The Benefits of a Custom Golf Club

The physical capability of every golfer is different - what I mean by that is that the stance, posture, size, swing characteristics etc of each and every golfer is different, however golf manufacturers make golf clubs identical as an off the shelf product.

The majority of golf clubs which you can purchase today can be customized to accommodate the individual differences between golfers. The lie angle/loft, type of shaft, length of shaft, grip type and grip size can be modified. All that is required to custom fit these clubs is some simple measurements and a basic analysis of your swing.

The definition of a custom golf club is the modification of the technical architecture of the equipment to suit the individuals needs and requirements.

It does not matter what level you have attained in the game of golf custom fitting your clubs will help your game. With a custom fit golf club in your hands you can be safe in the knowledge that your clubs are personalized for you. With a custom fit club you can be sure that when you make a good swing the club will be square at impact and you shot should soar down the middle of the fairway.

So how you do custom fit a club?

Arranging a custom fit is quite straight forward - when you go to arrange your fitting the following information will be taken into accounts :-

Gender
Height
Distance from the wrist to the floor
Age
Handicap/Skill Level
Swing Speed

Gender is utilised as the golf industry in general utilises different definitions as to what the standard length is for both a male and a female.

Height and distance from wrist to floor is used jointly so that the fitter can determine the length of club which is best suited for you. For example a tall man with long arms could easily be fitted with a shorter shaft than an average height male with short arms. The majority of golfers however use standard length clubs.

The remainder of the measurements are used to determine what type of flex the shaft on your club should have.

Benefits of a custom golf club.

If you slice or pull the ball then quite possibly the toe of the club is leading into the ball which subsequently opens the face of the club causing excessive side spin. This may not always be the case though, this problem could be down to a problem in your swing. When you are fitted your swing should be analyzed, this analysis shows the fitter what type of swing you have. For example if you have a flat swing then the club can be made more upright, performing this modification will ensure that the tope of the club will be just off the ground to compensate your swing.

What happens in the fitting process?

When you are fitted for a club the fitter will probably put some tape onto the bottom of the club and you will hit some balls from a specially designed impact mat. This mat, at impact leaves a mark in the tape which details the lie of the club at impact ie is it the heel or toe hitting the ground at impact. This mark will detail whether your club needs to be flatter or more upright. The majority of golfers during this aspect of the fitting slow down their swing - this is normally a mental thing as the golfer is worried that the club may crack the plastic mat. Don't let this worry you - swing as you would on the course.

After this however the fitting can become more technically advanced depending upon the fitter. Some fitters attach you to special analysis equipment so that your swing speed, ball spin etc can be recorded. This information is used so that your clubs can be fine tuned in order for you to attain maximum distance possible from your clubs. Other things which are measured are the launch angles, backspin ration and impact efficiency.

Who should have their clubs custom fit?

Well in my opinion every golfer should. As stated every golfer is different in numerous ways and clubs are mass manufactured for the average person.

You do not need to purchase new clubs in order to have them custom fir, the majority of golf retailers offer custom fitting to existing clubs. If you are purchasing new clubs then you may find that the cost of having them custom fit is free, however if you are hoping to have your current clubs custom fit then there may be a small charge.

One thing to note is that having your clubs custom fit will not cure each and every one of your bad shots. In order to remove these shots you should attend a golfing lesson with your local teacher. Custom fitting your clubs however will ensure that when you perform a good swing there is a much higher percentage that the ball will travel upon its intended path. This fact alone should shave shots from your round.