Testing / adjusting existing clubs?

[Golf Nerd]

Richie - any recommendations for someone I can go to in Central FL (including yourself) for an across the set look at my existing clubs? Not too interested in building a new set, though I might consider wedges/hybrids/woods rework. I'd like to tweak my existing set to fit me as best as possible. Most courses offer club "fitting" but I'd like to go to someone with a good reputation.

Thanks!

[Richie3Jack]

Perhaps the old Faldo Institute (now Mariott Golf Academy). Cool Clubs is very popular and are down by Palm Beach, but they don't open back up until November (they are in the middle of building a new facility).

Most clubfitters down here are usually into getting you to purchase a new set of clubs and most of them don't know MOI matching.

I would recommend reading Wishon's e-book (it's free and an easy read), 12 Myths That Can Wreck Your Game.

You can find it here: wishongolf.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/12mythsPDF.pdf

I don't have a lot of trust in clubfitters because often times they try to fit purely for distance and try to give a Band-Aid approach to your swing and don't understand the possible repercussions of doing so. For instance, fitting a 6'0" tall player for +1" shafts that are 3 degrees upright because they hit them further and it counters their toe-digging. In the end it usually just enables the golfer to swing more over the top and continue to toe dig.

Here's some quick and easy fitting ideas:

1. Shaft length - I believe in Wishon's *suggested* shaft length based on height and wrist-to-floor measurements as outline in 12 Myths That Can Wreck Your Game. I think it is very good for the irons. I believe in it for the most part with the driver, although Tom's recommendation will provide for a very short driver shaft. The only problem with that is modern drivers are designed for a long shaft (45-1/2" or longer) and you have to be knowledgeable on how to add the proper amount of weight to the head and figuring out how to get the right shaft that is heavier.


2. Lie Angle - I believe in using the marker test approach and I eschew lie boards. The lie boards don't account for the shaft droop properly, IMO. Here is a video with Steve Elkington showing the lie angle test using a marker.





3. Type of Shaft - This is hard to tell unless you have a fitter that has a ton of shafts. Even still, they may not have a fitting cart that has your club head in there. And usually those club fitters that have tons of shafts are very expensive to get a fitting. I do like the Mizuno Shaft Optimizer. It's not perfect, but it's pretty darn good at getting an idea of what shaft you should use in the irons. Driver is a bit more tricky.



4. Weighting - As I've said here many times, I am a big believer in MOI matching. The good news is that even if you do swingweight matching you can usually do MOI matching if you decide to do so down the road because all it takes is adding the proper weight to the head.









3JACK