WATCHING AND ASKING – Very Important Fitting Tools!
7:54 pm, Mon, 1 November 10
It is important to have things like launch monitors and precise fitting clubs to use in club fitting. But it is JUST as important to pay attention to the way a player hits the ball, and particularly if there are any physical issues that he/she has.
A great case of this happened in a driver fitting that I did this weekend. At the start of the fitting, when I was about to take some video of his swing to measure tempo and club release point, I noticed that he had a tendency to keep the clubface open at impact. At the time did not know if this was related to swing mechanics or something else, but I “filed it away” for later evaluation.
I asked what his normal “misses” have been with his driver, and he said he missed to the right (push fade). Launch monitor and Golftek data confirmed that this was also true during the fitting session.
One of the driver head options that can help reduce the severity of push-slice misses is the Alpha HMO Response driver. This head includes both offset and a closed club face, and for players who are not afraid to let the club “play” as it is designed – looking at the clubface closed at address – this can be a great option.
During the process of testing different driver heads, the player noted that he has arthritis in his wrist and this keeps him from easily releasing the club. After hearing that, it became clear that the Alpha head would be a great option for him. Golftek results showed that the face at impact was close to square and final outside testing showed that he hit this club very straight. 44 inches, 15 degrees true loft, and the Alpha head. A winner!
Knowing about physical issues is just as important as any other fitting measurement. This weekend was a great reminder!!
Tony
