The post Why high-lofted fairway woods will be plentiful at the 2022 U.S. Open appeared first on Golf.

The post Why high-lofted fairway woods will be plentiful at the 2022 U.S. Open appeared first on Golf.

Although they were once thought to be clubs intended mainly for lower swing speed players, high-lofted fairway woods like 7- and even 9-woods continue to infiltrate more players’ bags around professional golf ⁠— specifically the PGA Tour. 

The reason for their popularity is the result of the performance characteristics fairway woods offer compared to other longer clubs and the options they give to golfers from the highest level down to the recreational player.

Course conditions also play a large factor which is why we should expect to see more of them show up at this year’s U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline Massachusetts, but we’ll get to that in a moment.

Not all loft is created equal

Compared to traditional long irons, or even utilities and hybrids, fairway woods have a longer sole front-to-back length which positions the center of gravity farther away from the face. As a club’s center of gravity moves away from the face it becomes easier to launch the ball higher into the air ⁠— it’s the reason a 21-degree 7-wood launches higher than a traditional 21-degree lofted 3-iron.

What goes up must come down

Launch angle is one thing, but a more vital ball flight attribute required when approaching greens is on the downward side of the ball flight ⁠— angle of descent.

The increased launch a fairway wood provides leads to a higher/steeper angle of descent which stops the ball faster, decreases the front-to-back dispersion, and improves overall distance control. Being able to hit a green on the fly is one thing, but making it stop is a whole other challenge, and whether it be from the fairway or the rough, coming into smaller greens like those found at The Country Club ⁠— the host of this year’s U.S. Open ⁠— stopping power is a big asset.

Out of the rough – what about hybrids?

Speaking of the U.S. Open, and its notorious rough, the other advantages a fairway wood ⁠— specifically, a higher-lofted one ⁠— offers compared to a hybrid is the face shape and the longer shaft length.

If we compare the popular TaylorMade Stealth 7-wood to its hybrid counterpart the fairway wood face shape is more rounded which allows the club to get through longer grass faster and easier the way a speed boat hull cuts through water. The flatter more iron-like face shape and leading edge of the hybrid is more susceptible to slowing down and getting caught in longer grass.

Last but not least, the longer shaft length of a fairway wood allows players to generate more club head speed, which not only gets through the rough easier but also helps generate more launch and spin, resulting in what was highlighted earlier ⁠— a higher angle of descent and more stopping power. If needed it’s still easier to choke down on a longer club like a fairway wood since it’s impossible to add length to a shorter club.

We’ll be following all the club changes leading up to the U.S. Open to see which players add new higher-lofted fairway woods to their bags, and if you are struggling with holding greens with your longer irons and hybrids, we suggest you give one a try, too.

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The post Fully Equipped: Finding the ideal lie angle and shaft for your wedges appeared first on Golf.

The post Fully Equipped: Finding the ideal lie angle and shaft for your wedges appeared first on Golf.

Fully Equipped’s Jonathan Wall and Kris McCormack discuss the best practices for finding the ideal lie angle and shaft for your wedges.

The post Fully Equipped: Finding the ideal lie angle and shaft for your wedges appeared first on Golf.

The post Do short golfers need short clubs, and tall golfers need long clubs? An expert fitter explains appeared first on Golf.

The post Do short golfers need short clubs, and tall golfers need long clubs? An expert fitter explains appeared first on Golf.

It’s commonly thought that a golfer’s height is the main factor in determining how long their golf clubs should be. The belief is that taller people need longer clubs than standard, and shorter people need clubs that are shorter.

According to Kris McCormack, and expert fitter and VP of Tour and Education at True Spec Golf, however, height doesn’t necessarily directly correlate with club length.

Fitting a golfer for custom golf clubs can be a complicated process that takes into account a number of factors. While human anatomy is certainly a consideration, there’s various other elements to examine, such as swing speed, swing style, overall skill, typical ball flight, impact location, and general preferences of the player.

When it comes to vertical height, McCormack says that it’s not necessarily how tall a person is that effects club length. It’s more about the overall build of their anatomy.

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“It’s not how tall you are, it’s how you are tall,” McCormack explains. “You can have three players of equal height, but body structure can be completely different. For example, a person can have long legs and a short torso with long arms. People are longer and shorter in different areas of their body.”

That being the case, a golfer with shorter arms may want to have longer length clubs so they don’t have to bend over too much. Likewise, a golfer with longer arms may want a shorter club build so they don’t have to stand up too straight.

There’s two other important factors that McCormack points out, as well.

1) Flexibility: “Physical limitations and flexibility also play a role in determining length. A player that has back issues, joint problems, or injuries may play a longer golf club to help compensate for some of the restrictions placed on them by their body. Most recreational and beginning players aren’t as flexible as a seasoned player. Therefore, you may see them lose their posture or have a swing that is driven predominately by their arms. Making a change in length can help them.”

2) Performance: “You can also adjust length for a player to help achieve a desired ball flight or improve strike location on the club face. As a general guideline, a longer club will help to launch the ball higher, promote more of a fade bias, and improve strike location for those that miss it on the toe. If you were to make a club shorter, for that same player, you may see a lower flight, more of a draw, and a thin and/or toe miss start to appear.”

The reason that a longer club may have more right bias (for a right-handed golfer), according to McCormack, is that the plane of the swing will flatten, the club face won’t release as quickly, and there will be more shaft droop and deflection. All of those factors lead to a club face that’s more open at impact with a longer length club.

Additionally, shorter length golf clubs can provide more control to the golfer, essentially making the golf club more forgiving. While longer clubs can help increase speed and launch angle, shorter clubs can be easier to hit solid due to the reduction in swing arc. That’s why “choking up” on the club offers a golfer more control, in general.

In a typical golf club fitting, expert fitters don’t take anatomical measurements. It’s important for a golfer to be in a comfortable posture at address, of course, but there’s more that goes into fitting for length than the vertical height of a person.

The best way to figure out the right length of clubs for you is to go through a full professional fitting, or to consult your local professional. Whether you’re short, average or tall, there are no shortcuts for determining the proper club length. The only rule of thumb is that the stock golf club length off the shelf is likely not the exact right length for you. Custom fitting will always trump buying off the rack, especially when it comes to length.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2021? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf. For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast below!

The post Do short golfers need short clubs, and tall golfers need long clubs? An expert fitter explains appeared first on Golf.

The post Fully Equipped: 1 huge mistake to avoid before getting a club fitting appeared first on Golf.

The post Fully Equipped: 1 huge mistake to avoid before getting a club fitting appeared first on Golf.

We’ve all heard how important a club fitting is to improving your golf game and optimizing performance on the golf course. Science aside, common sense says that a golf club and shaft that fits your swing perfectly would be better than a random golf club off the rack.

When is the right time to get a professional club fitting, though?

On GOLF’s recent Fully Equipped podcast – our weekly podcast that focuses on golf equipment-related topics – this exact fitting question arose during a discussion about “feel versus real.”

Golfers are fickle creatures. We’re always working on something, and reacting to our recent mishits. If you hit enough duck hooks in a row, at some point you’re going to make a compensation to try and hit a fade. It’s only natural.

During range sessions off the course, or during lessons with an instructor, it’s not uncommon that the “range swing” and the “course swing” look quite different. That’s because on the range we’re hyper focused on making improvements or changes, and on the course we’re more concerned with hitting the ball where it needs to go.

When you go into a club fitting, however, what swing should you use: the more natural on-course golf swing, or the swing you’ve been working on during range sessions to reduce your common miss?

According to Kris McCormack, True Spec Golf’s VP of Tour and Education, performance on the golf course is the most important factor. As an expert fitter, he’ll combine what patterns he sees from the golfer during the fitting with what the player actually sees on the golf course.

“A lot of it comes down to a Q&A [with the golfer] about what they see on the golf course,” McCormack said. “If they say ‘I hit draws and I miss it consistently left on the golf course,’ and here we are in the fitting, and all I’m seeing is a fade; if the motion says [the golfer] hits a draw, and they’re just losing the face in an indoor environment, I’ll typically take the player’s word for it. They know their game a lot better than I do in this short little snapshot that I get to see their swing…I will fit clubs to the angles that they create, and if they happen to be losing the face a little bit indoors, or losing the face during the fitting, but they are confident in the fact they have a particular miss that I’m just not seeing, I will accommodate that particular miss that they’re seeing and try to take them down a direction that helps guard against that miss.”

That’s why a huge mistake that a golfer can make before going into a club fitting is to not play any golf on the course beforehand. Going in completely cold after months of not playing golf may not give you the best return on investment.

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Being a range rat can certainly help you make technical improvements, but golf scores are recorded on the actual course. As such, the goal with club fitting is to optimize performance on the course itself.

The best way to prepare for a club fitting is to play at least a round or two on the golf course to become cognizant of your common current miss. That way, you can relay that information to the fitter and make real-world improvements.

If your goal is to improve your scores with a club fitting, make sure to properly prepare by playing golf with your current set. Hopefully there are no moans or groans here; playing golf has to be the most fun homework assignment of all time.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2021? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf. For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast below!

The post Fully Equipped: 1 huge mistake to avoid before getting a club fitting appeared first on Golf.

The post For this LPGA pro, a driver fitting resulted in something more valuable than more distance appeared first on Golf.

The post For this LPGA pro, a driver fitting resulted in something more valuable than more distance appeared first on Golf.

Many players who have a clubfitting for the first time are delighted by the fact that dialing in their equipment can generally lead to increased distance — no swing changes necessary.

But for LPGA pro and True Spec ambassador Albane Valenzuela, a recent fitting resulted in something even better than gaining more yards off the tee: increased consistency with her driver. (True Spec and GOLF.com are affiliates of 8AM Golf.)

During a recent interview, Valenzuela said that her fitting showed that her driver wasn’t optimized for her game.

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“I was a really good driver of the ball during my amateur career and then last year my driver was just awful,” she said. “I realized it was just not fit for me. It was a draw-biased club. I’m already a drawer. And we just went for a little bit of a shorter club [a TaylorMade SIM Max] that has more of a fade bias. And I just feel so confident with it. I still miss drives from time to time, but I just know if it’s a very narrow tee shot, very under pressure, I can just take my driver anytime.

“It’s just so consistent,” Valenzuela continued. “I’m hitting so many more fairways. And I’m just so excited to hit my driver. It’s my favorite club in the bag. It’s been the best change in my entire bag.”

It appears the change is already paying dividends for Valenzuela. In March, she posted her career-best finish as a professional: a solo fifth-place finish at the LPGA Drive On Championship.

Ready to dial in your own set of clubs? Schedule a fitting with the experts at our sister company, True Spec Golf.

The post For this LPGA pro, a driver fitting resulted in something more valuable than more distance appeared first on Golf.

The post Why the club-building process is just as important as a fitting appeared first on Golf.

The post Why the club-building process is just as important as a fitting appeared first on Golf.

Welcome to Fit Factor, a new GOLF.com series in which we’re shining a light on the importance of club fitting, powered by insights, data and other learnings from the experts at our 8AM Golf sister company, True Spec Golf.

***

Hitting the point of build. It’s a term you need to know when going through a club fitting. In the latest edition of GOLF’s Fit Factor series, we take a closer look at a part of the fitting process that tends to get overlooked: the club build.

For those who’ve gone through a fitting and found a club (or clubs) that knocked it out of the park, the next logical step in the process is turning the detailed spec sheet into an actual club. Unless you can get your hands on the club you just tested — and you should definitely ask before assuming it’s out of the question — the next best thing is having a competent club builder in the fold.

“The fit is only as good as the build,” said Tim Briand, senior vice president of GOLF.com’s sister company True Spec Golf. “You can get fit by the best suit fitter in the world and you bring it over to a fitter that doesn’t know how to cut fabric, the fitting wasn’t pointless. “So if you’re going to get fit, make sure you’re getting it built by somebody that either knows that specific product line in and out, or is a very reputable builder so they can replicate what you identified in the fitting.”

The spec sheet is usually full of important numbers — swing weight, shaft length, potential tipping, grip size (maybe a few additional tape wraps) and hot melt. These are just a few of the notes you might find on your sheet after a fitting. They all add up to the perfect club for your game.

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Before you assume a fitter is going to build your clubs, it’s important to ask a few questions to get a handle on their club building knowledge.

“I’d ask them how a longer or shorter shaft affects swing weight,” Briand said. “If he can’t answer it accurately, you probably don’t need to have him do the build. Does he understand how a standard or midsize grip affects swing weight? If he doesn’t, you’re better off finding a build shop that does.”

Think of it as a job interview. Your fitter might be great a getting the right club in your hands, but he may not possess the tools to build the club. If he doesn’t, it’s important to look for someone who can complete the build process, or at least ask what the workflow looks like if you were to complete the build with the fitter. The last thing you want is a club that doesn’t fit your game like a glove.

“There’s some idiosyncrasy in the build or some issue in the build that may be off a little bit and if you can’t build it and replicate through every club, not just one club, it can be a problem,” Briand said. “If you’re building a set of irons and can’t match that up all the way through the set and make sure they’re built properly, that’s a problem. It’s a lot more intricate than people think on the build.

“As we’ve talked about, if I go with a white grip, that’s going to decrease swing weight so now I have to increase the head weight. So what’s going to happen when I do that? Well, that’s going to soften the shaft. Now I have to trim the shaft a little differently. So if I’ve already cut the shaft and I try to add weight on the head, I’ve wasted the shaft because now I have to stiffen the tip section. So the build process is way more intricate and detailed than I think the average golfer understands.”

Before you get completely overwhelmed by the idea of putting the fitter through a semi-job interview, understand that a properly built club can benefits golfers of all skill levels — not just the tour pros. So ask the right questions.

“I would [the proper club build] is definitely helpful and if you’re truly looking to maximize your scores, then yes, the build is very important,” Briand said. “If you’re more casual about it, and this is more of a social activity and a little bit of exercise, it’s still going to add to your enjoyment significantly.”

Looking for the perfect clubs for your game? Head over to True Spec Golf to book a custom fitting.

For more gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast in the Spotify embed below.

The post Why the club-building process is just as important as a fitting appeared first on Golf.

The post Why a club fitting might be more important to your game than swing changes appeared first on Golf.

The post Why a club fitting might be more important to your game than swing changes appeared first on Golf.

Welcome to Fit Factor, a new GOLF.com series in which we’re shining a light on the importance of club fitting, powered by insights, data and other learnings from the experts at our 8AM Golf sister company, True Spec Golf.

***

Your golf swing has officially hit the skids and you’re looking for a lifeline. Something. Anything to get your game back on track.

The most logical place to start is a lesson. A local teaching professional has the tools to resuscitate your swing.

But what if the “fix” is more of a temporary band-aid? If you happen to be playing with clubs straight off the rack — meaning you were never properly fit to begin with — it’s possible that a lesson might only take you so far. Something else to consider is the possibility that your big miss or a lack of consistency is tied to an ill-fitting club.

If the club isn’t fit for a golfer’s game, there’s a high likelihood they’ll have to make swing adjustments to compensate for the areas where the club is lacking. Maybe it’s a too-stiff shaft that requires you to swing harder and help the ball up in the air. Maybe it’s an improper lie angle that’s keeping you from making consistent contact.

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The good news is most of the common misses golfers struggle with are fixable. Sometimes the solution is seeking out a teaching pro. Other times it’s getting your clubs checked out by a certified club-fitter who can turn your consistent miss into something you can work with by simply analyzing your clubs and making a few tweaks.

“Even high handicaps deliver the club to the ball in a far more consistent pattern than even golf professionals ever thought prior to all this technology,” said Tim Briand, senior vice president at 8AM Golf sister company True Spec Golf. “Because they deliver the club to the ball very similarly and the factor that’s changing the most is face angle and strike point because of face angle, we can actually start to mitigate face angle through fitting.

“So can we get a guy who’s got a 20-degree face angle variation down to 1 degree? No. Can we take a guy with a 20-degree face angle variation and get him down to 10 degrees? Yeah, maybe. That’s definitely attainable through a fitting.”

In this case, tightening up an unwieldy face angle variation is going to shore up dispersion, a measure of club accuracy. With a range of tools at their disposal — launch monitors and a loaded fitting cart — a certified fitter is more than able to assess the situation and offer a remedy that could stick for the longterm. That could mean a new draw-biased driver head to mitigate a slice or a tip-stiff shaft to knock off unwanted spin.

It’s important to note that an ill-fitting club isn’t always the culprit, but it’s better to cross it off the list, especially if the club in question came from off the rack.

“I don’t want to rain on their parade, but unless the golfer in question is willing to spend significant time on the practice tee and address the nutritional and fitness aspects, they’re always just going to be putting band-aids on their mechanics that don’t stick,” Briand said. “Fitting does stick.”

Finding the proper fit for your game is just one part of the equation. There other is getting the clubs built correctly after the fitting — assuming you need new clubs — but we’ll touch on that in a later piece. For now, consider the idea of going to see a certified club-fitter if your most recent lesson only provided a temporary fix.

There’s a chance you could be trying to manipulate your swing with a club that isn’t built to accentuate the best parts of your game. And if that’s the case, you’re fighting an uphill battle.

The post Why a club fitting might be more important to your game than swing changes appeared first on Golf.

The post Why your ego might be hurting your game when it comes to buying equipment appeared first on Golf.

The post Why your ego might be hurting your game when it comes to buying equipment appeared first on Golf.

Welcome to the first installment of Fit Factor, a new GOLF.com series in which we’ll shine a light on the importance of club fitting, powered by insights, data and other learnings from the experts at our sister company, True Spec Golf. First up: Why when it comes time to buying new gear, it’s best to check your pride at the door.

***

Ego is a weird thing for golfers, isn’t it? Sometimes we think we can easily reach that 650-yard par-5 in two, and other times we’re unsure we can even make contact with the ball. Most of the time, for golfers at least, it’s best to know the likely outcomes so we can properly prepare. For instance, if you think your 9-iron flies 165 yards and your actual average carry with your 9-iron is 140 yards, that’s going to be a serious problem when you’re playing a par-3 over water or bunkers.

Having self-awareness is also crucial when it comes to buying golf equipment, according to Tim Briand, who is the senior vice president of True Spec Golf and is the fitter for multiple PGA Tour players.

“Know who you are,” Briand says. “Check your ego at the front. Your handicap is going to tell you who you are … When choosing what equipment to play, make sure you select components, specifically clubheads, that are in your swim lane. Don’t try to play something aspirational that’s too difficult for you to hit.”

If we overestimate our ability as golfers, it could lead us down the wrong path. The most common areas that an inflated ego tends to impact equipment choices are, 1) playing shafts that are too stiff and/or heavy, 2) not using enough loft on drivers and fairway woods, 3) using irons that don’t offer enough forgiveness, 4) using wedges with not enough bounce and too much loft, and 5) using putters that aren’t forgiving enough.

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Sometimes, golfers make those mistakes because they’re simply mimicking the equipment that PGA Tour players use. Briand warns against going down that road.

“If your delivery patterns are similar to pros, then play the equipment the pros play,” Briand says. “At the end of the day, I want to fit into a 32-inch pair of jeans like all the supermodels wear, but I’m going to look pretty silly if I put on a pair of 32-inch jeans. You are who you are. You’re going to do way better off in the long run from a performance standpoint if you just own that. Own that and play the products that are conducive to who you are, instead of trying to make something work.”

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The problem with using clubs and shafts that don’t match up with your swing, as Briand explains, is that your swing evolves around that product over time. If the product is, for example, a driver shaft that’s too stiff, you may struggle hitting the ball high enough. In response, you start trying to help the ball in the air. Then, your swing begins to transform because you’ve been hitting a driver shaft that’s too stiff over and over again.

“Is that evolution of your swing going toward preferred mechanics or away from preferred mechanics?” Briand asks. “In most cases, those compensations you’re making because of that poorly fit golf club are taking you away from the swings that you really want to make.”

Of course, it can work the other way, too. Being that golfers do tend to have fragile egos, they could be using shafts that are too weak for their higher swing speed, or use irons that don’t provide ample feedback on mishits to make improvements. That’s why club fitting can have such a positive impact on not only your current game but also future performance and development.

Fitting, especially when there’s quantitative launch monitor data, helps golfers see the truth about what golf clubs they really need to use, and get those proper clubs in their hands before it’s too late.

For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast in the Spotify embed below!

The post Why your ego might be hurting your game when it comes to buying equipment appeared first on Golf.

The post I received my first-ever club fitting — here’s why you should, too appeared first on Golf.

The post I received my first-ever club fitting — here’s why you should, too appeared first on Golf.

Getting fit for clubs can be intimidating. You might think you’re not good enough to get fit or feel some impostor syndrome when you finally get up the nerve to make the appointment. These are natural feelings, but from someone who just went through their first fitting, allow me to attempt to put those anxieties at ease.

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For a little context about what kind of golfer I am, I’ve never had formal instruction. I’ve had a lesson here and there, but for the most part, my game is self-taught. I’ve had that same ethos with gear during my career as well. Most of my bag is the result of a good deal at a retailer or a hand-me-down from a friend. There is nothing flashy about it. But because of this, I feel like I’m leaving some strokes out there.

Having gear tailor made for my swing could shave off strokes and take my game to the next level. So I finally decided to put my worries aside and made a fitting appointment at True Spec Golf’s midtown Manhattan location. (TSG is owned by 8AM Golf, GOLF.com’s parent company.) Anxieties be damned, I was ready to find the perfect weapons for my game.

Here are five things you need to know about a club fitting from a club-fitting rookie.

Be ready to make A LOT of swings

Unless your range sessions are comparable to Vijay Singh’s, getting fit for clubs will be a workout. Because of all the options available, you’ll be hitting shots fairly consistently for up to two hours. This might not sound like a lot but firing off shot after shot for that long can take its toll. Luckily, refreshments are offered throughout the process and there is plenty opportunity to rest if you feel a little gassed.

You’ll learn about your swing

I knew True Spec had some pretty sweet technology at their disposal, but getting to try it all out for myself was revealing. Hitting into a simulator while seeing my numbers on a Foresight launch monitor (other locations utilize TrackMan technology as well) in real time was a real treat. And the top-of-the-line technology they use to analyze your putting will blow you away. It makes you feel like a pro getting to diagnose your game throughout the process. It might be a little dense for some people to understand, but your club fitter will help you decipher all the numbers that are thrown at you so you get a comprehensive understanding of your swing.

There’s no reason to be anxious

As I noted above, anxiety is normal when getting fitted. But in reality, it’s silly to feel that way. No one is going to judge you for trying to improve your game — that’s what everyone is trying to do after all! Sure, you’ll hit some bad shots (I hit a couple hosel rockets myself), but that’s normal when beating balls for so long — no one is perfect. Just have fun with it and remember that ultimately the experience is about trying to improve your game.

It will provide insight into your true distances

Most golfers think they know their distances. Most golfers are wrong. We often overestimate our true yardages due to that one time we pured a 7-iron 175 yards. That won’t be an issue after getting fit for new clubs. They take the distance of your current clubs and test them against the sets you’re trying out, showing you exact improvements (on average) in the distance and accuracy departments. It was fun to see this in action, and the gains went with me to the course as well. Now I know for certain how far my driver carries, and I won’t be guessing when I’m under the gun.

You will never want to use stock clubs again

After getting fit for clubs, you’ll never want to use stock clubs again. Once you see the benefits of a set made for you, the thought of using just any old set off the rack will seem horrific. It might seem spoiled, but golf is the most fun when you’re playing well and playing with fitted clubs gives you the best chance to play well. After your fitting, it might be time to invest in a handy travel bag. You’ll also never be content with rentals again.

The post I received my first-ever club fitting — here’s why you should, too appeared first on Golf.

The post How a club-fitting saved my golf game (and how it might save yours): 30-Day Challenge appeared first on Golf.

The post How a club-fitting saved my golf game (and how it might save yours): 30-Day Challenge appeared first on Golf.

Welcome to the 30-Day Challenge sponsored by Medterra, where one GOLF.com staffer leaves no stone unturned in the pursuit of a simple goal — breaking 90 — with the hopes of helping you do the same. This is the third in a seven-part series detailing his no-holds-barred journey to the 80s — all in just one month. You can read part 1 about the program he’s using to get better here and part 2 (a swing fix from his front lawn) here.

Here are a few laws of the universe: If you feel sick, you go to the doctor. If you have a toothache, you go to the dentist. And if you work on the GOLF.com staff and have an equipment question, you go to Jonathan Wall and Andrew Tursky.

Wall and Tursky are GOLF’s equipment gurus — sharing more knowledge of gear, apparel, and the whereabouts of Tiger Woods’ equipment manufacturers than just about anyone this side of Carlsbad, Calif. Every year, Wall and Tursky handle GOLF’s ClubTest franchise, which rates every single club released by major manufacturers, from driver to putter. In short, they are not the people to argue with over the length of Bryson DeChambeau’s driver.

So when I reached out to Wall to ask about purchasing new clubs, I didn’t hesitate when he gave me the following advice:

“I’d strongly suggest getting fit by someone before plunking down your own cash. It’ll save you some headaches (and money) in the long run.”

The decision to invest in a new set of sticks came on the heels of a startling revelation from my virtual Skillest swing instructor Steve Giuliano. Giuliano was so alarmed by the length of the clubs I’d been using, he opened up our first lesson by asking whether I, a 23-year-old man, was still using junior clubs.

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As badly as I’d wanted to laugh at Giuliano’s unintentionally blunt assessment, I knew the truth: it was high time to invest in my equipment the same way I’d begun investing in my swing.

At Wall’s recommendation, I set up an appointment for a full-bag fitting at True Spec Golf, the club-fitting retailer located on the first floor of GOLF’s Manhattan offices (and owned by GOLF.com’s parent company, 8AM Golf). When I got to the door, I was greeted by master fitter Eric Sidewater, who walked me through the lobby to True Spec’s space, replete with three swing simulators, a putting platform and enough club-and-shaft combinations to make your head spin.

As I warmed up, Sidewater and I broke down the current state of my equipment and my game. I told him I figured I’d need longer clubs, and could use an update on just about everything in my bag. He watched a few of my swings, then took a look at my archaic 6-iron and laughed.

“Yeah, we’ll get you in something a little bit better for your game,” he chuckled.

Eric and I decided to start our fitting with irons on account of it being the portion of my bag that’d take the longest to work through. We started first by getting baseline numbers for my normal 6-iron — ball speed, 120 mph; spin, 5,800 RPMs; carry, 169 yards.

But after about 15 minutes, it was clear there was a problem. Two weeks into my near-daily lesson work with Steve, I still couldn’t hit a proper shot. Every swing sent the ball careening right in an ugly, sideways duck hook.

“What exactly are you changing about your swing right now?” Eric asked.

I explained that Giuliano and I had gone through a series of small changes, but the largest difference was in my setup.

“I’d never try to change anything about your swing, but this problem is setup related,” he offered. “I think by fixing one setup issue, you’ve created another. You’re crowding the ball, so you can’t properly extend your arms on the swing.”

Eric instructed me to line up two balls further away from the ball than I had been. The results were immediate — a duck hook that quickly became a piercing, dead straight flight and exploded off the face. I burst into laughter; the dam had broken on the hours of work I’d put in with Steve, and my game finally resembled something that had a prayer of breaking 90. Eric gave an audible sigh of relief.

“Dude, you’re flushing it,” he told me as we restarted the fitting. “The clubs I’m going to fit you for now are totally different than the ones I would have before. I’m so glad we figured that out.”

What was once a hook off the heel of the club had now become a slight miss off the low toe — a surefire sign that I’d need to add length to my clubs. After a few more swings, Eric outfitted me for the proper shafts (KBS Tour V stiff shafts that were originally outfitted for one Phil Mickelson, but with an inch added for my height), and clubhead (TaylorMade P790 irons). The comparison between my old clubs and new ones was not much of a comparison at all. I’d added 10 yards to my carry distance, improved my ball speed by 2 mph, lost 1,000 RPMs of spin (fixing the shape of my ball flight in the process), and cut my dispersion in half.

Once we’d figured out the irons, we continued through to the rest of my bag. A new Callaway Mavrik Subzero driver, a TaylorMade SIM Max fairway wood, and then a pair of Titleist Vokey Wedges would round out my new sticks. Everything felt a touch foreign, but what was that coursing through my veins as I swung my new sticks on the simulator? It surely wasn’t confidence, was it?

At the end of the fitting, I paid for the experience (and the New York City parking) as if I’d just hit the lotto. Forgetting for a moment the expertise that allowed me to add 10 yards (or more) to every club in my bag and provided me with my first comfortable wedge shot since middle school, my True Spec fitting had unlocked the key to weeks of inconsistency.

Now, I’m not advocating that a True Spec fitting will fix your swing the same way it did mine, but I am advocating for the people responsible for fitting you for clubs. They know what success on the course should look like, and they’re not afraid to tell you when you aren’t displaying it even if it costs them a sale. When it comes time to invest in a new set of sticks, every golfer deserves someone whose bottom line is in making you a better player. Like so many other things in life, when the intentions are good, the results often follow.

Admittedly, the hardest part of the fitting was leaving without my new clubs in hand, but it was a worthwhile tradeoff for the brand-new outlook. If I didn’t break 90 by the end of the 30-Day Challenge, I surely would once these bad boys rolled in.

Now, after a hundred-or-so swings, it was time for a CBD treatment and a beer. Things were about to take off.

Follow along with the rest of James’ 30-Day Challenge on GOLF’s social media channels (@GOLF_com) and on GOLF.com, where new articles will be posted every week through the end of October.

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