In your description of the two different clubs, although the swingweight is the same, because has a lot of butt weight and and heavier head and the other does not, they will not feel the same. In our schools, we use a example of two clubs with the exactly the same swingweight, but one of them weighs 5 pounds and the other weights 10 ounces. So obviously there are different ways to manipulate the weight distribution to get the swingweight scale to a reading. Swingweight should be used as a reference for consistency and feel, for sure, but the overall weight and the weight distribution of the club plays a big role in how the overall club will feel. As far as balance point, there is no one “optimal” balance point. The weight of the components and the distribution of the weight in the shaft, along with the length of the club will determine where the balance point is. Once you find the feel of a club you like, that’s what you should try to duplicate throughout the set. Obviously the feel of a driver and the feel of irons in a set will be different, but there should be a “feel” in each of your clubs that you are comfortable with. You just have to experiment and find it.
Britt Lindsey