If the club fits
Have you ever purchased a great-looking outfit off the rack and, after taking it home, realized it might have looked good at the store but the fit isn’t quite right? If you’re like me, you may later notice the sleeves are a touch long, the waistline a bit snug, and regret that your new outfit was not altered to look and feel its best.
This is the time of year when the new lineup of 2026 models from various golf equipment manufacturers hits pro shop and golf retailer shelves. They are sure to be appealing and will have been designed and engineered with the most advanced technology, but will they be perfectly suited for your bag to deliver their best performance?
Similar to off-the-rack clothing, golf clubs are typically manufactured for the masses, with average grip sizes, shaft lengths and flexes, and loft and lie angles. Golfers come in all shapes and sizes, with varying address positions, swing mechanics and swing speeds. To optimize performance, consider taking your club purchases to the next level with the assistance of a PGA professional or expert club fitter. Club fitting services are often available at no additional charge or applied to the cost of a new purchase, whether at a demo day or a scheduled fitting appointment.
Having had the opportunity to serve as one of GOLF Magazine’s Club Testers for many years, I can attest to how newly designed equipment can help your game and how an expert fitter can adjust that equipment to perform best for you. Whether it’s club length, grip size, loft and lie angle adjustments or selecting the right shaft, players of all skill levels can benefit from a personalized fitting. A proper fitting can add distance, reduce shot dispersion for improved accuracy and help achieve more consistent ball striking.
A club fitting session typically involves the use of a radar measuring device, such as a TrackMan launch monitor, to record swing mechanics and ball flight characteristics. During the session, the fitter evaluates a variety of club heads and shafts. Equipment choices are refined by analyzing data and observing ball flight patterns until the best-performing specifications are determined.
Modern golf equipment, particularly drivers, fairway metals and hybrids, often includes adjustable features that can alter ball flight. It is possible that clubs already in your bag can be modified with a simple adjustment to improve trajectory and flight patterns.
Any round of golf is enjoyable, but it is even better when you are striping drives down the fairway, hitting more greens and sinking more putts. Better play and more enjoyment on the course could be ahead when your clubs are properly fitted.
Rich Bernstein is a resident of Sun City - Hilton Head. Rich has been experiencing the joy, challenges and frustrations of golf since his selection as the 6th player on his 5-player high school golf team.
