Custom Fitted Clubs vs. Off The Rack  

If you are in the market for a new suit, do you prefer something off the rack or a custom-made suit that fits you to a tee? Most would opt for the latter. Golf club manufacturers like to use this analogy when comparing custom-fitted clubs to clubs off the rack. Just as an outfit can look great on one person, it might look completely different or downright scary on someone else. So too can be the result when purchasing golf clubs but are custom-made golf clubs really worth the investment?

The answer is yes. Another useful analogy is the recent World Series. Do you suppose that every batter for Texas and St. Louis used the same 30 inch bat that weighed 34 ounces? Probably not. As such, the ‘one size fits all’ approach for golf equipment is not in the best interest of the average golfer as Tiger Woods indicated during a Golf Channel interview a few years back. The former number one golfer in the world was asked what he noticed most about the amateurs he plays with and his response was that all golfers need to be custom fit with clubs that could accentuate the positive things they do in their swings and offset any chronic mistakes.

In his latest book “The NEW Search for the Perfect Golf Club,” author Tom Wishon, one of the world’s leading club designers, suggests that the latest cutting edge frontier in golf is plain, old fashioned custom club fitting. “The average golfer knows little more about golf clubs than what he or she reads in advertising or sees in Golf Channel infomercials,” says Wishon. “This lack of golf equipment knowledge results in millions of golfers attempting to play an already difficult game with equipment that not only won’t but can’t possibly allow them to play to the best of their ability. I want golfers to understand that simply buying standard made clubs off the rack is not the path to take to obtain the set of clubs that will bring out the most in their game.”

Frank van Gelder, an average golfer from Lakewood, Wash. decided to investigate the potential benefits of custom-fitted clubs. He was quite happy with the entire process and especially with the custom-made Lynx clubs which were specifically designed and weighted for his golf game. “After contacting a certified clubmaker, the process was quite simple and not time-consuming at all,” says van Gelder.

The process for custom fit clubs is very similar to that of the fitting for a tailored suit. The clubmaker will start by sitting down with you to discuss your current equipment, game, problems, concerns, goals and whether you have taken lessons or plan to do so in the future. He will also measure and evaluate your current clubs, which in van Gelder’s case was an aging set of Spaldings. The clubmaker will then watch you swing a club to determine your swing speed, tempo, transition and any other pertinent details. Determining the appropriate shaft is the next step in the process, followed by selecting club heads and grips to match the golfer’s specific needs.

The end result is like Christmas morning every time you tee it up. “The psychological advantage of having your very own clubs makes a world of difference,” says van Gelder. He is playing better golf, too. With his previous set of clubs, he routinely shot in the high 80s but with the custom-made Lynx clubs, van Gelder now shoots in the low 80s.

This is consistent with Tom Wishon’s research that “the higher the handicap of the golfer, the more the golfer will experience definite, visible shot improvement results from a professional club fitting. For golfers with a handicap between 10 and 26, it is safe to say in the area of 80 percent will walk away with one or more forms of visible, measurable shot improvement. If wedge and putter fitting are included, it’s not out of line to say that 80 percent of all golfers with a handicap between 12 and 26 will see their average score improve by between 3 and 10 shots.”

Van Gelder says that he now has more consistency from club to club and knows what to expect with each. “Having that familiarity with your clubs cannot be overemphasized,” he adds.

To locate a professional golf clubmaker in your area, visit the International Clubmakers Guild website at www.clubmakersguild.com