Feel Is The Real Deal!

Finding the right golf club characteristics for a player is often as much a matter of the right Feel of the club as it is getting specific values of flex and MOI/swingweight for the player. The “numbers” may sometimes not be as important as putting a club in a player’s hands that simply FEELS right.

In a driver fitting this weekend, we determined that the player needed a shaft that was quite a bit softer in flex than what he was playing. Also shorter in length than he was playing. And pretty high loft, about 15 degrees.

But then it got interesting. With the club that was the best first-level flex and length, we started adding weight to the clubhead to see how if affected how the club felt and how he could release the clubhead at impact. We got to a certain added head weight and he said “that feels really good.”

We added 2 grams more weight – he could not close the clubhead as easily. I was looking to make some other changes to the feel of the clubhead, but he absolutely did NOT want anything but the one that “really feels good.”

No doubt in my mind after that feedback that that club was the right one to build. Built it tonight to exactly the specs of the test club and hopefully the snow will stop enough soon so that he can get to hit it.

I am always a bit amazed at how players can hit on a club that is Absolutely the best feel for them, and how this is certainly the club that is the best fit. To me player feedback is at the same level of importance as that from launch monitors, impact labels, and precision test clubs.

Tony