Club Fitting: What you need to know before you buy

Golfland Warehouse is all about finding the right fit for each and every customer! While we do offer complimentary in-store club fitting, we also realize our online customers can also benefit from some of the terminology and fitting expertise we offer in store. Please use the information and glossary below to aid in selecting the right fit for you.

Driver Fitting Tips:

Scenerio 1:If the ball impact is on the heel side or toe side of center, the club may be long or too short. You may be also be setting up too close or too far from the ball. This will cause power loss of power, 1" left or right of center could result in up to 11 yards in lost yardage. Typical driver length on tour is between 44.5"-45".

Scenario 2: Trajectory too high or too low. If your impact point is relatively close to center and ball flies relatively straight, you may want to consider a higher kickpoint shaft to lower trajectory, or a lower kickpoint shaft to raise trajectory. Your driver loft will also impact trajectory, but we have found most success fitting for shaft first, then fine tuning with loft of the driver head. Power and trajectory can be maximized with proper shaft selection.

Scenario 3: Fade/Slice - There are many variables at play here, only some of which can be altered by the club itself. If your typical shot is straight and your new driver is fading/slicing you may have the wrong flex shaft, the offset on the club head may be wrong for your swing style, or the face angle may be incorrect.

Iron Fitting Tips:
One of the most common questions we get is concerning graphite vs. steel shafts. This is more of a personal decision but here are a couple things to keep in mind.

Steel shafts will cost less (typically) and generally offer more feel/feedback. Steel shafts are preferred by most tour players and low handicap players and most agree steel is more consitent than graphite.
Graphite Shafts are generally preffered by golfers who have arm injuries/arthritis as they are more forgiving and absorb more shock than steel. Graphite shafts also tend to have more "spring" which can aid in higher lofts and sometimes more distance. However this "spring" can be harder to control for faster swingspeeds sometimes causing errant shots.

Other than shaft selection, there are two other very important areas of fitting irons; length and lie angle. Both of these can be measured for at home with some basic tools but an easier method is to try pings online fitting resource found at Ping's website: Web-Fit!

Glossary:

Backspin
Measured in revolutions per minute, backspin is affected by a golfer's angle of attack, the club's head and shaft, and the golf ball's construction and materials. Backspin can be accurately measured with a launch monitor and may be approximated by observing trajectory shape. A more upward arcing ascent indicates higher spin. Backspin that is too high results in shorter carry and roll distances. Backspin that is too low reduces carry distance and can cause instability in flight.

Ball speed
The velocity, measured in miles per hour or kilometers per hour, at which the ball leaves the clubface. A ball struck well with a driver can have a speed 1½ times the club speed. For example, if a player's club head speed is 100 mph, their ball speed can be approximately 150 mph. Balls struck away from the center of the face will have lower speeds. For reference, Tour players' driver ball speeds are typically between 160 and 175 mph. With fairways and irons, the ball speed is proportionally less.

Bounce
The angle created between the sole of the golf club and the ground line at address. Higher wedge bounce angles are generally chosen for players who are diggers or drivers and help reduce digging of the club in turf or in areas of soft bunker sand. Lower bounce angles are appropriate for sweepers and sliders so that the wedge's bounce does not adversely alter their shots.

Club head speed
The speed of the club head, measured in miles per hour or kilometers per hour, just before impact. Most PGA Tour players swing their driver at speeds from 105-120 mph.

Carry distance
Distance the ball travels from the time it is struck to the time it first strikes the ground.

Divot
The mark left on the ground after turf is uprooted by the golf club during the swing.
The shape, direction and depth of a golfer's divot reveal the position of the clubhead at impact and the path of the golfer's swing, providing the fitter with valuable insight to the dynamics of the golfer's swing.

Draw
A ball flight with a slight-to-moderate right-to-left curve for right-handed golfers, or a slight-to-moderate left-to-right curve for left-handed golfers. Depending on the golfer's preferences, a draw may be a desirable ball flight. However, golfers who wish to change this type of ball flight may consider a flatter color code (applies to irons only) and/or a thicker grip diameter (applies to both irons and woods).

Driver/Digger
A driver or digger wedge player has a steeper angle of attack, often using less hand action and a stronger grip. This player may also position the ball back in their stance and trap the ball at impact. They play their best with wedges that have wider soles, more bounce, and less camber.

Face Balanced
A design characteristic of certain putters that causes the face to remain parallel with the ground when the club is balanced at its center of gravity.
A face-balanced putter may be recommended for golfers with a straight-back-straight-through putting path or for golfers who tend to push their putts. An example of this type of putter is the popular Craz-E model.

Face Angle
Usually described as being open or closed, face angle refers to the direction the wood clubface is designed to point when the shaft is in the proper position at address.

Fade
A ball flight with a slight left-to-right curve for right-handed players, and a slight right-to-left curve for left-handed players. Depending on the golfer's preferences, a fade may be a desirable ball flight. However, golfers who wish to change this type of ball flight may consider a more upright color code (applies to irons only) and/or a thinner grip diameter (applies to both irons and woods).

Ferrule
A decorative cone-shaped plastic sleeve that creates a smooth transition from the shaft to the clubhead.

Flat
A term used to describe a lie angle in which the toe of any club (putter, iron or metal wood) is lower than standard, or lower than it would be in the preferred position.
In this orientation, the loft of the club causes the face to be pointed farther right (for a right-handed golfer) which, with irons and metal woods, encourages a fade, or can be used to reduce a draw or hook.

Flex
A measurement or rating of how much a shaft will bend under a certain load, flex is usually assigned a familiar letter such as A, R, S or X. PING designs shafts for golfers with specific swing speeds to help them optimize the carry distance and trajectory of their shots. Generally, golfers with slower swing speeds require more flexible shafts (A, Soft R, and R flexes), while golfers with higher swing speeds generally require stiffer shafts (S, X).

Grip size
Grips come with varying wall thicknesses and can be applied with extra layers of tape below the grip to increase the size (each layer of tape adds approximately 1/64" to the grip size). Proper grip size enables maximum control and comfort. For most players, proper size is indicated by the fingers on their left hand slightly touching the palm when the club is gripped.

Heat Treating
The process used by PING to temper the heads of irons, heat treating involves heating the clubheads in large vacuum furnaces at temperatures exceeding 1700 degrees farenheit for several hours.
This process allows PING irons to be adjustable for years after purchase, and also contributes to their strength and solid feel. Other benefits include corrosion-resistance and consistency of the grain of the metal.

Heel
The area of the clubhead that is closest to the hosel, which is where the shaft is connected to the clubhead.

Hook
A ball flight with a pronounced right-to-left curve for right-handed golfers, and a pronounced left-to-right curve for left-handed golfers.
A flatter color code (irons only) and/or a thicker grip diameter (irons and woods) can help reduce this tendency in most cases. A player who tends to hook his or her drives may also benefit from additional loft, which will increase backspin while reducing sidespin, thereby improving accuracy.

Hosel
The portion of the clubhead into which the shaft is inserted. Several PING iron models feature a flat-top hosel which increases the surface area of the shaft that is in contact with the club, resulting in improved feel.

Hosel Offset
The distance from the front of the hosel to the lead edge of the face, hosel offset is often confused with face progression, which is measured from the centerline of the shaft, but both are design features that affect the trajectory of the ball. Clubs with increased offset, or face progression, will create a higher ball trajectory since the club must travel slightly farther along its arc before making contact with the ball.

Iron face tape
A pressure-sensitive tape applied to an iron face to determine impact location. Iron face tape is generally used while fitting iron length and shaft to determine which specifications produce most centered impact.

Iron lie tape
A pressure-sensitive tape applied to an iron sole to determine the position of the iron at impact with respect to lie angle. Marks located on the toe of the club indicate that a more upright club is needed. Marks on the heel indicate that a flatter club is needed.

Launch angle
The angle at which the golf ball travels in relation to the ground immediately following impact. The ideal launch angle is dependent upon backspin, ball speed, and the player's desired trajectory. Launch angle is difficult to identify without the use of a launch monitor.

Launch monitor
A launch monitor measures the golf ball's launch conditions in the first few inches of flight. The most basic launch monitors are capable of measuring ball speed, spin and launch angle. Better launch monitors make a three dimensional measurement and additionally report push/pull angle and sidespin. The Titleist Performance Monitor was developed by Titleist R&D and is primarily used to gather club and ball launch data. It is unique in its ability to measure "pre-launch" club conditions like speed and rotation as well as club face and ball impact location, dynamic club loft, and angle of attack.

Lie angle
The angle formed between the centerline of the golf shaft and the ground when the club is soled in a neutral position.

Loft
The angle of the clubface relative to the centerline of the shaft.
While loft has the most influence on the launch trajectory of a golf ball, there are other factors that contribute significantly to the overall ball trajectory, specifically the effective shaft flex (shaft length, shaft flex and flex profile, i.e. tip-stiff vs. tip-flexible) and the center of gravity.

Long game fitting
Fitting the proper combination of fairway woods, utility clubs, and long irons that produce playable trajectories at preferred yardage gaps.

Offset
The distance from the front of the hosel to the lead edge of the face, hosel offset is often confused with face progression which is measured from the centerline of the shaft.
Both design features affect the trajectory of the ball — if two clubs with the same loft but different amounts of offset, the club with more offset will generally produce a higher trajectory, depending on the center of gravity. This is due to the club travelling farther through the swing arc (thereby having a shallower angle of attack) before making contact with the ball.

Optimum driver ball flight
Optimum ball flight varies by ball speed and can be described generally as a high initial launch angle with relatively low backspin.

Playable trajectory
Usually referred to in long game and iron fittings, a playable trajectory produces maximum carry distance while providing appropriate shot stopping ability, usually with a more descending angle that allows for the ball to stop on a green with control.

Roll
A design characteristic of woods, roll is the vertical curvature of the face measured in inches of radius.
Roll helps reduce the negative effects of hitting the ball too low or too high on the club face by providing additional loft when the ball is hit high on the face and less loft when the ball is hit low on the face. The amount of roll required depends on the location of the center of gravity of the club.

Slider/Sweeper
A slider or sweeper wedge player has a shallow angle of attack and often is someone who uses more hand action. This player will generally use a wedge with a narrower sole, less bounce, and more camber.

Slice
A ball flight with a pronounced left-to-right curve for a right-handed player, or a pronounced right-to-left curve for a left-handed player.
A more upright color code (irons only) and/or a thinner grip diameter (irons and woods) can help reduce this tendency in most cases. A player who tends to slice his or her drives may also benefit from additional loft, which will increase backspin while reducing sidespin, thereby improving accuracy.

Sole camber
Is the curvature of the sole measured from the leading edge to the trailing edge

Sole width
The width of the sole of the club head measured from the leading edge to the trailing edge. Wider soles increase the effective bounce of a wedge.

Static Fitting
The first step of the fitting process, a Static Fitting determines starting specifications based on the golfer's physical measurements, such as height, wrist-to-floor, and hand size.
Although a static fitting is accurate within one color code for 70% of golfers, the results should be validated by a club-fitting specialist during a complete fitting session, preferably one that includes ball flight observation of shots hit with clubs with different specifications.

Swing Weight
A measurement of the ratio of the clubhead's weight to the grip end of the golf club, swing weight is commonly equated to how heavy the clubhead feels at the end of the shaft. To measure swing weight, the club is placed in a special scale with a fulcrum, or balance point, that is 14" from the butt end of the club. Swing weight measurements are represented by a letter/number combination. The letters range from A to G, and the numbers range from 0 to 9 - A0 being the lightest, G9 the heaviest. Most PING irons are built within the D0-D2 range with progressively heavier wedges.

Tempo
Describes how rapidly the player's swing transitions from backswing to downswing. Tempo does not necessarily equal club head speed as players with smooth tempo may have very fast head speed. Quicker tempo players generally prefer heavier shafts and stronger flexes. Smoother tempo players generally prefer lighter shafts and softer flexes.

Tip stiffness
Tip stiffness is measured in mm by using a deflection board or by measuring the shafts EI curve electronically. A soft tip shaft will generally launch the ball higher with higher backspin. Firmer tip shafts will generally launch the ball lower with reduced backspin.

Toe
The area of the clubhead that is farthest from the hosel.

Toe-down Effect
The downward flexing of the shaft in the downswing due to centrifugal force acting on the clubhead.

Torque
A measure of a shaft's resistance to twisting, expressed in degrees. Lower torque shafts feel stiffer and are generally preferred by players with higher swing speed. Torque has a minor effect upon trajectory, but has a large impact on the feel of shots struck off-center.

Trajectory
Trajectory refers to the launch angle and "shape" of the flight of the golf ball. Regardless of the type of club, the trajectory of the golf ball can indicate whether or not the golf club's loft and shaft flex are properly matched to the golfer's swing speed.

Upright
A term used to describe a lie angle in which the toe of any club (putter, iron or metal wood) is higher than standard, or higher than it would be in the preferred position.
In this orientation, the loft of the club causes the face to be pointed farther left (for a right-handed golfer) which, with irons and metal woods, encourages a draw, or can be used to reduce a fade or slice.