Driver fit: What you need to know
It's time to make your move for a new weapon of choice
Posted: 14 January 2008
by Bob Warters
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Considering a new driver to suit you?
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It's that time of year most of us start thinking - and perhaps dreaming - about golf, even if the weather suggests it might not be worth venturing out on to the course just yet.
About 75 per-cent of 'golfers' (those who claim to play at least once a month in the summer) prefer to keep their powder as well as our clubs dry between November and March, perhaps making the occasional visit to the range 'just to keep their hand in'.
But we can still dream of the clubs - particularly the driver - we aspire to use when the weather brightens up.
It has been made a little more complicated this year by new Rules that the game's governing bodies have introduced to outlaw those drivers which have a barely detectable 'trampoline effect' in the clubface but which purports to deliver extra distance.
A list of these non-conforming drivers can be found on the
R&A website.
But before we select the driver of choice that we feel might transform our game from a score in the low 100s to one that edges into the 80s and 90s, there's a few things we need to know about ourselves to help the golf pro or store expert fit us for a weapon that truly 'Suits you Sir!'
Estimates of how many golfers are using the wrong equipment range from 90 to 99.9 per-cent - despite the fact that it's your golf swing that defines you as a golfer not the golf club you use or course you play.
As if doing the weekly shop at the supermarket, golfers tend to naively purchase stock equipment that suits their eye without considering the information they need to know if whether or not a certain club matches the idiosyncrasies their golf swing.
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Testing, testing in front of a Trackman ball flight and ball speed detector
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It might have been the model used by the latest tournament winner, but unless your golf swing perfectly matches the speed or consistency of his or hers (if so why aren't you on Tour?), it's probably not the golf club for you.
So, how do you get fixed up with the right driver, for example?
The simplest way to match up your statistics is fill in a form online with one of the major brands or recognised retailers. It will need to know:
* Your gender (male or female)
* Your height in your socks or bare feet
* Distance from wrist to the floor (without shoes)
* Your age
* Current skill level (handicap)
* How fast you swing a golf club in mph or kph (some shops will measure this for you)
* What golf club you would normally use to hit the green from the 150-yard marker (e.g. 6-iron)
The following chart may also be of help:
Women's flex
Driver swing speed less than 60 mph (100 kph), carry distance less than 180 yds. Club used from 150 yds - a 3 iron or wood.
Senior (A) flex
Driver swing speed 60-75 mph (100-120), Driver carry 180-210 yards. Club from 150 yards - 4 iron.
Regular flex
Driver swing speed 75-84 mph (120-135) Driver carry 210-240 yards, club from 150 yards - 5- or 6-iron.
Stiff flex
Driver swing speed 84-93 mph (130-150). Driver carry 240-260 yards, Club from 150 yards 6- or 7- iron.
Extra (X) stiff flex
Driver speed swing over 93 mph (150). Driver carry 260+ yards, club from 150 yards 8- or 9-iron.
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Experts can detect your swing finger print on a computer
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A golfer's swing is like a fingerprint - though it can change slightly with expert coaching. But overall each one is different in style, speed and consistency and ideally should be matched to the clubs you play.
If you're planning to make 2008 the big improvement year and looking to make an instant impact with a driver, start checking the major brand pages and custom-fitters to find out when and where you can get fitted.
There are also some useful articles and forum threads which may help, not least one by
Nick Davis on his visit to Chris Crissel in Essex, currently a leading fitter with the
Orka brand.
Tell us on the forum your experiences with club-fitting and fitters. How successful were they? What advice would you give to fellow Golfmagic visitors about having your clubs made-to-measure?
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Discuss this story
Hi Bob, I went for a fitting at Nevada Bobs a few month's ago now - the guy helping just looked at distance and didn't mention spin rate launch trajectory or anything else that is seemingly important (and that I found out about afterwards). He just said you seem to hit all three of those the same distance so buy the cheapest one ! Luckily I walked away.
Posted: 14/01/2008 12:39
I went to see John Whitehead to have my driver fitted. Spent best part of 2 hours with me to ensure right loft, shaft type and shaft length. The resulting Orka Kii is now the most consistant club in my bag whereas prior to fitting I used to dread using my driver due to problems with a massive slice. Contrary to this, John also had to correct the dodgy fitting carried out by Direct Golf on my irons and wedge. From the same set of measurements they managed to produce irons that were too long and a wedge that was too short. In my opinion a proper club fitting session is well worth it, a static fitting session at a gofl superstore is a waste of time.
Posted: 14/01/2008 13:08
Bob, , I had my Wilsons fitted last year, , reviewed them too, it was the best thing i ever did, a local independent store fitted them for me, , at the time i was looking for Mizuno or Cobra's, , but after a fitting session the Wilsons came out best and ive never looked back, they were even cheaper by £150 than the Cobras. The guy who fitted them went through the basics, height, hand size etc, , but analysed everything on a monitor after hitting about 30+ balls with each make. He seemed to be more interested in ensureing i was fitted to the correct club rather than the money side, especially since it took over an hour of his time and it was FOC, and he could of doubled his money by recommending the Mizunos...... I would recommend custom fitting to everyone.
Posted: 14/01/2008 13:13
Have never been fitted for driver - only for lie with my irons. Maybe should take the time and trouble to see if an improvement can be made on my previous method of trial and error. I must have tested 30-40 different drivers and shafts - some were good, some were not so good. All I wanted was a driver that I could hit with some authority and if it went wrong I wanted some feedback on why. To be honest I think that most of the current driver heads of 460 cc do not let you know when you have hit it poorly. Most of them sound bloody awful and again most of them look bloody awful. Which is why I would not entertain a driver head larger than 400 cc, as this seems the optimum size for my eye and ear to accept.
Posted: 14/01/2008 14:33
Have had a fitting at my local driving range. Had to book in advance to ensure that the launch monitor was available and that they had enough balls 'marked' up with the lines used by the monitor. The range has the Callaway Optifit, Ping fitting centre and Taylormade drivers, all with roughly 15 shaft types available to test. Was an enjoyable hour i spent, and was amazed at the difference just .5 degree can make on diver loft but even more by the difference a shaft can make to how a driver can play. To be quite truthful, it has made me even more of the opinion that it is more about getting a shaft to suit your swing speed/launch angle than about the head at the bottom of the shaft, also it highlighted that even though drivers are marked up with degrees of loft, no two manufacturers are the same in reality. All in all, it was a good time, but as soon as i found the shaft type to suit me, it just meant i could then choose whichever driver head was more aesthetically pleasing to the eye or how much i wanted to be noticed by the sound it makes.
Posted: 14/01/2008 16:45
I have been fitted using the True Length technology in my irons, this has meant flatter lie angle sand shorter long irons, plus longer short irons. My wedges have done purley on personal taste, one inch shorter, 2 dges flatter, with grinds on toe and heel on both. But my driver has been fitted using several visits to monitors. Every time I can get to 108 mph using regular shafts, I float around 102 using stiff, doesn't matter which brand. I have an even to slow tempo an a light transition, with average release. Softer cpms and medium tips help me to generate more speed, but I need less loft to control the launch. 8.5 degrees and reg flex = bombs.
Posted: 14/01/2008 18:27
I had a fitting and all round club assessment a couple of years ago that took 2-3 hours. It was enjoyable experience, trying all sorts of demo clubs, discussing this, that and the other. I ended up having my irons, wedges and a 3-wood re-shafted, and it cost a bomb too. Probably could have a decent new set-up for the same price. All the clubs were re-shafted shorter than they were originally by about half an inch, maybe a full inch in the 3wood. I quite liked the 3wood, still have it but don't use it at the moment although I might go back to it. The irons were going ok but I didn't like them as much as when they were in their previous guise with a shaft that supposedly too soft for me and the wrong length. A year later I'd sold them (wish I hadn't). The clubfitter also wanted to mess with my Ping G2 driver but as I liked it so much - cut an inch without re-weighting - I wasn't going to let her. It was still my favourite ever driver until I snapped the shaft 2 years ago and the search has continued ever since. So what's the conclusion? Looking back, I feel the fitting was not very good and I wasn't happy with the results. Actually I feel it was a pretty expensive waste of time. I had little recourse to complain though as shortly after the fitting I was leaving the country and having the clubs sent on to me - my own fault that really although I was expecting the clubs to be nigh on perfect when I eventually received them. On the plus side, it did give me a more in-depth understanding of the process and concept of club-fitting so helping me to make more informed decisions in the future. (I have to try to take something positive from the experience, although I did bump into my brother at Swindon railway station on the way back, which was nice). Where I live now there are next to no club-fitting facilities and not that wide a selection of equipment although I am fortunate enough to access to a decent clubmaker - I've made so many visits to the repair shop in the past 18 months we've actually become quite good mates. So, I'm down to demo days, reading reviews and forums like this (tip - look into what someone says is WRONG with a piece of equipment rather than over-eager write-ups), getting advice from friends but more often having to import clubs myself just to try them. As such it has taken 18 months to get a bag together that I am very close to being perfectly happy with and it comprises clubs that I had never seen, let alone hit, before I bought them. A pretty crappy and expensive way of doing it. Judging from the experiences of those above, a clubfitter that knows their stuff, that's gotta be worth its weight in gold, or not far off it. I wish it had happened to me.
Posted: 14/01/2008 20:10
It was a while back now but I had a club fitting done at Titleist's facility at Brampton Park GC near Huntingdon. They use a launch monitor on a driving range so you get all the figures as well as being able to see the trajectory and direction of flight for yourself. I spent a good couple of hours hitting balls with my own clubs and also with a huge variety of drivers, fairway woods and irons with all manner of shafts. I guess it helps to be male, right-handed and about average height. I ended up with a recommended specification for a driver, 3-wood, irons and even golf ball. But there's absolutely no pressure to buy anything because they're not allowed to sell direct to the public. It was highly enjoyable and I'd recommend it to anyone.
Posted: 14/01/2008 20:26
Interesting to see an old post of mine used as reference for Bobs front page article!!! A more recent fitting experience (for a putter) was described by myself a while before Xmas... http://www.golfmagic.com/forum/forummessages.asp?URN=15&UTN=22313&last=1%20&%20SP%20=%20%20&%20V%20=%201 also...having been playing around with a TM r7 CGB max driver the other day (which was one of the best OEM drivers I've hit in recent years) I'm extremely tempted to splash the cash and go the whole hog and get custom fitted for one.
Posted: 14/01/2008 21:37
I recently submitted to a driver fitting to bring me 'legal' from my trusty old E-Type Mizuno. I already knew a fair bit about my swing speed and optimum stats and was unsurprised to be recommended the same 9.5 degree stiff shafted spec. What did surprise me was; a) the possibility of analysis machinery not being set-up properly (I had to 'help' the retailer get it the right distance and height, which can of course have a huge effect on results) and b) the MASSIVE difference in manufacturer spec. I've gone for a TM Superquad which is really delivering the results I was looking for in terms of consistency I'm pleased to report. I hit several other 'top' drivers including a Ping G10 which in identical 9.5 S spec launched 6-8 degrees higher and with significantly reduced ball-speed. Far from lambasting the process, I think this confirms that you really should take all the prospective sticks into a testing booth when you're spending £150 and more on a driver, I can't believe people buy these top drivers off the web without doing so and are surprised they end-up in the garage for the season!
Posted: 15/01/2008 12:47
I went to the Mizuno National Fitting Centre near Leatherhead before Xmas to try out their new driver. It turned out that I was hitting my driver (10.5 TM R5 draw with reg shaft) far too high (18 degree launch angle). Unfortunately we didn't had enough time to test all the different shafts they have so the whole process was a bit disapointing (only gave me an extra 3 yards). But it did one thing, convince me that I have to get a new custom fitted driver. Now I am wondering where is the best place to get fitted. I went to an AGD with driving range the other day and they couldn't get their measurement equipment going. And they don't really have a choice in different shafts either. I did however like the TM SuperQuard (9.5 degree) but I really want to know that I am getting the best I can for my money. And if it only gives me 5 yards then it is not worth the money. I've seen that Silvermere has a TaylorMade Performance system (£40) and they can fit Nike and Callaway as well. As anyone tried Silvermere, are they any good? Are there any other places you can recommend in Surrey or close by? I've heard about John Whitehead of Strike Right Golf but that is about a two hour drive away. Is it worth it?
Posted: 16/01/2008 10:02
I have a dilema with fitting. It sounds like the best fittings are done at the manufacturers facility, but this means you can only be fitted to one brand; theirs. So you have to pick a brand before you get fitted. The alternative is to get fitted at a shop, which sounds less accurate an experience, and you have to wonder what the fitter's (ie salesperson's) motivation is when they lead you to a certain choice... Is it genuine or their profit margin that somes into play. My fitting experience: American Golf shop fitted. I got to try 6 drivers (on a machine), and took almost 2 hours on the launch monitor. Very happy with the result (although the ball flight is a little high for my liking with the UST V2 shaft). But no meansurements were taken of my height, grip, etc. He did ask me if the grip felt like the right size, but what do I know?!?!?! 
Posted: 16/01/2008 10:28
Sadly a down-side to fitting in an indoor facility is that hitting balls off a mat into a net for a couple of hours, while your clubhead speed, trajectory and flight characteristics are measured on a monitor, can seriously damage your knees. Old football injuries are re-appearing as knee ligaments tend to take a hammering. Beware! The upside is that the article and resultant comments are providing good, balanced material for those who may be considering custom-fitting as an option to off-the-peg purchases. ED
Posted: 16/01/2008 10:37
Have posted about fitting before so won't bore everyone again but I got fitted for a new driver at The Belfry a couple of months ago and it was the best thing I have ever done. Would never have thought i was a stiff shaft, would never have tried the Superquad. Direct golf are getting really bad, all they do is tape up a club and ask which one you like, no interest in advising you. I am not convinced the spotty kids in there are really "pros". Get fitted at an outdoor range, you need to see and feel the shot as well as see the data and analysis to get the right club for you IMHO.
Posted: 16/01/2008 21:15
I have had several experiences with club fitters, nearly all bad, or at least dissapointing, and one very good. Having had a variety of fittings (including launch monitor, non LM, and a combo of both) its left me with the conclusion that a fitters task is to work with the golfer to tune their equipment. Its not his job to fix their golf game, or offer magical shaft solutions. Rather, to remove some of the inhibitors that may be preventing them from scoring to the level that their swing and skill would allow. This process is not a one-off hit of "use these shafts", it may take several sessions and communication and feedback for the fitter to fine-tune. Confidence in golf is very important if you feel you have a better game as a result of a fitting session then that will help your game, the danger is it could well be short lived, once the allure of the shiney new stuff wears off, so does its positive effect on your game. I recommend avoiding any "fitter" that is in indoor only, and ones that base their fitting exclusively on LM figures, or the "one night stand" method fitting. There are good fitters out there who care about working with the golfer, and all in all I think that will produce the best long term results.
Posted: 16/01/2008 21:31
So hello all, this is my first post. I've read a fair few of the threads/posts on custom fiting, and to be perfectly honest with you all, I'm somewhat confused. I play off 22 and and looking to get a new driver, fairway/hybrids. Now what I can't work out is how and where to go about getting a custom fit. 1) Going to a specific manuf is out, as I want to be able to try out a good selection of different clubs. 2) Going to AGD or Direct Golf is out, as I want a proper custom fit 3) Going to a non big brand club is out, because I'm a bit of a label whore (I know, I'm sorry, I know it doesn't make sense, but I'm only human, I want to swing that Cleveland club and dream I'm Vijay!!!) So. What are the options for me and how much will they cost? Is it possible to get Direct Golf prices and a proper custom fit? I imagine like all things in life, you pay for what you get, no? I live in Stamford and have joined Greetham Valley. I'm willing to travel, but not more thatn 90minutes by car. Any input is greatly received and I'm ready for the posters telling me off for wanting a big brand
Posted: 14/03/2008 18:44
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