Golf Club Fitting Guide For Beginners

Want to ensure that your new golf clubs feel “right” in your hands? If so, the solution is simple: get them fitted to your game.

Your first step should be to narrow your options to one to three models. Visit your local golf equipment store and try out as many different models as you like. You’ll soon find that some clubs feel more comfortable and produce more consistent strikes.

Once you have a few clubs you like, bring them to a fitting session. If you’re not sure what to look for, read this golf club fitting guide to find out!

Club Length

As you may have read in a golf guide, the standard golf club is perfect for someone who’s 5’9” tall. That said, if you’re taller than that, you don’t need to add as many inches to the club! Taller people tend to have longer arms, so this tends to even out.

At the fitting session, a club-fitter will take your wrist-to-floor measurement. Then, they’ll likely recommend a standard length club or one that’s 1/2-1 inch longer or shorter. In the end, though, club length comes down to how comfortable it feels to you.

Grip Thickness

Grip thickness is a key part of any golf club guide. If a grip is too thin, your hands may need to work harder to swing the club. A grip that’s too thick often leads to poor rotations, increasing the chance of slicing.

A club fitter can adjust the grip’s thickness by adding layers of adhesive tape underneath the grip. Ultimately, this is another factor that depends on your comfort. Unless you have very small or large hands, standard grip thickness should be fine.

Lie Angle

The lie angle is the angle between the shaft and the sole of the club. At a fitting session, the fitter will place a sticker on the sole of the club to mark when the club strikes the ground. This will tell you whether you’d benefit from a different lie angle.

If a lie angle is too upright, the toe will be above the heel at impact. A flat lie angle will cause the toe to be below the heel at impact. Both of these angles will cause a poor strike, with the ball flying to the left or right of the target.

Shaft Properties

If you’re planning on playing on the best golf course in the US, you’ll need all the help you can get. Enter: your club’s shaft properties.

Your fitting session should include hitting shots in front of a launch monitor. This measures your swing speed, ball speed, amount of spin on the ball, and so on. The club fitter will look at these variables and offer you to try several shafts to improve them.

One key property of golf shafts is the shaft flex. If you’re still learning how to golf, a slower swing tends to benefit from a softer flex. That said, if your swing is faster, you’re better off opting for a stiffer flex.

More on a Golf Club Fitting Guide

One last thing to keep in mind: a club fitting session isn’t a magic bullet. It won’t get rid of major faults or compensate for poor technique. When done right, though, it will help you hit the ball more accurately and more consistently.

Looking for club-related information not covered in this golf club fitting guide? Keep checking out our Golf section!