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“You play those clubs? Sure hope you can putt lights out.”
A Hot Stix Fitting
By ED TRAVIS
A Hot Stix Fitting
By ED TRAVIS
Most golfers know playing with properly fitted clubs is
a good idea. Whether there’s a need for a minor lie
adjustment or the possibility of gaining 20 yards off the
tee…it’s a good idea.
Unfortunately most golfers don’t do it. They think they
know already or maybe they listen to a friend or even
more often, guess. It’s too bad because the sad fact is
most amateurs are playing with clubs that don’t fit them
and what’s worst playing clubs that won’t allow them to
achieve their scoring potential.
Like the old pro said, “Golf’s hard enough without making
it harder.”
So how about a fitting from someone who sells clubs?
Certainly it’s far better than doing nothing but you should
be aware there are drawbacks.
Take the club pro for instance, the backbone of American
golf. He is a player often a very good player and a
merchandiser, a personnel manager, a salesman and
sometimes a father-confessor. However more times
than not, he doesn’t have the modern analysis
equipment to give him the data for the exact heads,
shafts, grips and customizations that best match his
customer’s swing.
The salesman at a big box retailer has access to the
right equipment and at least some training in its use but
he is generally more interested in making a sale then
moving on to the next customer plus the store usually
has told him to push one or two particular brands. They
could be one of the store’s own brands or one from a
manufacturer who is giving incentives to the store or
employee. In any event, the big box guy’s
recommendations will likely be “colored” by factors
having nothing to do with the proper clubs.
Club companies fitting vans analyze and generate swing
data as well as anyone can but every club recommended
is going to be one of their company’s models. This isn’t
wrong of course; just that in the end it may not be the
absolute best for the golfer taking into consideration the
dozens of clubs on the market and the virtually unlimited
modifications possible for a “best fit.”
To the guy who only has a hammer, everything looks like
a nail.
a good idea. Whether there’s a need for a minor lie
adjustment or the possibility of gaining 20 yards off the
tee…it’s a good idea.
Unfortunately most golfers don’t do it. They think they
know already or maybe they listen to a friend or even
more often, guess. It’s too bad because the sad fact is
most amateurs are playing with clubs that don’t fit them
and what’s worst playing clubs that won’t allow them to
achieve their scoring potential.
Like the old pro said, “Golf’s hard enough without making
it harder.”
So how about a fitting from someone who sells clubs?
Certainly it’s far better than doing nothing but you should
be aware there are drawbacks.
Take the club pro for instance, the backbone of American
golf. He is a player often a very good player and a
merchandiser, a personnel manager, a salesman and
sometimes a father-confessor. However more times
than not, he doesn’t have the modern analysis
equipment to give him the data for the exact heads,
shafts, grips and customizations that best match his
customer’s swing.
The salesman at a big box retailer has access to the
right equipment and at least some training in its use but
he is generally more interested in making a sale then
moving on to the next customer plus the store usually
has told him to push one or two particular brands. They
could be one of the store’s own brands or one from a
manufacturer who is giving incentives to the store or
employee. In any event, the big box guy’s
recommendations will likely be “colored” by factors
having nothing to do with the proper clubs.
Club companies fitting vans analyze and generate swing
data as well as anyone can but every club recommended
is going to be one of their company’s models. This isn’t
wrong of course; just that in the end it may not be the
absolute best for the golfer taking into consideration the
dozens of clubs on the market and the virtually unlimited
modifications possible for a “best fit.”
To the guy who only has a hammer, everything looks like
a nail.
 |  |  |  |  |
Hot Stix Golf Senior Fitter Chris
Marsh runs the company's
location at Orange County
National outside Orlando, Fla. His
years of experience mean he can
specify the correct clubs right
down to the type of grip for each
of the golfer's he fits.
Marsh runs the company's
location at Orange County
National outside Orlando, Fla. His
years of experience mean he can
specify the correct clubs right
down to the type of grip for each
of the golfer's he fits.
So, the obvious answer is to get fitted by someone who
doesn’t make his money by selling clubs, enter fitters
like Hot Stix Golf. This ten year old Arizona-based
company has five fitting centers around the country
including the one in Orlando, Fla. at Orange County
National, venue of the PGA Tour Qualifying School.
Hot Stix has done some 35,000 fittings for everyone from
weekend warriors to tour stars. In other words golfers
serious about the game and their games and ones who
seek to improve by using the absolutely best equipment
matched to their swings.
Senior Fitter Chris Marsh put it best, “My goal is to
remove any negative aspects caused by a player’s
clubs.”
Marsh starts a fitting having the player hit ten or so tee
shots with his current driver in front of his state-of-the-art
TrackMan unit that measures everything from club speed
to ball spin rate. This tells Marsh exactly what the golfer’s
swing produces in the way of distance, shot height, carry
and amount of curvature. He then is able to tell which
shot characteristics need to be changed to produce
longer more accurate shots.
Marsh can now make specific recommendations as to
the type of club head, shaft, etc. and has the player hit a
demo club with those specifications then looks at the
doesn’t make his money by selling clubs, enter fitters
like Hot Stix Golf. This ten year old Arizona-based
company has five fitting centers around the country
including the one in Orlando, Fla. at Orange County
National, venue of the PGA Tour Qualifying School.
Hot Stix has done some 35,000 fittings for everyone from
weekend warriors to tour stars. In other words golfers
serious about the game and their games and ones who
seek to improve by using the absolutely best equipment
matched to their swings.
Senior Fitter Chris Marsh put it best, “My goal is to
remove any negative aspects caused by a player’s
clubs.”
Marsh starts a fitting having the player hit ten or so tee
shots with his current driver in front of his state-of-the-art
TrackMan unit that measures everything from club speed
to ball spin rate. This tells Marsh exactly what the golfer’s
swing produces in the way of distance, shot height, carry
and amount of curvature. He then is able to tell which
shot characteristics need to be changed to produce
longer more accurate shots.
Marsh can now make specific recommendations as to
the type of club head, shaft, etc. and has the player hit a
demo club with those specifications then looks at the
data from Trackman to see if the right changes were
produced. If not the process is repeated until he’s
satisfied.
Sometimes Marsh will even come up with something that
seems to border on insignificant like one extra wrap of
tape under the grip. A small thing maybe, but it does
compensate for a swing with a little too much hand action
and thus removes a “negative aspect” caused by the
equipment.
When done, Marsh gives the golfer a list of clubs by
brand and model along with what modifications are
needed to fulfill the specifications found in the fitting
session. However, and this critical, he doesn’t then lead
his customer to a display rack to pick out his purchase.
Marsh and Hot Stix have “no skin in the game.” They only
recommend they don’t sell.
A first timer should be prepared to make a lot of swings.
A driver fitting session, including the other woods, takes
about an hour an a half with the same amount of time
needed for a session on just irons at a cost of $200 for
each session. The money is an investment to be sure but
well worth it with drivers selling for $400 and irons at
$800 or more. The result can both better scoring and
more fun.
produced. If not the process is repeated until he’s
satisfied.
Sometimes Marsh will even come up with something that
seems to border on insignificant like one extra wrap of
tape under the grip. A small thing maybe, but it does
compensate for a swing with a little too much hand action
and thus removes a “negative aspect” caused by the
equipment.
When done, Marsh gives the golfer a list of clubs by
brand and model along with what modifications are
needed to fulfill the specifications found in the fitting
session. However, and this critical, he doesn’t then lead
his customer to a display rack to pick out his purchase.
Marsh and Hot Stix have “no skin in the game.” They only
recommend they don’t sell.
A first timer should be prepared to make a lot of swings.
A driver fitting session, including the other woods, takes
about an hour an a half with the same amount of time
needed for a session on just irons at a cost of $200 for
each session. The money is an investment to be sure but
well worth it with drivers selling for $400 and irons at
$800 or more. The result can both better scoring and
more fun.