I have been exploring counterbalancing, for health purposes actually. I am a long time Module 1,2,3 practioner who recently got back into golf after a lengthy hiatus. While doing Mod1 I think I became a little too enthusiastic and stressed the last three fingers of my left hand to a very painful point, only now getting back to normal after a months rest and rehab. Being very new to turning 72 physically (while 27 mentally) is probably much to do with it.
In any case I haven’t tried it yet as it’s too bloody cold in New Jersey. Hiowever I am quite psyched to give it a go. The link to the article from 2004 is:
and the quote that struck me is: “Nicklaus often said the added weight in the handle allowed him to stabilize his hands for a steady acceleration through the ball.”
I would appreciate any responses. Of the many videos I have seen on the subject only one goes into depth, mentioning how it greatly aids accelerating thru the ball, especially if you are prone to flipping.
Several pieces in play here. On bag work get with Lag or Two for guidance if you’re a student. I will offer in general that packed-in arms encountering the bag will go a long way in preventing issues some may find when meeting resistance over extended periods of time.
Increasing dead weight while lowering swing weight makes the feel of swinging an entire club easier, but some like just the opposite. So, it’s more a feel thing with swingers, probably less so with active hitters bringing the shaft in on shaft plane where that small amount of weight is easily overcome.
Adding weight anywhere within the system will act as a drag which can be either good or bad depending on the sequence.
I don’t counterbalance significantly but I do use heavier grips, about 67 grams, and I love it. I have more of a swingers release so what I feel may or may not be relevant to you. If you do it with one club you’ll know after a single range season if it’s for you or not.
I hope you can enjoy injury free golf this coming year.
Something you can try with a couple of clubs is installing the Tour Lock Counter Balance Weights from Golfworks. They come in several different gram options and are extremely simple to install I will leave a link below. What I like about the Tour Lock counterweights is that they also increase the overall weight of the implement while keeping the club balanced and they also increase harmonics which was a great side benefit. Do your research and you might be pleasantly surprised plus you can do a few clubs and find out if you like counter balancing your clubs.
You nailed it RangeRat. I was abusing my left shoulder with the impact bag work, seperating my upper arm from my torso, which resulted in pinching the ulna nerve which runs down to the pinky, ring, and middle fingers. I’m now well on the way to recovery.
I believe I was forgetting it’s not about how hard you smack the bag, rather that you are accelerating at the time.
My small incursion into increasing deadweight has been fantastic. So far I’ve only done one club, but I can feel the grip end so much more, allowing me to more easily put pressure on it thru impact. I am very excited, but not so excited as to venture out into snow and 28* weather to experiment.
Thank you RangeRat for your response and time. All the best!
Yes thank you Blades. I saw those and then I ran across a YouTube video by David Lee explaining how he does it with 1” lead tape. Went onto eBay and got a roll for 1/2 price and went in that direction as it will allow me to fine tune and tinker. Which I do a lot of. Here is the video wiith process and recommendations of how much tape to use on each club. All the best!!!
Yes indeed I have used the David Lee method before in the past. I just don’t like fooling with lead as I get older as much as I did in my younger days.
They might still sell clevis pins at home depot which are great for this purpose. I usually just wrap them in masking tape and friction and blown on a grip with a tire inflator or air compressor.
