You want to get your first set of golf clubs, and you have read that getting clubs that truly fit you are the best way to go.
But most likely you think - how can that matter for me when I am just starting?
Well, maybe just as much as for players who have well developed golf skills, the right starter set will be well worth the investment. Here are some aspects of a good starter set that can help you...
1. A driver that is the right length for you with enough loft to easily get the ball to carry well in the air.
2. A fairway also with lots of loft that will again be easy to hit and get good carry.
3. Perhaps one hybrid club as a substitute for a 4 iron.
4. A 5, 7, 9 iron and pitching wedge with "game improvement" characteristics that are forgiving to mishits.
5. A sand wedge with sufficient bounce to help you hit sand shots well.
6. A putter that is PERFECTLY fit for the right length and lie to make it easy for you to get the golf ball in the hole!
9 clubs to start - but built for you to help you to see good results at the start. And also to help you be able to get good instuction to develop a quality golf swing!
Tony
Showing posts with label length fitting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label length fitting. Show all posts
Monday, November 8, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
What IS A Driver Fitting?
I have done a pretty large number of driver fittings in the last month or so. In doing these, I have realized that it is important to set appropriate expectations for what can and cannot be accomplished in driver fittings.
There is no question that everyone would love to get more distance with their present driver head or with another driver head. This is always a key focus for a driver fitting. It is important to know, though, that the maximum that a player can carry a driver is pretty much defined by physics. If you know a player's swing speed, you can get a pretty good estimate of their maximum carry distance by multiplying their swing speed by 2.5. 100 mph swing speed, max driver carry length will be about 250 yards.
A major focus in all driver fittings that I do is consistency. I work to find the right length driver that the player can hit in the center of the clubface the most. Finding the right shaft for the player - based on his swing speed, swing tempo, and club release point - has a major influence on the ability for a player to hit consistent drives with minimal dispersion of shots.
Another important focus that can help consistency is shaft weight and club MOI/SW. These two variables can influence swing path and the ability of the player to close the clubface when he hits the ball. The right choice of shaft weight and/or MOI/swingweight can help the player to hit straighter shots or at least to reduce the magnitude of pull and pushed shots (see the 9 Ball Flight Laws from last week's post.....).
And yes you can also provide help to increase driving distance. Some players can benefit from a different type head, from a head that is smaller (to help them to be able to close the clubface), and sometimes with a head that has some offset or closed face angle - to reduce the magnitude of a slice.
For players with very slow swing speeds who want more distance, you can use very lightweight shafts with very soft flexes - and can use a superlightweight grip for the player so that they have the lightest possible club to swing. Or, in some cases, you can help them more by building them a 3 wood with 13 to 15 degrees of loft, or can build a driver that has a higher loft than often played.
There are, then, a LOT of ways to help players to improve their driving. Some can lead to more distance, and in a lot of cases increased consistency can be as important or more important as more distance.
Tony
There is no question that everyone would love to get more distance with their present driver head or with another driver head. This is always a key focus for a driver fitting. It is important to know, though, that the maximum that a player can carry a driver is pretty much defined by physics. If you know a player's swing speed, you can get a pretty good estimate of their maximum carry distance by multiplying their swing speed by 2.5. 100 mph swing speed, max driver carry length will be about 250 yards.
A major focus in all driver fittings that I do is consistency. I work to find the right length driver that the player can hit in the center of the clubface the most. Finding the right shaft for the player - based on his swing speed, swing tempo, and club release point - has a major influence on the ability for a player to hit consistent drives with minimal dispersion of shots.
Another important focus that can help consistency is shaft weight and club MOI/SW. These two variables can influence swing path and the ability of the player to close the clubface when he hits the ball. The right choice of shaft weight and/or MOI/swingweight can help the player to hit straighter shots or at least to reduce the magnitude of pull and pushed shots (see the 9 Ball Flight Laws from last week's post.....).
And yes you can also provide help to increase driving distance. Some players can benefit from a different type head, from a head that is smaller (to help them to be able to close the clubface), and sometimes with a head that has some offset or closed face angle - to reduce the magnitude of a slice.
For players with very slow swing speeds who want more distance, you can use very lightweight shafts with very soft flexes - and can use a superlightweight grip for the player so that they have the lightest possible club to swing. Or, in some cases, you can help them more by building them a 3 wood with 13 to 15 degrees of loft, or can build a driver that has a higher loft than often played.
There are, then, a LOT of ways to help players to improve their driving. Some can lead to more distance, and in a lot of cases increased consistency can be as important or more important as more distance.
Tony
Monday, January 4, 2010
Who Is That "Average" Golfer?
I am beginning to wonder what that average golfer out there is, particularly in terms of the right lengths of clubs for him/her to play.
If I look over the fittings I have done in the past few months, I would say that "average" length clubs do not fit at least 50% of the people I am working with. Right now I am working with three people all who I expect will not fit into standard length irons and in fact will need irons that are a lot shorter than standard.
A large majority of my iron fitting clubs are built to do testing with people who fit into standard length clubs. And I can adapt these to be able to fit folks who need clubs just a bit longer or shorter than standard.
However, when people need clubs that are more than 1/2 inch shorter than standard, it is important to have some fitting equipment particularly devoted to these players. Today for example I rebuilt some driver fitting shafts so that I could do testing for players who might need 42-1/2, 43, or 43-1/2 inch long drivers..............................this is compared to the 45 inch plus drivers they would most likely buy in golf stores.
Shorter clubs can mean significantly lower swingweights/MOIs, and it becomes very important to test for swingweight/MOI for shorter sets - and add clubhead or shaft weight if necessary - and be sure players can "feel" the clubhead when they swing it. Often players who have shorter clubs have never been able to truly feel the weight of the head, and when they actually can get the right swingweight/MOI in their clubs their ball striking immediately improves.
Working with players who need shorter clubs is another gratifying experience - because often they have never felt what a golf club that is the right length and swingweight/MOI for them feels like and performs like.
Tony
If I look over the fittings I have done in the past few months, I would say that "average" length clubs do not fit at least 50% of the people I am working with. Right now I am working with three people all who I expect will not fit into standard length irons and in fact will need irons that are a lot shorter than standard.
A large majority of my iron fitting clubs are built to do testing with people who fit into standard length clubs. And I can adapt these to be able to fit folks who need clubs just a bit longer or shorter than standard.
However, when people need clubs that are more than 1/2 inch shorter than standard, it is important to have some fitting equipment particularly devoted to these players. Today for example I rebuilt some driver fitting shafts so that I could do testing for players who might need 42-1/2, 43, or 43-1/2 inch long drivers..............................this is compared to the 45 inch plus drivers they would most likely buy in golf stores.
Shorter clubs can mean significantly lower swingweights/MOIs, and it becomes very important to test for swingweight/MOI for shorter sets - and add clubhead or shaft weight if necessary - and be sure players can "feel" the clubhead when they swing it. Often players who have shorter clubs have never been able to truly feel the weight of the head, and when they actually can get the right swingweight/MOI in their clubs their ball striking immediately improves.
Working with players who need shorter clubs is another gratifying experience - because often they have never felt what a golf club that is the right length and swingweight/MOI for them feels like and performs like.
Tony
Monday, September 21, 2009
Advice - I wonder what will happen....
I am not against giving players a bit of advice on golf clubs sometimes.....usually about the simple things like driver length.
I had a meeting this weekend with a pleasant person who is interested in getting new clubs. I made a few measurements with him and identified that he will likely play best with clubs shorter than standard length. Maybe a 43 to 43-1/2 inch length driver, and irons perhaps a half inch shorter than standard (cannot know real best lengths without impact label testing....).
During our discussion, I was wondering what might be the result if he went into a golf store and said "I am pretty sure I would play my best golf with a 43-1/2 inch length driver, what can you do for me?"
To my knowledge, all of the stores carry drivers that are at least 45 inches long. Someone in a store MIGHT say "well I can just cut that driver down to length for you and that would work." Well, if you cut down a driver from 45 inches to 43-1/2 inches, you reduce the swingweight of that driver 9 swingweight points. Say the 45 inch driver had a swingweight of D2, the cut down one would have a swingweight of C3 - very very light and probably not good for this player.
The right way to modify a driver to a reduced length is to add appropriate weight to the head, and/or to reshaft the driver with a heavier shaft. It can be made to work....but simply cutting the shaft to a reduced length will typically not work.
Still, I would love to be a fly on the wall for the conversation with the salesman about reduced length clubs.....
Tony
I had a meeting this weekend with a pleasant person who is interested in getting new clubs. I made a few measurements with him and identified that he will likely play best with clubs shorter than standard length. Maybe a 43 to 43-1/2 inch length driver, and irons perhaps a half inch shorter than standard (cannot know real best lengths without impact label testing....).
During our discussion, I was wondering what might be the result if he went into a golf store and said "I am pretty sure I would play my best golf with a 43-1/2 inch length driver, what can you do for me?"
To my knowledge, all of the stores carry drivers that are at least 45 inches long. Someone in a store MIGHT say "well I can just cut that driver down to length for you and that would work." Well, if you cut down a driver from 45 inches to 43-1/2 inches, you reduce the swingweight of that driver 9 swingweight points. Say the 45 inch driver had a swingweight of D2, the cut down one would have a swingweight of C3 - very very light and probably not good for this player.
The right way to modify a driver to a reduced length is to add appropriate weight to the head, and/or to reshaft the driver with a heavier shaft. It can be made to work....but simply cutting the shaft to a reduced length will typically not work.
Still, I would love to be a fly on the wall for the conversation with the salesman about reduced length clubs.....
Tony
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