How Does Driver Swing Weight Affect Spin?

[dpb5031]

To the club fitters: Is there direct causation one way or the other with driver swing weight and spin?

 

I know everyone is different, but what do you see most often in fittings?

 

Is there even any correlation with swingweight and spin?

 

How 'bout shaft length and spin?

 

Thanks

[Jagpilotohio]

Driver swingweight and spin are entirely unrelated unless:

 

1. the weight added or subtracted is so large that it causes the player to actually swing the club and deliver the club head differently to the ball

 

and/or

 

2. the addition or subtraction of weight is so extreme that it causes the shaft itself to actually flex more or less than it did before the weight change.

 

For either of theses things to happen the weight added or subtracted must be pretty substantial. We are not talking about a just few grams or just a couple of points.

 

If you are asking about 2 or 3 points of swingweight change either way, then no, there is no effect on spin.

 

Swingweight is about personal preference and how the head “feels” in your hands. Most people will find a sweet spot that they like if they experiment a bit.

 

Modest Swingweight adjustments do not change the performance of the club unless it Changes how the player swings the club.

[Cwebb]

Different swing-weights can change our impact pattern on the face. Whatever setup, including swing-weight, that allows us to have the most consistent impact pattern that is slightly above center and if "anything" a smidge towards the toe,....is what will maximize high launch and low spin.

 

The low launch and high spin area of the face, is below center and heel-side. Work in great detail to stay away from having an impact pattern in that direction

[dpb5031]

Driver swingweight and spin are entirely unrelated unless:

 

1. the weight added or subtracted is so large that it causes the player to actually swing the club and deliver the club head differently to the ball

 

and/or

 

2. the addition or subtraction of weight is so extreme that it causes the shaft itself to actually flex more or less than it did before the weight change.

 

For either of theses things to happen the weight added or subtracted must be pretty substantial. We are not talking about a just few grams or just a couple of points.

 

If you are asking about 2 or 3 points of swingweight change either way, then no, there is no effect on spin.

 

Swingweight is about personal preference and how the head “feels” in your hands. Most people will find a sweet spot that they like if they experiment a bit.

 

Modest Swingweight adjustments do not change the performance of the club unless it Changes how the player swings the club.

 

About what I figured. Thanks for the confirmation and detailed response! ?

[Jagpilotohio]

Sure.

 

Length is a different issue. More complicated. I’ll use myself as an example from just last night.

 

I personally tend to have HUGE trouble with more spin when I go longer. I tend to hit pushy blocks that spin well over 3000.

 

I’ve hit a 43.5” driver for 25 years after I figured out longer drivers simply don’t work for me.

 

I went into Golf Galaxy last night after hitting 100 balls on the range. I Hit quite nicely. I wanted to test the Cobra F9. Problem is for me, it is 45.5” long. It is COMPLETELY wrong for me. If I choke up 2 inches the swingweight gets absurdly light. It just feels like a feather. Yuck.

 

I still tried hitting the 45.5” monster just choking down about 1/2 inch. Like clockwork, I hit 3 weak spinny blocks about 255-260 yards at 3200-3500 spin and one dead yank closed face pull hook.......and then I quit and walked out. It was totally pointless. I needed one of my shafts and my lead tape to get the swingweight back up to where I like it. That’s how I always test a club. I Put in one of my shafts or a 3 wood shaft and add my own lead tape to get it to D-3. Off the rack for me is a total waste of time.

 

Some people will tend to spin a longer driver more, some will spin them less. It depends on if the club length suits them or not. If the length being too long or too short causes you to deliver the club to the ball poorly, it will affect spin. If the length causes you to miss the center of the face it will affect spin. With that said however, length, in and of itself, does not cause spin to go up or down. It varies depending on the person and how you deliver the club to the ball.