As a club fitting expert, can you talk us through the benefit of a properly fit set of clubs
If we have golf clubs which are not fit, we’re making compensations. So if the club is too long or too short, your angles will change which will make it much more difficult to find the sweet spot. If we have the wrong lie angles then the club will be entering impact and the ball will be starting off in a different direction. And of course shaft flex – if it’s not right you’ll be robbed of distance and direction.
So can we blame poor form on ill-fitted clubs or does it ultimately come down to the golfer?
Well I always say blame the arrows not the Indian but it’s definitely a mixture of both. You should never blame the clubs as a one-off and you should never look at getting lessons as a one-off. It’s certainly a hybrid of both.
What are the main things you assess during a club fitting?
In irons, in particular, head style is probably the most important. A lot of people go into a shop with their mind set on a particular club but if that head style doesn’t suit the way that they swing then they’re going to be behind the eight ball. From a fitting standpoint, length is critically important, lie is critically important and shaft weight and flex are also critically important
You’ve seen a lot of swings in your time, how unique is a person’s golf action?
I think it’s very rare that you get two people swinging the exact same and that’s why it’s so important for people to get fit. You could have two people who are both 5’8” and with their wrists 40 inches to the ground but one might be an over-the-top slicer, the other might hit a high draw and those two people will need completely different lengths and lie angles.
What club from the Cobra range would you recommend for the average 20-marker?
When we talk handicap ranges you tend to pigeon hole people into a particular segment and that’s why I was saying before that head styles are more important. But if we’re talking within the handicap range of a 20-marker it would be King F6 or it would be Max, our game improvement line. It really depends… Their angle of attack is probably the most important thing to decide what club they want or should have.
You can find your local authorised Cobra retailer by visiting cobragolf.com.au.