Getting custom Fit for new Golf Equipment? Is it hype or really worth the investment?

Getting custom Fit for new Golf Equipment? Is it hype or are custom golf clubs really worth the investment?

There are a lot of people that walk into the golf stores and buy off the rack equipment thinking that they are not good enough to get custom fit or just do not need to play with anything fancy. No offense but that is just crazy. When you are spending your hard earned money you better believe that its worth the extra to get something that is just right for you and your game. Just as every golf has a different swing every golfer needs to have equipment to fit "their" individual game. Everyone is different, that is what is so great about the new technology in golf today. Now clubs can grow along with you and your game. With all of the new adjustable technology and removable shaft technology, you can keep the head and switch the shaft. It makes buying a used driver way easier as well. The head is still good, just change the shaft. 

So now that I have said its a must to get custom fit if you are buying new equipment I am going to back it up with my own experience this past week. I recently went to the TaylorMade Fit Lab and did a full motion analysis for all 14 clubs. WOW! What an experience it was. Not only was it invaluable and tons and tons, and tons of great information but it was simple and easy to understand. The PGA member that fit me did a phenomenal job and really made a huge difference in my consistency numbers.

Getting fit properly can make a huge difference on how far offline your misses go and how online your great shots go. As you all know golf is a game of who misses it the best. Getting fit helps you to miss it better and closer to your target. I highly recommend heading over to your local retailer or PGA professional to get your equipment fit to you. As you can see in the first picture I made a significant improvement in not only distance but a much tighter shot pattern when the shot was not hit perfect. Nothing wrong with hitting it further and straighter at the same time. Getting custom fit can do that for you. Its all about finding the right combination of head and shaft. These days there are so many options out there it can be a whirlwind trying to decipher everything on your own.
Shafts have many parameters. 

• Torque: occurs in a shaft due to the fact that the clubhead is affixed to the shaft off-centre. The mass of the head thus causes a twisting of the shaft when the club is swung.Torque doesn't necessarily 'do' anything - it's just something that's pretty much unavoidable due to the design of a club.A certain amount of torque is a plus as it helps the golfer deliver the clubhead squarely at impact. Too much torque can result in an inconsistent face angle at impact and cause errant shots; so low torque is generally desired. Too little torque can have similarly negative results though - and torque is very closely related to the 'feel' of a shaft. A shaft with too little torque will often feel 'boardy' and lifeless to the player. Often, a shaft with too little torque will also be too stiff, exacerbating the problem. 

The term “torque”, really means- a measurement of a shaft’s ability to resist twisting. Most companies in the industry do not use a standardized testing methodology, so you need to to be careful of drawing any meaningful conclusions when comparing across brands, but the general idea is to anchor the shaft, apply a weight in a twisting manner, and measure the amount of twist or torque. This amount is expressed in a factor of degrees, as in 2 degrees or 3 degrees of torque. Most steel shaft models have similar torque measurements, with heavier, stiffer, thicker walled shafts having a lower degree of torque, and lighter, flexible, thinner walled shafts having a higher degree of torque. Most steel models fall in a similar range of 1.5 to 2.0 degrees of torque, which means these models will play similar with regards to torque, thus torque is really not a performance factor to consider. Graphite models, however, because of the different manufacturing methods, can range from 1 to 10 degrees of torque, which certainly changes a shaft’s performance properties, but with most premium graphite models, in the 2-4 degree range, torque in graphite models also is not a major issue to consider. A certain amount of torque, or twisting of the shaft, is needed to match up with the typical golf swing and golf club, to aid in delivering the face into the ball at a square position, for the best possible contact.
 

• Kick Point: is a term that describes the “where” a shaft bends. In simplest terms, a high or butt kick shaft, flexes closer to the grip, a mid kick shaft, flexes more toward the middle portion of the club, and a low or tip kick shaft, flexes closer to the head. A higher kick shaft is often preferred by stronger players, with high swing speeds, who have an easy time getting the ball in the air, because a high or butt kick shaft typically promotes a lower flight trajectory. A mid kick shaft promotes a mid trajectory, and a low kick shaft promotes a higher trajectory

• Flex: If you want to avoid giving your game the shaft, you need to understand the effect that shaft flex has on your game. Flex refers to the ability of a golf shaft to bend as forces are applied to it during the golf swing.Those forces are generated by the type of swing that you have - fast or slow, smooth or jerky.There are five generally used ratings for shaft flex: Extra Stiff, Stiff, Regular, Senior and Ladies, usually denoted by the letters X, S, R, A and L ("A" is used for Senior because this flex was originally called "amateur").Having a flex that doesn't match the needs of your swing will result in the club face  being misaligned at impact, causing your shots to go off-target.

• Weight: The weight of the shaft is the major factor in determining the total weight of all golf clubs.While club head weight and grip weight can and do vary depending on the golfer's need for a higher swing weight (head weight) or a larger grip size (grip weight), neither the head nor the grip exist in nearly as wide a range of weights as does the shaft.

At the time of this writing, shafts can be bought that weigh as much as 130 grams (4.6 ounces) or as light as 40 grams (1.4 ounces). Thus, when a golfer switches from an average steel shaft to an average graphite shaft today, the drop in total weight will be in the area of at least 50 grams or more (1.75 ounces).

Swing speed is the most direct factor affecting shot distance. The lighter the total weight of the golf club, the higher the swing speed the golfer should be able to generate with the club. However, the swingweight of the club must be fit properly to the strength and tempo of the golfer or else any significant decrease in the total weight of the clubs will simply result in a higher percentage of off-center hits, which in turn will reduce

The weight of the shaft is the major factor in determining the total weight of all golf clubs.While club head weight and grip weight can and do vary depending on the golfer's need for a higher swing weight (headweight) or a larger grip size (grip weight), neither the head nor the grip exist in nearly as wide a range of weights as does the shaft.At the time of this writing, shafts can be bought that weigh as much as 130 grams (4.6 ounces) or as light as 40 grams (1.4 ounces). Thus, when a golfer switches from an average steel shaft to an average graphite shaft today, the drop in total weight will be in the area of at least 50 grams or more (1.75 ounces).Swing speed is the most direct factor affecting shot distance. The lighter the total weight of the golf club, the higher the swing speed the golfer should be able to generate with the club. However, the swingweight of the club must be fit properly to the strength and tempo of the golfer or else any significant decrease in the total weight of the clubs will simply result in a higher percentage of off-center hits, which in turn will reduce.

Now that you understand a little bit about shaft determination get out there and GET FIT!! Play better golf through playing better equipment. Hope you play well during your next round. Keep thinking outside of the cube. 

Be sure to check us out on Facebook and like our page RubiXGolf