To Fit or Not to Fit?

I have always felt that getting your golf clubs fitted is the best way to own clubs. From the very first set of clubs I bought I had some kind of fitting. There are arguments for owning a name brand over fitted clubs and for owning fitted clubs over name brand clubs. A lot of people can just go to a store and buy the set they want off the shelf and get a set of clubs that they can play great golf with. Heck, I am sure any pro player in the world can pick up any set of clubs in the world and beat me. But, I am here to tell you that a fitted set of clubs is far better for you than just picking up a set of clubs off the shelf – because you want the newest and greatest clubs on the market. It is like buying a fitted shirt. They always look and feel better than anything you just buy off the rack.

My first set of clubs I looked in Golfsmith magazine, followed some basic guidelines about fitting, and ordered my parts. A friend and I put them together. I loved them. A few years later I went to a Ping demo and they fitted me for clubs. Then after Ping – it was Mizuno. 

But today was different!

As a birthday/retirement gift Kathy wanted to get me a new set of clubs and she knew that I would want them fitted. We talked about going to California to the Calaway fitting center. I wanted to get the best fitting I could get. So, I started to research about where to go and what would happen. Along the way I found Club Champion. I dug deep to see what they were all about and…..I liked what I learned. 

Club Champion is not a brand that you go get fitted for. They are a fitting center for you, the golfer. That meant they would find the best club head, best shaft, best grip and even the best ball for my swing.

I was sold!

I wanted the best set of clubs for me. Not the best set of “Callaway” clubs for me. 

This was an awesome experience!

We started with my clubs. Casey (my fitting pro) evaluated my clubs. He weighed them, checked the loft and lie, and checked the swing weight. Then I started to hit them. He checked all the important numbers on the trackman computer. Then we started the work.

With my numbers as a starting point our goal was to make them the best that we could. Casey started with club heads. We rotated through until we got the best results we could.

Then we moved on to the shaft. Casey kept changing shafts until we got the best numbers there. Then we adjusted the loft and lie of the demo clubs until we tweaked every ounce of performance out of my swing. Casey and I did this for the irons, driver, woods, wedges and even the putter. The cool part was, I was not married to one set of clubs. I am glad I wasn’t – because I have four different brands in my bag and even found that two of my clubs are perfect and we shouldn’t change them.

If I had gone to Callaway, I would have had all the same brand. They would have been good clubs and I would say better than what I am playing with now. But, there would have been a couple or even a few clubs that I just had a hard time with. By having the flexibility of choosing the best preforming club for my bag one at a time, I was able to assemble the best set of clubs for me.

This process in not for everyone.

It is $350.00 for the fitting. It takes 4 hours or more for a full bag fitting. And the final cost may be more than you want to pay for a set of clubs. Of course you can have a partial fitting as well – maybe your woods or irons. You can break the fitting into any amount of clubs you want. Any way you decide to do it, if you want to get the best fitting out there, go to Club Champion. This is a no joke professional fitting that will change your clubs from an amateur set of clubs, into a professional set of clubs.

Of course you won’t be able to use the excuse, “I just don’t like the way my clubs feel” any more. 

My clubs will take four to six weeks to be made. That is the only downfall. The waiting. We are people that want what we want and we want it now. But I have learned in life, good things come to those who wait. 

There is no doubt in my mind the set of fitted clubs that I am buying from Club Champion will be the best set of clubs I have ever owned and that I will keep them longer than any other set I have ever had. I also know that when I am ready for my next set of clubs, I will be going to Club Champion. 

Special thanks to Kathy. She knows I love golf and she wanted me to have a golf experience that I would remember for a long time. I love her and look forward to playing many rounds of golf with her and my new clubs. 

Also, a very special thanks to Casey Simoneaux. Casey took his time, listened to my input and made my fitting a joy. If you ever want to be fitted go to Club Champion and if you can, get Casey as your fitting pro. You will not be disappointed. 

Fairways and Greens – We are 18 Holes and Counting.  Written Marc Festa