Heavy Irons, Anyone Swear by Them?

I've grooved my swing to a D8, (505g static weight)sand wedge because most courses I played in the past 10 years have been short. As a result, I had serous issues with my longer irons being significantly lower SW.

I now play my 3 iron shorter and close to 450g at D6 to mimic wedge feel and swing.

Anyone else have a similar preference and care to share their set specs? Thanks

My club guru adjusted my stuff (5-P, 52° & 58°) to perfect MOI numbers.

IIRC (...don't have spec sheets within reach)...

5 iron is D7

7 iron is D8

9 iron is D9

52° is E0

58° is E1

Love it. Makes me work.

My club guru adjusted my stuff (5-P, 52° & 58°) to perfect MOI numbers.

 

IIRC (...don't have spec sheets within reach)...

 

5 iron is D7

7 iron is D8

9 iron is D9

52° is E0

58° is E1

 

Love it. Makes me work.

I agree, with the 'making me work' part. My swing gets sloppy with light clubs and tempo is all over the place, as well as my balance. The heaviness makes me feel like I am delivering a punch into the ball vs. a slap, if that makes any sense.

D5 to E0 here

130x modus playing at 3/4 inch over new standard ( 38 3/4 5 iron)...plus lead tape to feel....so yes heavy to say the least....and my driver and 4 wood are hotmelted to sledge hammer feel..... if i cant feel the head i cant swing it

130x modus playing at 3/4 inch over new standard ( 38 3/4 5 iron)...plus lead tape to feel....so yes heavy to say the least....and my driver and 4 wood are hotmelted to sledge hammer feel..... if i cant feel the head i cant swing it

Exactly, it even was playing tricks with my mind. Hitting a hammer of a wedge into the ball made me 'know' the ball was going on my intended path and traj, but light, low SW clubs had me wondering during my swing if the club was going to do the work or am I?

Usually at that point I know it is over and the inevitable hook or mis-hit is imminent...

Always preferred heavy head feeling irons as I can feel them and control them better with my swing.

Probably not as heavy as some of you guys by the look of it!

Also should mention that I have gone up in dia to midsize grips, so perceived weight in my hands is different, but they swing similarly. I wish I had gone midsize years ago, quiets face angle at impact = straighter. Just lots of good things happening for my swing recently. Want to be a 2 by winter, we'll see....

Btw, swing weighting with a good old fashioned food scale and tape measure has allowed me to go heavy without worrying. Some clubs have A LOT of lead tape, but they FEEL good and my calculations verify that.

As a young assistant in NC I got to play golf with Moe Norman. My clubs were D6 swing weight. He picked them up and called them toothpicks. He told me his Spalding irons were E8 . His thoughts were he wanted to hit the ball with a hammer not a feather. To this day have never had a round of golf with anybody who could control a golf ball like he could. He was about 51 or 52 at the time.

Have always prefered heavier swingweighted clubs.

Irons are progressively weighted from D3 through D8.

Lets me feel where the clubhead is in my swing.

Helps with tempo, and release when delivering clubhead

To the ball. Had clubmaker set up irons with progressive

Weighting ,simular to create MOI equal feel for clubs.

Smooths out the inconsistencies of the swings.

My irons are all about d6. I have always preferred feeling the head a little more.

I once tried a set of Ping i25 irons and I could barely hit the ball. Just all over the place. SW was checked and it was D-0. Added lead tape to clubs a little at a time. As soon as I got to D4 to D5 range, center contact improved. I think it is an even bigger factor for those of us who don't get on a course more than once a week. With heavier weight, you can get more consistent contact after a layoff. Seems to be that way for me. And if I go up to D6 or D8, I still hit them well. It makes me feel like I am swinging and delivering the club, not hitting at the ball.

Several questions...

• what's a good way to test various swing weights in the heavy range if you don't have access to a swing weight scale?
  
• Is it just a matter of adding lead tape until you get the feel you like?
  
• Let say I end up with a bunch of tape to get to an E5 weight and end up wanting to keep that. Are there other methods to add the weight in a fashion that is more permanent and not so "ugly"?
  

Thanks in advance.

Mine are d5. Ten years ago I had d8. I lightened up on the lead tape since. Lol. Helps out on feeling the clubhead. Gotta know where that thing is to hit it solid. Clubs these days are too light.

I've currently got Rams with Super Peening Blue shafts at D5 to D6, PW at D7, I think. I've always liked heavier irons, both in terms of static weight and swingweight.

I haven't tested the progressive swingweight idea, but I think I'd like it.

Ironically, at some point in the next few weeks I'm going to be assembling a a set of irons with NV 105 shafts, considerably lighter than the 129g of the SPBs. Especially with the NV105 being 2" longer than each SPB shaft. It will be interesting...

I've swing weighted my clubs for feel when building new, but never to the extremes some of you guys are talking about.

How are some of you changing head swing weight to the higher ing weights ???

I'm 6'5" so all my irons are +1". I play my wedges at the same length at my PW so they are +1.25". Wedges are E2, 3 iron is D6.

Like bladehunter said if I can't feel the head I can't play.

Only exception is my lob wedge. I port it so it loses a few grams low then lead tape it high. Makes the flight a bit lower and feel a bit softer.

I've swing weighted my clubs for feel when building new, but never to the extremes some of you guys are talking about.

 

How are some of you changing head swing weight to the higher ing weights ???

Lead tape is the way to go IMHO. It is the gift from the golf gods to we golfers...

Several questions...

• what's a good way to test various swing weights in the heavy range if you don't have access to a swing weight scale?
  
• Is it just a matter of adding lead tape until you get the feel you like?
  
• Let say I end up with a bunch of tape to get to an E5 weight and end up wanting to keep that. Are there other methods to add the weight in a fashion that is more permanent and not so "ugly"?
  

Thanks in advance.

Yeah, take the grips off and pour tungsten powder down into the shaft. Finish by ramming a cork plug(made for shafts). I typically put a dab of epoxy on the cork before sending it down to secure the tungsten. Some of my clubs have this in ADDITION to lead tape!!!

Several questions...

• what's a good way to test various swing weights in the heavy range if you don't have access to a swing weight scale?
  
• Is it just a matter of adding lead tape until you get the feel you like?
  
• Let say I end up with a bunch of tape to get to an E5 weight and end up wanting to keep that. Are there other methods to add the weight in a fashion that is more permanent and not so "ugly"?
  

Thanks in advance.

 

Yeah, take the grips off and pour tungsten powder down into the shaft. Finish by ramming a cork plug(made for shafts). I typically put a dab of epoxy on the cork before sending it down to secure the tungsten. Some of my clubs have this in ADDITION to lead tape!!!

My grips are blown on, so this solution would be fairly easy to try... thanks for the tip! :)

It seems like most of my problems the last few years have come from not feeling where the club head and particularly the face is. I'm going to experiment with some lead tape and see if that helps. You would think the lighter the grip and shaft the more you could feel the head. Maybe a light graphite shaft in my irons would help. Or I could do the smart thing and get properly fitted!

Gotta be able to feel it, especially on anything less than a full swing, and it sure helps with tempo. My clubs are very long and, even though I have light heads compared to standard length, the swing weights are still quite heavier due to length. See sig for details. Lightest in the bag is probably inadvertently too light at D5. Heaviest wedge is closer to E3.

Swingweight measures are not ABSOLUTE, they are only relative. That means they are only relevant when comparing clubs of the exact same build-up components (same grips, shafts, heads). You cannot compare your D5 swingweight clubs to someone else's D5 and assume that it means anything. The clubs will not feel the same when swung. You can build a set of clubs to D5 that are relatively light in weight while also building a heavy set to D5. Only MOI/MBI will give you meaningful absolute values that are comparable across club sets.

For whatever reason, this misunderstanding persists in this sport. I blame the manufacturers.

710 ap2s w DG S400s +1/2" length at D9. Love em, and will probably never sell them, but Trying to decide on my next set as the 4&5 irons are becoming increasingly difficult to elevate when Life takes over and I can't play as often and stay in golf shape.

Swingweight measures are not ABSOLUTE, they are only relative. That means they are only relevant when comparing clubs of the exact same build-up components (same grips, shafts, heads). You cannot compare your D5 swingweight clubs to someone else's D5 and assume that it means anything. The clubs will not feel the same when swung. You can build a set of clubs to D5 that are relatively light in weight while also building a heavy set to D5. Only MOI/MBI will give you meaningful absolute values that are comparable across club sets.

 

For whatever reason, this misunderstanding persists in this sport. I blame the manufacturers.

The swing weight in relation to 'standard' builds is pretty comparable unless you're using ridiculous components. I'm just bringing up the conversation in regard to standard releases. Typically head weights across the club spectrum don't differ all that much unless its a short build(ie woman's fit) or one is using graphite. All things similar, steel shafted irons with normal grip(and not counterweighted) can be comparable when discussing SW. I am speaking in relation to the head weight feel, and at similar lengths, steel iron sets are comparable using this measure.

The only way someone's D5 is drastically different from mine is if their grips/shafts are unusually light or extremely heavy(unlikely). Even with different length builds my 6 iron is going to match up in length to someone else's 4, 5, 6, 7 iron etc. and in that case the total weight for that same length club is going to be pretty close. Loft on the face will be different but the FEEL of the clubs will be very close.

Swingweight is a measurement, the same way you measure loft, lie, and length. How can you say it's not absolute?

Swingweight is a measurement, the same way you measure loft, lie, and length. How can you say it's not absolute?

Because it is static, not dynamic (like one actually feels in a swing), and it is an average of weight times distance from the fulcrum point, and the "weight" it "measures" varies depending on the length of the club, and is subject to "fooling" by doing things like counter-weighting (even if it's as simple as a heavier, larger grip that essentially becomes part of the hand when the club is being held).

A D6 sand wedge with a 130g shaft might have the same swing feel as a D3 sand wedge with a 100g shaft. The difference between the two is all on the shaft weight, which isn't nearly as noticeable as a change in headweight as far as swing feel is concerned. Go and make the head heavier on the head mated with a 100g shaft to preserve a D6 swing weight, and it will feel extremely end-heavy. Leave it the same weight, and it will measure as a D3, and the club will be and feel lighter overall, but the two will feel very similar in the swing, even with one at a D3 and the other at a D6, because the headlight to shaft weight ratio will be similar.

Swingweight measures are not ABSOLUTE, they are only relative. That means they are only relevant when comparing clubs of the exact same build-up components (same grips, shafts, heads). You cannot compare your D5 swingweight clubs to someone else's D5 and assume that it means anything. The clubs will not feel the same when swung. You can build a set of clubs to D5 that are relatively light in weight while also building a heavy set to D5. Only MOI/MBI will give you meaningful absolute values that are comparable across club sets.

 

For whatever reason, this misunderstanding persists in this sport. I blame the manufacturers.

 

The swing weight in relation to 'standard' builds is pretty comparable unless you're using ridiculous components. I'm just bringing up the conversation in regard to standard releases. Typically head weights across the club spectrum don't differ all that much unless its a short build(ie woman's fit) or one is using graphite. All things similar, steel shafted irons with normal grip(and not counterweighted) can be comparable when discussing SW. I am speaking in relation to the head weight feel, and at similar lengths, steel iron sets are comparable using this measure.

 

The only way someone's D5 is drastically different from mine is if their grips/shafts are unusually light or extremely heavy(unlikely). Even with different length builds my 6 iron is going to match up in length to someone else's 4, 5, 6, 7 iron etc. and in that case the total weight for that same length club is going to be pretty close. Loft on the face will be different but the FEEL of the clubs will be very close.

A mere couple of grams in weight difference in the head or the grip can result in drastic differences in swingweight, yet yield very little difference in dynamic heft (MOI) and the reverse can also be true. It really comes down to the absolute weight of the components and their relative weight distribution across the build. Your assumption that components are relatively standard from a weight perspective is wildly incorrect (especially across manufacturers). Seek out information on MOI (or MBI better yet) and educate yourself and your fellow golfers.

I've been tempted to go heavier after realizing I swing heavy drivers better. Probably will experiment with my next custom build.

Swingweight measures are not ABSOLUTE, they are only relative. That means they are only relevant when comparing clubs of the exact same build-up components (same grips, shafts, heads). You cannot compare your D5 swingweight clubs to someone else's D5 and assume that it means anything. The clubs will not feel the same when swung. You can build a set of clubs to D5 that are relatively light in weight while also building a heavy set to D5. Only MOI/MBI will give you meaningful absolute values that are comparable across club sets.

 

For whatever reason, this misunderstanding persists in this sport. I blame the manufacturers.

 

The swing weight in relation to 'standard' builds is pretty comparable unless you're using ridiculous components. I'm just bringing up the conversation in regard to standard releases. Typically head weights across the club spectrum don't differ all that much unless its a short build(ie woman's fit) or one is using graphite. All things similar, steel shafted irons with normal grip(and not counterweighted) can be comparable when discussing SW. I am speaking in relation to the head weight feel, and at similar lengths, steel iron sets are comparable using this measure.

 

The only way someone's D5 is drastically different from mine is if their grips/shafts are unusually light or extremely heavy(unlikely). Even with different length builds my 6 iron is going to match up in length to someone else's 4, 5, 6, 7 iron etc. and in that case the total weight for that same length club is going to be pretty close. Loft on the face will be different but the FEEL of the clubs will be very close.

 

A mere couple of grams in weight difference in the head or the grip can result in drastic differences in swingweight, yet yield very little difference in dynamic heft (MOI) and the reverse can also be true. It really comes down to the absolute weight of the components and their relative weight distribution across the build. Your assumption that components are relatively standard from a weight perspective is wildly incorrect (especially across manufacturers). Seek out information on MOI (or MBI better yet) and educate yourself and your fellow golfers.

If/when I can use my kitchen scale, a tape measure and calculator to 'accurately' MOI my clubs, I'll try your method......

For now a simple torque equation suits me fine and can be done across an 8 iron set in less than 10 mins.