If you haven’t had a club fitting before (and we encourage you to check out our “What to expect during a club fitting” if that’s the case), the process can be a mystery filled with misconceptions. And while the aforementioned piece lays out the process, we thought it would be valuable to share some insights about the process from fitters themselves.

The nation’s largest fitter, Club Champion has more than 150 fitters on staff. Accordingly, we knew they’d have plenty of insight and a wealth of wisdom to offer, which we’ve grouped around common themes, below.

Don’t second-guess a fitting — no matter how skilled (or not) you are.

As experienced club fitters, we’ve seen golfers of all skill levels. Anyone can get fit! It should be fun and stress free. – Douglas P., Minneapolis

Being judged by a professional that you’ve never met before can be intimidating. The fitter’s ultimate goal is to make you a better player and help your golf game. We’ve all seen hundreds, if not thousands, of golf swings and all kinds of shots in the hitting bay. It is our job to judge the performance of your current clubs, but we’ll be your cheerleader for the session and want to find optimal results as much as you do. – Alex P., Schaumburg

If you’re thinking about getting fit, do it. It can only help you improve your game. Inconsistency is always going to be a thing for amateur golfers, but we’re able to discard any swings we don’t like so we can always fit your best swing. – Nick F., New Orleans

Fitting helps all skill levels but it helps the higher handicapper much more because you need more help from your equipment. This idea that “I am not good enough to get fitted” is just not correct because it could be the equipment itself that is preventing you from playing your best. – Ralph L., West Long Branch

The higher the handicap, the more critical having the right set-up is. Finding the right fit will give you the best chance at delivering an inconsistent swing more consistently, which produces consistently better results. Another thing — golfers shouldn’t get discouraged if they don’t hit a particular set-up well. Not every set-up is always going to work; that’s why we try the different combinations. – CJ M., Willowbrook

There is so much more to our fittings. It’s not just walking in and hitting a few clubs and saying, “Hey, that went the farthest.” We are looking at length, swingweight, shaft, grip size, loft, lie etc., etc. Even a beginner can benefit from new technology and getting clubs that are the right length, weight, and specifications tailored to them. They are typically the ones who see the most gains. – Logan W., Memphis

No matter how you slice it, a higher handicapper always has more to gain from a fitting than a lower handicap. There are more strokes to be shaved off of the higher handicaps game and the fitting almost always merits better results (strokes gained on handicap) with a higher handicap. – Michael H., Hartford

Don’t discount the impact that the right clubs can have on your game.

Golf is just a game of probability. If we can get the right tools in your hands, how much more likely are you to produce the desired result? The right equipment for your swing and a little bit of confidence goes a LONGGGGGGGGGGGG way! – Jonathan U., Orlando

As a PGA professional who has taught thousands of lessons and conducted hundreds of fits, it is impossible to reach your potential with clubs that are not properly fit. It was not until I started fitting for Club Champion that I realized the power of what we do here, it is game changing! Golf clubs fit at Club Champion will improve performance, make it easier to learn, and make the game more fun for everyone regardless of skill level. – Mike K., Baltimore

When you get the recipe right from the head all the way to the grip, it puts you in the position to hit the ball on the face with more regularity. When you do this, you’ll be surprised how other confidences will creep in when you know what your carry numbers are and you know how the ball is going to look coming off the face. – Jon H., Birmingham

Coming to Club Champion from an OEM company, what I’ve seen at CC is that it is nearly impossible to play a full bag of the same brand of equipment. The beauty of what CC does is that all the brands can be hit side by side on the same day with the same shaft. The numbers on TrackMan speak for themselves on what the best combination is. – Drew S., Cleveland

Know what you’re getting into and set yourself up for success.

Be prepared to essentially play a full round of golf during your fitting. – Charles P., Livingston

Know why you are coming. When we hear “to get new clubs,” it is plain and generic and it takes time to get to the root of the problems/needs. What is bringing you to the point of spending your time and resources to improve your game? Oh, and tell us your opinions. Be honest and ask questions. It is a great time to learn some new things, too! – Jim Y., Philly

A comment I hear from a lot of golfers during a fitting is that they wish they had practiced prior to their fitting. We can fit you either way but when a golfer is making good contact with the ball consistently, it allows for a more seamless fitting. – Ashton M., Naples

Bring the swing that you’re currently using and try not to manipulate it into something completely different. – Tony S., Tacoma

Be open-minded!

Ask questions and accept answers; we do this every day and our answers are based on your data. Also, good shots and bad shots can come from the same swing; don’t blame your swing. – Steve H., Philly

Get fit before forming opinions on certain clubs/brands. Without having the right shaft in the club, it is hard to really know how well the club may (or may not) perform for you. Also, I believe getting fit before starting lessons gives you a better foundation to build off of than trying to build your swing around clubs that don’t work for you. – Nick C., Houston

Other general feedback from the entire fitting staff

• Don’t forget to stretch
• Always trust the data
• Remember: A fitting should be fun!

Related

• What to expect during a club fitting
• Addressing club fitting’s biggest myth