Club Fitting

At GPA we believe one of the biggest challenges for golfers today is that their equipment does not fit their size and swing characteristics. Approximately 92% of all amateur golfers are playing equipment that does not fit them. We have the ability to determine exactly what specifications you need for your particular size, strength, and swing type.

Properly fit equipment does not automatically make you a better player, but it will make certain that improper equipment doesn't get in your way of becoming a better player. It’s important to make sure you are using the properly fit equipment. Improperly fit equipment will often lead to swing adaptations and manipulations that can cause frustration and possibly regression in your game.

We don’t assume you need new equipment. We test your current equipment and your swing to determine if your clubs are suitable for you. If your clubs are fine, we tell you so. If not, we have the expertise to get you properly fitted in the correct equipment for you. You will receive expert and unbiased advice on how to improve your equipment. In many cases, a player's clubs can be altered to fit them without the cost of buying new equipment.

Our Golf Shop here at Milham Park GC offers all of the major equipment manufacturers. Our fitting studio includes fitting clubs from Cleveland/Srixon, Wilson, Taylor Made, Mizuno, Callaway, Ping, Titleist and Cobra.

The fitting process at GPA is the most comprehensive in Southwest Michigan using the Foresight GC2 and HMT Launch Monitor. Indoors the GC2 produces the most accurate measurements of ball characteristics at launch. At the heart of the GC2 is a stereoscopic camera system that precisely captures and analyzes ball characteristics at the most critical point of measurement - club impact - to deliver the most accurate values of ball performance available today. HMT (Head Measurement Technology) combines with the GC2 to precisely capture club head data. We can instantly see critical data such as club head speed, horizontal club path, smash factor, dynamic loft and lie - even impact location - which is not found on any other launch monitor.

Club Fitting

Club Evaluation $40
Quick Fit (Lie Angle & Club Speed) (15 Min.) $30
Standard Iron Fitting (30 Min.) $50
Ultimate Iron Fitting (60 Min.) $100**
add Wedge & Ball (30 Min.) $50**
add Hybrids & Fairways (30 Min.) $50**
Ultimate Driver Fitting * (60 Min.) $100**
Total Set Fitting (2-3 Hours) $275**

NOTE:  Standard Iron Fitting is for a player who wants to know if their own set fits them or they already know the brand and model club they want to order.  During this session, we will only obtain the correct specifications.  There is no comparison of clubs or their launch characteristics.  

*All Ultimate Fittings use the Foresight GC2/HMT or FlightScope Launch Monitor. For drivers, the launch monitor fitting will correctly determine what driver head type and loft are needed to maximizing your launch conditions (See Below). In irons, wedges, hybrids and fairways, the launch monitor will help us determine which type of head/shaft combination gives you the best launch, spin, descent angle and carry distance, among other things.

** Above club fitting sessions come with either a free round(s) of golf w/Cart at Milham Park/Eastern HIlls or an hour(s) on our golf simulator when the clubs are purchased at Milham Park Golf Club or altered by GPA.

1 hour session = 1 round of golf or 1 hour simulator time 90 min. session = 2 rounds of golf or 2 hours simulator time 3 hour session = 3 rounds of golf or 3 hours simulator time

Driver Fitting using the GC2 Launch Monitor

There are four factors you can directly determine how far a golf ball will go when you hit it. While it is difficult to determine the exact value that each factor plays in achieving distance, we can say with certainty that some factors are more important than others. We have listed them below, in order of importance.

1. CLUBHEAD SPEED
This is the single most important factor in maximizing distance. When you hit a golf ball, energy and momentum from the club head are transferred to the golf ball. Club head speed represents the amount of energy/momentum that the club has. Higher club head speed naturally equates into more energy available to be delivered to the ball.

2. QUALITY OF CONTACT
You can swing any club at a very high speed, but it will mean nothing if you don’t make quality contact with the ball. When we talk about quality contact, we are talking about how close the ball comes to striking the center of the club head, or as it is typically called “the sweet spot.”

Ball Speed is a combination of clubhead speed and quality of contact

3. LAUNCH ANGLE
Measured in degree relative to horizontal, launch angle refers to the initial angle at which a ball leaves the clubface. Launch angle is determined by a number of factors, including angle of attack, swing speed, loft, and shaft flex.

Increased loft creates a higher launch angle, causing the ball to go higher, but more swing power is used on the vertical component, meaning less distance. Decreased loft causes the ball to fly lower (meaning it is going to be pulled down faster due to gravity), but more swing power is used on the horizontal component, meaning potentially greater distances, if you hit the ball fast enough.

4. SPIN RATE
Measured in revolutions per minute (RPM), the amount of spin on the ball has a considerable effect on the amount of distance the ball will travel. A ball with less spin cuts through the air better that a ball with more spin. If there is too much spin, the ball will rise quickly and lose its forward momentum. This is what happens when your shots start out low and then "balloon" way up, coming down on a very steep angle. If, however there is too little spin then the ball will not stay airborne long enough to realize maximum distance.

Generally, players with a higher initial ball speed will achieve better results by keeping their spin rate down. Golfers with slower initial ball speed numbers will achieve stronger results by increasing spin to maximize trajectory and distance.

OPTIMAL LAUNCH CONDITIONS
The key to optimizing your launch conditions, and ultimately how far you will hit the golf ball, is to maximize the combination of the four key variables; club head speed, quality of contact, launch angle and spin rate.

INTERESTING FACTS
A strong player who generates a lot of ball speed wants to launch his/her drives at a high launch angle with low spin. Such a player looks to a stiffer shaft to produce lower backspin so the ball doesn’t balloon up into the air and lose distance. They want to see their ball reach its apex, then plateau out and fly down range before falling to the ground.

Slower swingers could use more flexible shafts and higher lofted drivers to produce backspin, which would keep their ball in the air longer, resulting in greater distance.

In general, Tour Players who generate ball speed of more than 170 mph (115-120 mph swing speed) can optimize distance with a launch angle of 12 or 13 degrees and a backspin range of approximately 2,000-2,300 rpm’s. More average golfers with ball speed numbers in the 135 mph range (90-95 mph swing speed) would benefit from a higher launch angle of 14-16 degrees and a spin rate of 2,500-2,800 rpm’s.