A word to the wise golfer who’s shopping for new clubs: One size does not fit all.
Browsing the aisles admiring all those shiny irons, drivers and putters, it’s tempting to grab the best-looking or highest-rated sticks, toss them straight into your golf bag, and head for the first tee. But unless you happen to stand 5-foot-9 (for men), with arms of standard length and a swing profile that matches a predetermined plane and speed, your spiffy new set won’t help much.
In fact, it may even send your scores in the wrong direction.
The alternative to buying off-the-rack clubs is to have them custom built by a professional club-fitter. Most often a certified PGA professional, sometimes with experience in the equipment industry, a club-fitter measures a multitude of lengths, angles and speeds to create a set that matches your swing precisely.
Don’t worry, the club-fitter won’t perform any invasive procedures or poke you with needles. He or she will start by accounting for your:
- Gender & age
- Height
- Distance from wrists to floor
- Handicap/skill level, and
- Swing speed
Next is a date with a launch monitor, an amazing device that gathers reams of info by tracking your clubhead as it impacts the ball. Among other stats, the monitor will measure your:
- Clubhead & ball speed
- Angle of launch
- Spin rate & side spin
- Carry distance
- Clubhead approach angle
- Clubface angle (open/square/closed)
It may sound like so much technical mumbo-jumbo, but these tests serve a purpose. Namely, to help the fitter craft clubs with lengths and lies that match your stance and posture, shafts that maximize your clubhead speed, and heads that optimize launch and spin conditions while providing the forgiveness your skills require.
It doesn’t stop with woods and irons – you can get fitted for a putter, too.
The cost of club-fitting varies depending on the depth of analysis provided. An indoor fitting can cost as little as $30, while an intense, all-day session – which may include a 9-hole round with your fitter – may set you back $800 or more.
Is it worth it? Ask any golfer who plays with custom-fit clubs and the answer is invariably yes.
About the author:
- Daniel Mitchell
- Golf journalist and sportswriter
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