Will I Play Better Golf if I Have Been Professionally Fitted?

Hi, its Naomi here from Drummond Golf Underwood. I recently caught up with TaylorMade club fitter Max Horlin to learn about his knowledge and experience in club fitting particularly with Ladies and also to see what all the hype is about with this new TaylorMade Stealth hardware.

So, who is Max Horlin?

Max is a highly accredited PGA member, Coach and is recognized as one of the leading club fitters in Qld.

Max started playing golf at the age of 13 in Kempsey on the New South Wales coast. He completed his traineeship at The Australian Golf Club and has been specializing in club fitting for over 10 years (the last 6 years being with TaylorMade golf).

What inspired you to get into club fitting?

It happened by chance. I was teaching at Victoria Park in 2009 and was approached by Titleist as they were looking for a club fitter…things just took off from there.

What do you enjoy most about club fitting?

Its extremely rewarding actually. I enjoy helping people see instant improvement in their game by getting the right club in their hands. Seeing them hit straighter and longer and watching their reaction when this happens is the best feeling. Some people are really struggling when they come in for a fitting and are desperate to improve their game, more often than not a simple adjustment to the equipment they are using can make all the difference.

Is club fitting an art?

Absolutely, it’s an art and a science. Getting the right head and shaft to optimise launch and spin is paramount to the club fitting process.

Communication is vital to successful club fitting. The golfer doesn’t always know what to tell you, so you have to try and get a sense of what outcome they are looking for by asking the right questions and listening carefully to their responses.

Why would you particularly encourage women to have a custom club fitting?

A few reasons. The goal of successful club fitting is to get the golfer the most appropriate club for them regardless of brand. The club that provides consistent results and that the golfer feels comfortable with is the one that will give them more confidence.

Some golfers are influenced by brand recognition, via recommendations from their fellow golfers, perhaps what their partner has said or what they have read in reviews etc. But the reality is that those recommendations are not always the best club for the player.

What benefits might women expect from being properly fitted as opposed to just buying off the shelf?

The main benefit will be that they will get the right club for them. The one that’s most appropriate for their skill level.

For example, not all women should be using ladies flex shafts. Some are more suited to a stronger flex such as soft regular, men’s regular or even men’s stiff. The correct shaft will make a huge difference to how the club performs. Its all about consistency.

Another big key is gapping. Gapping in the set is such an important piece of the puzzle. In some cases, it may not be necessary to carry 14 clubs in the bag. Depending on the club head speed of the player there may be several clubs in the bag that go the same distance. Each club in the bag has a defined role in terms of what it will do for the player. Getting that combination right will make a massive difference to the game.

Should / can a newbie golfer get fitted?

Absolutely! Starting out with the appropriate length, shaft flex and grip size is important in that one, it will help the golfer play better and two, it will help avoid developing bad habits.

As mentioned previously, this is also the point where the club fitter will look at gapping to make sure there are not too many clubs. We don’t want anybody to be confused as to which club to use in what scenario. That will only affect their confidence and hinder their scoring.

Will I play better golf if I have been professionally fitted and why?

Professional fitting will give you peace of mind in knowing that you have the right equipment in your bag. This is turn provides confidence - which is paramount on a golf course.

While there are no guarantees in life, you would certainly expect to see an improvement. It’s important to remember that this improvement may not be immediate.

Sometimes there will be a period of adjustment particularly if you have been using clubs that are unsuitable or ill-fitted. Using incorrectly fitted clubs, such as someone’s hand me downs etc. can be detrimental to your technique.

 Very often we fit people who have found a way to make their clubs sort of work by changing their swing or stance etc. to combat the fact that the clubs are unsuitable.

There is absolutely no downside to being professionally fitted. Its free for a start.

Ask your club fitter about golf balls too.

This is something that is constantly overlooked. A lot of golfers pull out any old ball, particularly when attempting to hit over water. All this does is create a defensive and negative mindset.

Using the correct golf ball will definitely make a difference to your game and you will absolutely play better golf if you stick with the same golf ball and get to know how it performs.

The short game is where you can most improve your scores, so it’s really important that you choose a ball that performs around the greens rather than one that goes 1 or 2 metres longer.

And remember even the best players in the world lose golf balls!

WHAT’S ALL THE HYPE ABOUT THE NEW TAYLORMADE STEALTH DRIVER?

This is a very exciting time for TaylorMade. We pioneered metal woods years ago and this is the next step in technology. Welcome to the Carbonwood age. After 20 years in the making, the limits of titanium have been broken.

Introducing Stealth Driver with 60X Carbon Twist Face for enhanced energy transfer and faster ball speeds. Technology: 60X Carbon Twist Face The all new 60X Carbon Twist Face is 44% lighter than an equivalent titanium face, while also being 11% larger than SIM2 and SIM2 Max drivers and nearly 20% larger than the 2020 SIM driver.

Some of the benefits of full carbon over titanium are;

• Lighter weight material in the face creates more kinetic energy through the club.
• Carbon is more consistent in delivering ball speed on off centre shots
• Carbon creates more consistent launch and spin rates in all weather conditions.

What’s in it for me?

More distance for a start. The select fit hosel is adjustable to create a straighter more penetrating ball flight.

Fact: a woman Max recently fitted immediately gained a massive 10 metres over her old driver.

Is it a game changer? Why / How?

Absolutely! The performance due to the carbon face will allow more forgiveness, straighter and more consistent results for golfers of all levels and abilities.

TaylorMade has been recognised as one of the leaders in technology for over 40 years so to change after 2 decades means they know it’s an absolute winner.

If you want to check out this amazing new driver, I encourage you to pop into your local Drummond Golf store, bring your current driver in and compare shots with your club against the stealth.

Our tests in store certainly prove exactly what Max explained in that the additional distance and consistency was significant enough to warrant putting the club in the bag.

Every Drummond Golf store has a team of professional club fitters, and they will certainly be able to help you. Bookings for club fittings are preferred.

Words by Naomi Mcintosh

Drummond Golf, Underwood
The Zone, Cnr Compton and Kingston Roads
Underwood, QLD 4119
(07) 3299 1300
underwood@drummondgolf.com