Swing Weight

Equipment

Swing weight is a measure of how heavy a golf club feels when you swing it, which depends on how its weight is distributed, not on its total weight. It is expressed on a letter-and-number scale from A0 to G9, and most adult clubs sit somewhere in the C and D range.

How the scale works

The standard (Lorythmic) scale balances the club on a fulcrum 14 inches from the butt of the grip and measures the turning force of everything beyond it. Each swing weight point is about 1.75 inch-ounces, roughly 50 gram-inches, of that force. The points run A0 to A9, then B0 to B9, and so on, so D2 is two points heavier than D0 and C9 is one point lighter.

Two clubs with the same total weight can have very different swing weights: move weight towards the head and the swing weight rises; move it towards the grip and it falls.

What changes swing weight (rules of thumb)

Head weight: about 2 grams added to the head is about 1 point heavier.
Length: making a club half an inch longer adds about 3 points, because the head moves further from the fulcrum.
Grip: a lighter grip raises swing weight, roughly 1 point for every 4 to 5 grams lighter; a heavier or oversize grip lowers it.
Lead tape on the head is the usual way to add points; weight in the butt end is the usual way to remove them.

Does swing weight matter?

It matters most for consistency: clubs in a set that feel alike are easier to time. It is a feel measure, so treat one-point differences as small and judge any change by strike and start line, not by the number alone. Some fitters match clubs by moment of inertia (MOI) instead of swing weight; both aim at the same goal of consistent feel.

How to measure it at home

You need two numbers: the total weight of the club and its balance point (the distance from the butt end at which it balances on a thin edge). From those, the torque about the 14-inch fulcrum and therefore the swing weight can be calculated. Our Swing Weight Calculator does the arithmetic and also estimates what a head, grip, shaft or length change will do.