Opinion & Analysis

What to expect during a club fitting

Published

3 years ago

Aug 2, 2021

GolfWRX Staff

“What should I expect during a club fitting?”

“I booked a fitting — now what?”

These are questions we hear frequently at GolfWRX. As advocates for fitting as the best way to find the optimal equipment for your game (and optimize equipment purchased “off the rack”), we know it’s important to be able to offer GolfWRXers answers. In order to respond to these common questions, we’re partnering with Club Champion, which has more than 85 club fitting locations nationwide, to break down the process for both novices and those who have only had the antiquated “lie board and impact labels” fitting experience.

Check out the answers to common questions about club fittings below.

What should I bring?

A few things: most importantly, your full bag. Even if you’re just fitting the driver, your fitter may want to reference something else in the bag. Your glove, athletic shoes or golf shoes, comfortable clothes, and a water bottle are all suggested as well. You’ll be taking lots of swings, so a snack might help too, though we do provide refreshments at our studios.

It’s also recommended to bring a budget and a general idea of the goals you’d like to achieve with your golf game. The budget helps your fitter ensure that he/she is only showing you viable options and the goals help them zero in on the metrics that mean the most to you in the long run.

What should my expectations be?

Depends! Every golfer who gets fit at Club Champion can expect to try a variety of options from a variety of brands. They should also expect to get an in-depth look at their game using TrackMan and/or SAM PuttLab technology. Some fitting types are very specific, like a wedge fitting, so those golfers should expect to learn a ton about that particular part of their game. It’s reasonable to expect to improve distance, dispersion/accuracy, comfort, and overall performance if your current clubs are even just a few years old, and it’s not uncommon for our fitters to find another 20+ yards off the tee. It’s even reasonable to expect a lower score once the fitted clubs arrive since our customers see an average improvement of six strokes per round. It’s most important to voice your expectations with your fitter so they can let you know what’s reasonable.

What you should NOT expect is a lesson. While many of our fitters are former instructors or have PGA status, we aren’t here to correct swing flaws. They might give a tip here or there but we are looking to meet your goals through equipment that matches your natural swing, as opposed to tweaking that natural swing.

What is this process going to include from start to finish? (i.e. What’s going to happen?)

We have a ton of videos on our YouTube channel, but the general process is:

You’ll be greeted by your fitter or asked to hang out in our lounge if you’re early.
Your fitter will start the appointment with a sit-down to discuss your game, your goals, and any budget caps you’d like to set. After this, you’re encouraged to stretch.
Then you’ll move into the fitting bay, where you’ll warm up and set baseline data with your existing set. Your fitter wants to see your stock distances and other metrics so they know what numbers to beat.
Then comes the fun part — the testing! We’ll dial in your shaft first, taking a look at everything from length to profile.
Once we have a shaft that works for your swing, we dial in the best clubhead for your game. Face shape, loft, even the look at address will play into the final decision but what we’re really looking for will be on-screen: the data. We can see your improvements in real-time using TrackMan swing analysis and the numbers are recorded so we can send them to you after the fitting.
Once you have the perfect shaft and head combo, we’ll talk grips. Size, material, even color will be decided so we can optimize your only connection to the club.
At this point, your fitter will show you the recommended clubs, the costs and discuss any additional services like SST PUREing, stamping, paint fill, etc. that might make sense for you. If you’re retro-fitting your existing set, they’ll talk to you about the process of breaking down and rebuilding those clubs with the new components you found during your fitting.
No one is required to purchase from Club Champion so you’re welcome to take your specs and TrackMan/SAM PuttLab data home. If you do choose to have your clubs hand-built to the tightest tolerances in the industry by our master builders, your order will be placed and you’ll be updated via email as the clubs progress through the building process.

Am I going to need to buy all new clubs or are some/all of my current ones going to be adjusted?

No one needs to buy any equipment after a Club Champion fitting. We can absolutely fit your existing set, which may be as simple as adjusting lofts or might require some updated shafts and grips. We can also upgrade some clubs and not others — just because you’re fitted for a full bag does not mean you need to take the plunge on 14 new clubs at once. If you know you’ll get the most use out of a fitted driver + putter, start with those and update the rest of the bag over time. You’re in the driver’s seat when it comes to the investment you make in your game; we’re just here to guide you to the equipment that’ll help achieve your goals.

What will I learn about my golf swing and game (from a fitter’s perspective)?

A ton! Since a fitting is not a lesson, you’ll focus on the equipment and how it impacts your success on the course. You’ll learn your stock distances, what sort of shaft profile makes the most sense for your swing speed, what loft/lie makes sense for your attack angle, your smash factor, your spin rate, what swingweight helps you swing effortlessly, and so much more. If you’re going through a putter fitting, you’ll take a look at everything from head shape and toe hang to shaft length and grip size to better understand how each element adds up to fewer three-putts and more confidence on the green.

It’s also important to ask questions during your fitting. If there’s something you want to address specifically (i.e. spin rate with your wedges), talk to your fitter about your experiences on the course and ask as many questions as you need to understand their recommendation. The data provides most of the answers but it’s important that you understand how those numbers translate to on-course results.

How does getting fit help lower scores?

Fittings lead to lower scores for many reasons, and it all depends on what part of the bag you dialed in. Our Statistically Speaking series on YouTube breaks this down shot-by-shot, but the general answer is this: with better distance and accuracy, you’re finding more fairways and greens in regulation, and with a putter you can rely upon, you’re sinking more putts. We find an average of 22 extra yards off the tee, 13 additional yards with irons, and six fewer strokes per round, just to name a few stats.

What happens next?

If you bought your clubs through Club Champion, the next step is to get them built by our master builders. Once they arrive and are checked out by your fitter one last time, you can pick them up and start shooting your best scores. If for some reason you aren’t seeing the same results on the course that you saw in the fitting bay, our Perfect Fit Guarantee has you covered. Additionally, it’s important to maintain your club specs — we offer free loft/lie adjustments for the lifetime of the club when you build through us. You can also regrip through your local Club Champion to ensure your best performance for every round.

Will I need a follow-up to my fitting? How often should I get fit?

Aside from updating your lofts/lies and regripping, you will not need to check back in with your fitter for your newly fitted clubs until it’s time for a new fitting. Fitting frequency depends entirely on your individual circumstances — if you’re wearing our your wedge grooves every season, you should be fitted for new wedges that frequently. If you only play casually and are properly storing and protecting your clubs, you can easily get a few years out of your fitted set. New club technology launches every year so there’s always something new to test, but you should plan to be fitted as frequently as it makes sense for your game.

Be sure to check out “Addressing club fitting’s biggest myth: It’s only for good players”and “How to prepare for a club fitting.”

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s LIV Golf Singapore betting preview: Course specialist ready to thrive once again

Published

5 days ago

Apr 30, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

After another strong showing in Australia, LIV Golf will head to Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore looking to build off of what was undoubtedly their best event to date.

Sentosa Golf Club sits on the southern tip of Singapore and is one of the most beautiful courses in the world. The course is more than just incredible scenically; it was also rated 55th in Golf Digest’s top-100 courses in 2022-2023 and has been consistently regarded as one of the best courses in Asia. Prior to being part of the LIV rotation, the course hosted the Singapore Open every year since 2005.

Sentosa Golf Club is a par 71 measuring 7,406 yards. The course will require precise ball striking and some length off the tee. It’s possible to go low due to the pristine conditions, but there are also plenty of hazards and difficult spots on the course that can bring double bogey into play in a hurry. The Bermudagrass greens are perfectly manicured, and the course has spent millions on the sub-air system to keep the greens rolling fast. I spoke to Asian Tour player, Travis Smyth, who described the greens as “the best [he’s] ever played.”

Davis Love III, who competed in a Singapore Open in 2019, also gushed over the condition of the golf course.

“I love the greens. They are fabulous,” the 21-time PGA Tour winner said.

Love III also spoke about other aspects of the golf course.

“The greens are great; the fairways are perfect. It is a wonderful course, and it’s tricky off the tee.”

“It’s a long golf course, and you get some long iron shots. It takes somebody hitting it great to hit every green even though they are big.”

As Love III said, the course can be difficult off the tee due to the length of the course and the trouble looming around every corner. It will take a terrific ball striking week to win at Sentosa Golf Club.

In his pre-tournament press conference last season, Phil Mickelson echoed many of the same sentiments.

“To play Sentosa effectively, you’re going to have a lot of shots from 160 to 210, a lot of full 6-, 7-, 8-iron shots, and you need to hit those really well and you need to drive the ball well.”

Golfers who excel from tee to green and can dial in their longer irons will have a massive advantage this week.

Stat Leaders at LIV Golf Adelaide:

Fairways Hit

1.) Louis Oosthuizen

2.) Anirban Lahiri

3.) Jon Rahm

4.) Brendan Steele

5.) Cameron Tringale

Greens in Regulation

1.) Brooks Koepka

2.) Brendan Steele

3.) Dean Burmester

4.) Cameron Tringale

5.) Anirban Lahiri

Birdies Made

1.) Brendan Steele

2.) Dean Burmester

3.) Thomas Pieters

4.) Patrick Reed

5.) Carlos Ortiz

LIV Golf Individual Standings:

1.) Joaquin Niemann

2.) Jon Rahm

3.) Dean Burmester

4.) Louis Oosthuizen

5.) Abraham Ancer

LIV Golf Team Standings:

1.) Crushers

2.) Legion XIII

3.) Torque

4.) Stinger GC

5.) Ripper GC

LIV Golf Singapore Picks

Sergio Garcia +3000 (DraftKings)

Sergio Garcia is no stranger to Sentosa Golf Club. The Spaniard won the Singapore Open in 2018 by five strokes and lost in a playoff at LIV Singapore last year to scorching hot Talor Gooch. Looking at the course setup, it’s no surprise that a player like Sergio has played incredible golf here. He’s long off the tee and is one of the better long iron players in the world when he’s in form. Garcia is also statistically a much better putter on Bermudagrass than he is on other putting surfaces. He’s putt extremely well on Sentosa’s incredibly pure green complexes.

This season, Garcia has two runner-up finishes, both of them being playoff losses. Both El Camaleon and Doral are courses he’s had success at in his career. The Spaniard is a player who plays well at his tracks, and Sentosa is one of them. I believe Sergio will get himself in the mix this week. Hopefully the third time is a charm in Singapore.

Paul Casey +3300 (FanDuel)

Paul Casey is in the midst of one of his best seasons in the five years or so. The results recently have been up and down, but he’s shown that when he’s on a golf course that suits his game, he’s amongst the contenders.

This season, Casey has finishes of T5 (LIV Las Vegas), T2 (LIV Hong Kong), and a 6th at the Singapore Classic on the DP World Tour. At his best, the Englishman is one of the best long iron players in the world, which makes him a strong fit for Sentosa. Despite being in poor form last season, he was able to fire a Sunday 63, which shows he can low here at the course.

It’s been three years since Casey has won a tournament (Omega Dubai Desert Classic in 2021), but he’s been one of the top players on LIV this season and I think he can get it done at some point this season.

Mito Pereira +5000 (Bet365)

Since Mito Pereira’s unfortunate demise at the 2022 PGA Championship, he’s been extremely inconsistent. However, over the past few months, the Chilean has played well on the International Series as well as his most recent LIV start. Mito finished 8th at LIV Adelaide, which was his best LIV finish this season.

Last year, Pereira finished 5th at LIV Singapore, shooting fantastic rounds of 67-66-66. It makes sense why Mito would like Sentosa, as preeminent ball strikers tend to rise to the challenge of the golf course. He’s a great long iron player who is long and straight off the tee.

Mito has some experience playing in Asia and is one of the most talented players on LIV who’s yet to get in the winner’s circle. I have questions about whether or not he can come through once in contention, but if he gets there, I’m happy to roll the dice.

Andy Ogletree +15000 (DraftKings)

Andy Ogletree is a player I expected to have a strong 2024 but struggled early in his first full season on LIV. After failing to crack the top-25 in any LIV event this year, the former U.S. Amateur champion finally figured things out, finished in a tie for 3rd at LIV Adelaide.

Ogletree should be incredible comfortable playing in Singapore. He won the International Series Qatar last year and finished T3 at the International Series Singapore. The 26-year-old was arguably the best player on the Asian Tour in 2023 and has been fantastic in the continent over the past 18 months.

If Ogletree has indeed found form, he looks to be an amazing value at triple-digit odds.

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Opinion & Analysis

Ryan: Lessons from the worst golf instructor in America

Published

5 days ago

Apr 30, 2024

Brendan Ryan

In Tampa, there is a golf course that boasts carts that do not work, a water range, and a group of players none of which have any chance to break 80. The course is overseen by a staff of crusty men who have succeeded at nothing in life but ending up at the worst-run course in America. However, this place is no failure. With several other local courses going out of business — and boasting outstanding greens — the place is booked full.

While I came for the great greens, I stayed to watch our resident instructor; a poor-tempered, method teacher who caters to the hopeless. At first, it was simply hilarious. However, after months of listening and watching, something clicked. I realized I had a front-row seat to the worst golf instructor in America.

Here are some of my key takeaways.

Method Teacher

It is widely accepted that there are three types of golf instructors: system teachers, non-system teachers, and method teachers. Method teachers prescribe the same antidote for each student based on a preamble which teachers can learn in a couple day certification.

Method teaching allows anyone to be certified. This process caters to the lowest caliber instructor, creating the illusion of competency. This empowers these underqualified instructors with the moniker of “certified” to prey on the innocent and uninformed.

The Cult of Stack and Jilt

The Stack and Tilt website proudly boasts, “A golfer swings his hands inward in the backswing as opposed to straight back to 1) create power, similar to a field goal kicker moving his leg in an arc and 2) to promote a swing that is in-to-out, which produces a draw (and eliminates a slice).”

Now, let me tell you something, there is this law of the universe which says “energy can either be created or destroyed,” so either these guys are defying physics or they have no idea what they are taking about. Further, the idea that the first move of the backswing determines impact is conjecture with a splash of utter fantasy.

These are the pontifications of a method — a set of prescriptions applied to everyone with the hope of some success through the placebo effect. It is one thing for a naive student to believe, for a golf instructor to drink and then dispel this Kool-Aid is malpractice.

Fooled by Randomness

In flipping a coin, or even a March Madness bet, there is a 50-50 chance of success. In golf, especially for new players, results are asymmetric. Simply put: Anything can happen. The problem is that when bad instructors work with high handicappers, each and every shot gets its own diagnosis and prescription. Soon the student is overwhelmed.

Now here’s the sinister thing: The overwhelming information is by design. In this case, the coach is not trying to make you better, they are trying to make you reliant on them for information. A quasi Stockholm syndrome of codependency.

Practice

One of the most important scientists of the 20th century was Ivan Pavlov. As you might recall, he found that animals, including humans, could be conditioned into biological responses. In golf, the idea of practice has made millions of hackers salivate that they are one lesson or practice session from “the secret.”

Sunk Cost

The idea for the worst golf instructor is to create control and dependency so that clients ignore the sunk cost of not getting better. Instead, they are held hostage by the idea that they are one lesson or tip away from unlocking their potential.

Cliches

Cliches have the effect of terminating thoughts. However, they are the weapon of choice for this instructor. Add some hyperbole and students actually get no information. As a result, these players couldn’t play golf. When they did, they had no real scheme. With no idea what they are doing, they would descend into a spiral of no idea what to do, bad results, lower confidence, and running back to the lesson tee from more cliches.

The fact is that poor instruction is about conditioning players to become reliant members of your cult. To take away autonomy. To use practice as a form of control. To sell more golf lessons not by making people better but through the guise that without the teacher, the student can never reach their full potential. All under the umbrella of being “certified” (in a 2-day course!) and a melee of cliches.

This of course is not just happening at my muni but is a systemic problem around the country and around the world, the consequences of which are giving people a great reason to stop playing golf. But hey, at least it’s selling a lot of golf balls…

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans betting preview

Published

2 weeks ago

Apr 22, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

The PGA TOUR heads to New Orleans to play the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. In a welcome change from the usual stroke play, the Zurich Classic is a team event. On Thursday and Saturday, the teams play best ball, and on Friday and Sunday the teams play alternate shot.

TPC Louisiana is a par 72 that measures 7,425 yards. The course features some short par 4s and plenty of water and bunkers, which makes for a lot of exciting risk/reward scenarios for competitors. Pete Dye designed the course in 2004 specifically for the Zurich Classic, although the event didn’t make its debut until 2007 because of Hurricane Katrina.

Coming off of the Masters and a signature event in consecutive weeks, the field this week is a step down, and understandably so. Many of the world’s top players will be using this time to rest after a busy stretch.

However, there are some interesting teams this season with some stars making surprise appearances in the team event. Some notable teams include Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala as well as a few Canadian teams, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin and Taylor Pendrith and Corey Conners.

Past Winners at TPC Louisiana

2023: Riley/Hardy (-30)
2022: Cantlay/Schauffele (-29)
2021: Leishman/Smith (-20)
2019: Palmer/Rahm (-26)
2018: Horschel/Piercy (-22)
2017: Blixt/Smith (-27)

2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Picks

Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy +2500 (DraftKings)

Tom Hoge is coming off of a solid T18 finish at the RBC Heritage and finished T13 at last year’s Zurich Classic alongside Harris English.

This season, Hoge is having one of his best years on Tour in terms of Strokes Gained: Approach. In his last 24 rounds, the only player to top him on the category is Scottie Scheffler. Hoge has been solid on Pete Dye designs, ranking 28th in the field over his past 36 rounds.

McNealy is also having a solid season. He’s finished T6 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and T9 at the PLAYERS Championship. He recently started working with world renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, and its seemingly paid dividends in 2024.

Keith Mitchell/Joel Dahmen +4000 (DraftKings)

Keith Mitchell is having a fantastic season, finishing in the top-20 of five of his past seven starts on Tour. Most recently, Mitchell finished T14 at the Valero Texas Open and gained a whopping 6.0 strokes off the tee. He finished 6th at last year’s Zurich Classic.

Joel Dahmen is having a resurgent year and has been dialed in with his irons. He also has a T11 finish at the PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass which is another Pete Dye track. With Mitchell’s length and Dahmen’s ability to put it close with his short irons, the Mitchell/Dahmen combination will be dangerous this week.

Taylor Moore/Matt NeSmith +6500 (DraftKings)

Taylor Moore has quickly developed into one of the more consistent players on Tour. He’s finished in the top-20 in three of his past four starts, including a very impressive showing at The Masters, finishing T20. He’s also finished T4 at this event in consecutive seasons alongside Matt NeSmith.

NeSmith isn’t having a great 2024, but has seemed to elevate his game in this format. He finished T26 at Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass, which gives the 30-year-old something to build off of. NeSmith is also a great putter on Bermudagrass, which could help elevate Moore’s ball striking prowess.

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