I Got Fitted For Every Club In The Bag… Here Are 6 Things That Surprised Me

A full bag fitting with TaylorMade is the stuff of dreams, and that dream came true for me when I was invited down to the brand’s Performance Lab at The Belfry. As an experienced golfer with an 8 handicap index, I've always had a rough idea about my game and, as a result, the equipment I should use. But with an open mind and in the capable hands of TaylorMade’s Experiential Manager, Dan Morris, I was ready to find out exactly what clubs (and ball) I should be using and how much a full fitting could truly improve my performance.

Working from driver down to putter, there was plenty to cover, and throughout the bag there were some really big surprises. Here are the six things that surprised me the most during my full bag fitting with TaylorMade.

WATCH: See what happens during a full bag fitting for TaylorMade clubs

1. More loft can mean more distance

I’ve always associated strong lofts with greater distance, but how wrong I was. After hitting only a few shots under the microscope, it quickly became apparent that I do not deliver the club with much loft at all. This applied to my woods and irons, and as a result I was losing out on serious distance with the driver and also the ability to hold greens with the irons.

As a relatively young and athletic golfer, I had always been under the impression that I needed a driver with 9-10 degrees of loft. However, while this was more of an ego assumption than one based on data, I was only fooling myself. With Dan’s help I moved into a TaylorMade Qi35 driver with 12 degrees of loft. Typically, I would have thought this would result in a ball that spun to the moon. However, after only a few shots, my spin rate not only went down, but my ball flight was higher, and as a result, my carry and total distances were dramatically improved.

The Qi35 driver combined with a Fujikura Ventus Red 6S shaft provided the ideal blend of distance, spin, and trajectory, far exceeding what I was able to achieve with my current gamer. I will discuss fairway woods in more detail later, but it was much the same story, and in my irons, I saw a huge improvement in performance.

I was fitted into TaylorMade’s P770 irons from 7-PW. The P770s came out at three degrees weaker than my current gamers. Hearing this, my heart sank slightly as I believed I was going to be missing out on plenty of distance. However, the result was quite the opposite. Thanks to the additional loft on my irons, they were travelling between 3-4 yards further in the air, and the peak height and descent angle were much more optimal, allowing me to get the ball to stop on a dime when needed – a key factor for getting the ball closer to the hole. I had always struggled with iron shots that came out hot and low, but believed it was my swing at fault rather than my equipment. With the right clubs in my hands, however, I was able to completely transform my iron game.

2. High lofted fairway woods are the real deal

I'll hold my hands up: I was a believer that high-lofted fairway woods were only going to be entering my bag later in life. It was a naive belief, and one that is firmly in the past. Much like with my irons and driver, I was really struggling to deliver enough loft during my swing. As a result, 3-woods and 3-hybrids created a super low trajectory that didn’t offer much in terms of versatility and functionality.

Dan quickly identified the issue and swapped me straight into a five and seven wood. The additional loft not only produced a towering ball flight that was more than capable of holding a green but, thanks to the shorter shaft length and appealing look at address, also resulted in a much more consistent strike, which in turn produced greater distance numbers than than my lesser-lofted irons.

TaylorMade’s Qi35 woods really excel in this area of the bag, and thanks to the combination of speed and forgiveness they offer, I was able to slot two long-game options straight into my bag that I felt really comfortable hitting – something that hasn’t been a reality for me for quite some time.

3. Combo sets can unlock genuine improvement

I’ve never considered opting for a combo set of irons, but it quickly became clear during my fitting that I could really benefit from one. I consider myself a good-to-average ball striker; however, when I get into my long irons, things can get a bit dicey. Hearing this, Dan quickly suggested a P770/P790 combination in order to deliver a good balance of workability in my short irons and that extra bit of forgiveness and launch in the longer irons.

The P790 irons, weakened by a single degree, allowed me to create a perfect blend point within the set, and thankfully, the transition is one that has created ideal distance gaps. Thanks to the slightly lower CG in the P790s from 4 to 6-iron, I found I was able to launch the ball higher, and my worse strikes still did a decent job of retaining speed across the face thanks to the slightly more forgiving profile. In the shorter irons, the P770s delivered ideal spin rates and that additional level of control and workability that I really appreciated when trying to consistently hit my numbers and work the ball.

4. Bounce makes a big difference

Bounce and grind options on wedges can seem confusing at times, with various brands offering very broad selections. I always thought of myself as someone who likes some added bounce, and as it turns out, after a blind hit with a variety of options, I discovered I like a lot of bounce. Dan had me hit numerous shots with different bounce options, and the difference in strike, turf interaction, and the resulting shot was stark.

Initially, I started out with a low bounce option of the TaylorMade MG4 wedge, and while I was hitting it okay, something just didn’t seem quite right. The interaction with the ground was a bit off, and the sound just didn’t seem quite right. I then moved up through the bounce options, and by the time I got to the high bounce option, I was in love. The way the club made contact with both the ground and the ball was absolutely perfect, and as a result, my shots were markedly more consistent, with flight, spin and control all fully optimised.

I ended up with 12 degrees of bounce in my 60-degree wedge, and I’ve never felt quite so deadly with a wedge in my hand. I knew I liked bounce based on feel, but I was shocked by just how big a difference it can make to not only your short game but full shots too. Everyone will have different preferences depending on their swing and the ground they play on, but I can’t stress enough how important it is to get the right bounce setup on your wedges - it’s transformative.

5. Zero Torque putters may not be for everyone (but they are for me)

Zero torque putters have arguably been the biggest equipment story in golf for the past two years and, despite being slightly late to the party, TaylorMade has taken its time to ensure their first offering is bang on the money. Having been a blade user for quite some time, I’ve always loved the feel of the putter head releasing, but the lack of forgiveness has sometimes been an issue for me, especially on shorter putts.

With the TaylorMade Spider ZT, I was rock solid within eight feet, and thanks to the stability on offer from the zero-torque model, I was filled with confidence from the first putt. Switching to zero torque and adjusting my game will take some time, and I would recommend anyone making the switch to persevere, as the results you can achieve, especially from close range, are truly phenomenal.

6. Don't overlook the golf ball

During any fitting the clubs are understandably the focal point but overlook the golf ball at your peril. Given the different speed and spin profiles among the best TaylorMade golf balls, not using your gamer ball when getting fitted could mean your clubs don't perform at the same level when you get out on the course, which is a demoralising prospect.

Thankfully I was able to use TP5x balls during my fitting, which worked best for my driver and irons in particular but also gave me ample control on shorter wedge shots. This isn't a luxury every fitting facility has so try to either use a similar ball to the model you play long term or ensure the fitter takes into account its characteristics when getting fitted. Consider visual tech options too as they can make a real difference, especially on the greens.

My full TaylorMade fitted bag:

Driver: TaylorMade Qi35, 12°
Fairway Woods: TaylorMade Qi35, 18° and 21°
Irons: TaylorMade P790 (4-6 iron), TaylorMade P770 (7-PW)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4, 50°, 54°, 60°
Putter: TaylorMade 5K ZT, 35"
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x