Back weighting of golf clubs (putting weight underneath the grip or inside the top of the shaft) is a subject that few professionals and even fewer amateurs know much about, but it can have a profoundly positive effect on the performance of your clubs.
One compelling reason for writing on this subject is that in recent weeks there have been advertisements on television where Jack Nicklaus has been endorsing the process of back-weighting. I’ve never heard him mention it during his years on the tour, nor until just recently. In 1977, I had the opportunity to spend some time working with Jack on his golf swing, and as a gesture of appreciation, he asked his personal clubmaker, Jack Woolcotti, to build a set of MacGregor irons for me. Mr. Woolcotti had his own private little shop which was quite a fascinating place. The first question, he asked, after we met was what specs I wanted on the set he was to build for me. Almost hesitantly (because I had never heard anyone talk about it before) I told him that I liked my clubs to have weight under the grips because I felt that a back-weighted club had better balance. He looked at me in an astonished manner and remarked “I can’t believe you said that – I’ve put extra weight under the grip on practically every club I’ve ever made for Jack – but I’ve never told anyone.”
When a club is back-weighted, it feels more stable in the hands and moves more comfortably through the change of direction during the swing. If the club is too light in the grip, it is easy for the clubhead to leverage the hands out-of-plane if the swing is not in perfect timing. Having extra weight in the grip also helps to launch the club with greater speed at the point of wrist release coming into impact. My friend and student, Denny Schreiner, who was formerly with the Golf Channel, used to be president of a company in Akron, Ohio, called DNA Golf Labs. A few years ago, I asked Denny to do some testing on back-weighted drivers, which he did, and told me that each one he tested hit the ball nine to ten yards farther than without the back-weighting.
The bottom line is that there is definitely something to be gained from doing it. It can be done with lead-foil tape under the grip or with weighted inserts that go inside the shaft before the grip is installed. Check with a golf shop that does club repair and get them to try it on one of your drivers. You might be surprised as to how good it feels.
For step by step instructions on how to back weight your own clubs CLICK HERE Do you think you are a serious golfer?
Well please visit our online store Golf Store to learn more techniques about using GRAVITY in your golf swing its that easy!
For step by step instructions on how to back weight your own clubs CLICK HERE Do you think you are a serious golfer?
Well please visit our online store Golf Store to learn more techniques about using GRAVITY in your golf swing its that easy!
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Thanks Mr. Lee for sharing this. I was wondering about this when I saw a recent ad about this. I think I might just try this! - Aaron
ReplyDeleteDavid-
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting. There was a guy in Palm Springs that put weights in the driver shaft right at the top of the grip. I felt it made my club a little more stable. I always like to hear that you endorse it, as I was not sure how it affected the Gravity Swing. Thanks for your input on this one.
Darcy Dill