Same clubhead speed with 115g shaft and 85g shaft?

[TheBiles]

This was just one launch monitor session, so forgive the small sample size. I noticed that I was consistently swinging two very different 6 irons almost exactly the same speed. My gamers have ProjectX Catalyst 80 6.0 shafts in them, and I was testing out a True Temper ETS 115 S. My 6i swing speed with either club was consistently low 80s (81-84), but I expected the heavier shafts to be much slower. What could cause this?

[Stuart_G]

6 hours ago, TheBiles said:

This was just one launch monitor session, so forgive the small sample size. I noticed that I was consistently swinging two very different 6 irons almost exactly the same speed. My gamers have ProjectX Catalyst 80 6.0 shafts in them, and I was testing out a True Temper ETS 115 S. My 6i swing speed with either club was consistently low 80s (81-84), but I expected the heavier shafts to be much slower. What could cause this?

 

It's a common misconception but your expectations aren't really all that realistic.  

 

The weight can certainly effect swing speed for some but the relationship between weight and strength is not always the main limiting factor when it comes to swing speed.   Shaft weight (and swing weight) more commonly effect swing speed in a more indirect fashion - typically in the way the weight feel effects rhythm, temp, sequencing, and other timing aspects of the swing.   And those are what really causes the swing speed to vary.   So if you can maintain the same rhythm and timing with different shaft weights, you wont see much (if any) change in swing speed.   For some going heavier can actually improve the swing speed when it improves the various timing aspects of the swing.

 

And then there are others that just depend more on internal cues and feedback to control the swing and the external factors (weight or stiffness feel(s) of the club) don't play much of a part.  Those folks can swing a wide range of shafts (both stiffness and weight) and see little influence on the actual results.

 

Just keep in mind that it's not all about swing speed.   Weight can also (potentially) have a big influence on consistency and dispersion and accuracy.   Those tend to be much more important when picking the best fit for shaft weight.

 

Yes there can be a point where it's more related to strength and weight will slow things down but that's not as common as most people think - except maybe for the weaker players.   But the effect on timing usually comes before that (if it happens at all).

 

Edited June 28, 2023 by Stuart_G

[TheBiles]

Wow, thanks for the great response.  I was expecting a night and day difference between the two, but that makes a lot of sense.

[Typhoon1992]

Read up on “muscle activation”.  For someone that works out a lot their mind senses the heavier weight and tells the body to use the bigger more powerful muscles.  If it’s something light, the smaller muscles are told to deal with it.

 

I looked into it because I also do not swing a lighter club any faster either.

[Stuart_G]

9 hours ago, Typhoon1992 said:

Read up on “muscle activation”.  For someone that works out a lot their mind senses the heavier weight and tells the body to use the bigger more powerful muscles.  If it’s something light, the smaller muscles are told to deal with it.

 

If that happened in the golf swing  (where the big and little muscles are not firing at the same time), more than likely it would completely screw up the sequencing and timing - particularly for am's.

 

In fact, it's my belief the ability to maintain the proper sequencing is really a common limiting factor for swing speed in the average and stronger swingers.   It's only the weaker swingers that might be limited by strength at all and see differences in swing speed when the weight changes.

 

[NHenson815]

13 hours ago, Typhoon1992 said:

Read up on “muscle activation”.  For someone that works out a lot their mind senses the heavier weight and tells the body to use the bigger more powerful muscles.  If it’s something light, the smaller muscles are told to deal with it.

 

I looked into it because I also do not swing a lighter club any faster either.

This is definitely true.  I use the equivalent of 180g+ shafts in irons but the extra 50 grams is all in a counterweight on the butt end.  For whatever reason, it syncs up my fingers to my thighs (disproportionately strong compared to the rest of my body).  The total weight of the club is heavy enough for me to be able to feel and control, but the swingweight is so light that it feels comfortable and effortless to swing.  I scratch my head that something that unconventional could work.

[Typhoon1992]

2 hours ago, NHenson815 said:

This is definitely true.  I use the equivalent of 180g+ shafts in irons but the extra 50 grams is all in a counterweight on the butt end.  For whatever reason, it syncs up my fingers to my thighs (disproportionately strong compared to the rest of my body).  The total weight of the club is heavy enough for me to be able to feel and control, but the swingweight is so light that it feels comfortable and effortless to swing.  I scratch my head that something that unconventional could work.

Here’s the article I was thinking of.  
 

https://shop.tptgolf.com/learn/shaft-weight-heavier-lighter/

[PuffyC]

This is another of those things where people seem to think there's one right answer. Some people will gain distance with heavier shafts, some will gain distance with lighter shafts, just depends on what works for you. And even if the distance is the same, I'd expect one weight to produce better numbers overall than the other, and that's what you should be looking for.