The Fitting Process
What to Expect at a Golf Fitting
Most golfers haven't had a proper fitting before. Retail demo days don't really count, neither do quick fittings at a manufacturer event. So if this is your first time looking into it, here's exactly what happens at Custom Lab from the moment you book to the moment you leave.
Step 1: A conversation
The first ten or fifteen minutes is a conversation. What’s your handicap, how often are you playing, what’s working in your current setup, what’s frustrating you, what would you like to be different. There’s no right or wrong answer. Some golfers come in knowing exactly what they want. Others come in with a vague sense that something isn’t right but no idea where to start. Both of those are normal.
Step 2: A baseline
Before we change anything, we measure where you are now. You’ll hit ten to fifteen balls with your current clubs while we capture ball speed, launch angle, spin rate, carry distance, dispersion and strike pattern. That’s your baseline. Every comparison after this point is measured against it.
Step 3: Shaft selection
This is where most of the performance gains in a fitting actually come from. We test multiple shafts in your top one or two head choices, measuring the same things we measured at baseline. By the end the numbers usually point clearly to a winner.
Step 4: Head selection
Based on what we saw at baseline, we narrow the major brands down to two or three head options that fit how you deliver the club. You hit each one. We talk through what the numbers are doing as we go and explain why a particular head might suit you better than another.
Step 5: Specification
Once head and shaft are decided, we fit the rest: length, lie angle, loft, grip type and size, swing weight. Each of these has a measurable effect and we’ll explain why we’re setting it where we are.
Step 6: Summary
At the end of the session, we’ll show you the side-by-side data against your baseline and answer any questions. If you want to order, we’ll place it while you’re here. If you want to think about it, that’s fine too.
How long it all takes
A single-club fitting (driver, putter or wedges only) takes 60 to 90 minutes. An iron and wedge fitting takes around two hours. A full-bag fitting takes three to four hours. A shaft or retro fitting is 45 to 60 minutes.