Most golfers use second-hand, cheap, or recycled clubs. Very few players spend the time, energy, and money to get those clubs fit to their body and swing. Why not give it a try though? Fitting is free! (club alterations may not be). If nothing else it will give you the knowledge and confidence to know if you do or do not have the right equipment for your golf game.
Club fitting will ensure that you’ve got the right tools at your disposal to fit your game best.
What are some things that could be wrong with the set I got from my uncle or off the shelf? If your shafts are not tuned to your swing you may be playing with shafts that are too short, too long, too flexible or too stiff. If your grips are not the right size for your hand or the right texture for your preference they may be uncomfortable to swing for long periods of time and could contribute to injury. Lie angle is also quite important:
“If your club is too upright at impact, then your shots will travel to the left of your target. Conversely, if your club is too flat, then your shots will be heading right.”
www.practical-golf.com/lie-angle/
If you want to improve your game, custom fitted clubs are for you. No one person is the same, why are your clubs?
Now that you know you need to get your clubs fit for you, where to start? We recently stopped by Austads for a fitting. Now, talk about an excellent experience! Kyle did an amazing job coaching me through the incredibly complex fitting and club selection process.
Coming from out of town I figured I would need an appointment so I made an appointment with a simple online portal via the Austad’s website. Upon arrival, I was greeted with an open simulator lane waiting for me at my appointment time.
It all started with a few warm-up swings with my clubs to get loose and assess where we are starting from. Kyle took some time to break the ice, get to know me and my game, and identify what I’d like to improve about my game.
My biggest miss areas had been pushing the ball straight right, duck-hooking it left, or just inconsistent strikes thin and fat. So, how did Kyle go about fixing this? He utilized his expertise and many measurement tools to determine that the clubs I had been swinging were 2 degrees too flat in lie, too flimsy and too light a shaft.
After talking to the Mizuno sales rep at the Great Plains Golf Expo I was intrigued especially to try the Mizuno clubs and I was at Austad’s during a Mizuno club fitting event. Even though my pre-conception was that I wanted to get Mizuno, Kyle introduced several other brands that he thought I may like. This was a huge benefit of an independent retailer in my opinion. They are focusing on fitting you for the clubs that fit you and your game best, not which clubs they want to sell or make the most money off of.
After the fitting session, I was both elated and frustrated I had waited so long at the age of 30 to get fitted for the first time. Since these fitting sessions are free and fun there is no excuse to not give it a try on a cold or rainy day!