How to Find the Perfect Golf Clubs for You

Selecting the correct equipment can help lower your golf scores.

Golf manufacturers consistently release so many new clubs to the market, it can be difficult to determine which equipment will be a match for your swing. It's unlikely you will achieve a good fit by simply picking a club off the rack; more likely, finding the perfect golf clubs will be a trial-and-error process. Select the proper club characteristics--including loft, shaft flex, length and lie angle--that will help you differentiate one set of clubs from another and find the right ones, no matter what your handicap.

Things You'll Need

• Golf clubs
• Golf ball
• Golf practice range
• Golf course

Instructions

1. Research different golf magazines and websites for new product information. Advertising and club reviews are always available when new clubs are released to the market. Select the products that will benefit your game by first making sure you are comfortable looking down at the clubs. If you feel you are not going to hit consistent shots, search for another club.

2. Test equipment before you make any purchase. Attend a manufacturers' demo day to try clubs, taking advantage of the opportunity to hit all the available clubs with different specifications, such as loft, lie angle and shaft flex. Observe the optimal ball flight by participating in a demo day where you can hit golf balls on a practice range. If you do not have the option of attending a demo day, many golf shops have demo clubs to try on a range or hit into a net. If you hit in a net you may have the option of using a golf simulator which will give information such as ball flight, ball speed, swing speed and distance the shot travels.

3. Custom-fit your golf clubs to your swing. A golf professional or club fitter will custom-fit your new clubs. Measure swing speed and launch angle to select the most beneficial loft and shaft flex. The lie angle can help straighten out ball flight if you routinely miss shots to the right or left. The custom fit is not just about loft, lie angle and club length; pick the correct size grips and mix of fairway woods, hybrids, irons and putters.

Tips & Warnings

• Try as many different clubs as possible. Purchase the most forgiving clubs that will benefit your game.

• Make sure you have the proper club specifications on your equipment. You could be making a good swing; however, if the equipment has the wrong specifications the result could be poor.