21 “Plus 2” True Custom Club Fitting Variables
There are 21 true custom club fitting variables that affect golf club performance – Plus 2 – Club Feel and Golf Swing Evaluation!
The Association of Golf Clubfitting Professionals (AGCP) has published a list of 21 major variables that affect golf club performance and that can be part of a true custom club fitting. These variables are:
1. Clubhead loft
2. Clubhead lie angle
3. Clubhead bulge (woods only)
4. Clubhead roll (woods only)
5. Club head sole angle (irons only)
6. Clubhead face angle (woods only)
7. Clubhead hosel offset
8. Clubhead material and design
9. Shaft flex
10. Shaft torque
11. Shaft weight
12. Shaft spine alignment
13. Shaft flex profile
14. Shaft material composition and design
15. Grip size
16. Grip weight
17. Grip material composition and design
18. Club length
19. Club swingweight / moment of inertia
20. Club total weight
21. Club set makeup
In almost every true custom clubfitting, at least 10 of these variable are involved.
However, there are two additional variables that are also of critical importance to a successful true custom club fitting. These are: a) as Keith Chatham reminded me today – golf club feel; and b) an evaluation of the golf swing of the golfer, to determine if swing changes are needed or how some of the major club fitting variables can be used to improve performance without swing changes.
Russ Ryden, a Golf Digest Top 100 club fitter, coined a new term this weekend – Consumer Clubs. To me, consumer clubs are clubs that you buy in a store without any fitting that are made for the "masses", or clubs where you get a mimimal level of fitting (See Level 1 fitting from the blog post published last week). What do you think – do you deserve consumer clubs?
Question – how many of the custom club fitting variables were involved in the last club fitting that you had – please comment!
The Fit Is It!!
Tony
