This week I am going to take you through a typical iron fitting. An iron fitting takes approximately 45 mins.
There are four stages
· Interview Process
· Static Fitting
· Dynamic Fitting
· Set Composition
Interview Process Firstly, as a club fitter, I need to know what the player is looking for. Is the player looking for extra distance, greater accuracy, more consistency, forgiveness or simply to lower or higher their ball flight? What does the player like and dislike about their current clubs? Finally, has the player any physical limitations that affect their play? These answers are the starting point for selecting the type of iron.
Static Fitting Next step is the static fitting. This involves measuring the player’s height, wrist to floor measurement and hand size. This indicates the approximate length, lie angle and grip size of your set.
Dynamic Fitting The most important step in the fitting process. The player hits some shots with impact spray on the face of the club to help indicate the proper length of shaft and lie angle required.
Now , I have the player make some swings with the Mizuno Swing DNA shaft (Pic. 3). This helps us pick the correct shaft. From just three swings we can obtain the following readings
· Club head Speed
· Tempo
· Toe Down
· Kick Angle
· Release Factor
I then get the player to compare different head/shaft combinations against their own clubs on the launch monitor to determine the following.
· The most accurate
· The most consistent
· The best flight
· And finally, is there a head/ shaft combination better than their current set?
At this stage we recheck impact spray readings.
From the interview answers, static measurements, impact tape readings, launch monitor data, observation from myself, and feedback from the player we select the correct combination of head, shaft and grip to give the player the greatest opportunity to hit the ball in the center of the face consistently.
Set Composition Once we have agreed on a club the final step is set composition. Irons do not have to be purchased a complete set of nine clubs. We should only be purchasing clubs that we are comfortable using and will allow us to play our best. The following questions need to be addressed to make up set composition.
· How many clubs do we need to successfully cover the required distances?
· What is the longest iron we are comfortable hitting?
· Do we need hybrid clubs to replace the longer irons?
· How many wedges do we need to properly gap the distances in our short game?
A proper fitting ensures that you get the best clubs available to meet your specific goals. If you would like to know more about custom fitting or have any questions regarding your golf equipment contact Eddie Tracey in Ballina Golf Club on 087 9208852 or email Eddie on info@eddietraceygolf.com
Ballina Golf Club is an official custom fitting facility for Mizuno, Cobra, Taylor Made, Cleveland and Ping.