TEEING OFF: Custom fitting helps all golfers

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/04/2024 (640 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Imagine buying a suit straight off the rack and expecting a perfect fit. It sounds crazy, but some golfers do it all the time with clubs at sporting goods stores.

The idea of custom club fitting sounds tailored to elite players. In reality, it’s the opposite.

Those who spent 30 minutes at Shanks Driving Range and Grill with Rob McMillan, his Trackman launch monitor and an array of Titleist clubs on Wednesday can attest.

“It’s an insane difference. It was great,” said Wheat City Golf Course member Eric Sorensen, who walked into the one-day fitting event with a 3,600-plus revolutions per minute spin rate (quite high) on his driver and left at 2,200, carrying drives more than 300 yards.

“Sitting here hitting balls and having feedback, especially with the monitors and Rob telling you your spin, it’s huge.

“He would tell me the spin, total, carry and ball speed but wouldn’t tell me what shaft I was hitting. It was a matter of ‘just hit it.’ He knows what’s going on and he doesn’t want to tell me why I’m hitting it a certain way because now I’m thinking in my mind to change my swing to hit it better, compared to him just doing his thing.”

Sorensen is a unique case as he generated 120 mile-per-hour club head speed, translating to 190 mph ball speed. His previous club, off a GolfTown rack, simply couldn’t keep up compared to the 75-gram tour extra-stiff shaft McMillan settled on.

“Off the rack has its place. It’s built for a generic golfer, maybe a person that fights a slice, maybe a person that’s average height, average weight,” McMillan said.

“It’s standard for a reason but I think for us the biggest thing we look at is it’s not just your physical build, it’s how you swing.”

If the argument against fitting is cost, drop it. McMillan, other brand reps, local club professionals and reputable golf club sellers usually fit for free. They want the products they sell to perform as well as possible.

What does that look like? You’ve probably heard instructors say it’s not how good your good shots are but how good your bad ones are that matters.

McMillan, whose golf resume is beyond extensive and includes 10 PGA Tour starts, beating Tiger Woods and a whole lot more, focuses on improving mishits more than squeezing a few extra yards out of a driver at the expense of keeping the ball in play.

This idea isn’t just for amateurs. For the most part, the days of butter-knife thin blade irons on the PGA Tour are gone as the best players in the world are realizing the benefits of forgiveness, especially in long irons and woods.

They want precision in short irons and help launching long irons high, so more and more frequently, elite players are gaming blended iron sets. While major retailers typically sell irons in sets, custom fitters are happy to build a combination set of two or even three types of iron with shafts that optimize launch angle and spin rate for anyone.

“To optimize how the iron shot will perform into the green, we need it to go a certain height and come down at a certain [angle]. They’re usually very surprised what that looks like,” McMillan said, adding that applies to the driver as well.

“Sometimes when we play in Manitoba, people wouldn’t like that. They say, ‘It’s windy, I want to keep the ball down.’ But you can launch the ball high if it doesn’t spin [too much].”

McMillan noted the majority of players who haven’t been fit spin their drivers way too much, which quickly minimizes distance. That’s one reason why less experienced golfers will see more substantial improvement from fitting than veterans.

If you’re interested in kicking off the season with some club upgrades, the best way to approach the process is with an open mind. A specific brand or model may not be the best for your game, no matter how many of your favourite tour pros use it.

Knowing where McMillan’s cheques come from would theoretically void him from having an objective opinion on the topic, but it only makes his perspective more credible.

“To go in with an open mind is probably the best way to do it. We welcome that,” he said. “We want people to bring in what they’re currently using because we believe in our product. When push comes to shove, we like our chances against other brands. The more open-minded you can be, probably the better.”

• • •

Oh, I may have buried a lede here.

Yes, Wednesday’s fittings took place at Shanks, the massive new facility a few kilometres west of Brandon down the Trans Canada Highway.

Its long-awaited opening is set for Sunday.

The 16,000-square-foot building, one-of-a-kind in Manitoba, features 20 hitting bays with Toptracer technology tracking every shot and displaying data on TV screens. The hitting area is covered to block any rain besides the sideways variety blowing from the south and includes overhead heaters — a feature that will prove helpful in colder months and cooler evenings.

Shanks also has four Golfzon simulators open for use year-round.

The restaurant portion is set to open as well, with business hours running from 9 a.m. to midnight from Sunday to Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

For now, occupancy is limited, so to book driving range bays and simulators, owner Ross Sheard strongly recommends booking ahead by calling 431-432-4653 (431-432-GOLF), or online at shanksbrandon.ca once the website is live in the next few days.

NOTE: Shanks does not currently sell clubs.

BIRDIES: The Glen Lea ladies golf league spring meeting is on May 1 at 7 p.m. at the clubhouse. They are open for new members in their Tuesday and Thursday leagues. Contact Suzanne Ryder for more information at rsryder@mymts.net.

» tfriesen@brandonsun.com