Alex takes a mighty rip with a new Callaway driver and is amazed at the result—322 yards piped down the middle. The graphic designer from Guelph, who has tour-like swing speed, but had never been fit for clubs, was amazed at the result. After all, Alex had never considered that his clubs were holding him back; he typically played used clubs he’d purchase over the Internet without much consideration to whether they were the right fit. Turns out, says Golf Town’s expert fitter Scott Allen, that Alex’s garage purchases were not anywhere near what he needed.
“I wanted to see what the clubs he brought in with him were doing,” says Allen, who works in the Waterloo, Ont StudioX facility that opened last summer. It didn’t take Allen long to find out that Alex was struggling with a driver shaft that didn’t fit his athletic and powerful swing. That started a process of more than two hours to identify the appropriate clubs for the young recreational player—gear that would get the most out of his abilities. “When we’re done, I want to ensure we’ve got every club in Alex’s bag working effectively for his game” says Allen.
Alex has come to StudioX to make the investment in clubs that will work for him today—and help as he improves into the future. He’s physically strong and hits the ball a long way—but not always straight, something many golfers understand. His goal at StudioX is to make sure his clubs suit his swing and allow him to work towards a goal of overall improvement. He’s turned to Studio X’s Allen, one of Golf Town’s expert fitters, to take him through the process—one Allen has refined over years of working with amateur golfers.
It starts with the golf ball and some questions
“I want to understand what the golfer is trying to get out of their Studio X experience,” says Allen. With that in mind, he asks Alex a series of questions about his game, his strengths and weaknesses, and room for improvement. After answers are given, Allen asks what kind of ball Alex typically uses. It is attention to detail like asking about a ball that truly sets the experience apart. Allen recognizes the type of ball the golfer plays impacts the way their clubs, which makes it part of the consideration set.
Forget about brand
“There are players who come in and what a specific brand,” says Allen. “But if you give several options, you’ll be able to really refine the result.” Studio X fitters aren’t looking to put players in one brand; instead they seek to get golfers in the clubs that make most sense based on the results. That might mean a PING driver, a Callaway fairway wood, and irons from Mizuno, or any combination depending on the player. Studio X is brand agnostic, meaning fitters seek the best for the player. In the case of Alex, he ended up with a Callaway driver and fairway woods, though he was open to other options.
Full swing and then scoring clubs
The process works from a warmup to driver and later irons and wedges, which is Allen’s preferred method of fitting. Players often come to Studio X with significant knowledge on products and options, and the goal is to use that and show them what is possible. In the case of Alex, the fitting narrows to a specific clubhead, and then considerable time is spent on getting the appropriate shaft for his swing, which is fast, but not always repeatable. From there, the fitting works through to irons, and it doesn’t take long to recognize the distance Alex hits the ball—210 yards with a 5-iron—means it is unlikely he’ll need anything longer. Gapping is a key consideration, blending the fairway woods and a hybrid into the preferred iron set. Just as each player is different, most expert Studio X staff will have developed their own way of getting the best result out of each fitting session.
Don’t forget about wedges and putter
The truth is most golfers come to Studio X with a focus on the latest driver or irons. But the reality is they need to pay careful attention to the scoring clubs—wedges and a putter—that is often overlooked in most fitting. That’s not the case with Studio X’s holistic approach. “There’s so much to consider with wedges,” says Allen,” from gapping to how you use them. We ask a lot of questions about how you use your wedges—from the courses you play to the conditions you play in. Those are part of the consideration.” And don’t forget about a putter, says Allen. Often left to the end where fatigue isn’t as much a factor, determining the right flatstick for your game is essential, and should be part of the Studio X experience.
Full bag reality
While around a third of golfers who come into Studio X facilities across Canada are seeking to overhaul their entire set, it can be an effective strategy to aligning your goals and your game, says Allen. “While a lot of players come in looking for a driver or irons, there’s real benefits from considering how your entire set comes together—from gapping to the wedges, fairway woods and hybrids you carry,” he says.
Is Studio X for you
One thing is clear—you don’t have to be the best golfer to make huge gains in your game through an expert fitting, Allen says. Instead, by having a Studio X fitting expert spend time investigating what you’re trying to accomplish, and how equipment can improve that, you’ll make significant gains.