Get the Right Fit
by Dr. T. J. Tomasi, Keiser University College of Golf Senior Faculty and Director of Research
Here’s some good news: You might be a better player than you think you are.
If your divots are uneven (either toe deep or heel deep) and your short irons consistently start right or left of your intended ball flight, you might be the victim of misfit clubs. Improper lie angles — the angle at which your club shaft rises from the hosel — create bad shots. When you make a good swing, a club that is properly fit will leave a level divot, and if the clubface is square to the swing path at impact with center contact, you’ll hit an accurate shot. A club that is too flat (heel too high at address) will impact toe-first, and (assuming you are right-handed) the loft of the club will be angled right of target, resulting in a shot that starts right. Conversely, a lie angle that is too upright (toe too high at address) will cause shots to veer left.
Usually, these bad shots convince golfers that their swing is at fault, and off they go to the practice range to make changes that don’t need to be made. Playing golf with misfit clubs condemns you to introduce swing errors to compensate for the bad fit. A swing adjustment, although it can work, is not a viable, long-term correction for a faulty fit because the amount of loft varies from club to club. You would need 14 different swings to produce correct shots with all your clubs, and nobody is that good. You can determine your lie angle by placing some impact tape on the sole of your club and then hit shots from a lie board or other firm surface. As your club makes contact with the board, a mark is left on the tape. If the mark is too far forward toward the toe of the club, you need an adjustment – if it is too much toward the rear, you also need an adjustment. Look it up on the internet to see exactly where the mark should be. If you suspect your clubs are out of whack, take them to a clubfitter. Most clubs can be bent to fit you, so you won’t need to buy new ones.
All full-swing clubs are built with the toe slightly in the air to accommodate the bowing down of the shaft through impact. You can be assured that, as one of the straightest hitters in history, Fred Funk’s clubs are perfectly fit.
If you’d like to study with Dr. Tomasi and other PGA Master Professionals, contact The College of Golf today.
