Club Fitting

Can a club-fitting improve your golf game?

Yes, a professional club-fitting can definitely improve your golf game, and I will tell you how. Club-fitting is very important, not only to the scratch golfer or touring pro, but also to intermediate or beginning amateurs as well. Imagine playing basketball with shoes that are 3 sizes too big. You may still be able to play, maybe even play well, but you would have a very hard time consistently playing your best. This analogy holds true for golf as well, you can play golf with equipment that is not properly fit for you, but you cannot consistently play to your potential.

What is a club-fitting? I define a club-fitting as the “art” and “science” of matching the specifications of equipment to individuals. The “science” is the mathematical and physical adjustments with a regard to a club’s lie angle, shaft type, club-head and so forth. It is the testing of these different components to match the individual’s motion. The most important thing that a professional club-fitter will look at while fitting a set of clubs is ball flight. When a student can see and understand their ball flight, learning will take place. It is imperative that the teaching be undertaken outdoors where the feedback from changes in the configuration of the fitting equipment can immediately be seen and felt. Hitting a golf ball from a mat into a net 3 feet away is not going to give you any information that can be helpful. Does the golf ball balloon into the air and have too much backspin? Does the ball draw or cut and how many yards in either direction? Feedback from ball flight is the most important data a teacher can have for diagnosing which equipment is best for the student.

By “art” I mean the analysis of the motion. Fitting clubs is somewhat intuitive and deals with things like “feel”. Things like a player’s injuries or physical limitations, their tendencies or desires, also make fitting an art. A good fitting session determines the optimum specifications for each club in your bag and will give you the best chance to hit straight, consistent golf shots every time you play.

Now that I have explained to you the “art” and “science” of club fitting, allow me to explain to you how a club-fitting can improve your golf game. I would estimate that 85% of players are using equipment that inhibits an athletic motion, to a greater or lesser degree. It could be that the woods and irons don’t match, the driver does not have enough loft, the lies are off, or the weight and/or material needs changing. There are many potential problems or combinations of problems. Data shows that about 80% of properly fitted players get better, and 8% become extremely improved. Often times poor equipment will lead to bad habits or poor motion in the golf swing. I am a believer that equipment effects motion, when a player must compensate or manipulate his/her motion to make up for poor equipment, this will only lead to bad habits that become very difficult to break. When your equipment is fit to your natural motion, the player does not have to manipulate his/her golf swing and it becomes much easier to hit the ball straight. And since golf is a target oriented game, hitting the ball straight is the ultimate reward. This would be a good time to mention that players seeking out a teacher should ask if the teacher is also an equipment expert, because a teacher without this background most likely will have to teach compensations rather than correct the cause of many problems. If your teacher understands how equipment can affect motion, this will save you a lot of time and extra lessons ($$) and will help you find the root problem as soon as possible. A little direction, a reward system and properly fitted golf clubs can go a long way to improving your overall play.

Let me give you an example of how poor equipment can affect your golf game. Suppose your irons have lies that are too upright. This can have many different effects on all different aspects of your game. With an upright lie I often see weak grip positions, alignment right of the target, high finishes, out-to-in paths, high shots, divots that are heel deep and face angles that are open at address. All of these problems will lead to the player compensating with his/her motion to hit the ball straight. These compensations will lead to poor mechanics and this will lead to inconsistent play. How many times have you played terrific one day, only to turn around two days later and hit the ball terribly. There is a very simple equation for this, poor equipment= poor mechanics=inconsistency.

I am not placing 100% of the blame for poor play on equipment. I have heard the saying that a bad carpenter blames his tools, but even a good carpenter would have a hard time with poor tools. Taking lessons from a P.G.A. Professional who will develop a lesson plan, practicing what the instructor has taught you, and having the right equipment is the formula for success. What I am saying is that before you make a substantial investment in equipment, and sometimes this can be upwards of $1,000.00 for just a set of irons, you should go and see a trained P.G.A. Professional and make sure that you are buying equipment that will not only help you improve your golf game, but will allow you to have a golf experience that is enjoyable.

My name is Chip Weisgerber and I am the Director of Golf at Quail Creek @ Coastal Carolina University. For more information or questions, email me at Chip@coastal.edu or call 843-349-6600.

"An interesting thing about golf is that no matter how badly you play, it is always possible to get worse"   - Chi-Chi Rodriguez