Golf Club Fitting Myths

Getting fit for golf clubs might be the most misunderstood topic in golf equipment or improving your game. We’ve heard all the opinions on whether or not someone should get fit for their clubs, including:

• Only low-handicap golfers should get fit

• Club fitting is way too expensive

• You should pay for lessons instead of a fitting

Over the last few weeks we’ve received numerous questions about club fitting on our TikTok page from golfers of all abilities. In this article, my hope is to address many of the myths around getting fit for clubs and how you can start improving your game today.

Still have questions about getting fit for clubs? Send us a message here.

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Myth 1: Only good players should get fit for golf clubs

Verdict: False.

While it is true that better players will be able to detect small differences in their golf club specifications, it is also true that high handicap players stand the most to gain from a club fitting.

Have you ever tried to lose weight or start a new fitness program? Chances are that after a few short weeks you begin to see gains from your efforts really quickly, especially compared to your gains much later on. This is because novices have the most to gain right away but then begin to taper off over time.

The same is true with high handicap players improving their scores fastest at first while low handicap players have to dedicate much more time to see an improvement. This is simply due to there being more room for improvement when you are just starting out.

Myth 2: High handicap players should always get lessons first before a club fitting.

Verdict: False.

Learning how to play the game with ill-fitting equipment won’t help you in the least. Sure, those garage sale clubs might help introduce you to the game of golf, but trying to hone a golf swing with clubs that are too long, too short, or too heavy will hurt more than help.

Let me be clear: golf lessons are vital to improving your game. However, any respectable golf instructor will also check your golf clubs to make sure they are right for your game. There is no point to teaching a student how to play the game with clubs that don’t fit them. Before scheduling your lesson, ask the instructor if they will also check the fit of your clubs during the process. If they decline, hang up the phone and call someone else.

Myth 3: Club fittings are too expensive.

Verdict: It depends.

It is true that golf club fitting companies charge a healthy fee for custom fit golf clubs. This is also true for any custom-made product in the world, however, and golf is no different. The actual cost of the fitting process itself is much less expensive if you don’t plan on buying the equipment.

On average, the cost of the club fitting process is $200 or less, depending on how many clubs you want fit. This doesn’t include the cost of new clubs, obviously, but it does include specification checks and measurements for your current golf clubs. This information alone can be incredibly helpful for the golfer, who can then shop around for clubs that meet those recommended specifications.

It should be noted that club fitters often work on commission and will absolutely do their best to sell you new clubs. It’s their job, so don’t be surprised when they turn on the sales tactics. You always have the option to decline buying anything.

Myth 4: Any golfer can learn to play on any set of golf clubs.

Verdict: Totally false.

This myth should go without saying, but golf clubs are not one-size-fits-all and should not be treated as such.

It’s all a matter of perspective. If a brand new golfer who has never stepped foot on a golf course or driving range just wants to get a feel for swinging a club, then any set of clubs will likely fit that bill. However, if a player wants to actually improve their game and get the most out of their time on a golf course, playing clubs that are the right length (at a minimum) is imperative.

You wouldn’t hand a full-length driver to a child, right?

While it is true that custom golf equipment is more expensive than off-the-rack equipment, the investment in your game can only help you in the long term. This has been proven time and time again by numerous studies that a quick Google search can yield.

Golfers are encouraged to shop around and find the best club fitting deals and specials in their area. Local golf pros can also help with this process, especially in areas that don’t have access to leading club fitting brand locations.

Do I Really Need to Get Fit for Golf Clubs?

If you’re just starting out playing the game of golf, you are most likely borrowing a set of clubs from a friend or family member. Perhaps you were gifted a budget set of clubs to use for your new hobby. Before too long, someone will mention or ask if you’ve ever been “fit for golf clubs.”

What does this mean? Do you really need to get fit for golf clubs to enjoy the game?

Let’s clear up a few things.

What the Heck is a Golf Club Fitting?

A golf club fitting is the process of seeking advice on the proper golf clubs to play for your skill level from a professional, certified golf club fitter.

This process usually entails traveling to a golf club fitting studio or golf course pro shop, meeting with the certified professional, and testing multiple golf club build options. The professional fitter will offer recommendations on different club options to try based on the shot characteristics you produce with each swing.

Modern golf club builds offer thousands of clubhead, golf shaft, weighting, forgiveness, and other combinations from which to choose. Trying to fit yourself to golf clubs, while possible, can be an extremely daunting task for any golfer. That’s where the keen eye and experience from a professional fitter can be helpful.

At the conclusion of your fitting, you will be provided a “profile” or “build sheet” that includes the golf club recommendations that fit your skill level best. Those golf clubs can then be purchased separately from the fitting studio, pro shop, or direct from the golf equipment manufacturer.

That Sounds Like a Lot of Work and Money

That’s because it is.

There is no sugarcoating this: golf club fittings do come at a hefty price tag for the majority of services available to you. This is due to the time, labor, materials, and shipping inherent within the club fitting process and the professionals who make it happen. Not only are you paying for the equipment itself, but for the expertise of a certified professional.

The final price of this process and resulting equipment options vary widely. However, you can expect to pay a few hundred dollars or upwards of $1000 (or higher) depending on how many clubs you are getting fit for and the type of clubs you end up buying.

No Thanks, I’ll Just Buy My Own Clubs

You can definitely do that if you want. The majority of golfers will. But not so fast.

While the club fitting process can cost a ton of money and a good amount of time, there are undeniable benefits to getting fit at least once. I know this from firsthand experience.

A skilled fitting professional will use the latest technologies (like Trackman, Foresight, SkyTrak, or similar ball launch monitors) and have access to the best golf club options for your game. They will also identify tendencies in your shot data — such as shot dispersion, curvature, spin rates, and distance with each club — and recommend club build options to minimize “bad shots” while promoting more “good shots.”

The majority of golfers are unable to notice and/or understand these tendencies on their own, let alone while at the driving range or on the golf course. Furthermore, most golfers will not realize that their equipment might be the underlying problem as opposed to only their golf swing.

In fact, the worst thing a golfer can do is alter their swing to account for ill-fitting equipment. You’d be amazed how often golfers do that.

Oh. Ok. So I Should Probably Get Fit?

Yes, at least once in your playing career.

Think of it this way: would you purchase a car without test driving it first? Would you purchase a home without an inspection? Would you spend money on a new suit or dress without first trying it on?

If you consider the amount of money that golfers spend on new equipment, the fact that most do so without understanding if it’s the best for their skill level should terrify you.

Getting fit for golf clubs is an investment, but it might be the best thing you can do for your game outside of lessons.

REVIEW: The Club Champion Fitting Experience

Club Champion has established themselves as a premium club fitting service spanning 15 locations across the United States. I had the privilege of experiencing a Club Champion iron fitting recently, lead by Master Club Fitter Roger Paiz in Willowbrook, IL. Full disclosure: I attended my fitting at Club Champion for the purpose of learning more about Miura Golf clubs, which I will be reviewing in the near future. Walking into the Willowbrook location knowing which brand I was interested in narrowed the scope of my fitting overall, but this did not take away from what was a truly amazing experience.

I met Roger Paiz immediately upon walking into the building, and he was professional and welcoming. After filling out a short questionnaire on my current golf profile, Roger explained what I was to expect that day while asking more questions on my gaming preferences and challenges.

I immediately felt like I was in good hands and had the sense I would be leaving Club Champion more educated about my game than ever before. I was not disappointed.

We made our way to the Trackman hitting bay to get a baseline on my current irons (Mizuno MP-5). After a handful of swings I was loose and ready to start trying multiple combinations of Miura head and club shafts from names like KBS, Dynamic Gold, and more. Within a short while it was clear that we were going to do a ton of experimenting to hone in on the perfect combination for my game.

Roger continuously educated me on what every new shaft or clubhead was supposed to do to my Trackman numbers, validating what I would eventually see in the data after hitting a few shots. I learned a great deal about loft changes, tapered golf shafts, lie angle, and other key aspects to what will eventually become the perfect set of irons for me.

After hitting shot after shot too far to the left, Roger measured a few additional aspects of my current irons and learned I would be best served by a flatter lie angle. Luckily, Club Champion has a massive building workshop fully equipped to customize any element of any club in your bag.

After agreeing and validating which iron combo worked best, Roger walked me through the process to choose which grips would work best, which wedges I should consider to match my irons, and showed me my club build "blueprint" at the end of my session. 90-minutes was all it took to find me the perfect iron build out that is sure to improve my game.

Club Champion is a fantastic club fitting option for serious golfers. Every employee exuded professionalism and a deep knowledge of golf equipment while having the eloquence to explain every detail to customers in layman's terms. Specializing in fitting any and all clubs in your bag, these folks are clearly the cream of the crop. I left my session feeling overly impressed and -- as I suspected I would -- more educated about my golf game than every before.