The last 2 weeks we talked about shaft weights. Both of those pieces centered around going heavier in the shaft weight. The value of having more weight in the shaft, and the straightness that often results, as well as the nice things it can do for the golf swing. This week, let’s talk a bit about going lighter.

Remember, we try to walk a fine line between how heavy do we need vs. how light can we get away with.

There are advantages of going lighter with some players. Lighter shafts can generally allow a player to swing the club faster. A mile per hour or two increase in clubhead speed can result in a 2-3 mph increase in ball speed. At 3 yards more distance per Mile Per Hour of ball speed, the distance can be tough to walk away from. 

One of the key things to look for in a player when trying clubs is their balance. Is the player able to hold their follow through and remain in balance throughout the swing? If not, overall lightening of the club may be necessary. If it looks more like the club is swinging them, rather than the other way around, we may need to go lighter (in head and shaft). If the player looks like he is swinging from the top, has inconsistent contact, and shows signs of two-way misses, you may need to go heavier. In this case, often the player feels the club is too light and feels that he has to make up for the lack of mass, so he swings harder – hence the inconsistencies. Either scenario is not good. Our job as a fitter is to find the right balance.

Last piece of weight before we move on to lighter shaft weights specifically. If you’re using interchangeable heads in a fitting system, you’ve likely heard a player say “this one feels heavier” after you put a lighter weight shaft in the same head. While the club is actually lighter (static weight), the way it swings can be heavier (swingweight). We measure club weight in two ways:

• Static weight is the total weight of the club. If you keep everything the same, but swap a 115 gram shaft for a 95 gram shaft, the club will weigh 20 grams less.
• Swingweight is a measure of balance. It measures how heavy the club feels when you swing it. Simply put, a lighter shaft will typically have less mass throughout the shaft, thereby making the head feel disproportionately (albeit, slightly) heavier. This heavier feel is a slight increase in swingweight. 

The last couple weeks we hinted at why a player may want (need) to go heavier in his shaft selection. This week, we can look at why he might want to go lighter. 

Keep in mind that Club manufacturers need to sell clubs. Lighter shafts help the player swing faster, so they go farther. Most clubheads are designed around a lighter weight shaft. 

Also keep in mind that lighter weight is relative. To a Senior flex player, a 60 gram shaft is lighter than his 90 gram steel shaft in his current set. Or a stiff flex player who goes from 128 gram Dynamic gold to 115 gram Elevate MPH. It’s all relative to the specific player.

So, cut to the chase… Who can benefit from a lighter shaft. Well, everyone will find some benefit. WAIT!! Last week I said many will benefit from going heavier too – which one is it? There is benefit, but not all will find that benefit worth the trade off. Your job as a fitter is to reveal the benefits of heavier and lighter options and help each player make the right choice for themselves. Golfers are a funny bunch. No one is ever happy. They all fall into two camps – they either want to hit it straighter or farther. Once they achieve one, they want the other. You need to determine which camp they fall into.

What players can benefit the most from lighter weight shafts? 

• Simply put, slower swing speed players (obviously). 
• Typically, Senior players fall in this camp. These players typically are moving up tee boxes and want to get back some of the yardage they lost. They will sometimes trade a little direction to get a little more distance. 
• Players with good tempo and transition. These players don’t typically bend the club too much and can get away with a lighter option.
• Players who hit straight shots. Look at shat data, and if the face and path are both near zero, they player has quiet hands and probably can get away with a lighter shaft choice.
• Women and juniors. Balance is crucial for both of these groups. A heavier club will change the way they swing the golf club – probably for the worse. Often as light as you can go works best here.
• Players who prefer a little more head feel.

What players can’t (or shouldn’t) make the transition?

• Faster swing speeds. Lighter will open Pandora’s box and introduce a myriad of problems.
• Aggressive swingers. They introduce a lot of bending in the shaft on the way down (sometimes even on the way back), and the lighter shafts don’t have the thickness to recover. 
• Players with a big curve. Lighter makes it harder to control the face.

We typically start a player at a 95 gram weight (irons) or a 60 ish gram weight (driver) unless it’s clear that he or she should be in something lighter (graphite). From there you can go up or down. Starting here gives you options. 

A lot of fitting for shaft weight relies on your experience and knowledge. Look at the swing, the results, and the data. Talk to the player and find out what he/she is trying to accomplish. Together you can work towards a path of success.

Hope this helps. Until next time – happy fitting!!