IN FOCUS/Custom Fitting:  John O'Sullivan on the growing demand for personal club fittings

The assertion that the custom-fitting of golf clubs is a relatively recent phenomenon would probably be disputed by older members in the brotherhood of golf professionals - they not only used to make clubs, but used to tweak them for both themselves and golf club members.

Technology has revolutionised the sport and it is hardly surprising that the custom fitting process is gathering ever more devotees.After all, every golfer's swing is unique, given the idiosyncrasies of the individual - from grip, stance and posture, to swing speed, clubhead speed and swing planes.

Therefore to walk in and buy a set of golf clubs "off the shelf" seems ludicrous when a custom-fit set costs no more and is specially tailored to individual needs. Unfortunately, though, custom fit does come at a price and is generally not available for cheaper clubs.

It is a growing market and one that should become increasingly prevalent as the manufacturers realise that golfers are demanding more for their money.

So can a custom fit set of clubs help a golfer develop more quickly?

"There are three aspects that can improve a player," says Leopardstown's Dominic Reilly. "Forty per cent can be attributed to golf tuition. Forty per cent can be attributed to playing and practice and 20 per cent can be attributed to golf equipment.

"Even though it is a smaller percentage it is probably the easiest one to get right. Once you have that solid foundation then you can go forward from a solid base to learn and practice."

Colin Kirwan of ProFit stresses the importance of having the right shaft flex, which he says gives you two things: "The first is accuracy and the second is feel. What the club manufacturers will say is that feel is everything.

"If you have a club and you stand over a ball and feel comfortable and it is assumed that the length is right and the shaft is right then it is going to feel good. If you feel positive then you have a better chance of swinging well.

"There are certain parameters within a golfer's swing that are consistent, that is length of club and flex required. They do not change until you start shrinking when you're older.

"People's swings are inconsistent. They can't play well every day but what you are seeking is the best rhythm and timing that you can manage.

"You have to have a shaft flex that helps you with that timing. With there being 50 shaft flexes on average - there are actually a lot more - available, there has to be one that suits you. When you think of that and the fact that people walk into a shop cold and buy a set of clubs, then it is impossible to fluke choosing the right set, that matches all your swing characteristics."

So what does the process of custom fitting entail? We looked at three different options available.

COLM KIRWAN: ProFit

Custom Fitting Options: Hand-made clubs. Shafts include: True Temper, Graphalloy, United Sports Technology (UST), Bimatrix, EI70, Harrison.

The Cost: €50. Redeemable against cost of a set of clubs.

Duration: 30 minutes approximately.

The Process: "It's a question of measuring the swing, a golfer coming in and hitting a succession of shots with different types of five iron. It's about measuring consistent clubhead speed, not to be confused with swing speed. Clubhead speed is like a fingerprint within someone's swing.

"Once you have completed the process with a five-iron you then move on to the driver to find a consistent mean of clubhead speed once again. I would then look at how much load (flex in the shaft determined primarily by wrist action).

"Those combinations, clubhead speed and load help me to determine a particular shaft type for a golfer. They are not the only criteria. I must make a judgment on someone's swing.

"You then examine the length of club that a player requires and that fundamentally is down to their posture and length of their arms. The first two things to figure out are length of club and shaft flex. After that it's loft angle of the club. By watching them hit balls in the previous process it is possible to determine the loft angle, watching how quickly they get the ball airborne or don't. Then it's down to the lie angle which has a direct correlation to the length of the club.

"Swing weight is another aspect that I feel strongly about. I wouldn't go into too much with the customer because there is a lot of technical information there but the basic premise of swing weighting is to make all your clubs feel the exact same in your hands. It is dictated by the length of the club. If someone is used to a standard set of clubs and they require longer ones after being measured then they are going to feel a little heavier. It is a sacrifice made for extra length of shot. It's a question of priorities. You fix the most important and work back.

"The last thing is the grip which is the contact point between the person and the club so that has to be comfortable. The parameters of this area are the size of grip and the feel. If the club doesn't feel comfortable you are immediately introducing a negative thought."

What They Say: "Getting over the brand name can be a little bit of a barrier for some people. The way I would view it is that all heads, a five-iron for example are a similar weight. It's an R&A regulation so the manufacturers can't change the weight of heads. It doesn't matter what manufacturer you deal with, there is a certain weight of head."

Conclusion: By some distance the least technical in terms of computer hardware but at the same time more in-depth analysis in shaft flex terms than the other two.

DOMINIC REILLY: Callaway

Custom Fitting Options: Callaway, Titleist, Mizuno.

The Cost: €60, redeemable against cost of new set of clubs.

Duration: 40 minutes approximately.

The Process: We examined the Callaway Custom Fitting system that revolves around a specialised trolley, launch pad monitor and IBM Thinkpad. A customer hits a succession of five- irons and these are measured on the launch monitor for clubhead speed, the quality of strike at impact and the distance a ball travels. The data is then processed by the computer and a series of recommendations are made, but only after the professional has been asked for his input concerning ball flight, strike quality, general swing plane, type of spin imparted, whether hook or slice, fade or draw.

The result of each segment is shown by computer-generated images. Model, flex, length (of shaft) and lie angle are all incorporated before a final recommendation is made. It is easy to understand.

What They Say: "Custom-fitted clubs are a huge advantage because everyone is different in terms of physical characteristics, swing and ability. Golfers swing at different speeds, particularly in men's golf, so the shaft flex becomes very important. Flatter swings and upright swings will directly affect the lie angle of the club, irrespective of the height of a person. By going through a custom-fit session you establish the specifics of an individual's swing.

"You might have an impression when someone walks through the door in terms of what they call static measurements, like how tall of person is or the distance between their wrists and the ground. It's only when you do a dynamic fit that you see how the club relates to the individual.

"The Launch Monitor has the ability to analyse the launch angle of the golf ball irrespective of where the ball meets the club face. You might see the strike pattern of a club being towards the toe, towards the heel, but with this Callaway system the efficiency of the strike is determined and the changes can be made to the dynamics of the club.

"The process is basically information gathering but human interpretation is required. The professional is there in collusion with the customer deciding what way a golfer wants to hit the ball in terms of ball flight. It may come out a certain way but technology allows you the latitude to change that to a certain extent. The premise is there that there must be some changes."

Conclusion: Benefits hugely from the fact that the customer is able to witness the immediate value of the custom fitting on the range. Will not scare away the technophobes as the computer software is easily understandable. Requires a significant input from the professional to arrive at a recommendation and therefore trust is imperative.

BRENDAN McDAID: True Temper Shaft Lab

Custom Fitting Options: Titleist, TaylorMade, Ping.

Cost: €60. Redeemable against the price of new set of clubs.

Duration: 45 minutes approximately.

The process: Kevin McGrath, McDaid's assistant at Rathsallagh, custom fits for all potential customers. The golfer hits a succession of five-irons with a specially-modified club which is hooked up to a computer and the process is then repeated with a driver.

An analysis of the shaft's deflection (bend) using 8,000 data points is performed during a downswing. From this information the Shaft Lab computer generates an individual's swing profile, which measures shaft deflection, downswing time and clubhead position at impact. A selection of shafts, both graphite and steel, is recommended.

A computer printout is available to the customer showing the various recommendations and McGrath explains the terminology. There are four measurements. Maximum shaft deflection is the amount in inches the shaft is bent during the downswing. Clubhead droop at impact discerns how much toe-down bend there is at impact. Clubhead lead measures the amount the shaft bends in that direction at impact while downswing time is measured from when the shaft starts to bend near the top of the backswing until impact.

McGrath also takes in to consideration ball flight, and the golfers' age, ability/handicap. The process then concludes with measurements taken for loft and lie angles and grip size.

What They Say: Brendan McDaid is a renowned teacher who instructs some the country's top amateurs and some professionals. "I decided that Kevin (McGrath) should look after the whole custom fitting process so that we'd have clearly defined roles at Rathsallagh: I teach and he custom fits. Otherwise problems can arise.

"The decision to get involved in the custom-fitting process was not one that I took lightly and that is reflected in a decision to buy state of the art machinery - it cost £7,500 sterling and there are only two such systems in Ireland at present. I believe it to be the best all-round custom fitting system and that is something for which I would have aimed.

"We offer a full service here and the custom-fitting process should be central to anyone wishing to buy new clubs that suit them."

Conclusion: This was by far the most technically advanced of the three options tried. McGrath is not alone in avowing that the "shaft is the engine of the golf club," a technologically-sound evaluation. The cable that has to be attached to the customer feels a bit restrictive, albeit mentally rather than physically.

It is cutting-edge technology, certainly for Ireland, and while they may be a little involved for the layman, McGrath's explanations are perfectly straightforward.