A Weighty Subject
In our first two editions of Shafts 101, we discussed shaft flex and torque. Today we’re discussing weight, which is at once a simpler and more complex topic. Everyone knows what weight is, but how does shaft weight affect the swing? Our panel of leading shaft makers and club fitters will explain.
How Important is Shaft Weight?
The majority of our panel agreed that shaft weight is very important. Club Champion told us that weight is the first thing they look at when fitting a shaft, and Nippon said, “If a golfer can’t feel a shaft that’s properly weighted, the other factors (flex, torque, bend profile) are moot.” Fujikura and MRC agreed that weight needs to be considered along with those other factors to produce a shaft that will perform well.
One interesting note that Club Champion added is that understanding the weight that a player feels is not always straightforward. “Flex, torque, and bend profile can play into the perceived weight of the shaft,” according to Nick Sherburne, Club Champion’s founder.
Weight Distribution and Counter Balanced Shafts
Though counter balanced shafts like the Fujikura XLR8 series have become very popular in the last couple years, our panel agreed that total weight is more important than weight distribution. However, that does not mean that finding the right weight distribution or balance point is unimportant.
So why are there so many counter balanced shafts these days? The main driver of this trend is the club head. As Fujikura explains, “High balance point shafts can be matched with heavier heads or longer club lengths to facilitate club builds with [“normal”] swing weights without having to change mass properties of the head. They can be used with standard heads at standard lengths to simply reduce swing weight.”
Shaft Weight in Woods vs. Irons
One question that intrigued me is whether shaft weight is more important in woods or the driver versus irons and wedges. Across the board, the consensus was that weight is equally important in all clubs.
Fujikura did raise one interesting counterpoint: the importance of the driver shaft can appear greater because the distance and dispersion is larger with a driver.
Fitting Shaft Weight – Rules of Thumb
As we’ve done in the past, we asked our experts if there are any reliable rules of thumb for fitting shaft weight. We received a wide range of responses that boil down to this: there are general rules and concepts that you can use, but nothing is hard and fast.
One bit of common wisdom is that slower swingers should play lighter shafts and faster swingers should go heavier. This holds up sometimes, but is often wrong. As Fujikura pointed out, a slower swinger will be much better with a heavier shaft if that causes them to have more centered strikes. True Temper suggested that lighter shafts can produce more distance and heavier shafts may be preferable for control.
How Much Weight Can You Lose (or Gain)?
Whether you’ve been fit or not, you have a certain shaft weight in your current clubs. Is there a limit to how much you can change without losing your swing? True Temper gave us a hard number: 20 grams. Most of the others said that it’s hard to know exactly – some can change a lot, other players will be hurt by even small changes.
How Do You Know When You Have the Right Shaft Weight?
It should be obvious that we and our expert panel strongly advocate working with a qualified fitter to find the correct shaft weight for you. Nonetheless, we asked how a golfer can know if their shafts are the correct weight without a fitting.
Nippon suggested that a player should be able to tell largely by feel. A shaft that’s too heavy will cause a “labored golf swing.” A shaft that’s too light will hurt your ability to make solid contact. When you find the right shaft weight, you’ll experience a “high energy swing” with uniform contact.
Club Champion emphasized looking for the best numbers – ball speed, launch, spin, angle of attack, club path, and dynamic loft. This is why their fittings all include Trackman launch monitors – so they can see what produces the best and most consistent numbers.
Matt Saternus
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One rule of thumb that I cannot understand is the FW shaft being about 10 grams heavier than the driver shaft. Even fitters kind of follow this generally. Shouldn’t the FW shaft weight be determined independently of the driver shaft? Drivers are always (99.9%) hit off a tee whereas FW are hit off the deck 90% of the time. I would think if the FW shaft weight could be lighter, same or heavier than the driver and should be determined based on which one gives the best results off the deck. So why do fitters follow this rule? Would be great to hear your view and possible get this addressed in more detail in an article.
Amit,
I imagine that some fitters follow this rule and others don’t. I have never seen a Club Champion fitter try to force a player into a certain weight. They put weight first in their fitting process and start fresh with each club.
That said, it makes sense to use, for example, a 70 gram shaft as a starting point for a player who prefers a 60 gram driver shaft because, when it’s cut shorter, the shaft will feel similar in terms of weight. I think the player who went from, say, a 50 gram driver shaft to a 90 gram FW shaft would be a significant outlier.
Best,
Matt
Matt – my thoughts were not as extreme as going from 50 gm to 90 gm. More like 70 gm in both driver and FW or 75 gm in driver but 70 gm in FW. Having the same weight/slightly lighter shaft in FW as an option is rarely discussed. Do you think going down this route is something the average leisure golfer should consider?
Amit,
I think a set up like that is fine, and it’s something I see come out of Club Champion all the time.
Best,
Matt
Makes sense to me, Matt. I’m already scheduled for a full bag fitting with Club Champion so good to know they’re not married to “rules of thumb”. Eager to find out what I’m fitted into.
Amit,
Awesome! Eat your Wheaties before that fitting – the full bag = a LOT of swings!
Best,
Matt
If you play a stiffer shaft or a heavier golf club. Can it lead to injury on the body? Or can it lead to soreness to part of your body.?? Or is it because A golfer is just swinging in correctly?
Atlan,
There’s no reason a stiffer shaft would cause injury. If we look at weight, the most extreme difference in shaft weight would be something on the order of 50-60 grams from a light graphite iron shaft to a very heavy steel shaft. Perhaps if the individual was quite weak and went from very light to very heavy they might be sore, but injury seems like a very remote possibility.
-Matt
LOL. Maybe this explains why after a weather-related layoff……and using my dad’s senior flex shafts that weigh in around 50 gr, on the practice range, I had a hard time making square contact in Florida during the Holidays. My “gamers” are 105 gr lightwt steel shafts. Guess I should not have been so tough on myself after hitting a few chunked iron shots! My body felt like it was outracing the club — or maybe it was vice versa?
Steve,
You definitely should cut yourself some slack. Changing flex and/or weight can throw things into major disarray!
Best,
Matt
I’m looking to re-shaft my wedges.
In my Srixon z745 irons I currently game the Nippon MS Pro Modus 3 Tour 120 Stiff shaft.
I have Edel wedges in 52*, 56*, 60* with Project X PXI shafts and find I don’t have the same feel I have with my Titleist Vokey 5 wedges with the DG shafts. The Edel wedges feel too light.
I was thinking of going with a Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 125 Regular shafts in the Edel wedges. I like a heavier shaft and am thinking the Regular flex along with the heavier weight could give me better feel and control.
What do you think of that combination?
Jesse,
Seems reasonable, but I’d suggest working with a fitter to test the idea before pulling the trigger.
Best,
Matt
Hi Matt,
Very good article.
As getting older, I decide it was time to go lighter.
My personal experience was it is easier to decrease weight irons’ shafts than in the driver. I went to TT dynamic gold s300 to Modus3 120 stiff last year to Modus3 105 stiff now and only saw improvements. Over the top move disapeared.
My objective is to increase my swingspeed without increasing dispersion.
When you are testing driver’ shafts having lighter weights how do you adjust to avoid big dispersion?
thanks
Richard,
It makes sense that decreasing iron shaft weight is less detrimental for a number of reasons: it’s a smaller % weight change, the shaft is shorter (more easily controlled), and the shorter length of the shot means that offline shots stay closer to the target compared to a drive.
What we’ve seen in our testing (more coming later this week) is that there is not a straight line correlation between light weight and poor accuracy, but there is often a lower limit where golfers lose the feel of the shaft. My suggestion is to figure out where that is for you and stay above it.
Best,
Matt
Gimmick!!! Another myth the industry would like you to believe to sell their products. Like huge or multiple sweet spots. Lighter shafts make the head feel heavier. Jack Nicholas back weighted his clubs to gain club head speed. Don’t ask somebody trying to sell a golf club, ask physicist.
Dave,
What, specifically, is a “gimmick”?
A light shaft can maintain the same swing weight depending on how the weight is distributed.
Jack may have felt that back weighting his clubs helped him gain speed, but did he have any data to prove it?
-Matt
Yeah i don’t understand the gimmick thing….pretty much whole article is saying find what works for you with some “general rules to follow”
Sergio Garcia also backweighted his clubs…..very heavy shafts (100+ gram driver shaft at one point)counterbalanced with a light swingweights ( D0-D1)…..worked for him
As someone who shafts their own clubs and messes around quite a bit with shafts and equipment i would say for sure the weight of club and overall weight is far more crucial than flex and profile…..
Its something everyone has to figure out for themselves……
I have slow smooth tempo and light shafts cause me to lose timing and tempo…..someone else with my type o swing might say opposite
Hi Matt, I’m writing from Italy and I’m fighting to find the right shaft for my clubs.
First of all I have to say that my choices are only based on my feeling beacuse there aren’t any clubfitters near me.
So, I play a bag full of Srixon clubs and Cleveland wedges.
Woods have stock shafts in R flex, irons Z 765/965 with Modus 3 105 R shafts and wedges RTX 3 have Nippon Modus 115 Wedge.
I’m not entirely satisfied with them, specially with the woods, even if I gained 15 yds with the driver. Stock shaft is really light and I can’t feel the FW as I would like (I have more feeling with my old X2Hot Pro FW with Aldila Tour 75 gr shaft). I don’t know if I need more wight on both woods shafts or need a different flex.
I like my irons but I don’t know if I made a right choice with the shafts: it’s like I have no more my easy swing and my doubt is to back to graphite shaft.
All I can’t say is that my swing speed is 85/88 mph average, I’m 48 and I don’t play so often as some years ago.
Massimo,
That’s unfortunate that there are not club fitters in your area. There’s not much I can do in terms of recommendations without working with you in person. The one thought that I have is that if you’re having trouble feeling the shaft, that could be a sign of a shaft that’s too light.
Best,
Matt
Thanks for the answer Matt.
So, if I send you the results of a Flightscope or Trackman fitting session, could you help me to choose the right shafts?
Regards,
Massimo
Massimo,
No. I could give you very broad ideas (“You need higher launch” for example) but there’s a lot more to fitting than looking at numbers.
Best,
Matt
What difference in weight do you think should be between driver and 3 wood? I have a driver at the moment and after a 3 wood shaft in the same type of shaft an project x handerafted LZ. But not sure which weight to buy
Jack,
10 grams is the typical answer, but there are a lot of variables to consider. As always, the best answer is to work with a fitter like Club Champion or True Spec who has the ability to let you try shafts in a variety of different weights.
Best,
Matt
I’ve just recently changed all my iron shafts from steel to graphite (60g). My driver has an Aldila A7X65 3.9 S graphite shaft, my 3 & 5 woods both have Aldila ATX75 4.3 R graphite shafts and my 3 hybrid has a Callaway X2Hot 60 R graphite shaft. My current average driver distance is 190 metres ( 209 yards ). Last week at the range I tested a Callaway 7 wood that had a Mizuno graphite shaft with torque 6.0, R Flex and 39g. I hit 6 shots with the 7 wood and they ALL went around 225 metres ( 248 – 250 yards ), and that was on a range that you hit up hill on. At best I could only hit my driver around 190 yards. This has raised a few questions for me. 1. Should I change my driver, 3 & 5 woods and my hybrid to lighter shafts? 2. Based on the extra distance I was getting from the test hits with the 7 wood, could I also use a similarly weighted shaft in my irons? 3. I don’t understand why with graphite shafts there is a differentiation between whether the shaft is for a driver, FW/hybrid or irons. Shouldn’t I be able to use the same weighted shaft in ALL my clubs, except the putter, with the only variances being kick point, torque etc ?
John,
1) Yes, it seems like light weight is something you should explore with a fitter based on the distance gains you saw.
2) If you’ve already gone to 60 gram iron shafts, I’m not sure how much lower you can go, but you could certainly explore that with a fitter also.
3) There is a distinction between wood shafts and hybrid shafts because they have different tip diameters and players usually want different profiles and weights. If you want the exact same gram weight in every shaft in your set, you can do that, but you would likely end up with unusual swing weights due to the different lengths.
Best,
Matt
I just bought some never been played 2016 M2 graphite, regular flex TM1 , 816, Mitsubishi Rayon, 4-SW irons on eBay.
What is the gram weights for this shaft?
Dale,
I don’t know.
Best,
Matt
sir i am pravesh i have one question that my weight is 85 kg so which shaft is suitable for me in my driver and 3 wood and gram .
Pravesh,
Shaft weight is based on much more than your body weight. You need to work with a qualified fitter to find your best weight and profile.
Best,
Matt
Hello Matt, good article, I use 110cw SteelFiber X-Stiff that works well for me in Irons, especially shorter shaft ones like 7-pw. I haven’t found the right Driver shaft weight… any suggestions? or some translation between iron v driver shaft weights that would be most natural?
Ryan,
I think the driver to iron translation is hard because the scope is much greater in irons. The best advice I can give is to work with a good club fitter.
Best,
Matt
Is there a “rule of thumb” in the approximate distance that an “entire club” should balance on your finger beginning with PW and working up in club number?? Just yes or no will suffice, don’t need MOI or CG calculations on the head itself. Thanks
Curt,
Not that I am aware of.
Best,
Matt
What would be the impact of going from a fubuki 60x to a Fubuki 50x. I fall right on the stiff x stiff line but find the x gives me a more accurate tee game. However I might be leaving significant yardage on the course.
In summary same shaft make and model but shifting from 66 grams with a torque of 3.6 to a shaft 59 grams and a torque of 4.5. I also play a little fade.
Matt,
There are a lot of variables there. The only way to get a good answer would be to work with a fitter who can see you hit both.
Best,
Matt
Nice read Matt…Thx
I am 65 and have had surgery on my back and apparently I won’t get younger or more limber….I have definately noticed this year my distance has vanished..I am 5’6″ and would like your thoughts on my present stiff flex 60gram vs a lighter regular or even senior flex as a possible solution…..it is noticeable my club head speed is slower as well…..your thoughts please
Thomas,
You should visit a club fitter and experiment with different weights and flexes under their guidance. There are no industry standards, so telling you to switch to, for example, “60 gram, Senior” is dangerously meaningless.
Best,
Matt
Hi Matt,
Fantastic article.
Can you please help me fine tune my driver fitting?
I’m 34 years old.
5 handicap, upgrading my tech after many (>10) years.
2 recent driver fittings at different premium fitters with Trackman (Cool Clubs & Club Champion).
Both independently arrived at the exact same driver head & shaft combo.
Neither sought to dial in the optimum swing weight once the head & shaft combo had been identified.
Differences between the 2:
Cool Clubs:
D3.5 swing weight. Swing speed 117-123mph, carries 295-310, 10-15 yards of rollout, many fades & hard cuts.
Club Champion – D9 swing weight. Swing speed 112-117mph, carries 280-295, 5-10 yards of rollout, much tighter dispersion, straighter flight with no fades.
I love the feel of the driver head (Callaway Rogue SZ, 9 deg) & shaft (Project X HZRDUS black hand crafted, 62g, x-stiff).
How do I dial this in?
Should I split the difference and order a D6?
Cool Clubs fitter recommended staying light so that I could still get good performance when tired towards the end of the round. I just didn’t love the dispersion and couldn’t hit the straight ball.
Club Champion fitted recommended staying heavy since my accuracy was great but I didn’t love giving up so much distance.
I’m close, but not quite there…
MAJORLY appreciate any help on the subject…
Daniel
Daniel,
Very interesting stuff! Particularly that both hit the same combo but at different SWs.
As a tinkerer, my recommendation would be to have the driver built at D3.5 and then use lead tape and a swing weight scale (total cost: $50 or so) to experiment and see what you like. With lead tape, no change is ever permanent, so you could try that D9 and see if it really does fatigue you. You could try D6 and see if it’s best of both worlds or an unhappy medium.
Best,
Matt
I just had a very interesting experience with a much lighter shaft on new the Epic Star irons. In testing the irons against my current Apex setup with stiff shafts, I hit my 7 iron 10-20 yards farther and straighter. I am 54 years old and expected my 7 iron to go 165 yards, but now it is 180 with the Epic Stars. I realize Epic Star lofts make their 7 iron similar to a usual 6.
Then I played a round. I hit my 6 iron 200 yards three times, also straighter than usual. Something either in the club face or the shaft has greatly moderated bad contacts also. I have to say the clubs feel much much lighter and there is less overall feel, but also much less effort and I am consciously trying to swing “less hard” but the ball goes farther.
Another thing that did not add up as expected is that the lighter shafts have me fading shotsmore (I thought light bendy shafts caused leftward shots). I am using a slight strong grip now.
So, the Epic Star setup is somehow way superior in terms of distance and control, and I thought I had good clubs before.
Hi.
Might be a silly question.
Is person body weight (example short asian guy 5.3 weight only 56 Kg ) should choose shaft less than 50gr ? Or it doesnt matter ? With 60g shaft is already feel “heavy ” for me. So i am using 50g but some1 recomend me below 50g shaft (stiff flex)
Henra,
There is usually some correlation of strength/speed to flex and weight, but I don’t think there’s a clear correlation with size. There are plenty of shorter, lighter guys on Tour who need heavier, stiffer shafts for their fast swings.
Best,
Matt
Hey buddy, great article..
I have a quick question, I’m currently playing Mizuno JPX 825 irons with True Temper DG X100 shafts.. I recently won a set of Taylor Made Psi irons but they have XP105 shafts.. I know big difference in the weight 130g vs 105g but is it worth having them take my current shafts from the Mizuno clubs and replace the XP105? I haven’t been able to hit the new irons yet as its starting to get cold in the Northeast, I just don’t want to spend all the money if the result is going to be similar.
thanks
Maybe I should give you some stats..
I’m an 8 handicap..
Driver swing speed is about 112mph
7 irons swing speed is about 97mph
Chris,
There’s no way for me to know with any certainty how the new shafts will work for you except to say that it will be a big change both in weight and bend profile. You may be pleasantly surprised (I dropped about 15 grams of shaft weight in my irons a while back and was very happy). Since you have the lighter shafts installed already, I would play them and see what happens. If the results are bad, you can always get the heavier shafts moved over.
Best,
Matt
Great information. I will check out the rest of your blog. Thanks for this post. I really like your point of view.
I am soon to get fitted at Club Champion for new irons and woods. Is the Club Champion recommended SST PURE process on the shafts worth the additional expense?
Jeff,
Yes. Check this out: https://pluggedingolf.com/does-pureing-a-shaft-improve-performance-golf-myths-unplugged/
Best,
Matt
G’Day Matt, I am 70 played golf the last 40 yrs and play off 1. My problem is graphite shafts.
I have had proper fittings and always close but no cigar. Playing steel modus 3 105 irons
I can play the 9 ball flight laws with them. My driver has graphite design AD GT 6x shaft ball speed 160 mph
When fitted had what I thought was swing plane problems with dispersion. So took some slow mo video s and found the droop angle was not consistent with the azimuth . So increased the length and back weighted it . Presto it worked but still no control .
I only have to make a small adjustment and the deflection angle goes wild as.
So I am over graphite will put in a 100 g Nippon 950Ds shaft in .
Question is – will this change the centre of gravity of the head or is that is already been calculated with the balance point of the shaft I am about to fit.
Cheers Greg
Greg,
If I’m understanding your question: the CoG of the head is the CoG of the head. I don’t believe the shaft will change that. You will, as you stated, change the balance of the overall club with the heavier shaft.
Best,
Matt
Thanks Matt. The 30 g weight change in the shaft may be what I need . Have Nippon modus 3 105 in my 2 i and hit as straight as my wedge . Don’t mind loosing some distance as you can’t make birdies from the trees . Will cut and grip to D7 a nd give myself a chance to lighten the head by back weight or tip stiffer.
Thanks for the feedback you are great club fitter, if I get to go to the USA you are on my radar.
Cheers Greg
please help me i cant get it i hit a 7 iron titleist trispec reg same distance as 85 gram steel or 85 grafit shaft thank you
Irving,
I’m afraid I don’t understand the question.
Best,
Matt
HI,
Is it better to have the same weighted shaft in irons or differing weight like the dg amt? Is there a swing speed/distance marker that may suggest one over the other?
I play a dg amt s300. I get a very high ball flight. Driver swing is 103 mph. 7 iron goes 155 yards but sky high. Could this be a shaft issue?
Thanks
Bob,
Great question, but it’s one without a fixed answer. Some people will perform better with a constant weight, others prefer descending/ascending weight sets. At 103 MPH with the driver, a 155 yard 7I does seem a touch short (depending on the lofts of your irons, that is). I would suggest working with a fitter to find a shaft that will bring your ball flight to a more optimal trajectory.
Best,
Matt
Hi,
I recently purchased irons with KBS S-tape 120 gram shafts. For years (I just turned 59) I have been using lighter weight shafts, but I seem to be hitting these more accurately. I tend to get to overactive with my hands/arms and feel the heavier shafts keep me from casting. I do fear fatigue late in rounds with these but I have not seen it yet. The jump from my previous shafts is over 20 grams. Is this unusual for a guy my age? Thanks
Jim,
There are no hard and fast rules, so I don’t consider anything too unusual. Some people like light, some like heavy. Often there’s no rhyme or reason.
Best,
Matt
Hi,
I recently purchased a new driver and ended up going with a 50g shaft rather than a 60g. I’ve played a couple rounds with it now, and it almost feels too light. I was hitting a wide dispersion of shot, with more fade, almost a slice than normal. I was tested before I bought it, but wasn’t given much feedback and didn’t know 50g was the lightest driver. I’m only 21, have a decent swing speed, and shoot low to mid 40s per 9. Would you recommend changing the shaft to 60g while it is still covered by the golf shop I bought at? Thanks!
Matthew,
So that I can understand the process, why did you opt for the 50 gram in the first place? Did you go through a fitting of some kind?
Best,
Matt
I hit both 50g and 60g into a simulator, and had slightly higher ball speed on 50g, so he thought that would be better. However, I was not aware 50g is the lowest weight. Looking back it probably wasn’t the best fitting, and was wondering your general thought is.
Matthew,
I would go back and see if the 60 gram shaft improves the slice. If not, you might consider other shaft models.
Best,
Matt
I have older Nike graphite R irons. I’m looking at used Callaway Rogue graphite 60IR irons. Is this a senior shaft? If the description is “light” will there be noticeable change? I hit my Nike 7 iron Reg. Shaft about 135. Thanks
Pam,
Since you’re changing flexes and shaft models, there’s no way to know how the new shaft will perform for you. I would make sure to hit the new irons extensively before I purchased them.
-Matt
Hi, I was recently fitted and purchased new mizuno hot metal irons with the modus 105 stiff shaft and standard size lamkin sonar grips. After the first time on the range with the new clubs, I felt
1 more fatigued quicker
2 like the club was not as secure in my hands (more inclined to let it slip)
3my left hand and forearm (I’m a lefty) a bit sore and stiff (the same feel as when u go to the gym and do deadlifts with heavy weight)
4my left shoulder sore afterwards and still sore the next day
My previous clubs were lighter and had a smaller grip size – I could hit them for hours with no fatigue or soreness after or the next day. I’m 36, 5’10, 190 lbs, swing speed for 6 iron is 83 mph.
Golden Question:
Why am I getting fatigued and sore?
1) is the shaft too heavy for me?
2) is the grip too large
3) is the swing weight too heavy (the new set is D4)
4) all of the above?
Thanks,
Mark
Mark,
It sounds like you’re going through an adjustment period. If you went to a good fitter, I’m sure there were good reasons for making the changes to the bigger/heavier set up. I’d give it a few range sessions over a couple weeks before getting too concerned. Unless you have an underlying physical issue, I can’t see why a 36 year old of your size should have an issue with the specs you listed.
Best,
Matt
Gday there, what an awesome thread . After a 20 year break from any golf i was amazed at the process that my fittings involved when i returned to the sport in 2016. Now whilst the numbers clearly gave the fitter some idea where i am at, he couldnt say what i was feeling and i simply couldnt ” feel ” the woods he was fitting me with. SO I went home with a G400 max 9 degree in a regular shaft Alta CB 55, but on course I found it difficult to keep the ball low with good distance. When i was young I carried two drivers, a 7degree to hit off the tee and 11 degree i used as a fairway, much smaller clubheads of course but i had the driver build a bit longer in the shaft and that kept me long enough and straight enough to enjoy the game back in 1997. So ive fixed myself now with a new Hzrdus smoke 65g 6.0 which plays in my G400 Max at 48″ …still going a bit higher than i liked but 40 meters further , longer than i was at age 40… so yay to modern equipment there. After this success i found a comporable driver shaft to fit into my 3 wood so that’s playing 2″ longer now as well and the weight of it feels perfect. I hit both sticks off the deck with ease. Now i was advised by two fitters and the entire internet not to do this … but it has worked. Now I think i need to change my irons as i cant hit the short ones but i doubt thats a shaft issue probably just my lack of turn with any iron under 6. No clue why i hit my 1983 blades better than my 2016 G30s. Oh and I dont really have a question …. just sharing an experience.
Kind Regards Q
ft 5Dear Matt,I was fitted for irons by club champion (AP3s),I used play Mizunos jpx850s.TheAP3 SW is D9 I do not know SW of th mizunos.I tried hitting the mizunos the other day I could not feel the head. I am 73 yrs old 6ft. 5ins .I love the AP3s.But does’t SW seem high. thank you,Charlie Cates
Charles,
D9 is heavier than most off the rack wedges, but there’s nothing right or wrong about any swing weight, particularly when you consider that there are many ways to make a swing weight higher or lower.
-Matt
Hello Matt, I currently swing a D915 with a Fujikura Speeder Pro 74 S-flex. I am interested in knowing the difference in control if I would go to a Fujikura Pro 72 green S-flex. I am not sure which shaft would be better…Help
Todd,
There’s no way for anyone to know that with any certainty. If you’re looking for more performance from your driver, you need to work with a fitter to find what’s best for your swing.
-Matt
Is there much of a difference going from a 130g iron shaft to a 115g iron shaft? I used to play DG S300 in Mizuno MP-57 and switched to the XP-115 in the JPX-850 Forged. I sometimes wonder if I would be better off in the heavier iron shaft.
For reference, I’m 6′, 210lbs (weightlifter), former baseball player, driver SS around 108 (at 90%). I have a flat swing plane with a relatively aggressive transition from the top.
Brian,
In my opinion, anything 10 grams or more is a significant, noticeable change in shaft weight.
As to whether or not you should go lighter or heavier, the only way to know is to work with a fitter and try both head to head.
Best,
Matt
I have been to many fittings over the years and I can tell you from my experience that it is a mix between art and science, I was fitted with 90g graphite shafts for my irons which made me pretty nervous because they were so light. Took me two seasons of trying to get these to work. I could not figure out why some days they were awsome and some days were terrible with bad misses on short irons. I video’ed my swing and saw I was throwing my right hand over the top at the ball and had to compensate for that. Bought some used irons with AMT White S300 shafts and now I can’t miss. Hands and arms fall into the slot more often than not and misses are slight pulls or a push, not a hook into the parking lot. The course is really the true test and a fitting can help but don’t take it as the absolute.
Hi Pro…just purchased a Taylormade M1 2017 new driver from a proshop…clearing old stock for a bargain. Being 56 years old, I am looking for lighter shaft and this Mitsubishi shaft TM1-117 SR doesn’t state the weight of the shaft. Cant find anything on the net too
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Hi. Currently play Nippon Modus3 105 in my irons in stiff flex. Thought about swapping to the 120 stiff which weigh 116, 7.5 grams heavier than the 105s. Think a swap of 7.5 grams in an iron shaft make that much of a difference or would be minimal?
Joe,
If you move to the 120, you’re not only adding weight but also changing the bend profile. If you just want to add weight, look at the 115 or 125.
Best,
Matt
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