A golf club fitting can help ensure that you are playing clubs that are specifically suited to the needs of your golf game. Club fittings look at parameters like club length, head type, shaft weight, and even the brand you like best.
However, club fittings come at a cost, and many golfers wonder whether or not it is worth the money. To be totally honest with you, sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn’t. Here’s how to make sure a club fitting is worth the cost.
How Much Does It Cost To Get Fitted for Golf Clubs?
The average golf club fitting will range from $125 to $250. Many golf club fitting locations will offer you the fitting for free as long as you purchase the golf clubs they recommend. Others charge the fitting as a fee on top of your new clubs.
Getting fitting for clubs will vary in price depending on the type of fitting you are looking for, why you are getting a fitting, and where your fitting takes place.
Here are a few indicators that will impact your total cost to get fitted for golf clubs.
Type of Fitting
The type of fitting that you choose has a large impact on the total costs. Fittings can include anything from a single club to a driver to an entire set of golf clubs. Some golf club fittings can just simply measure the gaps of loft between your clubs to find out where you may need to invest in an extra hybrid or fairway wood.
The full bag fitting is certainly the most expensive of the golf fittings, but you have to also consider how much time a fitting like this will take. The complete bag fitting is typically a three or four-hour process.
Length
Some golf fitting locations will base their golf fitting prices not on the type of fitting but instead on the length. Some offer a flare rate of $150 for a one-hour fitting or $75 for a half-hour fitting. This is just a matter of preference for the individual fitters.
Location of Golf Club Fitting
Some golf fitting specialists like True Spec have locations around the country, but there are also individual fitting locations in your town. Some golf courses also have a professional fitter who is happy to help with your golf equipment needs.
Sometimes private golf clubs with a professional fitter on staff will have high-end equipment and impressive resumes. This almost always increases the price that you pay for a golf fitting.
Expect that the total costs of the fitting will be well over $150, but many of these end up being a mix of a lesson and a fitting.
What Is A Club Fitting?
A golf club fitting is when an expert on golf equipment and the golf swing helps you analyze your game, what it needs, and whether or not you would benefit from new technology. When you go for a golf club fitting, a launch monitor will be used to look at your golf swing and how you are currently hitting your shots.
Then the professional club fitter will make recommendations based on where your game could use it the most.
Golf club fitters need to have a very good understanding of the game of golf. In addition, it helps to know what makes a golf swing work and the latest releases on the market. There is a ton of math and science involved here.
The best club fitters can take that complex science and make it something easy for the average golfer to understand.
What To Expect During A Club Fitting
A golf club fitting is a unique experience depending on where you go. However, certain parts of this process will be the same from one golf club fitter to another. We do highly recommend looking into the qualifications of the golf club fitter you choose.
It’s really important to ensure that your club fitter is an expert in the game. The club fitter needs to ensure they offer the best possible recommendations. The last thing you want is to be pushed into a club. Brand-agnostic fittings are beneficial.
Interview
The first and probably most important part of this process is the interview. During the interview, you will let the club fitter know exactly what you are working on in your game and your goals.
With an interview, you can talk about why your game has had issues, what your goals are and what you think about your current equipment. If you love your eight iron or 4 hybrid, now is the time to let your fitter know.
Base Line
Once you go through your interview, it’s time to establish some baseline numbers on your golf swing. The baseline is determined by hitting shots with your current golf clubs and recording data.
The baseline will give you information on total distance, launch, carry distance, spin rates, and more. This will then be used to help find golf clubs that can improve these numbers.
When heading to a golf fitting, always bring your current golf clubs. These are needed to see if you are making improvements; otherwise, you could end up with a club with the same exact performance as one of the current clubs in your bag.
Testing
After you have the baseline established, your club fitting professional will now start to give you some options to test. These options can be anything from a new shaft to an entirely new golf club.
The testing process includes hitting a wide range of shots with the launch monitor, recording data, and putting together information about which clubs work best for your game.
If you have not hit new golf clubs in a while, they may all feel different, and some will feel as though they are a great fit right off the bat, but it’s really important to look at the data to see how that is shaping up.
Final Results
Golfers can only hit and test new equipment for so long before fatigue starts. In addition, it should only take a dozen or so shots to see if a club is a good fit for you.
During your fitting process, the professional club fitter will be taking notes. They look at how you are hitting the ball, whether or not the shots are performing as they should be, and give you information about your final results.
If you have come for a complete club fitting, the results will show which clubs are recommended. In addition, things like the lie angle, the loft, and even the grip will be measured and tested. You can take this information with you and save it for another time. However, most golfers will purchase the club directly from the recommendations of the club fitter.
Who Should Consider A Club Fitting?
Many golfers look at the golf club fitting process and think it is for the best players. However, this is really not the case. A wide range of golfers can benefit from a golf club fitting.
New Players
New players and beginners have no idea what equipment they should be using. However, with a golf club fitting, you can get started with something that is built specifically for your golf game. Unfortunately, new players need to understand the price for a beginner set could be considerably higher.
Custom fitting makes it hard to find a cheap set of beginner clubs.
Lower Handicappers
Lower handicappers are very particular about their golf game and need to shoot low. The golf club fitting can help narrow down the proper clubs for these better players.
High Handicappers
Sometimes high handicappers are costing themselves strokes by using the wrong golf clubs. With the golf club fitting, it could just be a matter of adding a new club. Sometimes even adjusting one of the clubs in your bag to help drop a few shots.
Average Golfers
Average golfers are exposed to tons of equipment options, too many, in fact. It’s overwhelming to find the right equipment choices. Average golfers will greatly benefit from a club fitting that helps to guide them into the right set of golf clubs.
FAQs
Golf club fitting is well worth it for beginners. The only issue here is that you will have a slightly higher price than you would if you bought a boxed set of beginner golf clubs.
Beginner golf clubs purchased through a golf club fitting will often last for the first 5-7 years that you play the game. If you’re serious about golf, it’s worth the investment.
Golf club fitting makes a big difference in the game. Not only will you learn which golf clubs are the best for your game, but you will also learn about the positives and negatives of the swing and what you need to work on.
With modern technology and impressive knowledge of professional golf fitters, club fitting is a learning tool. Golfers should consider one at least once per year to ensure that the clubs they use are still the right fit for their game.
