Golf Club Fitting 101

Golf, is a game where in a player's skill as well as his equipment defines the game. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, your ability to pick the right club determines your ability to play the game. Your golf clubs must fit your body and golfing style, and golf club fitting is the way to do it. Custom fitting your golf clubs is not difficult at all. Here are a few things to remember about golf club fitting.

Gender Bender

The golf industry has standard lengths for men and women. Plus golf clubs specifically made according to a person's gender makes for a much comfortable game and accurate swings.

The Club

Did you know that the length of your golf club affects the distance you ball travels? A longer golf club when swung actually makes the ball cover more distance than a shorter golf club swung at about the same momentum. But, longer golf clubs are difficult to control; so the golf clubs length must correspond to that of the golfer's height.

A golfer's height and the distance of his wrist to the floor are used to determine the golf club fitting for that person. How much you bend your knees when you swing, your height and your arm length are used to determine the right golf club fitting for you. The right golf club length will help improve a golfer's swing, aside from being safer too.

Age and Handicap

Age, handicap, skill level, golf swing speed, and the club a golfer uses at the 150 marker are used to determine the type of flex his golf clubs must have. So what exactly is flex? Flex is the general torsional stiffness of the golf club. In easier terms it is the stiffness of the golf shaft.

The proper flex depends on the player's strength and golfing skills. Flex matters very much when you are using Woods and longer Irons. Short irons, wedges and putters are not affected by as the disparity between flexes grows small in the shorter clubs.

A Gripping Tale

Another thing that needs to be considered for your golf club fitting is grip size. A person's grip size depends on how big his hands are. Grip size can improve parts of a golfer's game, like slice.

Great golf equipment does not always mean drilling a big hole in your pocket. Just because you don't have a bucket load of cash does not mean you cannot get proper golf club fitting.

The internet provides great tips, and charts to help you custom fit your golf clubs. Although some fittings require a golfer to be personally measured, some specialty sports stores, and golf club stores offer discounted golf club fitting rates. Keep an eye out for seasonal sales and deals.