As a Clubmaker observing the ever changing golf equipment industry, it’s very easy to see how people could be confused when trying to find the right set of golf clubs. It’s important to remember two things when considering new equipment :
1) No one single design
is right for every player.
2) No matter what design or brand of golf club you choose, your equipment
should be made or adjusted to fit your individual specifications.
Consider the example of buying a new suit. Almost everyone who buys a new suit has it altered (i.e. custom fit). The same applies to golf equipment. It simply does not make sense to play with a set of clubs “off the rack”. Pre-assembled clubs are built to generic standards that apply to almost no “real” human being, unless of course you have the perfect & consistent golf swing like the robot which is used to test golf clubs.
Have you heard the frequently used saying "It's the Indian & not the arrow!". This saying is partially true. Due to the fact that custom fit clubs will not fix your swing if your swing has many flaws. Custom fit clubs merely give you a greater margin of error. Although "the arrow" (the club) may have some effects on your swing. If this weren't true, we would all be using the same golf clubs our great grand fathers used. For those of you who prefer a D-0 to D-1 swing weight, can you imagine swinging a club with an E-4 swing weight? You can bet it'll affect your swing.
Getting golf clubs matched to your game, and to your specific physical requirements, is one of the quickest & easiest ways to improve your game. All Professional Tour Players use custom fit golf sets from the type of shaft that fits them to the proper grip & sizes which compliments their swing & physique.
If your equipment doesn't complement your body style & swing, you'll likely develop a variety of compensations that will inevitably prevent improvement. The more compensations you build into your golf swing, the more precise your timing must be. If you're one of those golfers whose swing consistently fluctuates from day to day, hole to hole or even shot to shot, you need to develop a golf swing that gives you a greater margin of error. Equipment that properly fits can promote this kind of development.
There are nine elements to Custom Clubfitting which a Qualified Clubmaker may properly adjust or replace:
1) Lie
2) Loft
3) Length
4) Shaft Flex
5) Shaft Material
6) Swing Weight
7) Total Weight
8) Conventional & Offset Hosels
9) Grip Size & Material.
If you have and questions
about custom club fitting please feel free to e-mail
us or
contact us at 0917-203-0711
This situation is the next best thing to a custom set for a player. The Clubmaker can make loft/lie adjustments easily & economically. The same applies to grip changes. Other specifications of a current set (shaft, length, etc.) can be changed but are more complicated and costly alterations.
Lie - the lie angle determines if the face of the club will come into impact square and aimed at the target or tilted and aimed to the left or right of the target. This minor adjustment can easily add at least 5 yards to your swing as well as keep your ball a lot closer to it's intended target line.
Please note : The way you address the club is not necessarily the way it comes in contact with the ground & ball when hit. The loft & lie of the golf club should be measured & inspected Dynamnically whenever possible to achieve the best results.
Loft - the loft angle will determine how far & how high/low the ball will travel. Usually stronger swingers will benefit more from a lower lofted club. A slower swinger, on the other hand, would benefit from a higher loft in order to attain more distance.
Length - Length is vital to assuming the proper position at address and ensures you stay in balance & swing on-plane.
Shaft Flex - is
primarily based on swing speed & tempo. A Clubmaker may properly recommend
a certain shaft which will properly fit your swing with the use of a radar
and some minor calculations. A properly fit shaft for a players club head
speed results in the clubhead rotating correctly so it squares to the target
at impact. Please bear in mind that the flex indicated on many shafts differ
from one manufacturer to another depending on the company’s standards. The
most accurate way to determine shaft flex is by measuring a shafts “CPM” (cycles
per minute) with a Frequency Analyzer.
Shaft Material - Graphite shafts weigh less than steel and absorb more vibration at impact. The player who prefers the feeling of a lighter club should strongly consider using a graphite shaft. Uncut steel shafts, tend to be more consistent from one shaft to another. (usually no more that 5 CPM difference). Unlike graphite shafts, which may have differences of approximately 10 CPM’s (approximately 1 flex) from one shaft to another.
Swing Weight - Swing Weight “defines” the distribution of weight throughout a club. Some players prefer the feel of a “light” swing weight (C-8 to D-0 for men), where relatively more swing weight is towards the grip end; other may prefer “heavy” swing weights (D-7 to E-1), where relatively more of the club’s total weight is towards the head.
Total Weight - This is the combined weight of the head, shaft & grip. Differently weighted clubs react differently to different swings. For instance, players with fast tempos may become even quicker with ultralight clubs.
Conventional & Offset Hosels - the front edge of a conventional hosel is in line with the club heads leading edge. An offset hosel is slightly ahead of the leading edge, which can give extra time to square the face at impact. Offset usually is recommended for players who consistently fade or slice the ball.
