Written by Dominic Uy, Host A Round Of Golf
For the past 2 years I’ve been pondering on whether to custom fit my golf set but I had so many questions in mind like, is it really the golfer or the gear (is it the Indian or the arrow), will custom fitting my clubs help my swing (as they say each person’s swing is unique), and will custom fitted clubs improve my over-all feel of the game and boost my confidence on the fairways?
One of the most common conversations between me and my golf buddies is equipment, what clubs have the best reviews, what are the latest clubs in the market, which clubs give you more loft and distance and the questions are never ending. Like me, most golfers are always thrilled when we purchase new clubs or arrows so to speak, but as soon as we hit the driving range or fairways we then learn that the new shiny arrow might not be the right club for us. That’s when that club heads straight to the 2nd-hand store or the back of your car’s trunk. We then head down to the Golf Stores and seek for the replacement which will bring us back to the cycle of buying a new Driver, Irons, Woods or Putters but alas we fail to find the perfect gear for us. I’ve been through this process several times and I decided that it was time to get my clubs fitted by a professional!
I was lucky enough to know Francis and Jake of Custom Clubmakers, the official club makers of the Philippine Golf Tour, and I asked them if I could get my clubs fitted by them. If you haven’t been to their store in Makati Golf, Francis & Jake are amongst the Top 100 Clubfitters in the World! Let me share with you my experience:
We began with Static Fitting. Jake began with checking my required Club Length; since every golfer differs in height and arm length its important to get the proper club length to eliminate slouching and correct your posture when addressing the ball.
Also part of Static Fitting is determining the grip we need as this is the first contact we have when handling our clubs. Things to keep in mind are that the grips are comfortable and gives us a relaxed feel, not too loose or tight which can cause blisters or worse bad habits.
We then moved onto Dynamic Fitting. The important factor here was Swing Speed, as every golfer has a different swing speed club flex, club weight and shaft type come into play. Proper club flex is important since this improves how the golfer propels the ball in the air and directly affect the direction of the ball. Sometimes we may not have a flaw in our swing but that slice or hook could be due to a mismatched club flex.
Next Jake checked my Loft & Lie Angle with the use of lie tape & face impact tape. I’m sure just like me everyone wants to hit the sweet spot 100% of the time, and proper loft and lie angle will aid you in making sure that the clubface is square at impact. An adjustment of 1 degree upright or 2 degrees down could make a HUGE difference. Just keep in mind that your club heads must be forged in order to adjust the loft and lie angle.
Now that I’ve got my arrows all fitted I do see the improvement in my game, and all of my previous questions about fitting have been answered. Yes, the golfer is responsible for the improvement, but proper gear will help you enhance your game with better swings and this does make me more comfortable on the course. My dream to be a single-handicapped just got clearer!
To watch the full feature on Custom Clubmakers, check out our website www.aroundofgolf.tv
Remember to enjoy the game and the lifestyle that comes with it! See you on the fairways!
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