Often times I will have students turn up for clinics or lessons with borrowed clubs. They will often say I will only get a set of clubs once I play better. This can be okay if the clubs that they are using are not far off what they would be fitted for. However if the clubs are too heavy or too light or at the wrong length or flex, it can be quite detrimental to their improvement.
The biggest example is when I have a ladies clinic and the clubs that the lady has brought are her husband's clubs. If she is someone who is quite light and her husband uses stiff, heavy shafts based on his requirements, she may have difficulty getting the ball in the air. This is because the faster we swing, the more stiff the clubs should be versus the slower you swing, the more flexible the shaft should be.
When getting a club-fit there are several components that we are looking for. Firstly the lie angle. The lie angle is the angle that is created from the shaft to the club head. The lie angle can be positioned upright or flatter depending on what your specifications are. The goal is to have you hitting the balls in the middle of the sole of the club once the lie angle is customised exactly for you.
The second element is whether you need a 'kicker' shaft or a 'dynamic' shaft. The difference between these shafts is that the 'kicker' is lighter with more flex than the 'dynamic' shaft. The faster you swing will often mean you will need a dynamic shaft to control your impact area.
The third area is checking what flex you need. The flexes range from a ladies shaft which is often the most flexible to an extra stiff. As mentioned previously it will be determined by how fast you swing. If a shaft is too flexible for you, you will often miss the ball right as the cub gets stuck behind the body too long on the downswing and with it being too stiff, you will often miss it left.
The fourth element is the length. The simplest way to determine length is have the person stand in perfect posture. The right length should mean that the club is positioned perfectly on the ground without changing position. When a club is too long for you the signs are that you will hit the balls to the left as the heel tends to stick into the ground versus when it's too short, the toe tends to strike the ball causing it to go right.
The last area is the clubface. More specifically do you need a thicker head or a thinner head. If you are someone who has just started out, typically they will be thicker as it gives you more forgiveness and a higher trajectory as the weight will be centred at the bottom of the cub. The thinner the head, the easier it is work the ball from right to left or left to right. These are more suited for more experienced golfers.
If you'd like help in finding the right set for you just let me know and we can find options suited for you.
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