Golf Club Selection

Category: Wellness
Published: October 2007

Many golfers carry the belief that they are not good enough for custom fit clubs. The truth is that most players are probably not as good as they could be if they are using clubs that are not properly fitted to their individual swing characteristics. "Custom Fitting" is designed to maximize the performance of a player's equipment and thus increase their overall enjoyment of the game.

Players should understand that every golfer's swing is unique and that equipment needs will vary based upon their size, build, physical limitations, athletic ability and swing characteristics. Getting custom clubs is often compared to buying a tailored suit. Many people have been through the frustration of shopping for clothes "off the rack." You can spend hours trying on clothes, only to get more aggravated when one part fits but the other doesn't. People are just shaped differently. An outfit that looks fantastic on one person can look totally different on someone else. Would anyone buy an expensive suit that sort of fits, or because it looked good on someone else? The tailor will take the time to take the necessary measurements, determine your wants and needs, and make a suit that is custom fit especially for you. The finished product is made exactly for you and it fits perfectly!

The same is true for custom fit clubs. They are made to fit your unique swing characteristics. A professional fitter will take the time to discuss your current equipment, your game, your problems, concerns, goals and whether you have taken lessons or plan to do so. The fitter will typically measure and evaluate your current clubs and then ask you to hit some balls to determine your swing speed, ball speed, launch angle and impact pattern among other things. Then, through a series of steps including physical measurements, computer analysis and performance testing they will identify the optimum shaft, club head characteristics, and grip size that allows you to achieve the very best result for YOUR individual swing. The end result is that customers who go through this process can be sure, through proven scientific data, that they are playing the best combination of equipment and gaining optimal performance results for their swing.

One question that often comes up during fittings is, "What does a launch monitor actually do?" To best explain it, I'll use the "garden hose" analogy. When you turn on the hose, the rate at which the water flows from the end represents "ball speed", and the angle at which you hold the hose represents "launch angle". There is a definite angle that allows the water to carry the furthest from the hose. The same holds true in golf, as there is a definite launch angle that allows the ball to carry its furthest based on the speed at which it leaves the clubface. So, simply put, "launch monitors" capture and measure ball speed, launch angle and spin rate, then calculate carry distance based on that data.

REASONS FOR CLUB FITTING

1. Poorly-fitted golf equipment can affect an otherwise fundamentally sound golf swing by forcing unnecessary swing compensations in an attempt to generate the desired result.
2. Less than fundamentally sound golf swing can be helped considerably by properly fitted equipment that assists the golfer in achieving the desired result.