Custom Fit at UK Golf Academy

Welcome to our Custom Fit page where you will find information about our Custom Fit service. At UK Golf Academy we offer a Free Equipment Check, this offer is open to everyone and if your existing clubs do not suit you, when adjusted, you will see imediate results.

A Special Visit to UKGA

The Van shown is the actual Titleist Tour Van, Epping Golf Range was fortunate to be visited by the fitting team from Titleist. The day allowed customers to try the full range of equipment, then be custom fitted and watch their clubs being built on site by Tony from Titleist

• Loft & Lie Check
• Shaft Flex Check
• Grip Thickness Check
• Club Length/Weight Check

Loft & Lie Check

This is the main aspect of our Custom Fit service. Through watching you hit a handful of shots from our strike-board, we can determine the correct Loft and Lie angles for You and Your swing, and alter your clubs accordingly.

LOFT ANGLE - The angle between the shaft and the clubface

LIE ANGLE - The angle between the shaft and the sole of the clubhead

Why is this important?

LOFT

Loft angle is important because it has a direct relation to how far and how high the golf ball will travel. It is important to have a consistent interval between clubs (3 degrees between each long iron and 4 degrees between the short irons) to ensure that you have a constant yardage gap between all of your clubs. It is important to have these angles checked regularly as they tend to change with regular play, particularly if you play with clubheads made from soft metals and/or your lie angles are incorrect.

LIE

To have the correct lie angle means to have the sole of the clubhead perfectly parallel to the ground at impact. If your clubs are too “upright”, the heel of your club will hit the ground first, causing the clubhead to turn over and make the ball curve to the left (for a right-handed player). Too “flat”, and the toe will hit the ground first, causing the club to open and curve the ball to the right.

When your Lie angle is correct, your irons will be more forgiving and your strike will feel a great deal “sweeter”.

These angles can also be altered to change your ball flight in various ways. For instance, a player who wants to stop hitting his high fade may want to make his clubs a little “upright”, and bring his loft angles down a bit. NOTE: This will only cause a slight deviation in the ball flight and will not cure a big slice or hook. A golf lesson is a much higher recommendation!  

Shaft Flex Check

Shaft flex is important for delivering optimum power and consistency at impact. Players with an incorrect or inconsistent shaft flex are missing out hugely in this area. In short, if you have a slow clubhead speed, you need a softer shaft flex. If your clubhead speed is faster, you need something stiffer.

If you play a shaft that is too soft, you may have trouble keeping the ball down, or “ballooning” it. Your ball flight will be more difficult to control, particularly when shaping shots or playing in windy conditions.

If you play a shaft that is too stiff for you, your ball flight will tend to be weak, and maybe die to the right (for a right-handed player), which tends to be more common than the former.

Also, a player with a narrower, shorter swing will need a stiffer shaft than a player with a long, wide swing, even though their clubhead speeds may be exactly the same. This is due to the extra strain on the shaft when the player with the short, narrow swing changes direction in his golf swing as opposed to the flowing motion of the long, wide swing.

Grip Thickness Check

Having the correct grip thickness is important for allowing your hands to work correctly during the golf swing. Incorrect grip thickness can make a perfect grip meaningless if the hands are being hindered by the size of the grip. Correct grip thickness will ensure freedom of the hands and wrists during the swing, and also provide a great deal of comfort when holding the club. As a general rule, players who play with too thin a grip will get too “handsy” and draw the ball too much, whereas a player with too fat a grip will lose mobility in the hands and wrists, most likely producing a shot with excess fade spin. Imagine how hard it would be to crack a whip if the handle was too thick for you to hold! This is a similar concept and may help you to understand the importance of grip thickness.

This check can be done yourself. Simply grip your golf club as you normally would to hit a shot. Now take off your right hand (left hand for left-handers) and pay attention to the fingertips of the hand still gripping the club. If your fingertips are digging into your hand, your grips are too thin. If they are barely touching your hand, or not touching at all, your grips are too fat.

If you feel your grip size is incorrect, bring them into us and we will be able to alter them according to your needs.

Club Length/Weight Check

This is an aspect of the Custom Fit process that is solely related to your size, stature and strength. It is important for your clubs to be the right length and weight to produce sound fundamentals and technique in the golf swing. It is impossible to have a good setup when your clubs are the wrong length. A very tall player with standard length clubs will have to stoop too much to get into his setup. This throws out the players’ swing plane, balance and mobility when it comes to hitting a shot. It’s common for this to cause a bad back and other aches and pains. A shorter player whose clubs are too long will promote a setup which is too upright, maybe to stand too far from the ball causing too much of a rounded swing plane, or to grip down on the club too much, throwing the grip thickness check he/she just had out the window!

To have correctly weighted clubs is particularly important amongst seniors, ladies and especially children. It’s rare for somebody to have clubs that are too light for them. Those who wish to play a heavier club usually do so out of just preferring a heavier feel in their clubs. There is nothing wrong with this at all.

What does cause a problem is when the club is too heavy for the player. If your clubs are too heavy it will take too much of your effort to maneuver the club through the swing, eliminating a free-flowing motion. This is also something that can lead to physical problems.

This mainly becomes apparent with young children. Ever seen a 6 year old child trying to swing their mother or fathers clubs? You will notice that they have no chance of holding their balance, an essential attribute to a sound swing. Mostly you will see the club going way past parallel in the backswing with the weight falling back onto the leading foot (reverse pivot!), and all because the club is just too long and heavy. It’s no surprise that John Daly played full size clubs from a young age!

While on this topic, let me advise you to always buy children junior clubs and not adult clubs cut down. They are always much too stiff, too heavy and with grips that are too fat. Junior clubs have much better playing characteristics for children, and are much cheaper than buying an adults set to be cut down. A fantastic range of junior golf equipment can be found on this website.

How Much Does a Custom Fit Cost?

The actual Custom Fit session with us is free of charge. Any alterations you request on an existing set will be charged at the lowest rates. On a new order the specifications will be set at the factory. Just come down to our Driving Range or call us to book an appointment.