The Clubs & Club Fitting

Do you need to make a different swing with each club?

No, that’s why they make different clubs.

A professional will determine what flex of the shaft, lie of the club, length of the club, and size of grip you need. The items that will be considered in fitting a club are:

• Flex of shaft
• Lie of club
• Length of club.
• Size of grip

Before you go out and spend thousands of dollars on new equipment make sure the equipment you buy is the equipment you need. How do you determine if a club works and fits you? The most important aspect is the flex of the shaft. There are four different categories: Regular (R-flex), Ladies (L-flex), Stiff (S-flex), and Extra-Stiff (EX-flex). Most women fit in the L flex, most men fit in the R-flex. But some men do take the S and EX shaft.

You want to err on the flexible side. If you’re debating an S or R, take the R. Err on the soft side.

The lie of the club is important because it determines how the face of the club will move through impact. It’s how the club lays on the ground. When the club lays on the ground, the toe of the club should be up approximately one to two degrees. This allows a slight flattening out of the club as it moves through impact.

Length of clubs is determined by the length of your arms, the length of your legs, and how tall you are. Your professional club maker will be able to determine this.

The size of the grip is fairly easy. It depends on the size of your hands. But one of the keys you’re looking for is that the ring finger on your left hand is slightly touching the palm of your right hand as you’re gripping the club and not digging into it.

A professional can fit you for clubs either statically or dynamically. Statically means you set up as though you were going to hit a ball with a club in your hands. They can tell by the way you set up the way the club should lie.

Dynamically fitting requires that you take a particular club out and hit balls with it. A professional can watch you and tell what clubs you need. First have a static fitting, then a dynamic fitting.

Whether it is a PGA professional or a professional club maker, you should be in good hands with either.

Link to the last chapter, Golf Terms.