How to Get Fitted for Golf Clubs

Whether you’re brand-new to golf or a seasoned player, improving your skills is a gradual process requiring patience, dedication and focus. Still, there are a few adjustments you can make to see instant results, and getting fitted for golf clubs is one of them. If you want to get the most out of your game, using the right golf club sizes for your stature and proportions is a must. This golf club fitting guide will explain how to get fitted for golf clubs so you can elevate your game. 

Why Get Fitted for Golf Clubs?

The length and stiffness of the clubs you use impact your swing mechanics. When your clubs fit you well, it will feel more comfortable to strike the ball for the proper launch angle, swing and distance. On the other hand, a poor fit can lead to inconsistent performance, discomfort and even injuries. You’ll play your best, most enjoyable and safest golf games with custom-fitted clubs.

Many beginner and intermediate golfers feel they need to reach a certain skill level before they can justify getting fitted for custom golf clubs. However, well-fitted golf clubs can benefit players at all skill levels. Research indicates that 87% of golfers can see at least a 10% reduction in their handicap with fitted golf clubs. This means newer players will likely see more swings come off their handicaps by getting fitted for clubs. If your handicap is 20-30, you could improve by two to three swings when you start using fitted clubs!

How Does the Golf Club Fitting Process Work?

Knowing what to expect and how to prepare for a successful golf club fitting can help you get the optimal results you deserve. These are the three steps you’ll follow to get your perfect fit for golf clubs.

1. Find Your Fitter

Choose a reputable fitter in your area by consulting online articles and reviews. You can also contact your local golf club to ask which fitters they recommend. Look for a fitter who can help you consider a range of options to find your ideal clubs and is willing to answer your questions.

2. Get Ready

Before showing up to your fitting, there are a few things you should know and bring. Follow these golf club fitting tips to maximize the value you can gain from your fitting:

• Have a goal: If you’re a beginner, it’s enough to show up and ask for help finding the right size clubs for you. If you’re more experienced, reflect on the outcomes you want from this fitting, like increased driving distance or more consistent yardage gaps across your set. Prepare to communicate these to your fitter. 
• Bring your current clubs: Many fitters will want to see you using your current clubs as a baseline to observe your swing. 
• Prepare to be transparent: The better your fitter understands your current game, the more they can help you improve it. Being transparent with your fitter means remembering that this is not the time to try and impress. Swing just as you always do so that the fitter can understand your mechanics. Bringing data from your recent rounds, like the distances you miss greens from most often and how many fairways you miss right or left, can also help.
• Warm up: To show the fitter your natural swing mechanics, you’ll want to arrive a few minutes early to warm up for the assessment. Stretch your back, hips, shoulders, wrists and forearms before taking your first swings.

3. Complete the Assessment

When you’re ready for the fitting to start, your fitter will take you through the following six stages:

1. Initial discussion: You’ll speak with the fitter about your playing experience, goals and challenges. If you’ve tracked any of your golfing data, now is the time to share it.
2. Measurements: The fitter will measure your height and wrist-to-floor length. These are the key measurements for finding your ideal club length.
3. Swing analysis: You’ll take a few swings with your current clubs or a standard set, allowing the fitter to track them using golf club fitting equipment, including launch monitors. These devices monitor your club head speed, ball speed, spin rate and launch angle.
4. Testing clubs: The fitter will give you a range of clubs to try and will monitor how each affects your performance. Expect these clubs to vary in their head designs, shaft lengths, grips, and degrees of flex or stiffness.
5. Comparative data analysis: As you try various clubs, the fitter will compare your performance data, including your consistency in hitting the center of the clubface, your peak height and descent angle, and your shot placement patterns.
6. Recommendations: Based on your performance data, the fitter will recommend your ideal golf club specifications, including length, shaft type and grip size. They may also point you to specific clubs you can purchase that meet these specs. A good fitter can explain what your performance data means and how it connects to their recommendations. 

Types of Custom Golf Fittings

There are two types of golf club fittings — full-bag fittings and fittings for individual clubs. A full-bag fitting covers all the clubs in your golf bag. The fitter will recommend your optimal specs for each club to serve its purpose, from precise putting to powerful driving. They can also help ensure your full array of clubs works harmoniously to give you the tools you need for each shot. A full-bag fitting is ideal for newer golfers or anyone getting fitted for the first time. 

If you are already satisfied with most of your clubs but need to make adjustments in a specific area of your game, you could consider an individual club fitting. Professional golf club fitters can help you find the right irons, drivers, wedges, putters, hybrids or fairway woods to complement your mechanics and the rest of your golf bag.

Join Colonial Golf & Tennis Club to Access Golf Club Fittings

Whether you’re competing or just having a good time, getting fitted for golf clubs can help you get more from your golfing. Combine your well-fitted golf clubs with regular practice and a positive golfing community, and you have a recipe for steady progress and endless enjoyment. You can find all this and more as a member of Colonial Golf & Tennis Club.

Colonial Golf & Tennis Club is a luxurious sporting and social venue in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. When you join Colonial Golf & Tennis Club, you gain access to custom golf club fittings, our 18-hole golf course and unlimited use of our practice facility, which includes putting greens and a driving range. You also become part of a community where you can meet like-minded golfers, savor our exquisite restaurant menu and experience an exclusive calendar of social events, tournaments and other exciting opportunities. 

Register for our upcoming Titleist Fitting Day on March 22, and discover your perfect golf club fit!