Keys to a Golf Club Fitting

Once you understand the basics of the Gear Guide, you need to understand what is involved with a Custom fitting. As club technology has improved over the years, so has the importance of getting custom fitted for the clubs that fit you. After all, you probably want to keep up with everyone else. If you are just beginning to play golf or not too concerned with improving your game, it is probably not necessary to get custom-fitted. Many golf stores have standard clubs that work for beginners. If you already have a set of clubs, you can also have your clubs adjusted through a custom fitting without buying new clubs. While understanding how to hit each club is the most important part to golf, having clubs that fit your swing and ability is a crucial part as well.

If you think about other sports, you will quickly realize how limited your options are with regards to improving performance. For example, if you play football, you are limited by your athleticism. There is no equipment during a game to help you catch the ball, throw the ball, or kick the ball better. Tennis is a sport where the equipment can vary from one person to another. The racket can vary in terms of weight, string tension, grip (minimal impact) and size. Those are the limitations in determining the right equipment for your game. To be successful at the game of golf, there are many more variables to take into consideration.

When finding the right golf equipment, it is important to understand all of your options. It is best to leave it to experienced club-fitters to find the right equipment specifications for you. Having said that, you can become educated enough to learn the basics of golf equipment. Feel free to visit the Gear Guide section on the different types of clubs.

Custom fitting was initially provided to experienced golfers, but has been become popular to golfers of all abilities. Most customization provided to you today analyzes your swing and flight path through a computer system known as a launch monitor. Numerous factors are taken into consideration such as handicap (if known), swing speed, age, body type, hand size, height, gender, wrist-to-floor measurement (for length of club), driving distance, typical flight path (i.e. hook, straight or slice), analysis of your current clubs and more. Based on this analysis, the fitting will help you find the correct club head materials, shaft options (including shaft flex, shaft material, kick point, shaft length), loft, lie angle, grip type and grip size.

Custom fittings vary in price but are valuable to those willing to improve their game. Many places will offer this service to you, including golf stores and pro shops. Some companies will provide custom-fitting to you for free if you buy clubs from them. There will usually be a built-in price for this service. As a basis, you can expect to pay around $50-$100 for a club fitting. This price is well worth having the right equipment to most golfers. Such fittings will usually last around 30 to 45 minutes. If you buy equipment off-the-shelf, it is important to realize that you are basically modifying your swing to fit your equipment. On the other hand, if you get custom-fitted, your equipment is built to fit your swing. This method allows you to strictly focus on your swing.

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