Recently I was invited to participate in a PGA Tour Superstore custom fitting promotion. In essence, I received golf clubs in exchange for telling my readers about the experience.Naturally, I accepted - a few of my golf clubs are almost ten years old and, although they have served me well, they show signs of age - also, changes in technology have made some of my clubs a bit outdated.
That being said, after being overwhelmed with joy at the prospect, I jumped into my car and met with PGA Tour Superstore reps Todd and Stanton who placed me into a hitting booth complete with video software designed to tell me everything from my swing speed to spin rates, in order to help place me together with the best set of clubs for my game.
We used my original Driver, 7-iron and sand wedge as test subjects; my current set includes a Titleist 905T Driver with a 9.5% loft, Square-Two irons and a Vokey Spin Milled Wedge.
We began testing with the Driver - according to the custom club fitter, on the longest stick in our golf bags we needed to learn my initial club head speed, if I hit it high, spin rate etc. Todd was telling me that a higher kickpoint shaft makes the ball go lower, which is what I needed to achieve. I nodded as he kept educating me.
For the irons, swing as many as necessary until you find one that feels comfortable in your hands.In my case, I only needed three different brands before I chose my new Ping Karsten Irons - Hybrid set (spoiler alert). Then, the club fitter began to address the proper shaft for the club. Finally, I stood at address while Todd placed a board underneath my club to check the lie angle - that the club was flat at address.
As for the wedge, it's all about the comfort!
I love my Vokey Spin Milled Wedge but ten years has taken its toll on the grooves. Would I have been happy with a simple grind-out? Probably but, according to my custom club fitter, my original wedge had too much of a bounce so he selected a Vokey Spin Milled Wedge with less bounce which placed the leading edge closer to the ground and allowed the club to cut through the sand better (yes, I have already taken my new wedge to the golf course!)
Here are a few tips to help you with Your next Custom Fit Golf Experience:
1. Never buy a golf club without it being fit to your swing. PGA Tour Superstores have custom fitters and custom fitting booths for you to take full advantage of their services...and they are happy to help fit you so ask questions and don't be shy!
2. My custom fitter mentioned that a properly matched shaft is most important in increasing your clubhead speed. Grip size and the lie of the club are other important ingredients in creating a golf club specifically for your swing.
3. The most common complaint in the simulator is that people claim they hit their clubs farther than what is shown however increased clubhead speed and accuracy of your shots are more important than the distances shown at the booth.
Which golf clubs did I take home with me? None! They had to be built to my specs! But fear not, the fitting took less than a week and I am now the proud owner of the following new golf clubs:
Callaway X2Hot Driver - 10.5% loft
Ping Karsten Irons - set from 3-Hybrid through Gap Wedge
Vokey Spin Milled Wedge
One last note...
My PGA Tour Superstore Custom Club Fitter, Todd, is straight out of the military and is currently attending golf school. He left me with one thought that seemed to sum up my whole experience:
"If you can fit a customer and give a tip to improve their game and help them on the golf course in the process, I don't think they could be any happier." Thanks Todd, Stanton and the rest of the gang at PGA Tour Superstore in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for making my golf club fitting experience a special one.
Now, I'm going to try out my new golf clubs! I'm so excited!! I'll report my findings.
Direct your golf club-fitting questions on Twitter to @PGATSS and @Golf4Beginners.
Disclosure: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
