By Alan M. Watson, President, GOLF+ PCB
Years ago in the dark ages of golf club fitting, we had tiny radar devices that would give us one number we would use to determine shaft flex. A swing speed radar. We had one solitary number, and somehow we tried to find perfect golf clubs for people using this lone device. We made it through that lonely time, but the reality is that now with modern technology and a host of better shaft options, we can now do a much more thorough job and properly fit people to their equipment.
Let me give you a recent example.
72-year-old male. Avid golfer. Driver swing speed 66 miles per hour. 20 years ago, we would have given him a “Senior” shaft, and that would have been the end of it. But now with modern technology like our Foresight Game Changer Quad camera launch monitor, we can see that this golfer has a quick tempo, causing a softer shaft to bend too much and that a stiffer, more stable shaft will hold the club head steady, producing a better ball flight. A lighter, softer shaft causes entirely too much backspin and sidespin, thus the player is spraying the ball everywhere. Once we honed in on a lightweight but stiff profile that matched his delivery and closure rate, we found straighter shots and much more consistency. I always say that the golf ball does not know the age, sex, or skill level of the player hitting it.
Another modern advantage in club fitting is the interchangeable shafts and adaptable tip sleeves for shafts on many woods. We can quickly go through several shaft choices to find the right one for the player. In the past, we only had a few prebuilt clubs and very few shaft choices, and we couldn’t swap them around. Now, if a loft is too lo,w we can raise it. If a shaft is too heavy, we can trade it out. We now have complete control over the clubs and components. We even change the length and swing weight often to accommodate a player’s needs. At my shop, we have 650 graphite shafts built and ready to swing for the top manufacturers and we are building more weekly.
One recent trend in fitting is grip size. Many players are leaning towards midsize and oversized grips to have a more comfortable experience on the course. Whether it’s a medical reason like arthritis or just not wanting to have to close their hands down so tightly, a larger grip can often be helpful. We have had to stock many more options in larger grips in our shop than in previous seasons, as it seems that 9 out of every 10 grips we do lately are either midsized or oversized. We can measure your hand size for the correct grip; however, many golfers are choosing to go up in size without a measurement, just as an experiment or just following the trend.
If you are considering getting custom fit for your next driver, iron shafts, grips or putter, we offer those services and much more at our shop. Please feel free to book a fitting online at the link provided on www.golfplusdothan.com. We also offer lessons, full-service club repair, and a room full of retail golf products. We are located next to Firefly in the Shoppes at Edgewater on Panama City Beach. I look forward to helping you with your equipment needs soon. For any questions about fitting, our brands and models offered, or about club repairs you may need, feel free to email me at golfpluspresident@gmail.com.
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