BEWARE: Online “Custom” Fitting

There are a slew of not so ethical “fitters” selling custom clubs over the internet.  We don’t know of one bonafide Professional Fitter who claims to be able to fit over the phone or over the internet. 

All we can say is: Buyer Beware!

How can anyone properly fit without a face-to-face session with the golfer?  How can the the proper altitude and spin rate for your shots be determined?  How can lie angle be measured without seeing ball flight and using impact tape?  How can you select the proper shaft for your tempo, strength, and transition speed without someone watching and trained to see the results?  How do you determine proper shaft length from a static measurement without taking into consideration strength, ability, and centeredness of hit? 

More of a concern, is what are you really getting over the internet? Every manufacturer has different specs and tolerances for clubhead weight, shaft weight, shaft flex, lie angles, and lofts.   So if someone is fitting you over the internet, what consideration is being taken for the differentiation in brand specifications?  Many manufacturers mark 9¾ on their drivers when in fact it is really 11¾; many shaft manufactures mark “stiff” on their shafts when they are really a “soft regular”. When someone is guessing what might be best for you, human error and mistakes will predominate. And when the club doesn’t work for you, who will take the club back for you and return your money?  Also note, that many manufacturers do not warranty products sold over the internet.

So, “BUYER BEWARE”.  Our advice is to seek out a bonafide Professional Fitter in the first place and enjoy the experience of a real fitting, and then truly enjoy your new game with clubs that actually will help your performance.