Use your pro to hone your game; PGA.info looks at the benefits of custom-fitting with the help of pros Robert Macey and Phil Kenyon.
Custom-fitting has exploded in popularity with players of all abilities recognising the benefits of tailor made clubs to suit their game and physique. Long gone are the days when only top golfers would have their clubs custom-fitted - it's now a viable and affordable option and some would argue necessary step for any golfer.
Trying to groove and hone a swing with mis-matched gear can lead to only one thing - a poor golf swing. Many PGA pros offer a club-fitting service (sometimes at no cost) and their in-depth equipment knowledge is vital in helping negotiate the vast golf club market.
A key part of the clubfitting process is hitting balls outdoors in order to track the ball flight. It's also the most illuminating part as you see how subtle differences in a club can have profound effects on your ball striking. The boom in custom-fitting is no real surprise - in fact the only surprise in the modern era is why would any golfer not be custom-fitted? After all, if you needed new shoes you wouldn't just grab the first pair you see, you'd make sure you got the right size and they fitted well. The same for a new suit so why any different when it comes to buying golf clubs?
Compare it to buying a car - you wouldn't buy one without a test drive.
Custom-fitting is also neither as time consuming or expensive as it may appear. A basic static fitting to establish wrist-to-floor, height and hand size measurements can take as little as 15 minutes but in that time can give a real insight into how your current clubs measure up. More in-depth fittings do take longer but that's necessary to fine-tune clubs to your game. Sophisticated launch monitors track a host of readings, measuring launch angle, swing speed, ball speed, back spin and side spin while different combinations of loft, lie, grip and shaft flex can take your game to another level.
Robert Macey, head pro at Ramsdale Park, is a passionate advocate of custom-fitting. "We recommend our members are custom-fitted so we don't offer clubs off the shelf," he said. "I compare it to buying a car - you wouldn't buy one without a test drive.
"The only time we'll let someone buy clubs off the shelf is if we are matching an internet price but if they want internet pricing they'll get internet service."
Picking your way through the equipment market can be a tricky process which is where the pro's knowledge comes in useful. Take shafts as Macey explains. "The shaft of the club is vitally important to the game," he said. "If it doesn't match the way you swing then you'll be spraying the ball all over the place. If you are snatching through the swing then you will need a stiff shaft, but if it is a very slow swing then you'll need a soft shaft to match your tempo."
And it's not just drivers and irons that are custom fit, it's also recommended the most vital club in the bag, the putter, is personalised to suit your stroke. "Awareness of custom-fitting for putters has increased dramatically over the past two years," says Phil Kenyon director of instruction at Harold Swash's Putting School of Excellence. "Now even your average amateur golfer is getting custom-fit whereas years ago it was only the best players that got fitted." Kenyon is based at Yes! Golf's headquarters in Southport, and as well as coaching elite players, he is also skilled in the craft of custom-fitting putters. "There's not a great deal of difference between fitting a putter and fitting a driver," he said.
"In both situations you're setting up the specifications of the club to match the person's swing so they have a club to help them get the ball in the hole. But the main aspect of the putting custom-fit is to improve the player's ball roll - the more it rolls the more likely it is to stay on course for the hole.
"It comes down to the loft, lie and length of the club. You change the specs of that standard club to suit what the player's doing. Then the weighting comes into play, whether it's toe heavy or face balanced will affect the ball's path. The software we use is similar to that used for the full swing fitting as it technically measures the same things - angle of attack, loft, ball speeds."
All in all, if you're a golfer even half-serious about golf and you haven't yet tried custom-fitting you should at least be ringing your local pro to find out more but in the meantime if you need any more convincing here are five good reasons to get custom-fitted:
Confidence
Nothing feels better at approach than knowing you're about to hit the ball with a club perfectly suited to your swing.
Control
Clubs that are too long or too short will never give 100 per cent ball control, explaining why your ball flies left or right. Custom fit clubs will eradicate that as the lie and length will be spot on.
Distance
There is always an ongoing battle to add extra yards to your game and custom fitted clubs will certainly go a long way in helping hit the ball further.
It's cheap
It's a myth that custom-fitting will hit you hard. Some will offer the service free (if you buy clubs off them) while even the prospect of shelling out around £40 is certainly worth the outlay given it will improve your game.
Cost-effective
A custom-fitted club will eradicate the need for splashing out on quick-fix gear or a new set of clubs in the hope of cutting your score.
Phil Kenyon is director of instruction at Harold Swash Putting School of Excellence on 0845 601 5778.
Robert Macey is head professional at Ramsdale Park Golf Centre, call him on 0115 965 5600.
09 October, 2009 | By The PGA