Testing clubs can be a blast, but no matter what happens we can’t lose sight of the goal — to make 14 best friends.
Since taking this new position as director of gear I have had the opportunity to have access to a ton of new equipment. (So much in fact that I’m actively not engaging certain manufacturers in an effort to not get overwhelmed.)
Part of this job requires me to have the inside scoop on all things gear-related, but at the end of the day I’m a golfer looking to get better, just like you.
So when I’m testing equipment, I like to organize the process and make sure I’m vetting everything fairly, paying attention to the details and not getting lost in stimulation overload. Being on tour the last four years, I’ve discovered a few nuggets that I think can help all of us in regards to testing clubs and dialing in the bag. Check out my tips below.
5 tips to make sure you test golf clubs the right way
TEST WITH A FITTER: This is the obvious answer. Leaving this to a professional will always give you the best chance of success. With True Spec, for example, they can help you make sure each club is performing when you are playing at your best and worst, with the latter being the most important.
Your bag will be gapped correctly and your shafts, lies and swing weights, etc., will all be dialed.
BALL FIRST: The most important part of the equation. When testing golf balls, work from the green backwards ensuring feel off the putter, wedge and 60 yards and in is sound, then go back and hit some 80- to 120-yard shots. Then move to short irons, mid irons, long irons, hybrids and lofted fairways. If the ball checks all those boxes, you can then tweak the 3-wood and driver to match the ball.
GAPPING: It’s about the carry number, not the loft on the club. Phil Mickelson taught me this one. The guy does not care about the loft on his clubs from sand wedge to 3-wood. He has carry, launch, descent angle and spin numbers in his head. So if his 5-iron and 6-iron are 2 degrees apart but the gapping is 12-15 yards between the two, that’s OK. Mickelson works in 25- (woods) and 15- (irons) yard gaps. That part is up to you. On Tour, with irons it’s 12-15 yards.
CENTER-FACE CONTACT: I don’t care what club it is, you have to hit them solid most of the time to truly take advantage of the performance. A good golf club is one where you find the middle of the face way more often than not (even on your bad days). This is crucial, as a club that does that represents proper swing weight, face angle, lie, shaft and CG location.
TaylorMade Qi35 Custom Driver
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BUILD YOUR BAG FOR A HIGH FLOOR: For most golfers, there not-so-fresh days out pace their great days. It’s just golf. We aren’t all Scottie Scheffler. The main thing I learned on Tour was you want a high floor always. Golf clubs that are efficient all over the face, ones that mitigate the big miss, that are always in a spin surplus and give you options off the tee. Consistent golf is gained and held on to for whoever sucks the best the most often. On your off days your clubs need to continue to be your best friends, not your frenemies. The best way to do this is making sure your gapping is sorted and spin is always at your disposal. You never want a club that you have to try to spin. You want golf clubs you can take spin off with ease when you need. That’s called efficiency.
