Today I went off to Marangaroo Golf Course to treat myself – to get fitted for a new set of golf clubs. Having properly fitted clubs will help my game a great deal. I met with Ross, who guided me through the process.
We started off with a discussion of the process, and how we would go about choosing the right clubs. They use a Mizuno fitting system, which is a special club that measures club head speed, as well as a few other statistics. I hit a few shots, then we went back to the shop. I have a club head speed that’s about average, however, my total swing routine is slow, which can increase torque in the club. That meant that the club at impact would be either a little open or closed, and the ball would not hit straight. The solution to that is to stick with a steel shaft for my irons. Graphite may have less flex, but it also has more torque, so while I would get more distance, I would lose accuracy.
From that, I was asked about my budget. I had a maximum of $1250 to spend, but was hoping to spend between $800-1000. Ross then took a look around the shop, looking for what sort of clubs would fit in my budget range, and be good for my swing. He narrowed it down to four irons and three drivers. There was a set of Wilson Fat Shaft clubs that was a complete set, a set of Cobra graphite irons, a set of Mizuno irons, and the new Cleveland CG16 irons. We had the matching Wilson, Mizuno and Cleveland drivers.
I hit a few shots with each of the irons. The Fat Shaft wasn’t really working for me. We had already thought that a lighter steel shaft was what I needed, but it was included because it was a complete set and at the bottom of my budget. The Mizuno clubs had nothing wrong with them, but for some reason, they weren’t coming off the face quite right. The King Cobra clubs felt really good, and came well off the face, as did the Cleveland CG16’s. I couldn’t really split the difference, so it was basically going to come down to cost on which ones would be best for me.
With the Wilson irons out of the picture, there was no need to try the Wilson driver. So it was just the Mizuno and Cleveland drivers. I took a few hits with both of them, and it started feeling like the Cleveland was the one that felt right in the hands. SO we headed back to the shop to price the two sets, the Cleveland driver and 3 wood, and either the King Cobra’s or the Cleveland clubs.
It turned out that because the King Cobras were already significantly reduced, so the entire set couldn’t be reduced, so the set of CG16 irons ended up being the cheapest options.
Because the CG16 was not sold as a set, but as the individual irons, I could actually get the lie angle and length adjusted especially for me. So we headed back down with a lie board, and saw where my clubs were hitting. We found out that I was actually hitting the ground quite near the heel, which also meant that my club head was rotating at impact sending my ball off in different directions. So with a club set up with the right lie angle, I’ll be hitting the ball with a square face (hopefully).
So with the lie angle all done, all that was left to do was order the clubs and pay for them. Because they’re being custom fitted, it will take a little while for them to arrive, but by the time I get back from Melbourne, I’ll have a full set of Cleveland golf clubs. I’m looking forward to my first round with them. The drivers don’t need to be adjusted, so I’ve got the driver and three wood for my round tomorrow.
So for anyone who’s looking to order a set of custom fitted clubs, I hope this sheds an insight into the process for you.
Ben Clapton 