The “How-To” of Professional Clubfitting – Set Makeup
Reprinted from TWGT, written by Tom Wishon
The
correct fitting of Set Makeup for all clubs in the bag starts with obtaining
the right information about each golfer from which the Set Makeup decisions
will be made. The minimum fitting information required is as follows:
·
The
golfer’s preference/confidence for different clubhead styles within the
different Set Makeup options
·
What is the
lowest loft of the woods and of the irons that the golfer can hit comfortably
and confidently well up in the air off the fairway
·
An
evaluation of the golfer’s Transition, Tempo, Release and Swing Path
·
The
player’s “golf athletic ability” i.e. overall ball striking proficiency
Nowhere
in the fitting process is common sense used to make fitting decisions than for
the Set Makeup. Without question, all Set Makeup decisions are based on finding
which clubs in the golfer’s existing set pose more difficulty for the golfer to
hit consistently well, and to replace those clubs with clubs that hit the ball
the same distance, but which are easier to hit consistently well up in the air
to fly.
The Three Primary Set Makeup Decisions
In
fitting each golfer for the best Set Makeup, there are three main areas within
the full set of golf clubs that must be analyzed for making the best overall
Set Makeup recommendation for the golfer.
1.
“Second Longest Hitting Wood” Set Makeup
2.
Hybrid/Fairway Wood/Iron Set Makeup
3. Wedge
Set Makeup
“Second Longest Hitting Wood” Set Makeup
For
those of you not yet familiar with this term, what we mean is to never, ever
assume that the second longest hitting wood after the Driver should be a
3-wood. Most golfers simply do not have the ability to hit a modern 3-wood loft
well up to fly. Therefore, job number one in fitting set makeup is to do
whatever you can to HONESTLY learn what is the lowest wood loft that the golfer
can consistently hit well up in the air from a normal fairway lie.
That
becomes the golfer’s “second longest hitting wood” and starts the common sense
procedures of fitting the proper set makeup for every golfer.
Hybrid/Fairway Wood/Iron Set Makeup
TWGT
only views hybrid clubs or high loft fairway woods as a replacement for the
hard to hit lower loft irons. The best Set Makeup for the full set of irons for
any golfer consists of hybrids or fairway woods to replace all of the irons the
golfer has a difficult time hitting well up in the air to fly, then followed by
conventional irons.
The
most important piece of Set Makeup fitting information for determining how to
fit the golfer for the full set of irons is to truthfully know the lowest loft
iron the golfer can hit consistently and confidently well up in the air from a
normal lie. The common sense of Set Makeup fitting says to fit the golfer with
either hybrids or high loft fairway woods up to the iron loft the golfer truly
can hit consistently and confidently well up in the air from a normal lie.
As
to whether the golfer should use fairway woods or hybrids up to the
conventional iron loft the golfer can hit consistently well, here are a few
guidelines.
·
First and
foremost, the golfer has to like the look of the clubhead they are using to hit
any shot. Some golfers prefer the look of a fairway wood, while others prefer
the look of a hybrid clubhead.
·
The more
the golfer sweeps the ball off the grass, the earlier the wrist-cock release,
the less aggressive the downswing tempo, the more tendency to fit the golfer
with high loft fairway woods as replacements for the low loft irons they cannot
hit well up to fly.
·
Conversely,
the more the golfer can hit down and through the shot, the later the wrist-cock
release, the more aggressive the downswing tempo, the more tendency there is to
fit the golfer with hybrid clubs as replacements for the low loft irons.
·
Finally,
these above two points are tendencies only! The golfer’s confidence with the
style of clubhead used as a low loft iron replacement is the most important
consideration when making the decision for a fairway woodhead vs hybrid
clubhead as the replacement clubs for the low loft irons.
Wedge Set Makeup
Wedge
Set Makeup is dictated as much by the design and condition of the golf course
as by the golfer’s playing characteristics and game improvement desires.
·
Raised
Greens, Small Greens, Undulating Greens, Fast/Firm Greens means a wedge Set
Makeup with higher lofts and/or more wedges
·
Level Greens,
Large Greens, Flatter Greens, Slower Greens, Softer Greens typically means a
wedge Set Makeup with lower lofts and/or
fewer wedges
·
Deep
Bunkers, Small Greens, Undulating Greens, Fast/Firm Greens means a Sand Wedge
with higher loft, typically between 58-60°
·
Shallow
Bunkers, Large Greens, Flatter Greens, Slower/Softer Greens means a Sand Wedge
with lower loft, typically between 54-56°
·
Deep Sand,
Finer/Fluffier Sand (less sand resistance to the clubhead) opens the option for
fitting golfers with a Sand Wedge with a wider sole or more bounce sole angle
or both together
·
Shallow
Sand, Coarse/Grainy Sand (more sand resistance to the clubhead) offers the
fitting potential for a Sand Wedge with a more narrow sole, less bounce sole
angle, or both together
Golfer Ability for Wedge Set Makeup
·
Steeper
Angle of Attack, less clubhead acceleration through impact can typically point
toward a sand wedge with more bounce sole angle, a wider sole or both together
·
Shallow
Angle of Attack, more clubhead acceleration through impact is better matched
with wedges that are designed with less bounce sole angle, a more narrow sole,
or both together
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