Club Champion 2022 Custom – Syndication Server

Midterm results are in: Custom-fit drivers win in a landslide

Despite living on the East Coast, I’ve had an undeniable thirst this year for 10-day weather forecasts in the Midwest. No, meteorology isn’t normally my thing. But, Golfweek has been in the midst of a season-long research study tracking the effects of custom-fit drivers on a group of average Joes. The study required our Chicagoland-based participants to play golf—a lot of it—with their old drivers and new custom-fit ones.

And play they did, tallying hundreds of rounds during the just-completed golf season. All in the name of research! The results showed the fitted clubs were an improvement over the old gear, both objectively (raw stats) and empirically.

Simply put, the players love their custom-fit drivers. But the raw numbers only tell part of the story because several panelists dealt with illness, injury or both. We believe the comparisons between the old and new drivers would’ve revealed even bigger performance differences were it not for COVID (thankfully, all of them are fine), back surgery, skin cancer, nerve issues, and more.

First, though, let’s look back at the initial fittings that took place at Club Champion headquarters in Willowbrook, Illinois. The company’s Master Fitters used the TrackMan launch monitor to record each player’s shot data. The averages for the group are represented below.

The test panel, which is comprised of golfers who’d been custom-fit for their previous drivers and those using off-the-rack clubs, enjoyed significant gains with the new custom clubs on fitting day.

There was no stopping the panelists once the weather broke in Chicago. After outfitting all their clubs with the Arccos Caddie shot-tracking system, we captured literally thousands of shots using the old and new drivers. From there, we analyzed each players’ data, as well as the group’s cumulative numbers, which were based on high-stakes shots in multi-day tournaments, easygoing nine-hole rounds, and everything in between.

Here are some key findings, based on the group’s averages:

1. Handicaps dropped by two strokes with the custom-fit driver

Nearly two-thirds of the testers saw their handicaps come down by at least two strokes per round, and as many as four strokes. Keep in mind, our panelists were custom-fit for the driver only. Imagine what might happen if they were fit for all 14 clubs.

2. Gained an average of 15 yards with the new driver

Two-thirds of the players picked up at least 16 yards, with one-third hitting it longer by 20 yards or more. Put another way, the guys are using shorter clubs into par-4s. Interestingly, every player gained distance except for one outlier who’s shorter by one yard.

3. One stroke improvement, per round, in the Strokes Gained: Driver category

Not only that, but a couple of players improved their stat line by nearly three strokes compared to the old club.

4. Percentage of fairways hit was unchanged

That said, there’s quite a bit of anecdotal evidence suggesting bad misses—the ones that get golfers in trouble and cost strokes—occur much less often with the custom-fit drivers.

It bears repeating: Due to a number of unforeseen circumstances, the raw numbers might not give the complete picture. When combined with first-person experiences, the benefits of the custom-fit drivers appear far richer than the raw numbers might suggest. What follows is a sampling of anecdotal evidence.

“The driver went from my worst club in the bag to the best,” said Jordan Gamelin, a manufacturing sales professional. “I never knew how much a fitted driver would mean to me. I’ve increased my average distance by 20-plus yards and the misses are less dramatic.” Gamelin, 34, added, “I used to hit a fade-slice and thought I needed more flex in my shaft. But the Club Champion fitter put me in a shaft with an extra-stiff tip and it made a huge difference in control. Unfortunately, my handicap remained about the same [went from 7 to 6] because the rest of my game, at times, was horrendous.”

Aaron Salo, 45, had a grand time with the new lumber as well. “I hit the longest drives of my life on at least five holes at my home course,” said the wine, beer and spirits company exec. “I also used the custom driver on a couple holes where I never hit the old one, simply because my misses were better and shots didn’t go left.” But a case of hip tendonitis derailed his momentum. “My whole swing got out of whack,” he admitted. Even so, Salo shaved two strokes (16 to 14) off his handicap this year.

The retired orthodontist, Ray McMullen, also had some nagging issues that impacted his game. Even so, the handicap decreased from 18 to 16. McMullen, 68, recounted the up-and-down season this way: “My new driver did well, but my short game was in the dumper.”

Unfortunately, a bad case of tennis elbow proved to be Cully Johnson’s kryptonite. According to the national science lab employee, “There were a few rounds where I just had no arm control and failed to break 80 twice.” Not all was lost, though. “The [new] driver was a strength. It’s given my game more consistency,” said Johnson, 43. “On bad days, the ball is still in play and my floor has been raised, which was a major goal of mine. Wish I’d done a proper fitting years ago.” His handicap improved from +2 to +3 with the new club.

Jerry Brankin, a fintech analyst, encountered a different sort of problem. “I was getting a little flat in my takeaway, probably from playing softball. The result was some low hooks,” he said. “The new driver is very different than the old one. The custom club sets up neutral and feels noticeably lighter. I learned I could swing 85-percent and get the same distance as before with more control.” The forty-five year old wrapped up the year at a 12 after starting at 15.

What do all these guys have in common? With the new clubs, their raw data was good but might not blow away someone on first glance. Yet, they can’t stop talking about how much better the new driver performs than the old one. That scenario repeated itself time and again. And, let’s not forget we’ve featured several other players in previous articles who also had great experiences with their new fitted drivers. Click here to view those articles.

That’s a wrap. We hope you’ve enjoyed the six-part series on custom fitting. Based on our findings, it’s reasonable to expect properly-fit clubs to have a major impact both in your performance and how much fun you have on the course. One final note: The off-season is a fine time to go through a fitting session, particularly since you’ll have brand-new custom-fit clubs to start next golf season.

How a driver fitting unlocked power and playability

Fitting makes a difference. It really does. Sometimes, though, it takes a little time for the golfer to see, and experience, the payoff. For Lionel Go (Age: 55/Hdcp Index: 7.4), patience was a virtue. Shortly after receiving a custom-fit driver this …

Fitting makes a difference. It really does. Sometimes, though, it takes a little time for the golfer to see, and experience, the payoff.

For Lionel Go (Age: 55/Hdcp Index: 7.4), patience was a virtue. Shortly after receiving a custom-fit driver this spring, he injured a nerve in his back and shoulder. “The injury really crushed my game,” said Go, who used to work as a health and safety professional in commercial construction management. “I lost yardage through the bag and my swing was in disarray. It’s unfortunate because I was playing quite well with the new driver.” Following a period of rest and rehab, Go was back to full strength and his golf game took off.

Prior to the injury, Go went through a driver fitting at Club Champion’s headquarters near Chicago. He worked in tandem with Patrick Hudock, one of the company’s Master Fitters. While the session was taking place, Hudock used the TrackMan launch monitor to collect comparative data (below).

“Overall, I was pleased with the [fitting] experience,” said Go, who’d previously never been custom-fit for a driver. “Patrick was friendly and very knowledgeable. We tried more than a half-dozen shafts and four or five clubheads. Each combination had a noticeable difference in total weight, swingweight, and sound.”

Diving into the data was also part of the appeal. “I’m a numbers guy, so it was neat to see data beyond carry distance, such as spin rate, height, smash factor and launch angle,” said Go, who serves on the board of two not-for-profit arts organizations.

The good vibes have carried over to the golf course. “I love how the new driver [Titleist TSi2 with Fujikura Motore X F3 5R graphite shaft] has a weightier feel compared to my previous gamer. It gives me lots of confidence knowing what the clubhead is doing throughout my swing while keeping me from overswinging. The TSi2 also has a nice, muted sound that fits my ear and looks fantastic—not flashy but oozes style.”

We’ve equipped Lionel’s clubs with the Arccos Caddie shot-tracking system, a collection of sensors that record relevant data while playing on the course. The output confirms that he’s stepped up his driver game since making the switch. The following comparisons are based on 22 rounds played through mid-to-late summer.

The distance numbers steadily increased as Go played more with the custom-fit club. “I’m 55, so the idea of ‘going after it’ with my driver is a fading memory. But, the idea of committing to a good, solid swing AND gaining 15-20 yards with a high, penetrating, mostly straight ball flight suits me just fine,” he said. In addition, the Strokes Gained stat improved by 0.12 per shot (equates to a 1.5-stroke improvement per round with 12 drives).

However, statistically, he’s hitting fewer fairways with the new club. But don’t be misled. “I’m so much more comfortable with it [new driver] than my previous gamer,” said Go. “There are some qualitative reasons to argue that this stat doesn’t tell the whole story. I had one pretty reliable ball flight—high draw—with my old driver. I’d play for it regardless of the hole layout. My misses were either a low snap hook or big push. When either miss happened, it was usually way off the fairway.

“With my TSi2 driver, I have lots of confidence over the ball. The flight is primarily straight or a slight draw. But the true advantage is the ability to play a fade. It gives me a whole new opportunity to work my drive in either direction if the hole demands it. So, I might be missing slightly more fairways, but they’re less-penalizing misses.”

Not surprisingly, Go’s strong play off the tee is contributing to lower scores. After starting the season with a handicap index of 7.4, the number rose to 8.6 while playing with the old driver. Since making the gear change, his index steadily dropped to 5.8. In fact, Go’s approaching his personal-best handicap index, 5.4, which occurred “a very long time ago.”

Pretty impressive for someone in his mid-50s.

One (surprising) time players can benefit from a custom-fitting session

Maybe an old dog can learn new tricks. After being custom-fit for a driver early in the season, 70-year-old Bob Radin has a new lease on his
(golfing) life. “I had back issues the past three years. My swing speed has slowed, and the new driver compensates for it with a more flexible, lower-kickpoint shaft,” he said. “And, the clubhead is hotter with a larger sweet spot than my 7-year-old, custom driver.”

In addition to the loss of speed, the retired dentist had accuracy issues with his old club. “I’d tend to miss to the right of the target, or hit a duck hook,” Radin added. “That’s no longer the case with my new club.”

This just goes to show that a quality custom-fitting session can make a big difference for players bouncing back from injury or who’ve previously been custom-fit.

Bob Radin

In March, Radin went through the driver fitting at Club Champion’s headquarters outside of Chicago. He teamed up with Drew Koch, one of the company’s club fitters. Koch used the TrackMan launch monitor to collect comparative performance numbers during the session.

Radin, who began playing golf at age 44, came away impressed. “The entire [fitting] process was data driven. It’s interesting to see the differences in performance for my swing, with all the name-brand equipment,” he said. “The [new] clubs are all very good, but for my swing dynamics, one combination really stood out. I suppose that holds true for everyone.”

We outfitted each club in Radin’s bag with the Arccos Caddie shot-tracking system, enabling us to gather valuable on-course data in real time. The chart below summarizes 20 rounds played through mid-to-late summer.

Statistically speaking, he’s hitting five percent more fairways with the new club. “The dispersion on off-center hits, which are the majority of my shots, is narrower, so a greater number of balls are in play,” Radin said. Even more impressive, the average drive travels 19 yards longer than before. “I definitely have more confidence off the tee. And, shorter second shots mean there’s a decent chance to par every hole.”

Besides that, Radin’s “strokes gained” figure with the new stick is better off by 0.18-strokes per shot. That’s more than a two-stroke improvement (based on 12 drives) per round.

The upgraded driving is contributing to lower scores, too. Radin’s handicap index dropped this year from 17.3 to 14.1, which is the equivalent of four to five strokes per round. “I’m considering new clubs next season,” he said, referencing the rest of his bag. “My current set is five years old and I wonder if a new fitting, and technology, would give some improvement. After all, the rest of my game is better because the drive is setting up the hole.”

Good idea, Bob. It’s worth a shot. Or four.

Custom fitting is best for… everyone, regardless of age or ability

There are many reasons to experience a custom club fitting. The most obvious one, of course, is that properly fit equipment can help golfers of all ages and abilities to play better. Last month, we spotlighted Alex Caron, 37, who’s picked up 25 yards off the tee to date with a new custom driver and seen his handicap index go from 10.0 to 7.1 (the equivalent of four strokes per round). Our year-long research study, where we track players’ performance with their old driver and new custom gamer, continues with 66-year-old Tom Clark (handicap index: 13.3).

Clark, a part-time personal financial representative and retired insurance agent, bought an “off-the-rack” driver last summer. It’s clear now that he was leaving a lot in the bag.

Earlier this year, Clark went through a fitting session at Club Champion headquarters just outside of Chicago. Working in concert with CJ Marshall, one of the company’s Master Club Fitters and Builders, the pair determined the best head-shaft combination for Tom’s game. A few weeks later, Clark came back to pick up the custom-built club. While there, he took more swings with both drivers (see TrackMan launch monitor numbers). “I’d never been custom-fit,” he said. “I never paid attention to spin, swing speed, smash factor and ball speed. I learned a lot [during the fitting] and am thrilled with the results.”

On both days, Clark generated significantly more clubhead speed and ball speed with his new driver than the “off-the-rack” one. The ball speed numbers were also more consistent from shot to shot. “The differences we saw could be the [new] shaft he’s using,” said Marshall. The 45-gram shaft, which is 10 grams lighter than Clark had been playing, is relatively soft in the butt section and stiffer in the mid-section and tip, making it a good match for smooth swingers like him.

All signs were positive during the indoor fitting. However, our study focuses on performance over the course of several rounds. And, there again, the new driver earned high praise. “I loved my old driver. But I really love the new one. I’m hitting it great,” said Clark. “I get a lot more distance with it and shots fly on a straight line, whereas I used to have to play a fade. I feel proud that at age 66, I can still crush it on occasion.”

Clark added, “My drives on the first hole at the course I play used to leave me 115 to 125 yards from the pin. Now, I’m 100 yards or less to the pin.” And, that’s no one-off, either. Sweet drives are the norm. “Recently, I played in an event with a buddy of mine. It was alternate shot for 9-holes and scramble for 9-holes,” recalled Clark, who volunteers as a mentor to homeless families and also runs a golf league with 32 players. “Many of my tee shots were perfect and set up my partner for great iron shots. We shot even-par gross.”

The Arccos Caddie shot-tracking system, which collects real-time stats using sensors on each club, confirms Clark’s on-course improvement (see below). So far this year, he’s played 11 rounds with the old driver and 20 rounds with his new custom-fit one.

Impressive gains across the board. Yet, there is one slight disappointment. Despite the longer, straighter, more consistent drives, Clark’s scores haven’t improved as much as he’d like. “My irons and putting haven’t kept pace with the improved driver performance. I’m contemplating new shafts in the irons. I also need to get the lie angles adjusted. Now, I really see the importance of being fit for all my clubs.”

Is a custom-fit driver right for you? Find out as our exclusive, season-long club fitting study tracks amateur golfers

In “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” the classic novel by Roald Dahl and immortalized on the silver screen by Gene Wilder, five Golden Tickets were hidden in chocolate-bar wrappers. As we know, things didn’t go too well for a few of the lucky winners. Is there a Golden Ticket in golf equipment? For some people, it might be a free, full-bag fitting through Club Champion, the industry’s largest premium custom fitter. Turns out, a few Average Joes just redeemed theirs.

First, a little background. Golfweek is conducting an ongoing club fitting study. Earlier in the year, we selected applicants after they completed a thorough screening process. Last month, the participants experienced the free fitting sessions at Club Champion’s corporate headquarters in Willowbrook, IL. They each received a custom-fit driver, at no charge, built to their exact specs. Here’s the catch: They must play golf with the fitted clubs while we follow them throughout the season, and not just one-round-and-done. Playing several rounds with their current drivers and, subsequently, a similar number with the custom-fit club is a more objective examination. We’ll post updates on their journeys along the way. Which, in the name of science and data research, is why we’ve outfitted their existing sets with the Arccos Caddie shot-tracking system. Lightweight sensors that screw into the end of the grip will record every shot and provide access to stats, including average driving distance, fairways hit and strokes gained.

We’re excited to compare performance, with real golfers, between brand-new custom-fit drivers and ones that were custom-fit a few years ago or not at all.

A quick look at our living laboratory reveals that players range in age from 33 to 72 and their handicap indexes are +1.7 to 18.1. Several panelists are married and some have children (or grandchildren). Each participant lives in the greater Chicago area. Professionally, they work in insurance, legal, healthcare, and more. They share a passion for the game, desire to improve and recognize that fitting could play a role in the “pursuit of better.”

The top club brands are all represented by testers’ current driver models. Yet, only a couple of players were fit into a driver made by the same company as their existing one. “I was open to anything the fitter suggested. I’m not brand-loyal,” said Cully Johnson (Age: 42/Handicap index: +1.7), a national science lab employee who plays guitar in an indie rock band. “I just want what performs, and the clear winner was a company that I wasn’t thinking about beforehand.”

First-time fittee, Fred Steinbach (72/18.1), offered this take: “What a difference the custom-fit driver made in ball speed [increase of 3.6 mph] and total distance [22 yards].” Steinbach, who’s retired from a family-owned TV sales and service business and later the development director with a nonprofit, said, “The new club also allowed me to put a higher percentage in the fairway [while hitting into the simulator]. All good!”

Aaron Salo (44/13.2), whose most-recent fitting was in 2018, said, “It was very interesting to see in the data (and sometimes feel) how the different shafts affect ball flight.” Salo, an exec with a wine, beer and spirits company, added, “The best shaft for me produced playable, good results on swings that typically cause the ball to go way left with my current club.”

It’s worth pointing out that Club Champion’s driver fittings follow a methodical, data-driven process to maximize a golfer’s full-swing efficiency. The club fitter has each player try multiple shafts using one clubhead. Once they’ve determined the best-performing shaft, they’ll test various clubheads until the best one is selected. To determine if either combination improves performance, the fitter might also marry the best head with the second-best shaft or vice versa.

The point is that both higher and lower handicappers can see benefits. “Like many people, I was hoping for some miracle,” said Dale Ramsburg (51/2.7), a banking industry salesperson. “But as the fitter said beforehand, ‘As a 3-handicap, we probably won’t see drastically-different results. We’re just looking for modest improvement.’ That’s exactly what happened. With the custom-fit club, the [3-degrees] lower launch, [700 rpm] less spin and much lower flight equated to similar carry but 10 more yards of roll and total distance.”

Another fitting newbie, Phil Utterback (39/10.0), is a believer. “It’ll be virtually impossible to buy anything off the rack after seeing the difference in performance,” said Utterback, who works at an accounting firm. “The fitted driver straightened me out and I picked up some yardage as well.”

Without question, these Golden Ticket winners are off to a better start than the ones in Wonka’s chocolate factory.