As we get deeper into the offseason for many of our northern friends it’s time to think about some things we can be working on to have our game ready for spring. In an upcoming issue we’ll discuss speed training and other things you can and should be working on - but this week let’s touch on club fitting and how the right sticks can make a dramatic impact on your game, your scores, and your handicap.

Perfecting Your Swing: The Power of Custom Club Fitting

Why Get Fit?

Golf is a game of precision, technique, and finesse. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a weekend warrior, the quest for that perfect swing is an eternal pursuit. Amidst the hours spent practicing on the range and perfecting your putting stroke, there’s one aspect that often gets overlooked but holds tremendous potential for enhancing your game: custom club fitting.

The concept of custom fitting golf clubs has gained substantial traction over the years, and for good reason. Gone are the days of buying off-the-rack clubs and hoping they match your swing. Today, professional club fitters are using cutting-edge technology and expertise to tailor clubs specifically to an individual's unique swing characteristics.

One of the fundamental elements of a custom fit is finding the right combination of club head and shaft. These components act as the heartbeat of your golf club, dictating crucial factors such as distance, accuracy, and consistency. A club head that suits your swing speed, launch angle, and spin rate can result in remarkable improvements in both distance and dispersion.

Studies have shown that a well-fitted driver alone can add yards to your shots. For instance, a Golf Digest study reported an average distance gain of 17 yards for players who underwent a professional club fitting. Moreover, a reduction in dispersion, the variance in shot direction, was observed, leading to tighter shot groupings and ultimately lower scores. My last driver fitting picked up 34 yards and created a much tighter shot pattern. Granted, this was moving on from 10+ year old driver technology, but perhaps the greater optimization was getting the right shaft for my particular swing.

However, it’s not just the driver that benefits from customization. Every club in your bag, including wedges and putters, plays a crucial role in your game. Tailoring each club to your swing can lead to improved ball striking, better spin control, and increased confidence in your short game.

Am I Good Enough for a Fitting?

Quick answer is yes. Most people mistakenly think you need to be a low single digit or scratch golfer - but the reality is that higher handicap golfers can often benefit a lot more from a proper fitting than a really good golfer. A low handicap player can often make adjustments to compensate for a club that is not quite right for them. Their tweaks to equipment are often minor as they look to shave off a stroke or two per round. (Think about the scratch guy you know who walks into a TopGolf, picks up their crappy-ass clubs, and still smokes one to the fence.) But a mid-to-high handicapper simply can’t make those adjustments - so having a quality club fitting can help deliver a set of sticks that can offset some of their poor tendencies. (Think draw-biased heads or hybrids instead of long irons, etc.) As you pick up yards and tighten dispersion you can adjust your set with your fitter to accommodate changes in your swing as you get better. And with all we know about Strokes Gained these days, there is ZERO argument that distance doesn’t matter - it does. And picking up any can lower your handicap.

What do I Look For?

First off, let’s start with what to look for in a fitter. Larger markets tend to have tons of options including more popular chains like Club Champion and Golftec, while smaller markets and rural areas may not have a quality fitter close by. However, given how much a set of clubs can cost, it’s worth traveling if necessary to find a good fitter. Although I live in a large metroplex (Dallas, TX), I prefer using a local mom-and-pop shop guy who is used by tour professionals and elite amateurs - he simply knows his shit. Many of the larger national groups have gotten reputations of trying to upsell the hell out of everything - particularly shafts. My best advice would be to go on some of the golf forums in your area and ask for recommendations - those boards can be brutally honest and you will quickly hone in on who is well respected in your market vs. who is simply trying to make a fast buck.

When doing your research, make SURE they are using launch monitors to help assess what you are testing. (Gone are the days of the old guy standing behind you on the range eye-balling the flight saying, “Yeah, that looks good.”) Bottom line, I am a firm believer that they should be using the best technology currently available - which is either Trackman or GC Quad/GC Hawk (Foresight). Ask questions when you are looking around. Smaller shops may be using Uneekor, Full Swing, SkyTrack or some other, lower-priced launch monitor - they simply are not as accurate as Trackman or GC Quad. If that’s all you can find nearby it’s better than nothing…but again, a club fitting is worth a little windshield time if necessary. Do NOT get a fitting from someone that doesn’t use a high-quality launch monitor as part of the process. I don’t care how many years they’ve been doing it, no-one can detect the amount of spin or launch angle metrics without tech.

Also, try to find a fitter that is brand agnostic and reps multiple different brands. I recently attended a fitting with a friend for a well-known, LOUD brand at their brick and mortar store (where ONLY that brand was available). He brought me so I could bird-dog what they were trying to sell him. To say they skewed the results is an understatement. Big sales pitch, selective data shown or discarded….at the end of the day, his current clubs actually produced more distance and a tighter dispersion - but they never would have told him that…

To Pay or Not to Pay?

I do NOT agree with My Golf Spy’s opinion that club fitting should be “free” and that you shouldn’t pay for a fitting. Just like anything else in life, you get what you pay for… A talented, quality fitter has years of knowledge, and has invested in the best technology to determine the best fit for you - there is a cost to that including their time. A typical fitting is 60 minutes, and just like a good attorney, you should pay for their time and opinion. I wouldn’t take free legal or accounting advice, and I don’t want free club fitting advice either. When you pay a fair price for a fitter’s time (typically $100-$200 depending on how much of the bag is being reviewed and how much time they are dedicating to you), they can give you accurate, unbiased advice that isn’t dependent on you choosing a particular brand or buying something to justify their time. A great fitter who has been paid for his/her time will have no qualms about telling you that your current 3-wood performs better than anything else you have tested that day!

I would also be careful of using the big-box stores that have a “free” fitting service. If that’s your only option just make sure to do some research and ask lots of questions. Just like teaching professionals, there are exceptional fitters, and there are dudes just working at a PGA Superstore who know nothing about fitting, launch monitors, club equipment and the latest tech.

How Does it Work?

After you warm up, a typical club fitting session involves a series of comprehensive assessments. It begins with an analysis of your current equipment, evaluating factors such as club length, lie angle, and grip size. Establishing a baseline with your existing clubs is crucial to measuring any improvement in different combinations. The vast majority of amateur golfers have zero clue on how far they actually hit every club. Most tend to exaggerate either through ego or true lack of understanding. Carry distance is key - particularly when it comes to irons and wedges.

Based on this data, the club fitter can suggest modifications or entirely new club setups that are precisely tuned to optimize your performance. Adjustments to shaft flex, clubhead design, and even grip type are fine-tuned to complement your unique swing characteristics.

A quality fitter should be able to make adjustments quickly on the fly. The really good ones can tell within 2-3 swings if that club/shaft works for you or not… And they move on quickly so you do not tire yourself out with meaningless swings.

And speaking of tiring quickly, I’m not a fan of trying to fit the entire bag all at once (unless maybe you’ve traveled for the fitting and have a limited time window). Driver fittings in particular can be tiring (you’re trying to hit it as hard and far as possible, right??) - so it can be difficult to combine that with irons without getting sloppy and making poor swings. The more your fitting swing resembles your on-course swing the better - you don’t want to get tired and start making swings you don’t typically make on the course.

My personal preference is the following:

• Driver fitting on its own

• Fairway wood and hybrids

• Irons

• Wedges

• Putter

To be fair, that can be expensive and is probably a bit persnickety - but I really prefer to be fresh and have focus for each session. You could certainly combine Drive/Fairway Woods and do Irons/Wedges/Putter in another fitting.

As far as indoor vs. outdoor fitting - I think both are fine as long as they have a Trackman or GC Quad, weather is not a factor, AND THEY ARE USING PREMIUM GOLF BALLS. Fitting with range balls is absolutely no bueno!! For that reason, I prefer an indoor fitting for everything other than wedges. For the short game, turf interaction, bounce and other factors are best judged greenside and not on a simulator.

The impact of these adjustments can be transformative. Players often report increased confidence in their swing, greater consistency in ball striking, and a noticeable improvement in their overall game after a custom fitting session.

Beyond the tangible performance benefits, a tailored club fitting experience offers a psychological edge. Knowing that your equipment is optimized for your game can instill a newfound level of confidence, allowing you to approach each shot with greater assurance and focus.

In a prior issue we talked about launch monitors and some of the important data points used to help dial in a swing. This same information is what a good club fitter will use to find the right tech for YOUR SWING. The head and shaft combination that works for your buddy or the tour pro on TV will likely NOT be the best combo for your swing. Swings are like fingerprints, and everyone’s is different. Swing speed, how you load the shaft, how you release it, turf interaction, etc., can all have a very dramatic effect on which clubs are right for you. The fitter can guide you through this very complex process.

In conclusion, while the pursuit of the perfect swing in golf may be an ongoing journey, custom club fitting presents a tangible and impactful way to enhance your performance.

• Do some research to find the best fitter in your area.

• Make sure they have a high-quality launch monitor.

• Find a fitter that supports and fits for multiple brands - not a single brand.

• Pay a fair price for your fitting.

• Don’t try to fit an entire bag in one sitting. If you can afford it, start with a Driver one session, then woods, irons, wedges and putter each in separate sessions.

• Don’t bring preconceived ideas into what brand/model you want. Be open-minded and let the data drive the decision. Obviously looks and sound are important - but let performance guide the process.

• Make sure your agreement with the fitter includes doing a gapping session when you pick up your new clubs. Since you typically only hit a 6 or 7 iron when fitting irons, you may need to adjust lofts and lies to make sure your gaps between your new set are consistent.

By understanding the importance of matching club heads and shafts to your individual swing characteristics, golfers of all levels can unlock their true potential on the course. So, before your next round, consider investing in a professional club fitting session. It might just be the key to unlocking your best game yet.

Swing hard in case you hit it…

Watch a Club Fitting Done the Right Way:

Since we’re talking club fitting, do yourself a favor and follow these YouTube channels to see how a fitting is done the correct way. We’ve talked about both of these guys before in prior issues - but both Club Champion in Canada (formerly TXG) and Trottie (with Taylor Made), are tour-quality fitters that perform their magic with the best players in the world - as well as the everyday hack.