits as well. https://www.golfworks.com/tour-lock-pro-weights/p/tl0026/

The Bocceri secret grip has a 16 gram back weight in the grip cap. It will "feel" different than sliding a 20 gram weight down the butt end of the shaft.

In both cases the static weight of the whole golf club will increase by the back weight, plus the change in the swing weight.

I had used the Bocceri grips in the past when it first came out and removed them soon after trying. I use a heavier tour wrap style medium size grip and that little weight increase seemed to work fine for me.

MarvChamp · September 20, 2023

On 8/10/2023 at 8:42 AM, release said:

If you want to feel the heads, you should slap a few pieces of lead weight on the head.

Yes to this. Lead tape or tungsten flex weights. Google "how to add lead tape to golf irons."

KCEE · September 20, 2023

I've backweighted most of my irons the past 10 years if not more. I find it works very well for me in the 5-7 irons, but I had to be careful with the 8-P. I was ok with only 5-10g in the short irons, but when I went heavier it really seemed to throw me off. That said there is almost no way I could use anything lighter than say 95g in my irons. I haven't done this, but I've heard people have run lead tape down the underside of their shafts. Also there used to be some inserts that put the weight farther down in the shaft so that balance point of the club wasn't raised up a lot.

WDobe · September 21, 2023

The only club I purposely back weighted was my putter-with a super stroke 2.0 with back weight. I like it.

However, I did in effect back weight most of my clubs by regripping all my clubs with heavier multi compound grips. It changed my swing weight from approximately D1-2 to C7-8. Having lost the feel of the head caused me to lose tempo and rush the downswing.
I immediately installed a tungsten weight inconspicuously inside the (generous) cavity back on my irons with some epoxy-bringing the swing weights back to D1-2. Problem solved!

Siamese Moose · September 21, 2023

I forgot I asked this. The PW already has 10ish grams of lead tape on it (it was only C8 originally). Heck, the whole set (M3) has lead tape, all of the swingweights were lower than I like.

I have also built a Maltby head with a 95 gram shaft as a trial, and it didn't work. Maybe it's just that shaft doesn't fit me. I talked with my fitter (Derek) about it. (He's not the guy who originally fit me. That guy has left golf for a real job and salary.) Unlike my instructor, he doesn't like backweighting. He asked what irons I was using, and when I said, "M3", his response was, "Oh!" That's comforting! Apparently the M3s are notorious for hot spots. I was planning to get new irons next Spring anyway, so I'm not going to make any changes before than. In the meantime, Derek is going to have me come in for a few sessions of just playing with shaft weights to see what works best before the full fitting.

release · September 24, 2023

On 9/21/2023 at 5:59 AM, Siamese Moose said:

I forgot I asked this. The PW already has 10ish grams of lead tape on it (it was only C8 originally). Heck, the whole set (M3) has lead tape, all of the swingweights were lower than I like.

I have also built a Maltby head with a 95 gram shaft as a trial, and it didn't work. Maybe it's just that shaft doesn't fit me. I talked with my fitter (Derek) about it. (He's not the guy who originally fit me. That guy has left golf for a real job and salary.) Unlike my instructor, he doesn't like backweighting. He asked what irons I was using, and when I said, "M3", his response was, "Oh!" That's comforting! Apparently the M3s are notorious for hot spots. I was planning to get new irons next Spring anyway, so I'm not going to make any changes before than. In the meantime, Derek is going to have me come in for a few sessions of just playing with shaft weights to see what works best before the full fitting.

Don't forget the total static weight of the club and the balance point of the assembled club. IMHO they are more important than the swing weight numbers. The back weight is to improve feel, not a magic bullet to cure issues in a golf swing.

Pooter McGavin · November 16, 2023

I was trying to decide between s300's and s400's for a new set. I added 4 grams of lead tape just below the grip on a set with s300's as an experiment. I liked it in wedges, and saw no benifit in irons.

If your gonna counter weight, I would swingweight them based on a 50g grip. Counter weighting or changing grip weight should be thought of more of a way to change total weight than swingweight in my opinion.

tricket3d · Sunday at 02:42 PM

I am using quarters to experiment with back-weighting. The cost is about $.25 a weight haha. Quarter weighs 6 grams each. I went with 4 to start and messed around. They do lighten the feel for sure. Plus I like being able to take them off.

Using electrical tape to attach them.

cnosil · Sunday at 02:47 PM

5 minutes ago, tricket3d said:

I am using quarters to experiment with back-weighting. The cost is about $.25 a weight haha. Quarter weighs 6 grams each. I went with 4 to start and messed around.

I would have used nickels; 5 grams each and they are cheaper than quarters I used to test amount of backweight on putters with nickels.

Edited Sunday at 02:48 PM by cnosil