Counterbalancing helps reduce the natural movement in the clubhead that inevitably happens while swinging golf clubs. This movement can’t be stopped but can be controlled with counterbalancing. You can do this when getting fitted for your putter.
A club fitter will have you try a putter, and then they can add different weighted sticks inside the top of the club shaft. The purpose is to find an ideal putter weight for you and counterbalance that weight with the weighted sticks in the shaft.
With the right counterbalance, you will find that your speed control gets significantly better. Counterbalancing offers more stability. The more weight you have in the top of your shaft, the more it will bring you to the center balance of the club. This changes the feel of the club. The extra weight offers more control over the clubs.
It also allows the momentum of the clubhead to do different things a lot easier. There are, in fact, many players that counterbalance all of their clubs. Jack Nicklaus used lead tape to wrap on the inside of the shaft. Adding more weight to the top of the shaft allows you to pivot the club better when you swing the club. This counterbalance makes that easier to do.
Mike suggests that the value of counterbalancing comes down to how it feels. It can create a sensation that makes you hit the ball better. Many players counterbalance their putters; some also do their irons and drivers. Mike puts lead tape on the end of his drivers but not on his irons.
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12 Comments
I love your flat cat putter grip. I have excaly same from on my ping Pal putter and I do have a bit weight on my putter as well 😁
Hi Mike I really appreciate all the videos that you put out on YouTube I watch them all and it helped me out tremendously from a 1617 handicapper down to a nine I really appreciate it keep it coming Mike and thank you..
OK, if I try what you say works then how much weight is needed to counter balance a club and where do you place these added weights such as top, bottom, or sides. I also understand the some companies offer weights for counter balancing.
I have replaced my Lamkin grips of M6 irons and driver with CPx Golf Pride midsize grips. They have a weight of 66 grams versus the 45 grams of the Lamkin. This, to me, is like adding lead tape to the end of the shaft. Between the feel of grip and the new weight, I feeling like I am swing the club a lot better. Best improvement was with the driver by not slicing it.
XXIO comes with counter balanced grips in their drivers and woods as standard. I definitely prefer the feel if swinging a counter balanced driver.
Interesting. I know this is never mentioned in the reviews, but the Ping G425 Max with the stock Alta CB shaft is counterbalanced with an 8 gram weight in the butt end. I own the G425 Max and the G400 Max. I notice a difference in my launch. Thanks for sharing this. I think it matters, since I have firsthand knowledge of it.
P.S. I know it's there, because I regrip my own clubs and it fell out.
If a counterweight in the butt end does anything it would affect the balance point of the club shaft as you feel it in the grip. It should also increase the moment of inertia of the club which could affect your acceleration, except that the moment arm of the counterweight is so small that it should have negligible effect compared to the mass of the club head which is at the end of a much longer moment arm.
An Edel putter fitting instructor used a 50gr weight 3” down my putter shaft
I need this. My irons feel numb. I can't feel the clubhead and I believe this would help that feeling…
Mike, iv'e talked to Nicklaus's club guy from back in the day. he would put a wooden dowel in the butt of the club and then pour the lead into the void made after drilling. Putter counter balancing, Ive always thought the act of putting more weight on the butt of the putter was a great thing as it helped over ride some of the smaller twitchy muscles giving the feeling you described. Long drive guys used to back weight drivers for the lever action for a bit more speed.
I been back weighting since 2000, I use 20 to 30 grams in woods, 28 to 40 grams in irons. With my slower swing speed I feel it help me hit it farther and straighter, plus I like the feel.
Great video. I like to back weight my driver because it does “feel” like I can swing it faster and release it better however I hate it when it comes to the putter. The head loses all its stability because it becomes so light I find it hard to take it back steadily and hit my line.