Finding the right static weight for a driver.

[hoffa72002]

I’ve been reading the club tech posts for awhile now and have been experimenting with shortening drivers to the 44” range which has worked well for me. However, I have also read on this site that total weight is the second most important fitting parameter after length. (As opposed to trying to return the club to original swingweight with more head weight and heavier shafts.) Heavier swingweights have always seemed to be more consistent for me, but what I am wondering is really two things. What is considered a normal range of total weight for a driver today? At what point would would the weight enough to start diminishing returns on distance? Secondly, is loss of distance the main sign of adding too much weight to a driver? A Callaway Epic that put together with a 70g shaft and some extra weight to get the head feeling right weighed in around 330g which was significantly more than some of my other drivers I had laying around. I have been retrofitting my own clubs for awhile now and am just trying to gain some insight from all of the knowledgeable guys that post here. Thanks.

[Adam C]

The average total static weight for an off the rack driver is what, call it 200-205g for the head, 60g for the shaft (but that could go 10g either way depending on shaft, 50g for the grip, and say another 5 to 10g for tape and epoxy, that hits 320g. I guess you could call that the average for an off the rack driver. Heads aren't really going to get much under 195g. Bigger grips will also be heavier. Also have to factor the balance point of the shaft as that can have a significant effect on SW. Personally I like a heavier head driver. Remember f=ma, so yes more speed can give you more distance but also more mass can do the same up to a point.

If it feels like a sledgehammer though it's probably too heavy. If everything goes right and you can't close the face, might be too heavy.

[tyorke1]

My new m6 is 323 grams

[A.Princey]

> @hoffa72002 said:

> I’ve been reading the club tech posts for awhile now and have been experimenting with shortening drivers to the 44” range which has worked well for me. However, I have also read on this site that total weight is the second most important fitting parameter after length. (As opposed to trying to return the club to original swingweight with more head weight and heavier shafts.) Heavier swingweights have always seemed to be more consistent for me, but what I am wondering is really two things. What is considered a normal range of total weight for a driver today? At what point would would the weight enough to start diminishing returns on distance? Secondly, is loss of distance the main sign of adding too much weight to a driver? A Callaway Epic that put together with a 70g shaft and some extra weight to get the head feeling right weighed in around 330g which was significantly more than some of my other drivers I had laying around. I have been retrofitting my own clubs for awhile now and am just trying to gain some insight from all of the knowledgeable guys that post here. Thanks.

I would worry more about shaft weight, whatever you typically play at normal 45" lengths, add about 10g and play a similar swing weight as before. The type shaft you play in you 3w might be a good option to start. Also a good thing to note, heavier shafts tend to be stiffer than their lighter counterparts, so factor that in. After going up in shaft weight a little, the rest can be sorted out with a good roll of lead tape!

 

[Stuart_G]

> @"A.Princey" said:

> I would worry more about shaft weight, whatever you typically play at normal 45" lengths, add about 10g and play a similar swing weight as before. The type shaft you play in you 3w might be a good option to start.

 

Agree. Shaft weight is the primary contributor to the total weight so that's what one needs to look at. Sure there are other contributors but they shouldn't really vary all that much in comparison tests (e.g. grip size/weight should stay the same, length should stay the same so head weight should not vary all that much).

 

> @"A.Princey" said:

> Also a good thing to note, heavier shafts tend to be stiffer than their lighter counterparts, so factor that in.

 

No, there is really no direct correlation between weight and stiffness with graphite shafts. The two are really independent design characteristics chosen by the designer. You have to look at each shaft model separately. Some shaft OEM's do like to design the heavier versions of a model as stiffer (UST does that frequently) but other's will choose to keep the stiffness profile the same as the weight increases (Aldila does that with many of it's models).

 

 

 

> @hoffa72002 said:

> At what point would would the weight enough to start diminishing returns on distance? Secondly, is loss of distance the main sign of adding too much weight to a driver?

 

Unfortunately, there is no general rule to follow. Everyone is different in how the change in weight might effect there swing - other than if it feels too heavy (like you have to put more effort into the swing than you think you should have to) then it probably is too heavy. But even then it could be either total weigh or swing weight and even stiffness can contribute to weight feel. Loss of swing speed is certainly one possible indicator but not the only one and not always the first indicator. And believe it or not, too light can actually cause some to loose swing speed as well. Changes in grip pressure or muscle tension can lead to many different adverse results. Changes to rhythm and tempo and release timing can happen as well and lead to break downs in the transition, proper sequencing of the swing and release timing. Generally total weight issues will more likely show up in the backswing and early parts of the transition. Swing weight tends to influence the later part of the transition and release. But even that's not a hard rule.

 

This is the best tutorial I know that can help you find the best shaft weight for your swing (along with playing length and swing weight)

https://forums.golfwrx.com/discussion/909991/diy-driver-tune-up-diy-fitting/p1

[ChaosTheory]

If you shorten a driver by an inch, and re-swingweight the head, you'll probably add 10 grams. This would be a normal progression for the weight. And if you go from a 50 gram to a 70 gram shaft, you'll probably add another 18 grams. Again, normal for the given situation. Whether or not you get faster, slower, or no change with the heavier shaft is dependent on you and your swing. In general, I'd say if you like the 44 inch driver, don't worry about the extra weight that goes along with it.

[North Butte]

I have never owned a driver that worked AT ALL for me with a weight outside the range from about 306g to 318g or thereabouts. And I mean the static weight with a normal (46-54g grip). Which is why I've never tried a 44" or even 44-1/2" driver that worked nearly as well as a normal length one (45-1/2", give or take). There's no way to get a 44" driver with a 50g grip in my ideal weight range and still have any feel for the head at all. If I took my current M4 driver (45-3/4" and 312g) and chopped it down by an inch and a half the balance would be all wrong. I'd have to add 10g or more of lead tape and then it would feel too heavy.