For years I have been selling the concept of custom fitting golf clubs to golfers of all shapes and sizes. Of course, in the golf business, we all say that purchasing a set of custom fit golf clubs is a way to immediately and drastically improve your game. This is a great sales pitch and a great way for us to sell sets of irons, but I have always wondered how much it really works.
I have been through the club fitting experience myself recently. Let me tell you I think the results were very positive. I have been fit once before, back in 1997 for a set of Ping irons. This was done by an exceptional Ping sales rep on an outdoor range with a lie board and a variety of different clubs and shafts. The experience was great because you could really judge the ball flight and distance in a real golf environment. We ended up settling on Ping ISI irons, 2 degrees upright (Green dot), 1/2" over in length and Cushin shafts "stepped to stiffen" as Ping sets the shafts in their factory. We also discussed wedge lofts and set composition, but I ended up buying a set that ran 1-LW - thank YOU Personal Use Discount!
For over ten years, I swore by these Ping irons. I felt like they fit me perfectly. I trusted them, the way they looked, and they worked great when you mishit one or had to play from the rough. Over the course of a few months it all seemed to change. I started hitting everything with an extremely toe deep divot. Bad shots were spraying thin and way right or snipe hooking low and to the left. The worst part is, I felt like I had no idea where it was going when I teed it up on a par-3. Just looking down at the club made me feel uncomfortable. The questions entered my mind. Do I need a re-shaft? Did I outgrow these clubs? Maybe I'm just a terrible golfer and age is catching up with me? Truth be told, I am much older, my swing speed has gone down, and I have gained a ton of weight. The dynamics of my swing MUST be a lot different than they were in 1997.
In February of this year I caught a break. I finished #2 in on the American Golf Corporation Tour for 2009, which is a recognition system for AGC GM's. A great perk for finishing in the top 8 is that you get a free set of custom fit Callaway clubs. I went to the Callaway Golf Center in Las Vegas with an open mind. A lot of guys who won the free set already knew exactly what they wanted and did not want to waste their time going through the fitting process. I wanted the full experience and decided that I would put my ego aside and let the club fitter put me into the what he thought was the right set of clubs. To this day, I think this is a very important aspect of getting a true fitting. Many of us think we should be using X-shafts and forged irons, when our swings really aren't made for them.
Callaway Golf Center is a wonderful facility. I was surprised that club fitting was not being done on the range, but rather indoors on a simulator. I had a great tech named Eli help me with my fitting. He used the camera and launch monitor information to guide us through the process. The ball flight was calculated and shown on the projection screen, and vital information such as swing speed, launch angle, and spin rate were shown after every swing. Eli made me feel good about the process right away because he commented on how I was really "pureing it" and seemed to make a very consistent pass at every ball he put down. We worked through a bunch of their irons, including the X-22 and X-forged models. Being a taller golfer at 6'3", Eli really worked on getting the length right. He kept pushing me farther away from standard than I was used to, giving me longer and longer clubs until I simply could not hit them with consistency. We settled on X-22 irons, which despite their chunky look, were going dead straight with pretty much solid contact every time. I remained at 2 degrees upright with a Uniflex shaft, which I find feels very similar to the Cushin. The two biggest tweaks were the grip size and the length. Eli encouraged me to use a midsize Lamkin grip, which was much thicker than the usual method I have used of simply double wrapping the tape under a standard grip.
The length was a HUGE breakthrough for me. 10 minutes into our fitting session, Eli watched me swing a few clubs from my Ping set and decided right away that my clubs were too short for me. The reason I was hitting the ball so poorly, with such inconsistency was all in the length. I was lunging at the ball and dipping down to go get it. Any small misjudgment in the motion would cause a fat or a thin shot, which is what I had been fighting. I was asked to swing with a 1" over shaft and to stand up straighter and remain there during the swing. I immediately starting hitting everything flush. He found it. This is what club fitting from a good club fitter is all about.
I ended up with X-22 irons, 3-PW, 1" over, 2 degrees up, Uniflex shaft and a mid-size Lamkin grip. We also talked about set composition, and was fit for a Diablo 10.5 degree driver with a stiff Habanero shaft, a 19 degree hybrid, X-series chrome wedges(52,56,60), and an very sweet Odyssey Black #2 model. One thing I also found interesting is that Eli skipped the 3-wood and put me in a 22 degree 5-wood. Because I have a steep angle of attack, he felt that I was de-lofting my fairway woods and that this configuration would give me the optimum amount of carry and roll.
So, how did all of this work? Well, I have swapped out a few of the components for clubs that I already trust. I am using my Taylor Made Super Quad, my Taylor Made 19 degree rescue and sticking with my Vokey wedges. I am hitting the Callaway 5-wood great. No more low head high 3-wood line drives. The X-22 irons with the extended length have been a major improvement. I feel so much more confident with these clubs and they just feel right, something that had been missing with my Pings for awhile. I have played five or six full rounds with the X-22's and it took me awhile to get used to them. The grips are a little funny to me because they limit my hand action. I have always felt that my soft hands were an asset to my swing in helping feel the club head move through impact. I may end up switching back to a more conventional size, but I am still experimenting.
It all came together for me recently in rounds at San Clemente Muni, where I shot a 78 and a decent round at Talega, where I blew up on the back nine thanks to a balky driver. My iron play was excellent in both rounds, and I am growing more confident each time I tee it up. I can honestly say that the custom fitting process was well worth the time and effort. I am enjoying the game again and hitting the ball much better from the fairway. I am very lucky to have had two very productive club fitting sessions with two very good club fitters. When I return to the golf industry, I will certainly feel good about selling this service to other golfers. It has made a positive impact in my golf life, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is serious about improving their game.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
We're Home!
Tin Cup. Every golfer knows the movie. Kevin Costner (Roy McAvoy) pumps ball after ball into the drink trying to reach a pin that is just out of his reach.
I have a friend, we call him James. I will give him credit for being freakishly long. However, sometimes he bites off more than he can chew. Let me set the scene. Silverstone Golf Club in Vegas. Sunny day, 65 degrees. We are playing the black tees of Mountain nine and reach the third hole - 653 yards and playing every inch of it. The hole sets up with a huge fairway that tapers down to a tight green with water in front. On the tee, I joke that I am worried about making it to the green in three. Someone suggests that maybe James should try to reach it in two. Gomez, (king of side bets) tells James he will give him 10 to 1 odds that he can't get the ball hole high in two shots. James accepts for what I believe to be a $10 bet.
James absolutely launches a monster drive from the tee. We measured his drive at about 340. Everybody plays their second shot and we all meet at James' ball. Cart GPS tells us that it is about 288 to carry the water and 315 to reach the center of the green. Our other group is on the green so he decides to wait for them to clear. The other group picks up on this and when they putt out, they stop to watch. James is really grinding now, discussing the line with Gomez and psyching himself up for the shot of a lifetime. James' cart partner Lai is running all kinds of smack. Personally, I had my doubts. 288 yards of carry off the deck with a 3 wood? Right.
James lines up for the shot. I can't lie, I wanted to see him pull it off. He takes his usual frightening cut at the ball and it starts off right on the line they had been discussing. From the sound of it, he made good contact. As James looked at the shot, I could tell he was excited. Near the peak of the trajectory he yells out "We're Home!!!" in true Tin Cup style. He seemed so sure of it! We all were silent and we tracked the flight of the ball, only to end up bursting into laughter when it fell 50 yards short and into the lake in the front of the green. The razzing began and the guys near the green clapped and yelled "great shot!"
For the rest of the day and well into dinner at Nobhill, we just couldn't stop saying "WE'RE HOME!" James will never hear the end of this one.
I have a friend, we call him James. I will give him credit for being freakishly long. However, sometimes he bites off more than he can chew. Let me set the scene. Silverstone Golf Club in Vegas. Sunny day, 65 degrees. We are playing the black tees of Mountain nine and reach the third hole - 653 yards and playing every inch of it. The hole sets up with a huge fairway that tapers down to a tight green with water in front. On the tee, I joke that I am worried about making it to the green in three. Someone suggests that maybe James should try to reach it in two. Gomez, (king of side bets) tells James he will give him 10 to 1 odds that he can't get the ball hole high in two shots. James accepts for what I believe to be a $10 bet.
James absolutely launches a monster drive from the tee. We measured his drive at about 340. Everybody plays their second shot and we all meet at James' ball. Cart GPS tells us that it is about 288 to carry the water and 315 to reach the center of the green. Our other group is on the green so he decides to wait for them to clear. The other group picks up on this and when they putt out, they stop to watch. James is really grinding now, discussing the line with Gomez and psyching himself up for the shot of a lifetime. James' cart partner Lai is running all kinds of smack. Personally, I had my doubts. 288 yards of carry off the deck with a 3 wood? Right.
James lines up for the shot. I can't lie, I wanted to see him pull it off. He takes his usual frightening cut at the ball and it starts off right on the line they had been discussing. From the sound of it, he made good contact. As James looked at the shot, I could tell he was excited. Near the peak of the trajectory he yells out "We're Home!!!" in true Tin Cup style. He seemed so sure of it! We all were silent and we tracked the flight of the ball, only to end up bursting into laughter when it fell 50 yards short and into the lake in the front of the green. The razzing began and the guys near the green clapped and yelled "great shot!"
For the rest of the day and well into dinner at Nobhill, we just couldn't stop saying "WE'RE HOME!" James will never hear the end of this one.
Golf in Vegas - Silverstone Golf Club 11/12/2010
I was invited to my friend Jeff's 30th birthday weekend in Las Vegas last weekend. His father set eight of us up with tee times at Silverstone Golf Club on the north side of town. I did not know what to expect of the course but it turned out to be be a really fun layout with short par fours, lots of water, and three par fives over 600 yards. The weather was a perfect 65 degrees and the greens were surprisingly firm and smooth. An ideal day for golf.
One thing you have to know about this group of guys is that they love action. The scene always reminds me of Caddyshack, where you might remember Al Czervik rolling up to the first tee saying "place your bets, place your bets." Team and indie matches were set up, strokes were negotiated, and Jeff collected $40 from each of us for closest-to-the-pin on the par threes and skins. I was also involved in a team two best ball match against the other foursome. Usually, I am a donator with this group. Within the eight players, there was a guy who played on the Canadian Tour, a former Big West (D-1 college) Player of the Year, a current scratch college golfer, and a guy who hits it 330 with regularity. They make me and my 8 handicap look like a hack, particularly from the Black Tees.
So, how did I play? It was a bizarre round for sure. I bogeyed the first 6 holes. I finally helped our team
when I stuck a nine iron to about 6 feet on the 129 yard par-3 seventh. I made the putt, but unfortunately I didn't get closest to the pin. Canadian Tour guy Jeff L. hit his tee shot to kick-in range. On Hole 8, a 407 yard par-4, I hooked my tee shot and my ball stopped on a steep slope to the left of the fairway. The ball was sitting up in the rough and I had about 180 left with the ball severely above my feet. I choked up on my favorite club, a 19 degree Taylor Made hybrid, and hit a career shot. The ball came out perfectly with a high hook and chased up the front of the green where it rolled to within 12 feet of the cup. I drained it for a birdie, which was good for a skin! Take that, pros!
I hacked my way around the back nine, going double-triple-double on holes 11, 12, 13. So much for breaking 80. I was able to redeem myself on the 202 yard par-3 seventh (our hole 16). The hole was playing with the wind and we lasered it at only about 188 yards. I was in between clubs and decided to hit a smooth #5 25 degree rescue club that I have been experimenting with. I pured it and the ball hit short of the green and rolled to about 4 feet. Closest-to-the-pin baby!
I ended up shooting an 88. I made more birdies than pars. Talk about a bizarre round. I won two skins, a closet-to-the-pin and our team whomped the other group thanks to Canadian Tour Guy's 9 birdies (67) and my friend Gomez playing pretty solid. Overall, a really fun day with a group of great guys.
One thing you have to know about this group of guys is that they love action. The scene always reminds me of Caddyshack, where you might remember Al Czervik rolling up to the first tee saying "place your bets, place your bets." Team and indie matches were set up, strokes were negotiated, and Jeff collected $40 from each of us for closest-to-the-pin on the par threes and skins. I was also involved in a team two best ball match against the other foursome. Usually, I am a donator with this group. Within the eight players, there was a guy who played on the Canadian Tour, a former Big West (D-1 college) Player of the Year, a current scratch college golfer, and a guy who hits it 330 with regularity. They make me and my 8 handicap look like a hack, particularly from the Black Tees.
So, how did I play? It was a bizarre round for sure. I bogeyed the first 6 holes. I finally helped our team
when I stuck a nine iron to about 6 feet on the 129 yard par-3 seventh. I made the putt, but unfortunately I didn't get closest to the pin. Canadian Tour guy Jeff L. hit his tee shot to kick-in range. On Hole 8, a 407 yard par-4, I hooked my tee shot and my ball stopped on a steep slope to the left of the fairway. The ball was sitting up in the rough and I had about 180 left with the ball severely above my feet. I choked up on my favorite club, a 19 degree Taylor Made hybrid, and hit a career shot. The ball came out perfectly with a high hook and chased up the front of the green where it rolled to within 12 feet of the cup. I drained it for a birdie, which was good for a skin! Take that, pros!
I hacked my way around the back nine, going double-triple-double on holes 11, 12, 13. So much for breaking 80. I was able to redeem myself on the 202 yard par-3 seventh (our hole 16). The hole was playing with the wind and we lasered it at only about 188 yards. I was in between clubs and decided to hit a smooth #5 25 degree rescue club that I have been experimenting with. I pured it and the ball hit short of the green and rolled to about 4 feet. Closest-to-the-pin baby!
I ended up shooting an 88. I made more birdies than pars. Talk about a bizarre round. I won two skins, a closet-to-the-pin and our team whomped the other group thanks to Canadian Tour Guy's 9 birdies (67) and my friend Gomez playing pretty solid. Overall, a really fun day with a group of great guys.
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