The Ultimate Golf Club Fitting Guide

man putting on a perfect practice putting mat

Whether you’re a newcomer or a long-time golfer, you’ll hear about golf club fittings. These personalized sessions give you the measurements you need to order unique golfing gear. However, finding and scheduling a golf club fitting can be confusing.

Moreover, there’s such a thing as getting yourself fitted at the wrong time. We recommend that golfers get acquainted with the basics before scheduling golf club fittings. Master your swings and stance, then invest in your custom equipment.

Once you reach that point, you may need some help.

Don’t worry! We’re here to help. Keep scrolling to learn more about the process.

What Matters When Getting Fitted for Clubs

Let’s start with the basics.

What do the pros look for at a golf club fitting session?

It’s a simple question, but the answer is surprisingly complex! While some club fitters consider little more than basic measurements, others go all-in on their analysis. Some locations offer high-tech measurement tools to fully optimize every player’s performance, while others prefer low-key traditional tests.

Essential Measurements for Club Fitters

There are some factors that every club fitter must consider, namely:

Lie Angle: A player’s “lie angle” measures the angle of the club’s sole at the moment of impact.

Personal Measurements: This covers a player’s height and wrist-floor length. The latter figure measures the distance between the top of a player’s wrist and the ground.

Raw Face Angle: This fancy term describes the angle at which the club’s face strikes the golf ball.

Striking Center: A player’s striking center determines how close to the center of a club face each strike lands.

Once the golf fitting pros have taken these measurements, it’s time to move to the next — and more personal — phase of every player’s custom club fitting.

What Are Your Performance Needs?

Beyond these basic measurements, club fitters must also consider each player’s personal style. Yes, this includes your daily golfing outfit, but we’re also talking about your performance needs!

Again, there are many different ways to measure these metrics. Some custom club-fitting institutions remain loyal to old-fashioned methods; others prefer modern machine-guided tools. You’ll also find different measurements at different locations.

However, there are a few “must-have” numbers:

Budget: It’s not a “performance” indicator, but knowing your budget ensures golf fitting goes smoothly. Nothing is more disappointing than finding the perfect place and getting a wildly expensive estimate!

Existing Clubs: It may seem strange to give your golf club fitting team your current equipment, but those old clubs provide vital information! Knowing the measurements of your old equipment can help club fitters determine the perfect size for your future clubs.

Flex: The stiffness of a club’s shaft determines the power behind each stroke. Each type of club has its own parameters, but club-fitting pros use a standardized naming system. From fastest to slowest hit, these categories are ladies’, senior, regular, still, and x-stiff.

Loft: Every player has certain tendencies. Some players hit high. Some players hit low. Either way, knowing a player’s loft helps custom golf club fitting professionals determine the best solution for your golfing woes.

What Do You Want From Your Golf Club Fitting?

Finally, of the many questions you’ll be asked at a fitting session, one stands out as the most important: “What do you want from your custom golf clubs?”

There are many answers to this question, and none are necessarily “wrong.” Some of the most common reasons for scheduling golf fittings include:

Avoiding discomfort from standard-size golf clubs
Improving personal performance
Reducing pain during long games
Training away bad golfing habits
Updating or replacing custom golf equipment

And, yes, “because I want to” is a perfectly acceptable reason to schedule a golf club fitting!

What to Expect at a Golf Fitting Session

With that in mind, let’s move to the next stage of the journey.

What does a custom club fitting feel like?

The process looks different for everyone. Many professionals get their custom-fit golf clubs from PGA-sponsored fitters. Predictably, this is an expensive option; many high-end fittings can cost $500 or more! However, there are many affordable options. A simple search for “golf club fittings near me” is a great place to start.

The Basics of Golf Fitting

Most golf club fittings require an appointment spanning 1–4 hours.

You must come prepared to streamline your fitting. For the best results, you’ll want handy answers to the following questions:

What are your personal golfing preferences?
What clubs do you need?
What is your maximum budget?
What is your usual handicap and score?

You should also bring your current golf clubs. Many club fitters ask clients to warm up before taking measurements to ensure a steady and accurate baseline.

Taking Measurements

Next, you’ll be asked to do your best!

Experienced fitters understand the data and turn numbers into perfect custom golf clubs. They’ll monitor your performance as you run through a variety of tests, including:

Distance averages

Launch angle averages

Speed measurements

Spin analysis

Today, most custom golf club fitting professionals use electronic tools to measure these factors. You may be asked to use an all-in-one simulator or paced through various radar-powered measurement systems. For putters, you may even be asked to use reliable, low-tech putting mats!

Note that every club requires its own measurements. You obviously won’t take bunker shots with the same club you use for putting. Similarly, you don’t want your driver fitting to be the same as your short-distance club!

Recommendations and Expectations

Once the pros crunch the numbers, they’ll discuss your results.

Be prepared to balance the pros and cons of each option. Regardless of the depth of your initial evaluation, your recommendations will span the full breadth of custom golf equipment. Aside from your budget, your most important decisions will likely revolve around the following factors:

Add-Ons: While many shops may not offer all the bells and whistles, high-end luxury manufacturers allow golfers to add countless customization levels. Some common additions include engravings, etchings, and monograms.

Finish: High-end custom golf club manufacturers offer a range of finishes. Perhaps you want your club to be a sleek matte black, or maybe you want a shining chrome-like finish!

Grip: Nobody wants their new custom golf equipment to have ugly grips. Your club fitters will find the perfect materials and padding for your needs and recommend the best fit.

Material: In addition to the shaft, you’ll get to choose each club’s head material and finish.

Weight: Your club fitter will determine the ideal weight, but it’s up to you to decide if you want to follow their advice.

How Much Does Club Fitting Cost?

We’ll round out today’s blog post with the question everyone wants to know: How much will that custom club fitting cost?

The final price of a fitting depends on many factors. Chief among these determinants is your club fitter’s experience. Experienced, pro-grade fitting specialists are more expensive than the staff you’ll find at your local sporting goods store. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get a better result, but it provides additional peace of mind as you shop for custom golf equipment.

You’ll also want to consider the depth of the experience. You’ll find plenty of places offering free or discounted golf club fittings below $100. These aren’t bad places to shop, but they’ll likely lack the bells and whistles of high-end locations. Comparatively, a $500 whole-bag fitting session will likely include an in-depth monitoring session within a state-of-the-art golfing simulator.

Ultimately, fittings are $100–$200 for individual clubs or sets and $100–$500 or more to retrofit your entire bag.

It seems expensive, but many players and pros swear by the results.

Regardless of what you choose to do, you can always rely on Perfect Practice’s line of high-end golf training aids to help you improve your performance!