Golf's most sophisticated new product isn't a club or a ball. It's fitting systems. At least five manufacturers have introduced fitting systems that feature special heads and shafts that can be interchanged using wrenches.
But are these tools really making it easier to get the right club? One problem is that the shaft-head connections are unique to each manufacturer (although a universal connector called Faz-Fit is available to fitters at clubconex.com). There also are uncertainties about whether the club you eventually receive will match the precise loft and weight of the club you liked so much during your fitting. One thing's for certain: The value of a qualified fitter just went up.
"It has certainly made trial and error easier to do, but it's still kind of like being your own dentist," says Dana Upshaw, who is a two-time international clubmaker of the year and has some 35,000 fitting combinations at his shop in Warner Robins, Ga. "The best advice is always to go into a professional shop and go through a process. The technology to analyze swings and clubs is so good now. Fitting still comes down to that four-sided square: What are you using, what are the specs, what are you trying to do and how do you want to change your ball flight? That tells me what I need to do as a fitter to get you what you want."
