Read this before you buy your next set of golf clubs

Read This Before You Buy Your Next Set of Golf Clubs

On a beautiful Sunday morning, with all the elements seeming to align perfectly, you’ve shot the best round of golf in your whole life. You are on cloud 9 and feel like you’re an inch closer to becoming the single handicap that you’ve been chasing for the last few months. A few weeks later, you shot the worst round that you could’ve imagined compared to your score the week before.

You’re upset. You believe you are a better golfer but you can’t seem to keep it consistent. Instantly, you think you need a new set of clubs, with better material and more advanced technologies. But, how do you begin going about buying a new set of clubs? Should you stick to the same brand that you’ve been using for the last 10 years? What is the correct length for me? Should I change to a different grip? This is where a club fitting session comes in.

Getting fitted for golf clubs is a lot like getting custom fitted for tailored suits. When it comes to playing golf, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. The right combination of club head, club shaft, length, and grips depend on factors such as your height, strength, and swing. A professional club fitter will take these factors into account and help you find the clubs that are best suited for your game. In addition to finding the right clubs, a club fitter can also help you with things like grip size and shaft flex. As a result, club fitting can be a valuable tool for any golfer who is looking to improve your game. In most fitting sessions, these are the five elements that greatly impact your golf swing:

1. Flex

When choosing the right golf club combination, it is important to select a shaft that is the right stiffness for your swing. If the shaft is too stiff, the shots will launch too low, with too little spin and low peak heights. If the shaft is too weak, the shots may spin too much, fly too high, and widen dispersion patterns.

Clubhead speed is the factor to consider when choosing a golf shaft, but it is not the only factor. Ball flight and performance are also important factors to take into account. Slow swing speeds generally require softer-flex shafts, while high swing speeds need stiffer shafts. However, there are variations in swing patterns that can affect which shaft is right for you.

2. Weight

The weight of a golf shaft is an important factor in determining the performance of your shot. Heavier shafts tend to produce lower, less-spinning shots, while lighter shafts result in higher, more-spinning shots. The reason for this is that heavier shafts provide more momentum to the golf ball, resulting in a lower launch angle and less spin. Conversely, lighter shafts provide less momentum, leading to a higher launch angle and more spin. The amount of spin can be particularly important for shots around the green, as it can help the ball stop quickly and prevent it from rolling off the green.

3. Length

The length of your driver shaft significantly affects both how the golf club feels and where you strike the ball on the face. A longer shaft will cause a less consistent strike, and you’ll tend to hit the ball closer to the heel. A shorter shaft will cause a more consistent strike pattern, but you’ll tend to hit the ball closer to the toe. While you can experiment with different lengths to find what feels best for you, keep in mind that a longer shaft will make it harder to hit the sweet spot on the face, while a shorter shaft will make it easier. Ultimately, through a golf fitting, a professional fitting is able to gather information of the golfer’s physical size, arm length, swing speed, consistency, ball flight and feel preferences to find the right driver shaft for you.

4. Kick Point

The “kickpoint” is the point on the shaft where it bends the most under load. For example, if you were to hold the tip of a shaft and pull down on it, the kickpoint is the point at which the shaft would start to bend. In general, there are three types of kickpoints: high, mid, and low. High kickpoints are good for players who want more control over their shots, while low kickpoints are better for players who are looking to maximize distance. The type of kickpoint you need will depend on your personal playing style.

5. Torque

Torque is a measure of how much force is required to rotate an object about an axis. In the context of golf shafts, it is a measure of how much twisting force the shaft can resist before it reaches its point of maximum twist. The higher the torque measurement, the less resistant the shaft is to twisting, and vice versa.

The torque measurement plays more into feel than anything else. For example, lower torque shafts will have a “boardy” feel, while higher torque shafts will have a “whippy” feel. Ultimately, the choice of shaft should be based on personal preference and the desired feel of the shot.

Golf is a game that requires precision and accuracy. Even the slightest difference in a club can make a big difference in the outcome of a shot. That’s why many serious golfers undergo a golf fitting sometime in their golf journeys. Golf fitting is the process of finding the right clubs for each individual golfer, based on factors that were mentioned in this article. ]

By using the right clubs, golfers can improve their accuracy and consistency, and lower their score. In addition, golf fitting can help to improve a golfer’s posture and form, leading to even more significant improvements. While it may seem like a small thing, golf fitting can make a big difference in a golfer’s game. For anyone serious about improving their game, it’s definitely worth considering.