Golf Pros: are there regulations regarding how heavy a driver can be?

[PlatinumGold]

my friend just gave me a nice yonex driver. it's an older club so the head isn't oversized. it's nice. i like the balance but what i would really like is to add a bit of lead tape to the head and make it a bit heavier.

it would seem to me that with a slightly heavier club, if i can maintain the same level of control and swing speed, i could increase the distance of my drives.

is this cheating?

 

[Pacfanweb]

It isn't cheating, but the lighter the club is, the faster you can swing it, and swing speed is where distance comes from. (Assuming a straight shot)

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb
It isn't cheating, but the lighter the club is, the faster you can swing it, and swing speed is where distance comes from. (Assuming a straight shot)

my problem is i'm big, strong and not very quick. i get decent head speed but not maximum head speed.

if i were to maintain the same head speed and control with a heavier club, wouldn't the ball go farther?

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
my friend just gave me a nice yonex driver. it's an older club so the head isn't oversized. it's nice. i like the balance but what i would really like is to add a bit of lead tape to the head and make it a bit heavier.

it would seem to me that with a slightly heavier club, if i can maintain the same level of control and swing speed, i could increase the distance of my drives.

is this cheating?

I "believe" you aren't able to modify the club in that way.

but generally a lighter driver means a longer drive - faster clubhead speed. If anything making it heavier will decrease clubhead speed, meaning not as far.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
my friend just gave me a nice yonex driver. it's an older club so the head isn't oversized. it's nice. i like the balance but what i would really like is to add a bit of lead tape to the head and make it a bit heavier.

it would seem to me that with a slightly heavier club, if i can maintain the same level of control and swing speed, i could increase the distance of my drives.

is this cheating?

I "believe" you aren't able to modify the club in that way.

but generally a lighter driver means a longer drive - faster clubhead speed. If anything making it heavier will decrease clubhead speed, meaning not as far.

you are missing the point.

i think i can swing a heavier club the same speed i'm swinging my light club. IF that were true, would the ball go farther.

my elementary physics tells me it would.

 

[Dacalo]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
my friend just gave me a nice yonex driver. it's an older club so the head isn't oversized. it's nice. i like the balance but what i would really like is to add a bit of lead tape to the head and make it a bit heavier.

it would seem to me that with a slightly heavier club, if i can maintain the same level of control and swing speed, i could increase the distance of my drives.

is this cheating?

I "believe" you aren't able to modify the club in that way.

but generally a lighter driver means a longer drive - faster clubhead speed. If anything making it heavier will decrease clubhead speed, meaning not as far.

you are missing the point.

i think i can swing a heavier club the same speed i'm swinging my light club. IF that were true, would the ball go farther.

my elementary physics tells me it would.

If you are able to swing a heavier club at the same speed as the lighter one, then yes, the distance would be farther.

 

[wkabel23]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
my friend just gave me a nice yonex driver. it's an older club so the head isn't oversized. it's nice. i like the balance but what i would really like is to add a bit of lead tape to the head and make it a bit heavier.

it would seem to me that with a slightly heavier club, if i can maintain the same level of control and swing speed, i could increase the distance of my drives.

is this cheating?

I "believe" you aren't able to modify the club in that way.

but generally a lighter driver means a longer drive - faster clubhead speed. If anything making it heavier will decrease clubhead speed, meaning not as far.

you are missing the point.

i think i can swing a heavier club the same speed i'm swinging my light club. IF that were true, would the ball go farther.

my elementary physics tells me it would.

yes, and I don't think it's cheating.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

1) You can modify a club with lead tape, lead weight slugs, tungsten powder down the shaft or any other method you want. There are no upper weight limits or lower weight limits. While not practical, you can have a driver that weighs 10 pounds or 2 ounces if you want.
2) You CANNOT modify a club during a round. Adding or removing the tape between holes is a no-no.
3) You need to add a lot of tape to seriously alter the clubs feel or playing characteristics. On a typical 200 gram driver head adding 5 pieces of tape would accomplish nothing.
4) Making the head heavier effectively reduces shaft flex as the greater weight causes more deflection.
5) To add enough weight to make a difference you're going to drive the swingweight completely off the scale. Balance of clubs is very important and changing one to that degree will make it feel like no other club in the set and like no other club you've ever hit. It might be unplayable due to how different it feels.
6) Despite what you *think* is going to happen you're not going to swing a heavier club as fast as you're going to swing a lighter one. Period.
7) The greater mass in the head will be offset by the slower swing and will not produce more distance.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
1) You can modify a club with lead tape, lead weight slugs, tungsten powder down the shaft or any other method you want. There are no upper weight limits or lower weight limits. While not practical, you can have a driver that weighs 10 pounds or 2 ounces if you want.
2) You CANNOT modify a club during a round. Adding or removing the tape between holes is a no-no.
3) You need to add a lot of tape to seriously alter the clubs feel or playing characteristics. On a typical 200 gram driver head adding 5 pieces of tape would accomplish nothing.
4) Making the head heavier effectively reduces shaft flex as the greater weight causes more deflection.
5) To add enough weight to make a difference you're going to drive the swingweight completely off the scale. Balance of clubs is very important and changing one to that degree will make it feel like no other club in the set and like no other club you've ever hit. It might be unplayable due to how different it feels.
6) Despite what you *think* is going to happen you're not going to swing a heavier club as fast as you're going to swing a lighter one. Period.
7) The greater mass in the head will be offset by the slower swing and will not produce more distance.

cool

I'd still like to try it tho.

 

[PlatinumGold]

ok, after going out to the driving range more than a few times recently, i've concluded that i hit better with heavier clubs. i just have a better feel for where the club head is with a heavier club, and i drive farther.

 

[CubicZirconia]

Taylormade R7 Quad

Check out that club. It's designed to let you add and remove weights to adjust distance and trajectory.

 

[Mandos]

This is a very hip thread.