Custom fit golf clubs can instantly improve your scores by conforming to your body and swing in a way that off-the-rack golf clubs do not. Nearly every facet of a golf club—from grip size, shaft length and stiffness to the materials that compose the club head—is adjustable to your body type and skill level. In order to spend your money wisely, you should work with a certified club fitter who can assess your individual needs.
Use a Club Fitter
When searching for a club fitter, you can visit the pro shop at your local course or walk into a golf retail outlet store. Do not expect to find a club fitter at a regular sporting goods store. Make sure that your club fitter is certified by at least one manufacturer, but isn't pushing the products of one specific company. Make sure also that your club fitter has the latest technology available, from the clubs you try out to the software he uses to record your personal swing statistics. You may need to schedule an appointment as a real club fitter will need at least an hour to assess your swing needs. Don't be surprised if your club fitter offers a swing pointer or two during your session. A skilled club fitter will have a strong knowledge of golf swing technique.
Assess Your Game
During your club fitting session, your club fitter must take many factors into account in order to prescribe clubs that will improve your game. Basic factors like your height and swing speed will determine the length and stiffness of the shafts you need. More complicated factors like launch angle and ball spin need to be measured with a ball flight simulator. If you hit the ball too high or too low, you can get clubs with adjusted loft angles to bring your ball back to ideal trajectory. If your ball spins to the right or left, also known as a slice or hook, your club fitter can get you clubs with adjusted lie angles to straighten out your shots.
Choose Your Clubs Wisely
You can carry up to 14 clubs during a round on the course, but there are many ways in which you can fill your bag. Depending on your abilities and the courses you play, you may wish to add or subtract clubs that fill different gaps. For instance, most off-the-rack club sets come with a driver, 3-wood, 5-wood, 3-iron through 9-iron, pitching wedge, sand wedge and putter. If you do not have the swing speed to get the most out of a 3-iron, you can substitute that club with a fairway wood that helps you get the ball up in the air easier than with an iron. If you often drive the ball in the rough, substituting long irons with fairway woods is a good idea as well. If you play on a course with high rough and deep bunkers around the greens, you may want to include a 58 or 60 degree wedge in addition to your other wedges. Tell your club fitter about the types of courses you play and he can help you decide which clubs to fill out your bag with.
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