Now that I’ve told you what you need to do to be ready for a driver fitting, it’s time to let you know what to expect from your fitter.

First you have to decide where you’re going to go to get fit.

1. Golf Retailer: You can schedule or walk in to most golf retailers and get fit with state of the art launch monitors (Trackman or Foresight GC4 are the tops). You’ll most likely get fit by a well trained, knowledgable fitter. They have probably gone through Certifications with their company and each of the manufacturers. But there is a possibility that you don’t get their best fitter. How well does he know his craft?
2. Demo Days: Gone are the days of multi vendor Demo Days at your club or local driving range (Thanks, COVID-19). However, there are still opportunities for you to go out and take your swings with most vendors at their Demo Day. Once you have done your initial research (as outlined in the previous post) you’ll know which drivers you want to try. Get your name on the Demo Day schedule when your favorite vendor comes through.
3. Special Retail Fitters: These are the guys that have gone though the most training. They’ve spent weeks learning about each facet of golf fitting, the ins and outs of each head & shaft, and will be very informed. You’ll need to schedule your fitting with them. You’ll need to pay for your fitting, sometimes double what the Retail guys charge. And they’ll most likely fit you into something that you’ll have to order through them. Be prepared to pay at both ends of the transaction.
4. Your Club Pro: If you’re a member at a private club, ask your Professional staff to help you get fit.

Whichever direction you choose, you’ll be in good hands. It’s up to you to decide what level of fitting you want, and how deep you need (want) to dive. In my opinion, the better players will benefit from the better, more detailed fittings at the Specialty shops. They’ll also be more inclined to pay the price!

Once you’ve scheduled your fitting, grab your current driver, don’t forget your glove, put on some comfortable clothes, and get there early to loosen up. We’ll want you at your best when we get into the bay with you.

The best fitters will ask you a lot of questions. In some cases, you’ll think it’s too much. But we need as much information as we can to get you into the right club. Some places will have you fill out a form, much like doctor’s offices do. Others will conduct the interview prior to the fitting. Still others will flow through the questions in normal conversation.

Be open to discussion. Answer the questions truthfully and don’t worry about what the fitter thinks about you. They don’t care. Their job is to look at your golf swing and help you find a club that will make you better. Don’t be concerned. Be honest.

Don’t treat your fitting as a range session. We don’t need to know if you can hit a high draw or low fade with the club. We need to know if you can hit it solid and straight. You’ll probably only get 5-6 swings with each club to keep you from getting tired. Make the most of them.

Your fitter can tell if you hit it well by the sound and of course the launch monitor results. However, this is where you can help us out. If you hit one that you felt was perfect or close to it, let us know. We can flag that swing and its’ results to use in our comparisons.

Be open to ideas. Quite often I will try something extreme to see if it helps or not, and then dial back from there. The fitter might ask you to try a club or loft that you hadn’t considered. Or a shaft flex you don’t think is right. It’s all part of the process.

Don’t lock on to distance alone. If your current gamer is only a couple years old, you probably won’t see a massive increase in yardage. What you might see is better launch angle, spin rates, and tighter dispersion. What you hope to see is consistency.

Let your fitter guide you through the process. If there is a combination you’d really like to try, ask him to set it up. But be aware of your energy levels and fatigue. You’re going to be hitting a lot of shots in a short timeframe. You will wear yourself out if you try too much.

Also, as mentioned in the previous post, it’s best to try and narrow down your search BEFORE the fitting. I say this because it’s very easy to muddy the water with too many options in your fitting. On top of the fatigue concern.

If you can go into the process prepared, with an open mind and good swing, your fitter should be able to find a new driver to help you play better. Enjoy the process, and play your best golf with your new Driver! You worked hard enough to pick it!