You may have heard about getting a Club-Fit but what does that actually mean and do you really need one? It is very important to have your clubs fitted near the beginning of your golfing journey even if you just buy a couple of clubs. The biggest example is when I do a golf class and I see someone who is quite petite without a lot of power swinging clubs that are too heavy and stiff for them. This person will find it hard to get the ball in the air because you do need a certain swing speed to be able to get the ball up with distance. For this person you would fit them into a lighter shaft, preferably graphite. After they use this kind of club, you will often see their game instantly improve.
The same happens when you have someone who is quite strong and swings the club quickly. If they have a club that's too light for them, the club will flex too much at impact and cause the player to be inconsistent A Club-Fitting session will give you an ability to test clubs with a golf professional to find the ideal match for you. Now during a Club-Fitting session, the first task will be for the professional to test your lie angles. The lie angle is the angle from the shaft to the toe of the club measured on the sole. The professional will place a sticker on the sole of a fitting club and have you hit balls off a lie board. (Plastic Board)
The professional will have you hit three shots and will notice exactly where you're impacting the sole. If the impacts are more toward the toe, it will mean the clubs need to be more upright and if the impacts are more toward the heel, the club needs to be flatter. The professional will keep changing the fitting club until the perfect lie angle is achieved where you are contacting the middle of the sole each time. The next task is the length of club. The professional will ensure they find you a shaft that fits perfectly into your posture. They will then check for your ideal flex of shaft. For this the professional will put a sticker on the clubface and notice where on the clubface you are striking the ball. The goal once the flex matches the player, is for the impacts to be consistent more toward the middle of the club. In a nutshell, the faster the swing speed, the stiffer the shaft and vice versa the slower the swing speed, the lighter and more flexible the shaft should be.
The professional will also look at the weight of the club. Within every flex, there will be different weights. For example you can have a light or heavy stiff. Again once you trial both to see which is one is more consistent. Once the shaft is assessed, the professional will then give you different clubheads to try. There are three different types: Blade Version (Thin), Mid-Range Cavity (Medium) and Game Improvement (Oversize). Again finding out which one suits you will be down to how consistent the ball flight is.
Lastly the professional will choose the right grip for you. When you grip the club in your right hand and you find the fingers dig into your palm, you would be suited more toward a bigger grip also known as mid-size. There are many different sizes so the professional will explore several different options until the right one suits you.
If you'd like any further help in discovering how a Club-Fitting session works, just contact myself at David Waters Golf located at Emerald Lakes Golf Coaching Centre.
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