The Science and Art of Clubfitting Assumptions

There is an old addage that making Assumptions “makes an a.. out of you.”  In true custom clubfitting, and in the purchase of any golf clubs, there is an appropriate role for assumptions but also there are areas where assumptions can hurt the golfer and the clubfitter.  One of the most important skills of great clubfitters is to know where this line is.

From the standpoint of the golfer, assumptions can hurt his/her game when the golf club specifications are not what he/she really is getting.  A classic case of this is related to Driver Loft.  There are many drivers  being sold that have lofts as much as 2 degrees different than what is written on the driver head.  Higher or lower lofts than assumed can lead to less than expected club performance.  Irons may also be lower lofts than a player assumes he is getting and the clubs may be longer than “standard” – all with the intent of potential distance increase but also possibly leading to less consistency of shots.  Players need to know the actual specifications of their clubs and ensure they are getting what they think they are getting.

The custom clubfitter also needs to be wary of the right role of assumptions in doing fittings.  While there there are some “rules of thumb” to guide the fitter in his efforts to help golfers, Each Individual Is Different.  Rules of thumb are starting points but only that, and the bottom line is How Do The Test Clubs Perform.  Sometimes things go as a fitter might expect, but sometimes being open to surprises by testing with different weights, flexes, etc. is where the big payoffs are.  In a recent fitting for an older player (though I think I am old too….) I was comparing test clubs with lighter and heavier grips to see if one or the other could produce more distance.  I added 4 grams of weight to the club with the Heavier grip – and boom, about 10-15 more yards of distance and more feel of the clubhead.  You simply cannot predict this, you can only find this by testing.

There is no more fun in fitting someone than seeing the surprise on a golfer’s face when small club spec changes lead to big changes in results.  When that happens, you Can Assume he/she is pleased!

The Fit Is IT!!

Tony