Is Your Equipment Holding You Back!

Every day clients ask me “what is the best driver out there?” There is no answer for that question. One model might work great for you and be terrible for the next guy. That is why it is very important to get fitted; to see how a particular club looks, feels, and performs for you. Everyone has a different body, build, and golf swing so it is crucial that clubs fit your body.

So what are some of the main things we customize in a fitting?

Start From The Beginning…The Grip

As you probably know, there are hundreds of grip sizes, styles and colors. So where do you start? At GolfTEC, we measure your total hand and longest finger to get a base line size. We don’t really care what style of grip you like at that moment but the size matters. Next we factor in your swing style and ball flight. A larger then recommended grip size might be great for a player who hooks the ball. A smaller the recommended grip may help a slicer.

Next…Length

Proper club length is maybe the single most important thing. A few years ago I was working with the then MN Vikings head coach. His irons were almost 2 inches too short for him. There was no way he could get into a good set up with his clubs being so short. Similar to the way we fit for grip we get a baseline off your static measurements, measuring height and wrist to floor. Just because you are tall or short does not automatically mean you need longer or shorter clubs. After we have your recommended length we then use face tape to see where on the face you are hitting the ball with that length and make adjustments from there.

Now…The Proper Shaft

A lot more goes into a proper shaft than just stiff or regular. At GolfTEC we use the Mizuno Shaft Optimizer to measure your club head speed, tempo, toe down, flex, kick angle, and release factor. See…a LOT more! Here is where your fitter needs to understand your swing. You may need a stiffer or softer flex than just what the radar gun says. The same goes for shaft weight. Generally a heavier shaft will produce and lower ball flight. If you hook the ball, a stiffer shaft may help you hit it straighter and farther. All these factors are why dynamic testing is a MUST.

Then…Lie Angle

Lie angle is the angle between the ground and the hosel of the club. Even slightly mis-fitted clubs in this area can cause huge problems in your game. If a club is too upright, the tendency is to impact the ground heal first…result, low left hooks. If the club is too flat, you tend to enter toe down…ball goes right. Not to mention clubs are not designed to go through the ground toe or heal first.

Finally…Set Make-Up

Some players do not need a 3 wood because with their swing speed they hit a 5 wood better and just as far. Some players do not need 14 clubs, we might order only even or odd irons skipping every other one because you don’t hit your 8 iron that much farther than your 9. Having the right combination of woods, hybrids, irons, and wedges is essential.

Make sure you see your GolfTEC Certified Personal Coach or PGA Professional to get fit and find what you need and don’t need in your bag.