Golf Club Fitting - Where Do You Start?

Golf club fitting can be a quick and easy way for you to improve your golf game. If you are looking for a driver, a hybrid or an entire set of irons, what should you consider to make sure you are happy with your new golf club or golf clubs?

Your golf equipment is very personal choice for you and as your clubs work for you, that is all that matters. No matter your skill level, you must like the club head design when you take your set up. If you do not feel like you can make a good swing with a club, you probably will not. What else should you consider when looking for new golf equipment? Here are a few more ideas.

1. With all of the golf club offerings available, you need to acknowledge your skill level. Each golf club manufacturer has offerings for low to high handicappers. As a high handicap golfer, you need to become familiar with the center of gravity or the CG of the club. You will want a low center of gravity as this will help you get the golf ball into the air and typically results in more distance.

The golf club manufacturers lower the center of gravity by moving weight around on or within the club head. With an iron head, the CG will be lowered by using perimeter weighting on a set of irons. It is harder to see how the CG is manipulated in most drivers, as the manufactures relocate weight inside the head of the driver. The lower your golf handicap, the center of gravity can get higher in the club head. A higher center of gravity will allow you to intentionally hit golf shots which make the ball move left or right.

2. It is important that you are able to hit the clubs off of real turf during a golf club fitting in order to see the entire ball flight before you decide to purchase a driver or a set of irons. In addition, buy your clubs from a PGA Professional that will use a launch monitor. The launch monitor will reveal such statistics such as swing speed, clubhead speed and the golf ball's spin rate. This will allow the club fitter to find the correct shaft for you.

3. How do I find a qualified club fitter? I would retort with how do you find other professionals like doctors, dentists, etc.? Ask other fellow golfers, your friends and co-workers about experiences they had had good or bad. Also contact local golf shops and ask to speak to a qualified fitter. Ask him or her how the process of the club fitting will go and make sure you are comfortable with the professional.

Once you have found your golf club fitter, it is important that you armed with the proper questions to ask your fitter. In addition, remember the fitter is there to help you so do not be afraid to ask any question you might have. The proper questions to ask prior to or during your fitting are as follows:

- Is the professional certified by a major manufacturer to fit their clubs?
- How experienced is the PGA Professional?
- Will I be fit outdoors to see the entire ball flight?
- Does the PGA Professional have a fitting cart or multiple fitting carts with what you are looking for (Mens, Ladies, steel, graphite, right-handed, left-handed clubs) available?
- What will the session cost?
- If I purchase the clubs from you, will the cost of the club fitting be put towards the purchase?
- Will a launch monitor be used during the session?
- How the professional came to the conclusion of your specs? Make sure you understand how the conclusion is achieved and make sure you understand the logic.

Having a properly fit set of golf clubs is an easy way to improve your golf game. With the information in this article, you are well armed to find the correct certified golf club fitter, how to become comfortable with your fitter and what questions to ask to insure you receive a proper golf club fitting. You will be shooting lower scores with your new clubs very soon.