Swingweight - What is it and How does it affect me?

Golf is no different than numerous other industries that rely on specialized terminology to function.  Swingweight is one of the most used terms and one of the least understood.  So what exactly is "swingweight"?  The technical definition according to Tom Wishon:

"Golf club swingweight is the measurement of a golf club's distribution of mass about a fulcrum point that is established at a specified distance from the grip end of the club."

Sounds pretty simple, right?  Uh huh.  In layman's terms swingweight is an arbitrary measurement of how heavy the head end of a club feels in the golfers hands.  I say arbitrary because of the measurement system that is used.  Most scales use a 14" fulcrum or balance point meaning that the pivot point of the scale is 14" from the grip end of the club.  Early scales originally measured in real units called inch/ounces that were later "converted" to an arbitrary scale using a letter-number designation.  The FEEL or sensation of the clubhead becoming heavier increases as the letter-number designation increases such as from C8 to D2.

Ok, now that the definition is as clear as mud, How does swingweight affect me?
Swingweight is a measure of feel of a golf club.  If you have 14 clubs in the bag, wouldn't you want them to all feel and perform similarly?  By matching the swingweights of the clubs in your set, they should all feel very similar during the swing.  Your 3 iron should not feel noticeably different from your 9 iron in a swingweight matched set.  Each club that you pick up creates a specific stimulus or feel to which your body must react in order to execute a golf swing.  If the swingweight of one club is too heavy, the body must create a compensation move outside of the golfer's ideal motion in order to execute a golf swing.  The same applies to a swingweight being too light for a particular golfer's swing.  You get the point.  Swingweight is just one of the tools at a skilled clubmaker's disposal that can be used to create a consistent set of well matched clubs to help you play your best golf.

Fairways and Greens,

Musclebak