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Article: 3 Sure-Fire Clubfitting Techniques That Work
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You may already know that unleashing your
creative imagination is one of the best ways to find golf clubs that fit your unique playing style.
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But that might leave you wondering where to begin.
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While there are many ways to approach golf clubfitting, some things remain steadfast when it comes to proven guidelines that keep working for the majority of golfers.
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If you're looking to find equipment that's better suited to your particular game, here are 3 indispensable formulas that serve as excellent places to start.
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1. Loft is Your Friend
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Not too long ago, it was common to see most tour pros using drivers with 7.5° or 6.5° of loft. You even might have had some success with a 9° Biggest Big Bertha, a driver that might still be in your bag.
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But design and manufacturing techniques change. You don't see Tiger using a 6.5° driver any more. Today, a driver's dynamic loft is a lot closer to its measured loft.
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Despite the realities of today's golf club designs, many golfers still underestimate how much loft to go with, and the fact is, most players use too little loft.
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If you haven't purchased a driver in a few years, you may need to re-orient your thinking about what lofts suit your game.
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Here are two significant reasons to make sure your clubs have adequate loft...
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First, too little loft causes a severe drop off in accuracy. You'll hit fewer fairways, and that means you'll hit fewer greens.
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Second, unless you're planning on hitting most of your drives on asphalt surfaces, you'll simply lose distance. Maximizing roll and carry is the way to reach your distance potential.
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You really don't need to worry about too little roll, particularly with newer golf ball designs. They spin less, and aren't as affected by cross winds so launching the ball a little higher actually works in your favor.
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Do any tour pros use higher lofted drivers?
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Yes they do. Just check Nick Watney's driver; it's 11.5°.
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2. The Long and Short of Club Length
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Virtually every driver you find at a golf retail outlet will be built to a length of 45.5”, sometimes 46”. Most iron sets? They'll come with 5 iron lengths set at over 38”.
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Trying to find demo clubs that vary from these “standards” isn't always easy. That's because the psychology behind the clubs you'll find at retail outlets is based on generating maximum distance.
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It's obvious most of us have selective memories, and we all remember those career best drives.
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Sure, everyone wants to bust 300 yard drives; but the equipment most golfers end up buying may not deliver repeatedly long drives, or repeatedly accurate iron shots.
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What's interesting about the clubs most of us end up buying is that most tour pros would never use drivers built to such long lengths.
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Bubba Watson, who leads the PGA Tour in driving distance, uses a 44” driver. That's at least a full inch shorter than the drivers sold at any retail outlet.
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If you can't find demo clubs at 44.5” lengths, grip down on the clubs you want to try out. What you find out may surprise you. Your average swing speed may actually go up. I've found that quite a few players actually pick up a little distance when they use a 44.5” driver.
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What I think you'll notice is that once you get your club length right, and that usually means a shorter length, you'll find yourself becoming more consistent. And consistency breeds confidence.
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Gaining distance with shorter clubs may seem counterintuitive, but the increased control those shorter lengths provide is probably the reason.
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Most Golfsmith super stores have resident club builders, so for a modest cost, it should be fairly easy for you to have a driver, or iron set, modified to lengths that wok better for you.
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3. Finding a Shaft Flex That Works
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Maybe you're seeing a pattern here. More loft, and shorter club lengths. If you're guessing I'm going to suggest trying a lighter flex, you'd be right.
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While I'll admit that the start-with-a-more-flexible-club mantra may not work for everyone, it does seem to be the best way for most of us to narrow down the right shaft flex.
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Here are the reasons:
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A lighter flex provides a softer, more compliant feel
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Encourages a more even swing tempo
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Increases distance with almost no increase in effort
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Shafts that are too stiff encourage over swinging which then leads to accuracy problems. To get a better idea of what to play, you may want to look in the bags of Champions Tour players, or better still, at what LPGA pros are playing. Check the flexes of their clubs to get a more realistic idea of what's really going to work.
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Playing the most flexible shaft you can control usually delivers the best combination of distance and accuracy.
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In conclusion...
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Starting with these time-tested techniques can help save time and eliminate variables when you set out to find the right golf clubs.
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And while you'll always want to exercise your creative imagination, these clubfitting tips should provide you with some solid guidance that can get you moving in the right direction in no time.
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