Getting Fit-Driver

We are all rounding out our bags and getting ready for the golf season once we can play golf again.For a lot of people this means getting fit for some new clubs. We will start at the top of the bag and work our way down throughout the series.

Important Data

When doing a driver fitting there are a few numbers everyone should primarily be concerned with.

Swing Speed- Getting this as high as possible is obviously very important but this really affects everything else in terms of numbers.

Ball Speed- This is very important. THis is the second part that affects the other numbers.

Launch- Very important ot not hit it too high but also not too low to optimize launch

Spin- Helps Keep the ball in the air. Too much and the ball spends all its energy rising and too little and the ball will act like a knuckleball and just fall out of the sky

Carry Distance- When doing a fitting i always check carry distance over total distance

Swing Speed

There is no optimal number for this. Your swing speed is what it is. You can raise it by changing your swing or fixing any power leaks you have. That being said Swing speed is a crucial part of your fitting. This helps the fitter determine smash factor (Efficiency) and also what the optimal launch and spin conditions are for your driver. A 115 MPH swing speed needs different launch numbers to optimize their carry and overall distance than someone who swings it 85. Also one club could be giving you a small boost for whatever reason.

Ball Speed

This is also very important. Ball speed can tell you alot about your swing and the club. One club could be producing ball speeds that are higher than another. If fit properly higher ball speeds equal more distance. I usually want to be fit for the club with the highest ball speed. Ball speed also obviously plays a role in the numbers you are looking for. With everything being equal I would look for the driver with the highest ball speed.

Launch and Spin

Im putting these two together because they go hand in hand. What you are looking for here varies based on your swing speed. As a general you will want mor elaunch and spin the slower your swing speed is. This will help you maximize carry distance. With that being said too much of a good thing is a bad thing! At 90 MPH swing speed you should be looking for something to launch anywhere from 11-14 degrees and spin should be around 2000-2500 RPM. At 100 MPH something around 12 degrees with spin around 2000 RPM is going to optimize your launch conditions. You could venture in the 1800’s and 1900’s but thats very hard for an amateur to do. For someone swinging the club around 105 a launch of 10-12 degrees with spin below 2000 is great.

Carry Distance

Carry distance is the most important number you can see. You wan tot maximize this over total distance. Espeically now with simulators being primarily used in club fitting we never really know what the ball will do on the ground. Some days it will be dry and the ball will roll a ton. Others it may be damp and soft. The ball simply wont roll out as much. You cant depend on the roll to give you the most distance. Optimize your club for carry and the rest will follow.

Other things to do in a fitting

1. Dont kill yourself. You will be in there trying to hit a bunch of heads and shafts. You may tire out. Dont be afraid to take a small break and let you muscles relax. A good fitter will also use the changing of heads and shafts to give you a break
2. Ask Questions. This is your fitting and your hard earned dollars. Ask questions. Dont be afraid of the fitter. They want you to be happy. Most of them are golf equipment geeks anyway and would love to talk shop.
3. Trust the fitter. Nothing is worse than the guy who comes in and pays for a professional fitting then goes to forums and says “I wanted to Taylormade but I hit the Ping better in my fitting so I bought the Taylormade”. 3 weeks later when you arent hitting it that great you are going to have to pay for the Ping anyways!
4. Bring your current club. Test it against your current driver. If you take it in and the new stuff cant beat your current stuff why buy it? Also it will help you really know if you hit the new one better. Hell Maybe you can tweak your current driver with a shaft change or a setting change to really optimize the performance of it.