Angle Iron For Sale

Fitting for a king

ACUSHNET - Too high.

That was the immediate observation when my custom club-fitting session began. Not that my 6-iron shots were going too far (I wish) or too straight (yeah, right). No, the launch angles that the Titleist Trackman picked up were higher than the assembled team of club fitters wanted to see, so that gave us a good place to start. Not only would we look for a new set of irons, but we’d see if an equipment change could bring me a slightly lower ball flight, which should increase distance and, hopefully, help lower my scores.

Everyone who plays golf knows about someone who buys new clubs every year, either trading in an old set or adding to what becomes an impressive collection already taking up too much space in the garage. I’m not that person. I’ve played with two sets of irons since 1988: Hogan Edge for 14 years, then Callaway X-14 for the past nine, although I still have the Hogans. With all the technology now available - and my handicap steadily climbing - I was looking for an excuse to buy a new set. When the Globe agreed to pay for a fitting session (but not the clubs, my editor quickly made clear), I jumped, eager to learn all about swing speeds, smash factors, lies, lofts, and spin rates.

Custom fitting has been around for a long time, with early 20th-century players such as Bobby Jones having clubs handmade to their pinpoint specifications. Tour professionals have always had a hand in how their equipment looked and felt, bending this club and grinding that one until it met their wants and needs. But consumers were mostly limited to finding a set on the store shelf, and hoping that it would be a decent match to their skill level and swing type. An early version of custom-fitted irons for the general public came in the early 1980s with the introduction of the popular Ping Eye 2, which had a colored dot on the back indicating if the lie was standard, flat, or upright.

Now, because of the popularity that’s built up over the past few years, custom club fittings are available almost anywhere: many club professionals offer fittings, as do high-volume superstores such as Golfers’ Warehouse, Golf Town, and Joe & Leigh’s Discount Golf Pro Shop. TaylorMade has a fitting center at The International in Bolton. For those who want to get fitted, they don’t need to drive very far.

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