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Many golfers hold the mistaken belief that custom made golf clubs are only for ‘better players’, or, that custom fitting should only be considered when the golfer improves to a certain level of skill in the game. Nothing could be farther than the truth. Proper fitting of the performance specifications of golf clubs has been proven countless times with golfers of ALL handicaps and athletic ability to maximize the ability of the golfer, and to offset or overcome many of the different mistakes golfers make in their swing. True custom fitting involves a careful analysis to be able to recommend the individual specifications of the clubheads, shafts, grips and their assembly to be able to maximize the swing movements and physical abilities of any golfer.

Within the golf equipment industry there exists a number of different options for golfers to obtain ‘custom made’ sets of clubs. Many of the companies engaged in the business of offering standard made sets of golf clubs sold through pro-shops and off-course retail stores also have fitting carts filled with an array of different versions of their standard models to allow golfers to hit test in an effort to determine the best fit.

The number of fitting options available through these fitting carts is limited to different lengths, different lie angles of the irons, and different flexes of the same shaft model, each built with a limited option of one or two clubhead models. While such cart fitting methods are better than simply buying golf clubs in one standard form “off the rack”, they fall well short of the extent of analysis and selection that is possible to achieve through an independent professional clubmaker.

In the recommendation of the clubheads for the golfer, Seahorse Golf Design make their selection from an extensive assortment of clubheads designed from different materials, and offered in different sizes and shapes to meet the desire of the golfer. However, not simply isolated to material and shape, we will use information obtained in the fitting session with the golfer to make the all-important recommendation of the individual performance specifications of the clubheads to address and complement the swing and playing characteristics of the golfer.

In the woodhead model of the golfer’s preferred material and size/shape, a true fitting session involves taking care to fit the golfer for the most important performance specifications of face angle, loft, center of gravity, and headweight to address the accuracy, distance and trajectory needs of the golfer. In the ironhead model of the golfer’s preferred material, size and shape, the true fitting session will address the correct specifications for the golfer in the loft, center of gravity, headweight, offset, sole angle and lie angle. Within a fitting cart approach, woodhead fitting options are likely only available in loft, while ironhead selections would be limited to lie angle.

In addition, the true fitting session can be specialized to also include the proper individual selection of the wedges and putter, two of the most important scoring areas within golf equipment. Within the golf equipment retail environment, these two critical equipment areas are virtually ignored when it comes to proper fitting to the needs of the player.

In the selection of the shaft, a true fitting session will involve measuring the golfer’s swing speed separately for the woods and irons, and evaluating the golfer’s individual characteristics of swing tempo, back-to-downswing transition movement, strength, wrist-cock release and swing fundamentals to determine the shaft with the best weight, torque, overall flex bend profile and length to allow the golfer to maximize their playing ability. Using the latest equipment available, the shaft selection will also include an evaluation of the golfer’s launch parameters as determined by an electronic launch monitor. To meet all of these individual shaft fitting requirements, fitting sessions will make the shaft recommendation for the golfer from hundreds of different models of shafts, covering a variety of shaft weights, torque and bending profiles. Within a fitting cart approach, the golfer can choose a different flex, but only from a single shaft model of the same weight, torque and bending profile.

For the grip, a true fitting session will analyze not just the proper size, but the proper size for both of the golfer’s hands, as well as the golfer’s preference for the appearance, feel and texture of the grip. The grip recommendation in a true fitting will also be made from a wide assortment of different grip models and designs. With the fitting cart, the golfer may be able to choose a comfortable size, but within a single grip model.

In a true fitting session, once the clubheads, shafts and grips are determined, the extremely important aspect of determining the clubs’ length and swing balance for the individual needs of the golfer are determined as the guide for the assembly of the clubs. In fitting through a cart of clubs, options for length may be included, but there will be only one possible swing balance offered for each length.

To make a more appropriate contrast, buying golf clubs off the rack with no attention to fitting is like trying to make one size of shirt and trousers fit every person. Buying a custom option through a fitting cart is like buying a suit from a department store – you will have a limited selection of styles but you will be able to secure the proper inseam, waist and sleeve length. But buying golf clubs through Seahorse Golf Design we offer a true fitting session which is like buying a suit from a custom tailor in which everything from the fabric, buttons, style and every conceivable aspect of the fit is taken into consideration.

CUSTOM FITTING SESSIONS TAKE PLACE AT EITHER CANFORD MAGNA DRIVING RANGE OR DUDSBURY GOLF CLUB AND LAST APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS.