Should I Get Fitted For Golf Clubs: Is it Worth it?

I just had a club fitting a few months ago, after holding off for years. After the fitting, I couldn’t help but ask myself the question – “why didn’t I do this sooner?”

It’s not for everyone! But for those whom it is for – well, I think you’re missing out on a lot if you don’t have fitted clubs. If you’re asking yourself the question “should I get fitted for golf clubs”, the answer is probably yes.

I’m going to share who should, and should not, get a club fitting. Along with details on what to expect from a club fitter, the process, and pitfalls to avoid.

Who Should NOT Get Fitted for Clubs

Okay, don’t blink, this is a pretty short list and you might miss it.

If you are a casual golfer simply playing for fun without any real competitive desire, or you aren’t interested in game improvement, then custom club fitting really isn’t for you.

I told you it was a short list. Honestly, if you’re on this page reading this article then I would guess that last bit doesn’t describe you.

Who Should Get Fit?

Beginner Golfers – Having the wrong clubs can impede your development. You’ll figure out how to swing them, but the adjustments you make along the way might lead to the development of bad habits.

Kids or Teens – If you’ve had a teenager, you know how fast they grow. Using clubs that are the wrong length or shaft flex can lead to the development of bad habits early. It doesn’t mean you have to go buy brand new expensive clubs every year. There are less expensive options available.

Serious Golfers – Those who are committed to improving their game, regardless of current skill level. Perhaps you’re playing weekly and hitting the range every now and then, or practicing at home. If this is you, you should seriously consider getting a club fitting.

Players with Physical Changes – If you’ve had significant changes in your height, weight, strength, or flexibility, a club fitting may be in order.

Competitive Players – Obviously the Pro’s are going to have this on lock-down, I’m referring to those who play in tournaments or competitive leagues, or who are looking to do so.

Benefits of a Custom Fitting

Imagine the lie angle on your irons is off by 1 degree. That’s not much, but according to Jon Sherman at Practical Golf, this will result in a ball traveling “4-yards off your intended target line“. Now imagine 2 or 3 degrees off!!!

Or imagine picking up a set of clubs with loft angles that are too strong, resulting in your approach shots having a low descent angle, hitting the green and rolling out at an unpredictable rate. Not every 9-iron has the same loft.

Club fitters are trained and do these evaluations every day. There are ton’s of small nuances they look at during the fitting process that can make a huge difference for your golf game. They also have the tools that provide real-time data on your swing, allowing them to see exactly where adjustments need to be made to the golf club.

Isn’t Club Fitting Expensive?

Club fittings can range from $0 to hundreds of dollars. Usually, if you decide to buy new clubs through the store where you had the fitting, they’ll credit your purchase price, making it a free fitting. I only paid $5 for my fitting at PXG

It’s very likely you can find a very reasonable price at a local golf shop, but you’ll want to make sure the individual conducting the fitting has the right level of expertise and access to a quality launch monitor within the shop. Chains, like Golf Galaxy, ensure all of their fitters are certified.

A new driver could cost you upwards of $600, a new set of irons $1,000 or more. If you make a mistake and pick the wrong equipment and need to replace it later, that $50 – $250 on the fitting fee is going to be a drop in the bucket.

Lessons Learned From My Fitting

I ended up getting fit from PXG, it only cost me $5 (I am a veteran and they were running a special at the time). I have had my eye on their irons for a while and considered just buying them online without a fitting. But – I’m committed to game improvement and knew a proper club fitting was the right way to go.

I did a full review of my experience with the PXG fitting, but I’ll share the relevant anecdotes here too.

I would have picked the wrong clubs had I not gone through the fitting process. I mentioned descent angle earlier, well as it turns out, the model that I would have selected had loft angles that were far too strong. I was carrying 200 yards with a 7-iron and my descent angle was too low. I would have struggled to hold greens on approach shots. It took the club fitter about 3 shots to say, okay, we need to look at this other model.

I would have selected the wrong grips. My miss is left, usually between 5 – 10 yards, sometimes much more :). My lie angle was perfectly fine, although we validated by experimenting with a different lie angle for a few shots. My fitter asked me to feel a club with slightly larger grips. It felt good to me, and reduced my left miss. I had no idea that was a thing at the time.

I would have selected the wrong shaft. Not shaft flex, I had that one right. But as it turns out, after hitting about 5 different shafts that were all stiff flex, they were all different! One of them felt very odd, a couple of them just felt normal, and one…oh boy…that one, it felt very different. It felt really good!!! And guess what it cost me in upgrade fees…$0. It was one of many “stock shafts” they had, but I would have never known that was the right one for me without the fitting.

I don’t think I’ll ever buy another club without some level of fitting. I did a review on the new golf clubs, the PXG 0317 T’s. They have been great, I could not be happier with the clubs and the overall experience!

What to Expect During a Club Fitting

A club fitting is a partnership between you and the fitter. Fitters are experts with the numbers, but they cannot feel what you are feeling, so you’ll want to give them feedback throughout the session.

Preparing for a Club Fitting

Schedule your appointment at a time where you feel energized and healthy. You don’t want to show up feeling under the weather or unable to perform at your normal level.

Bring your golf clubs, you won’t hit them much, but it will give you some comparisons with the numbers.

Warmup time will be provided for you at the fitting. No need to hit the range before, I would suggest you simply go through your normal warmup routine once it’s time.

Interacting With Your Club fitter

A club fitting begins with a conversation about your golf game. The fitter will assess your current clubs, handicap, scoring average, and typical distances. They’ll also inquire about your goals for new clubs and any common issues in your game.

This initial discussion helps the fitter estimate your swing speed and the type of club forgiveness you might need. Next, you’ll warm up with your clubs while the fitter compiles an initial set for testing. During this, your shots on a launch monitor provide further insights into your game and skill level.

It is important that the process be a partnership, provide them with feedback! When they put a new club in your hand, share your observations. Is it light, heavy, does it feel good when you hit the golf ball. Compare one club to another. Your observations are critical to finding a golf club configuration that provides you with optimal numbers AND you feel confident with.

Data and Adjustments Throughout the Fitting Process

Club and ball data during a golf club fitting, data from trackman displayed on an ipad

As you hit the initial clubs, the fitter will be looking at things like swing speed, ball flight, launch angle, descent angle, face angle at impact, impact location, lie angle etc etc.

If consistent patterns emerge, the fitter will make adjustments, possibly changing club heads, shafts, or weights, depending on your responses and performance metrics. It’s essential to communicate openly with the fitter during this process. Express any preferences or discomforts, as this information is key to finding the right fit.

Finally, once a suitable set of clubs is identified, you can decide to place an order or take time to consider. Remember, the fitting fee is for the service, and there’s no pressure to purchase immediately. Your comfort with the clubs is paramount.

Where Should I Get Fitted For Clubs?

There are plenty of options ranging from local golf stores, chains such as PGA Tour Superstore, or your local Golf Pro.

Although I don’t have first-hand experience with Club Champion, I have two friends who have gone and I’ve read through several golfers experiences shared on Reddit. There seems to be a common theme – they will push you into some REALLY expensive clubs. The common story seems to be around shaft and grip upgrades.

I had a great experience with PXG, which included a local fitting at an X-Golf location. The Fitter brought a Trackman and cases upon cases of clubs and shafts.

I have also worked with a local golf shop in the past to get a driver, they had a GCQuad and knowledgable staff members taking me through the process.

FAQs

Should I buy clubs and then get fitted?

Custom fitting will ensure you buy the right clubs. Although you can buy some clubs that are adjustable, like a driver, and then go to a fitting to ensure you have the correct loft setting. It is not a good idea because you may end up purchasing the wrong shaft or the wrong model. Getting a professional fitting will eliminate that risk.

When should you do a club fitting?

Getting fit at the end of a golf season, or the beginning, will give you an opportunity to adjust to the new clubs. The adjustment period only lasts a few weeks, but I would not recommend putting new clubs in the bag as you enter your local club championship playoffs. But in general, any time you plan to buy new clubs would be the right time to do a club fitting.

How do you know if a club fits you?

Some things you can evaluate to determine if a club fits you include shaft flex, grip size, club length, and lie angle.

A general guide for shaft flex is based on driver distance (yards).
X-Stiff: 280+
Stiff: 240-280
Regular: 190-240
Senior: 130-190
Ladies: 130 and below

Golfers with larger hands may consider using a larger grip size.

Club length can be determined based on height, or a specific measurement from wrist-to-ground. Generally someone 5’8″ to 6′ would use standard length, increment club length up or down by 1/4 inch as needed.

Lie angle can be measured by evaluating your hit on an impact board or even by looking at your normal divot pattern. Taking an even divot indicates a good lie angle. A toe heavy divot, or heel heavy divot may indicate a bad lie angle.

How much will fitted clubs help my game?

The amount of improvement from getting a club fitting is going to vary by golfer. If your current clubs are a bad fit, you’ll likely see significant improvement. If your current clubs are greater than 5 years old, you’ll likely see improvement from technology advances. If you lack confidence in your current set and feel more confident with a new set of custom fit clubs, you’ll also see significant improvement.

Do high handicappers need to be fitted?

Anyone, regardless of handicap, who is serious about improving their golf game should get fitted. High handicappers, as with any golfer, will benefit from having the right clubs for their skill level.

Are new golf clubs worth it?

The value in getting new clubs is going to depend on the golfer. I have seen tremendous value after upgrading some very old clubs. Others I know have benefitted from the confidence boost.

Getting a golf club fitting will ensure that any new clubs you do buy are the right fit for you and they should last you several years.

You don’t have to buy new either. You can go through the fitting to get all of the specs and decide to go buy used at 2nd swing or Global Golf

Should I get fitted for golf clubs before lessons?

When you take lessons it is very likely that your swing will change a bit, so I would recommend taking some lessons first. As you progress through your lessons, talk to your Pro and get their opinion on when the right time will be for a fitting.

If you are brand new and don’t even have a set of clubs yet, but plan to get some prior to lessons, it would be a good idea to go into your local golf shop. They can get you setup with a starter set that fits based on your height etc.

Final Thoughts

If you are on this page, I think the answer to the question “should I get fitted for golf clubs” is – YES. If you are considering buying new clubs, there is no harm at all in getting fit. It is a small investment of time, and a relatively small investment of money to ensure you have the right fit.

After getting fit myself, I will never buy clubs again without a fitting. It just doesn’t make sense to do so, at least not for me.

Good luck with your fitting, and if you have any questions please feel free to reach out or share them in the comments.