10 reasons to be fitted
TEN REASONS YOU CAN’T AFFORD NOT TO BE CUSTOM FITTED
OK, it’s time to buy a new set of clubs…You have a ton of choices….your local pro shop, ebay, internet stores, big box discounters and custom clubmakers – just to name a few. Regardless of your final buying location, you’ll be much better off by having your new set custom fitted for you in person by a fitting professional. Not ready for a new set yet? Why not go to that same fitting professional and check out what performance upgrades might be available for your current set – especially if it wasn’t custom fitted for you when you purchased the clubs in the first place. The key element is that your clubs – new or your current set – fit you.
Here are ten reasons you can’t afford to not make that happen…
10. YOU’LL HIT HIS IRONS STRAIGHTER
The vast majority of golfers are using irons with incorrect lies. A miss-matched lie of just a degree or two can mean directional issues of more than a couple of yards. While it may not be a big deal to hit a #3 iron off line by 4 yards, that same accuracy problem with a wedge may mean the difference between a birdie putt and a sand wedge shot. A simple lie board test that will take only a few minutes can immediately identify directional issues due to your irons and hybrids – making sure you have the proper lies on these clubs will immediately make it easier for you to hit the ball more accurately.
9. YOUR DISTANCE CONTROL WILL IMPROVE
While the clubs are bing adjusted for proper lie angle, the lofts should be checked at the same time. Lofts that are consistently gapped will make sure you hit each iron a consistent distance and that distances between clubs are consistent as well. Do you have two irons in your set that you seem to hit almost the same distance? It may have nothing to do with your swing if the lofts of the clubs are “off.” Making certain your lofts are correct virtually guarantees better iron control. And remember that lofts and lies can get out of adjustment through every day play – having them checked at least once a year is a wise idea.
8. YOU WILL DRIVE THE BALL LONGER AND STRAIGHTER
There are literally hundreds of driver choices on the market today. Golfers are inundated with advertisements from every golf company touting their driver as the longest in history. Look for a fitting center that has a launch monitor that can show you launch angle, ball velocity and spin in addition to clubhead speed. You should be able to try a number of head and shaft combinations from a variety of manufacturers in order to determine which combination provides the best combination of distance and accuracy. If you have not been on a launch monitor yet, you’re well behind the fitting and game improvement curve!
7. YOUR WEDGE GAME WILL IMPROVE
How many wedges do you carry? Do you know for sure what the loft is on each of them? What about the bounce? Have your fitting expert make sure the loft gaps are consistent and there is no duplication of lofts in your wedges. Just because a wedge may say SW, GW or UW for example does not necessarily ensure that the lofts are evenly gapped. Plus, a look at the bounce on your wedges is a good idea. More bounce is better for courses with soft sand, while less is good for harder sand and firmer fairways. Checking and making any necessary adjustments to loft and bounce of your wedges should immediately will improve your short game.
6. PUTTING WILL GET BETTER
Most golfers are OK with the concept of custom fitted equipment. What they often ignore is the fitting of the single most used club in the bag, the putter. An increasing number of companies are offering putter fitting as a custom option. By ensuring the lie, length and loft of your putter matches your swing, accuracy, distance control and feel will improve. Your fitting professional should show you putters of various weight and balance positions in addition to the previously mentioned specifications. If you haven’t been fitted for a putter before or if you like your current putter, but it just doesn’t perform like you think it should, look into putter fitting – the repeating sound of the ball going in to the hole will be well worth your time!
5. YOUR CLUBS WILL FEEL BETTER
When your shoes and clothing fits you, it feels good. The same applies to golf equipment. When shafts and grips match a player, the clubs “feel good” and the player’s perception of the game is improved. A conservative estimate by industry experts has more than 50% of players using shafts that are too stiff and/or grips that are not the proper size. By matching shafts and grips to the golfer, feel improves and likely ball flight does as well. Your clubfitter, using feedback information from you combined with launch monitor data, will be bale to offer you options that will improve the feel of your equipment leading to lower scores.
4. YOUR MODERN CLUBS WILL MATCH YOUR MODERN SWING
Regardless of how good of a player you are, if your clubs do not match your swing, game improvement is compromised. This is especially true if you have clubs – especially a driver – that is 10 or more years old. Equipment technology has grown by leaps and bounds over the past decade and that equipment has made it easier for you to shoot lower scores. Hybrids, high-MOI drivers, higher launch shafts and lower/deeper center of gravity heads have improved the game for most players in recent years. Make your scoring ability improve by modernizing your equipment with the help of your fitting professional.
3. YOU’LL SAVE MONEY BY BUYING WHAT”S RIGHT FOR YOUR SWING AND NOT THE LATEST NEW CLUBS FROM COMPANY “X”
How often have you purchased the latest and greatest golf club only to find out that a few weeks later it didn’t improve your game and now it’s a used club worth less than half of what you paid for it? We’ve all been in that situation before, but by being fitted properly the chances of that happening are greatly diminished. During the fitting you will be hitting a club that will at least be very close to what you will be buying – if you can hit the club outdoors, it will further reinforce the fact that the club will be suited to your swing. Custom fitted equipment will actually save you money since you know what you are buying will work for you and you won’t have to be continually searching – and paying for – that mythical magic club that never really exists!
2. YOU’LL LEARN SOMETHING DURING THE FITTING
During the fitting, the fitting professional should be telling you what he or she is doing. You’ll likely learn how club specifications influence ball flight and what adjustments in those specifications do to improve your game. You’ll be exposed to the latest in equipment technology related to heads, shafts and grips and you’ll be able to determine what technology works best for you. Ask the fitter any questions you may have; nearly all clubfitters are happy to talk about their craft. You’ll come away from the fitting not only with a better set of clubs, but with more knowledge of equipment and how it works best for you.
1. AND THE NUMBER ONE REASON TO BE CUSTOM FITTED…YOU’LL PLAY BETTER GOLF!!!
Properly fitted golf clubs are matched to your unique swing. You wouldn’t buy a suit or a wedding dress without making sure it fit would you? The same applies to golf equipment. There are thousands of clubs on the market today – without being fitted to determine which of those clubs is right for you, your game is bound to suffer unless you get really lucky and pick the right clubs off the rack. If you want to play better golf, take a trip to a good club fitting establishment and let them analyze your swing and your current equipment and make any necessary changes or recommendations for improvement. If you want to play better, there is no substitute for custom fitting.