What is the magic question for Driver Fittings?
2:20 am, Tue, 19 April 11
Tonight I thought I would watch a well know golf show on a well know golf channel since there was to be a discussion on hitting drivers.
The show also included a discussion on driver fittings, and how it is now “easy” to get fit for a driver using one of the new fitting carts from an OEM company.
The first interesting thing that I heard is that the person doing the show plays a 44-1/2 inch driver – which is great, he knows that the longer drivers sold in stores fit only a small element of the golfing community.
The rest of the show consisted of lots of discussions on how things affect club performance – like shaft weight affecting ball spin (not true), and playing a larger head can be good for someone who slices the ball (not true, in fact the opposite is more likely to help). Or if you want to reduce ball spin you can play a stiffer shaft (not true in general, maybe for some – but then what does the stiffer shaft do for your overall driver performance?).
My takeaway for YOU from this show is what you should do if you consider having a driver fitting done using a fitting cart from an OEM. You need to ask the Magic Question as much as possible – and that question is WHY?
If someone tells you playing a bigger head can help you eliminate a slice, ask them to explain why. If they suggest that a heavier shaft helps you to reduce spin, ask them why. It is your money, and your golf game – you deserve to know if the person doing the fitting actually understands what the influence of things like club flex, shaft weight, clubhead size, etc.
And if they do not have good, understandable answers to your questions – well, then you need to decide if this is the right place to spend your money.
The Fit Is IT!!
Tony
