Club fitting is for everyone! Golf club fitting costs have been lowered, and professionals are trained to identify your swing habits so they can match you with the perfect equipment.
This doesn’t mean buying new clubs. Your current clubs can be modified, which is a great way to extend the life of your clubs while saving some money.
The process of getting fit is much more streamlined these days, so there is no excuse not to get this done for yourself. Once you’ve done it, you’ll probably want to return over and over again, as it’s a great learning experience for anyone who is curious about the construction of clubs.
To get your clubs fit at a fair price, there are a few things you have to look out for. Use this guide to make it easy for you to optimize your clubs and start playing better than you ever have before.
We will look at:
- The Cost of Club Fitting
- Who Should Get Fit
- Benefits of Club Fitting
- Different Processes for Getting Clubs Fit
- How to Find the Best Club Fitter Near You
Let’s get started!
How Much Does A Club Fitting Cost?
Club fitting costs run about $100 per club. The cost of fitting can go up or down depending on a host of variables. Golf can be very expensive, so if you’re not savvy about making the right choices, your club-fitting bill could easily double or even triple that number.
Club fitting cost is mainly dedicated to the cost of labor. You’ll be working with a trained professional who studied the science of club fitting for many years to become certified. This cost per club does not include any equipment.
It will cost extra if it’s determined that new shafts or any kind of adjustment is needed.
Who Should Get Their Clubs Fit?
Club fitting used to be reserved for PGA stars and ultra-rich country club business people. But these days, it’s much more accessible and affordable for many types of golfers.
1. Low, Medium, and High Handicappers
Yes, that means everyone. All golfers can benefit from club fitting, but the better you are, the more detailed your fitting session will be. For high-handicappers, your fitting will serve to ensure your clubs aren’t causing problems and allow you the chance to improve.
For example, if a high-handicap junior is using his or her grandparent’s clubs, then they may be causing more harm than good. A routine club fitting will help determine whether or not to do something about it.
2. Tall and Short People
Whether you’re new to the game or not, those golfers who are not an average height between 5’ 8” and 6’ 1” will be able to take advantage of a club fitting. Stock clubs are made to please a wide range of people to make them easy to sell. If you’re not average, then use club-fitting to get a leg-up on your competition.
3. Old Clubs or Hand-Me-Downs
Due to golf’s high price tag, many people start out with clubs that are not their own. This is perfectly fine and a great way to get started. However, if the clubs you’ve acquired are drastically different from your swing or body type, then you’ll be making golf a lot harder than it needs to be.
A simple club fitting will determine if your old clubs are worth your time to practice with. Even if they’re not, adjustments can be made that are exponentially cheaper than buying new clubs.
4. Desire to Improve
There are tons of variables in the game of golf, so if we can minimize any of them, that’s what we should do. To shoot your best scores, you need equipment that compliments your game, no matter what level you’re at.
Optimize your clubs so that if you hit bad shots, you can’t blame your sticks. One less excuse means you’re one step closer to identifying the real problem and lowering your scores.
Benefits of Getting Your Clubs Custom Fit
- Increased forgiveness on all shots
- Easily identify any swing issues
- Optimize your strengths
- Extend the life of your expensive clubs
Process of Getting Your Clubs Fitted
Getting your clubs fitted doesn’t mean you have to do the whole set. If you have an old driver you want to use, then you can get fit for just that one club. Each process is slightly different, though.
Driver/Woods
By far, the most popular fitting is for the driver. While it’s also the most necessary because it’s the longest, many people get fit for their driver and not the other clubs.
Be sure your other clubs are straightened away before addressing your driver since you’ll be hitting your other clubs more often.
At a driver fitting, the main goal is to achieve some level of consistency. You’ll hit drivers in front of your club fitter so they can determine what your misses are and how to correct them. Don’t try to adjust your swing to show off; the purpose is to see what your natural tendencies are and address them.
Your fitter will optimize your spin rate, launch angle, and club head speed to match your swing with the best driver settings.
Irons
In most iron fittings, you’ll be working with your 6-iron. This club gives the fitter the most information about how you swing without making you hit every iron in your bag.
Most people would think it’s the 7-iron, but because it’s a favorite club to so many, it’s not an accurate representation of how you hit your irons overall. Your club fitter may ask you to aim for different targets to expose any issues with alignment as well.
Wedges
A wedge fitting is a little different because it will happen on the driving range and the short game area.
A considerable part of fitting wedges is getting the correct bounce to ensure optimal turf interaction between the sole of your club and any lie you may find yourself in. This can only be tested by hitting shots from many different scenarios.
Your fitter will also be able to help identify the best club for bunker shots. Spoiler alert: it’s not always your sand wedge. Many players at wedge fittings discover that their 60-degree wedge is better suited to their swing to exit bunkers efficiently.
Finding A Great Club Fitter
Club Pro—Your first stop on your journey to find the best club fitter should be your local pro. In most cases, this is the person who can help you. If they have the equipment and experience to do club fittings, then you’re lucky, and your search is over.
However, not all club pros are capable. Being a pro means they have a working knowledge of club fitting and its importance, but they must pass you along to more dedicated hands to perform the operation.
Fully Certified—Before making any appointments, ensure the club fitter you are considering is certified by the PGA of America.
Many club fitters are only certified by the brand that sponsors them. While much of the info is transferable, those club fitters will try to persuade you to their brand of choice rather than what suits you best.
Proper Facilities—Depending on which clubs you want to get fit for will determine what kind of facilities you require. If you want to get your wedges fit, you’ll need a place with an adequate short-game area. Some fitters will tell you this can be done with a Trackman, but it’s not as accurate.
For longer clubs, you’ll want to be hitting balls on a driving range and not into a net. For those in cold weather climates, this may be unavoidable, but if you can wait until the nice weather returns, I recommend doing so.
Summary—Golf Club Fitting Cost
Golf club fitting costs are much lower than buying new clubs, so if you want to save a few bucks, then find yourself a good fitter. This is also a great opportunity to increase your golf IQ. Learning about how clubs are made can help you better understand your game and how to improve it.
You won’t have to do this every year, but once every 5 years or so is a great way to monitor your swing stats to ensure your clubs are the best fit for you.
This is money well spent if you’re interested in lowering your handicap.
Enjoy the process and open your mind to a more technical and scientific aspect of the game. It’s come a long way and will only become more prevalent, so don’t get left behind and keep your clubs up to date.
