club fitting

    The process of measuring a golfer’s physical dimensions and swing speed, then building clubs to match. Club fitting assures a golfer’s equipment will have the proper length, lie and shaft flex, eliminating many shot errors attributed to clubs that aren’t built to fit.

    Among the measurements taken by club fitters are the player’s height, length from wrist to ground, and hand size. The golfer’s experience, normal ball trajectory (high, medium, low) and direction (left, right, straight), swing speed with a driver, and what club they hit for a 150-yard shot may also be taken into account.

    The fitter uses this data to determine each club’s length, lie angle (distance between the shaft and ground with the sole lying flat) and loft, as well as shaft flex and grip size. Companies offering free online club fitting include Thomas Golf (www.thomasgolf.com).