Life is chock-full of options, and that includes the clubfitter you choose to work with on your equipment. With gear prices on the rise – thanks, tariffs – it’s become more important than ever before to get fit for a club that accentuates your best qualities and manages the misses.
Settling for an off-the-rack offering is akin to burning money. It simply doesn’t make sense with today’s equipment.
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Tracking down an obedient driver is exponentially easier with a strong fitter in your corner, but if you’ve never been fit for your gear, it’s natural to wonder who’s going to be a good fit for your personality and game.
Similar to how you’d call around and get different quotes before moving forward on a house project, it’s important to do the same thing in advance of a fitting.
As Chris Marchini, the director of golf performance and innovation at Dick’s Sporting Goods and Golf Galaxy, noted on a recent episode of US Golf Digest‘s “Golf IQ” podcast, it’s possible to tell within the first three minutes if a fitter is a good fit for your game.
“You’re probably going to find out in the first three minutes if this is the right [clubfitter] for you,” Marchini said. “If the topic is not you as the player right out of the gates – what your opportunities are, what you struggle with, what you’re hoping to change or gain – and it turns into more of, ‘Let me tell you how much I know about all of this,’ I would be concerned.
“The best fitters I know can responsibly and appropriately meet a player where they are. If you don’t have someone who can take the data [from a fitting] and apply it to what my needs and goals are, and that gets lost in the mix, then it turns into an assembly-line fitting. It’s a 30,000-foot view.”
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According to Marchini, there are a few things you should be asking over the phone or in the bay before proceeding with a fitting.
“Ask about the process,” he said. “Be upfront and let them know what you’re trying to accomplish. Ask about the technology in their bays and which fit carts and systems they use. Do they ask which ball you play, because that’s important during a fitting. Be selfish and make it all about you.
“If that person talks back to you like they’re reading off a script and doesn’t ask some cool qualifying questions to meet you where you are, that would be a red flag for me.”
Ultimately, a clubfitting should feel like a collaborative process, one where the fitter is listening just as much as they’re talking. You’re not there to be impressed by a sales pitch or a wall of specs; you’re there to find gear that works for you.
The right fitter will make that their mission from the first conversation. They’ll ask the right questions, take the time to understand your swing and help you identify equipment that enhances your strengths while minimising your weaknesses.
In an era when every metre counts and every club is a sizeable investment, a thoughtful fitting can be the difference between frustration and confidence on the course.
