When you get to the Golf Academy, the sand in the hourglass starts flowing. You keep your head down for 16 months, and then it’s time to jettison out into the real world so you can start paying back some of those student loans. We’re always talking about ways to differentiate ourselves once we get that first job in the golf industry, and one of the ways to do that is by learning how to be a good club fitter.
One of the first lessons I learned when I arrived at the Academy was the importance of the proper fit. So when Campus Director Tim Eberlein showed up for the first hour of today’s Golf Club Fitting class, it was a review of sorts. That doesn’t mean the class wasn’t full of really useful information. I was taking notes as fast as I possibly could. The bottom line is that before you start teaching someone how to play golf, you should always check his tools first. The better the fit, the faster the improvement.
We check the equipment in other sports we play too. Think about it. In baseball, tennis, basketball, bowling, and even ice skating – the equipment can improve the way we play. Ever get used to playing tennis with a certain racquet, pick up another one, and try to play with it? It’s not that easy. But for some reason, when it comes to golf clubs, we think that length, lie, shaft flex, and grip size don’t really matter. Why is that?
When you get right down to it, once they’re properly fit, the best golfers spend their money on lessons, not on equipment – and they get better! When you’re fit properly, you can dedicate most of your time to practicing shots 100 yards and in (60-65% of all shots per round according to short game guru Dave Pelz), course management, and the mental game.
When you’re not properly fit, you spend your time chasing better consistency. Average golfers, or people who shoot 100 (just 6% of golfers break 80), waste their money buying new clubs off the rack in hopes of fixing their problems. Properly fit, these people will hit the ball better, lose fewer balls, and stay with the game longer because they’re able to make their best possible athletic motion and have the best results.
The club fitting variables are length, lie angle, shaft flex (which controls both distance and direction), head design, loft, grip size, club weight, and face angle. You want to invest in your iron swing because those are the clubs you’re going to be hitting most. Get fitted for wedges next. All of your wedges, from the pitching wedge down to your gap wedge, should be the same length for the most consistent results. Your driver fitting should come last, but once you get fitted for a set of irons, the driver fitting should be easy.
You can get fitted for a putter anytime. In Arizona, two putters – for winter and summer greens – works best. Faster, winter greens require a lighter putter with less loft while slower, summer greens require a heavier putter with more loft.
Golfer’s Guideline to Club Fitting
* A dynamic (while hitting) fit is better than a static (still) fit
* Fit your irons before you fit your driver
* Length influences distance and is determined by the your ability
* Know your lie angle for directional control
* Perimeter weighted, offset head designs are best for the average golfer
* Balance should determine your shaft flex
* More loft is better – the average male golfer should use a 13-degree driver
* Course conditions will determine wedge design
* There’s no such thing as a bigger sweet spot – it’s the size of a pin needle
* Vision (where your eyes fall at address) should determine your putter design
* The proper golf ball can help your game