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Island Golfer Magazine
“Club Fitting”

Last month I gave you a few tips on getting more distance, here is one more way to get more distance. I have had way too many ladies come to me with mens clubs or clubs that just don’t fit in some way. I am a professional golfer and if I was forced to use my husband golf clubs, I would probably quit the game all together. I am not built the same as him and I am definitely not as strong as he is which means there is no way I would be able to handle his clubs. Please keep this in mind when you start playing the great game.

Over the years I have given several lessons to class called “Intro to Golf for Ladies”. This class is designed for ladies just starting to out and one of the most common problems I have found is the equipment they are using is not very suitable for them. Most people are given “hand me downs” which is a wonderful gesture, but most of the time it is actually doing more harm than good. We all need to remember that we are built differently. This means that our clubs should not be the same as every other golfer.

In this months article I will touch on a few points to consider when trying to select the right golf clubs for you.

CLUBHEAD DESIGN

How the club looks and how the club is shaped will affect the ball flight and performance. With all the different makes of clubs that are available to you, the first thing to look for is a club that is progressively offset and cavity backed. This combination will make the irons much more forgiving. Try to find woods that are slightly oversized.

CLUB LENGTH

The proper length will depend on 3 factors:
a. The players height.
b. The length of the players arms.
c. The players ability.

Please remember that the longer the club, the harder it is to control. If the length is not proper, this will result in a loss of distance and accuracy.

CLUB WEIGHT

The most common problem I see is women who show up for a lesson with men’s clubs or even women’s clubs that are too heavy. Women don’t typically have the upper body strength to get the club head speed needed, if the club is too heavy. When you start playing golf, it is very important not to make it more difficult than it already is.

SHAFT FLEX

This is the most complex component of club fitting. The shaft bends and twists, affecting all other fitting variables so the best thing to do is experiment as much as possible. When you are trying the different clubs please watch for these different shots:
- If the shaft is too stiff, you will get low shots or have an unsolid feeling at impact on all but dead-center hits. You could also push or slice the ball.
- If the shaft is too weak, you will get high shots a “whippy” feel and could pull or hook the ball.

LIE ANGLE

The lie angle is the angle between the shaft and the club head. If the angle doesn’t fit the golfer, the sole of the club won’t be parallel to the ground at impact. If the club is too upright, the ball will fly left. If the club is too flat, the ball will fly right. This will lead to the golfer needing to make compensations during their swing in an attempt to have the club head arrive flat to the ground.

GRIP SIZE

You would be amazed at the selection of grips that are available to you. Don’t settle for a standard grip that is on the club, be sure to choose the size that is best for you.

- If the grip size is too large it could result in:
a) Inhibited wrist action from holding on too tight (ball goes right).
b) Less club head speed.

- If the grip size is too small it could result in:
a) Club is held too loosely causing it to turn in your hands prior to impact.
b) Club head is closed at impact causing the ball to go left.

To check your grip, take your usual hold on the club and remove your right hand. If your fingertips of the left hand dig into the palm, the grip is too small. If the tips of your finger are more than an eight of an inch from the heel of your hand, the grip is too large.

You should now realize there are many things to take into consideration before you purchase a set of clubs. Please see your local C.P.G.A. professional before you jump the gun. With the right equipment, the game will be much easier and you may even get a little more distance.