Length –
The length of the club is very important as it will have a direct effect on your set up! This poor set up will adversely effect your swing, so if you have to set up a particular way to use your clubs then they are probably wrong for you! You should be able to stand naturally, if the clubs are too long or too short there will be a direct affect on your ball flight and strike.
Too Short – If the shaft is too short you will lack power, also as they are too short as the club comes into impact the head will be pulling back away from the ball generally resulting in the strike coming off the toe of the club.
Too Long – If the shaft is too long the clubs will be very hard to control and hit the ball in several directions. As the clubs are too long you will find as the club comes into impact the club will be moving forwards and it will strike the ball off the heel of the club head maybe resulting in a shank.
Lie –
These are the outcomes of the club coming into impact with the wrong lie. This is why its important to have the clubs fitted to your swing not your set up, remember clubs are designed to work whilst moving not stationary. To give you a rough idea of how the club should sit in the set up the toe of the club should be up so that you could fit a 2p coin around a third of the way under. The club should never sit completely flat to the ground at address!
Grip –
The right grip size is important as the wrong grip size can actually cause you to hit bad shots! If the grip is too thin your hands can be more active which will encourage your shots to fly to the left. If the grip is too big for your hands it will slow them down as it will inhibit their ability to work. This will encourage your shots to fly to the right. Here’s a simple way to check if your grips are right for you!
Shaft –
The shaft is the engine of the golf club and is a hugely important component when gaining maximum distance and consistency. The right shaft should be the one that works for you on both your good days and bad days. You dont want to use a shaft that relies on you swinging the club well!
Too flexible – If the shaft is too flexible for you the ball will fly way too high as too much spin will have been generated. It will also tend to go left as the club will ‘Bow’ too much at impact closing the club face.
Too Stiff – If the shaft is too stiff for you the ball will fly lower and with out power as the shaft hasn’t ‘bowed’ into the ball at all. Also as the shaft bowing slightly closes the club face for us a shaft which is too stiff will send the ball to the right.
On the subject of shafts its worth knowing that there are 3 different kick points available in shafts, low, Med, High. Not to go into too much detail but by choosing the right kick point we can give you a better ball flight without even changing your swing!
Head Type –
The type of head can also have a big effect on how the ball flies and how far the ball travels.
Large Cavity Iron – This type of iron design normally suits a newer golfer or a golfer who plays infrequently. The design makes it very forgiving and with the large cavity come a large sole placing the weight at the bottom of the club. This feature will promote a higher ball flight.
Small Cavity Iron – This type of iron design can be suitable for all golfing abilities. This club has a far more traditional bladed shape but with the addition of a small cavity. The cavity places more weight around the outside of the club face improving forgiveness. The sole will be far narrower so the ball will fly lower than with the large cavity. The club will also be visually much more appealing as it will have a thinner top edge and less bulky appearance.
Bladed Iron – This type of iron is generally only suitable for top elite golfers. A bladed iron is the least forgiving and will launch the ball the lowest of all the head designs. This club will be visually the most appealing but it requires great skill to be used consistently and effectively.
Loft (Woods) –
Its amazing how many people are scared of loft on their woods. The average loft on a driver used to be 10.5 Degree’s and now its leaning ever closer to 12 Degree’s, Why? Well not a lot of people realize that when we impact the ball with a driver we are looking to create 13 Degree’s of loft! This is the ultimate launch angle for distance! More loft equals less side spin as well, meaning your shots will fly straighter as well! So don’t be scared of loft, get your driver custom fitted to maximise distance.
Ball Fitting –
Different types of balls are created to fly and react in different ways, so how can you be sure that the ball is right for you? Harder balls will spin less and therefore fly straighter, however you will lose control and feel around the greens. A softer ball will spin more so it will fly higher and potentially more wayward. However you will gain lots of control and feel around the greens. There are many balls available inbetween these extremes that offer the best of both worlds and even some that can do both jobs if you swing it fast enough! So make sure your playing the right ball so you get the most out of your clubs and swing.
So, do you think it was time that you got fitted?
