When My New Clubs Didn't Instantly Fix My Golf I Asked A Master Club Fitter And Top Coach For Their Advice
At his age, high-handicapper Rob Spedding should know better but he let his imagination run away with him and – stupidly – expected his custom fitted clubs to miraculously transform his game.
“Golf can be a fickle game.” I should probably have this simple statement from Callaway UK’s master fitter Keith Simmonds tattooed somewhere that’s visible every time I step on to the first tee or hit the driving range.
Why did Keith need to remind me of this universal golfing truth? Earlier this summer I’d visited Callaway’s European Performance Centre in Surrey for a full bag fitting.
Afterwards, I was sure that once I’d swapped my mish-mash of best package set hand-me-downs and second hand clubs, I’d be pulling out my Quantum Max driver and hitting one straight down the middle of Lansdown Golf Club’s first fairway. Or impressing my coach Josh Mayo with the unerring accuracy of my new Opus SP Chrome wedges.
The reality was different. A fully cognisant 53-year old high-handicap golfer who struggles with consistency, hits one in five (if I’m being generous) off the centre and whose club face is usually as closed as your local Woolworths, isn’t suddenly going to start hitting like Jon Rahm because they’ve got a set of golf clubs built to their exact requirements. The golfer, not the gear, is the problem here!
So, I returned to Callaway to ask their experts for some advice on bedding in new clubs and what I (and other improving golfers) should really be expecting with a new setup. Unsurprisingly, guaranteed eagles are not mentioned.
Difficult days are part of golf, new clubs won’t change that
“Patience and learning is required as you become familiar with your new equipment,” explains Keith. "But don't be discouraged if everything doesn’t click immediately. Changing an entire set of clubs is a significant adjustment, particularly when you’re still developing your game. There will be good days and bad days.”
“Don't expect every shot in your early sessions to be perfect, but try to understand how the clubs feel, how they perform and how they can help your game. The most important thing is to persevere and enjoy the process.”
“Before heading out for a round, spend some time getting comfortable with each part of the bag at the driving range,” advises Keith. “It can be tempting to try everything at once,” he says. “My advice is to keep it simple.
If you’re having golf lessons, then your coach or club pro can be particularly valuable in the early stages of using new clubs. They already understand your swing and can help you recognise and develop the new sensations that come with your equipment.”
The putter was the last thing I was fitted for. And should have been the first thing I practised with
Start with your putter
I have to admit, my Odyssey Ai-Dual #7 putter wasn’t the first club I’d imagine that Keith would suggest that I should pull out of my bag. But a ‘gentle’ introduction to your new gear, rather than going full swing straightaway, actually makes a lot of sense.
“I think a new putter is a great place to start when you have a new set,” Keith explains. “Spend some time getting comfortable with the new weight, balance and feel. Simple drills can help reinforce what you learn during the fitting and build confidence with one of the most important clubs in the bag.”
With hindsight, this makes a lot of sense. I just wanted to go and hit the new irons and woods. That was only going to set me up for disappointment. While the new Odyssey wasn’t going to make me Sam Burns, I would most certainly not have seen as many hooks.
Sweat the short stuff
For my first session with the new clubs, the logical starting point to me felt like the new wedges, so at least I was almost right! During my fitting, Keith paid particular attention to my pitching technique and we settled on Opus SP 54° and 58° wedges, both with 10 degrees of bounce.
“During the fitting we saw an immediate improvement in both contact and distance control,” recalls Keith. “That’s something you can continue to build on in practice. Focus on tempo and strike first, then start to understand how changing your technique can alter the trajectory and distance you get from each wedge.”
Iron out deficiencies
Once warmed up with pitching, the next step, advises Keith, is to work through the irons. During the fitting, I’d tried both steel and graphite shafts of different lengths and weights and settled on standard length, 60 gram True Temper Denali Silver shafts and Quantum Max heads.
“Start small and build gradually. Begin with half shots, focusing on strike and tempo, before progressing into relaxed full swings, advises Keith. “The pitching wedge is a good starting point, gradually working up through the set towards the 6-iron.”
“Give yourself three or four balls with each club rather than trying to hit a large number of shots. The aim is to understand the ball flight and distance of each club, rather than simply hitting as many balls as possible.” I’d actually been hitting a lot of balls with each club before moving up the bag, so point noted.
“Longer irons may take a little more time, and that’s completely normal. One of the benefits we saw during your fitting was the improvement in strike and speed from the graphite shaft, so with some practice, I’d expect those gains to become increasingly familiar.”
Into the woods
One of my most consistent clubs in my old bag was the 5-wood, a pre-loved Callaway XR, and on Callaway’s Foresight simulator the most fun I had was trying new woods. So much so, that I’ve ended up with a 3,5 and 7 Quantum Max Fairway Wood setup, with irons ending at 6.
“You produced some really good ball flights with the Quantum Max 5 wood and 7 wood,” says Keith, “I’d encourage you to spend plenty of time with these on the range. You’ll need to get used to the higher launch and carry distances, particularly when hitting into greens. As your confidence grows, you’ll start to see how these clubs can give you options that you didn’t necessarily have with your longer irons.”
Slow down your driving
Like many golfers, the driver is the club I struggle the most with - custom fitted or not. That’s something Keith recognises and his advice is simple.”There’s no need to rush it. You actually showed a natural ability to strike your fairway woods well during the fitting, so work with your coach and gradually become more comfortable with the driver which will help you turn it into a much stronger part of your game. But it will take time!”
A drawer of drivers is a dream
Play around on the course
“I’d recommend playing a few social rounds before taking them into a competitive environment,” says Keith. In my case, competitive just means scoring rounds with my mates. I’m not using my high-handicap to help me win club competitions! Even though, what Keith says about ‘competition’ rings true.
“When you’re playing competitively, your focus naturally shifts towards scoring, which can make it harder to experiment and learn how your new clubs behave.”
“Casual golf gives you the freedom to try different shots and learn what works for you. For example, spend some time understanding how your new woods fly into greens from the fairway, and then experiment with them from the tee on a par three.”
“I’d also suggest experimenting with them from both the fairway and the tee. Try the 5-wood and 7-wood on a par three and see how the different trajectories and distances compare with shots from the fairway.”
Trey Niven's Tips
As well as master fitter Keith Simmonds, I also asked Callaway ambassador and Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach,Trey Niven for some advice.
Check out Trey’s YouTube channel and his website for more coaching advice
Trey is definitely used to his Callaway clubs
What differences will a high-handicap golfer notice when they first use custom fitted clubs?
The first thing a high handicap golfer should notice is the forgiveness of the club head when they don't hit the middle of the club face,” says Trey.
Even elite players don't always strike the middle of the face so the club should be there to help you. You’ll start noticing shots that stay straighter in the air and also reach the target distance more times than before. As you’re a less experienced golfer, though, you may find that sometimes you can't actually tell when you've hit the middle or not so it takes some time to develop feel in the hands and to learn how different strike locations cause different types of ball flight.
Your new clubs should start working for the player almost instantly, but the thing that may take the most time to get comfortable with will be the new carry distances. Taking some time on the driving range – ideally one with a launch monitor or distance tracker will really help with learning your new club statistics.
What sessions would you suggest for someone hitting new clubs?
I’d certainly vary the practice and test all of the clubs through the bag when you’re looking at pure outcomes like carry distances or launch angles. If you want to work on something technical in the swing then one club can help but the key is trying to emulate what you’ll do on the golf course, so variety will always win for the everyday golfer.
Are there any specific drills that can help get a golfer used to new clubs?
Use drills that look at the outcome of the shot you are hitting, for example hitting to targets or trying to consistently carrying the golf ball into a specific zone on the range - this way you can get into the mindset of the same used on the golf course.
What's In My Bag
Quantums of solace for my bad golf
Since speaking to Keith and Trey I have spent more time on the range, had a couple more coaching sessions with Josh Mayo and, of course, played some actual rounds of golf and, I’ve got to say, things are starting to click with my clubs. Curiously, I think the new clubs are also starting to change my attitude to the game.
Firstly, from the driver through to the pitching wedge the Quantum Max set, with their standard length graphite TT Denali shafts – 50 gram Frost SLV for the driver, 60 gram for the woods, and 60 gram 26 Silver for the irons, have a consistent swing feel. Something that my previous mix of three brands and shaft types certainly didn’t.
Clearly, I am not qualified to really comment on how golf clubs perform, but the Callaway’s have a pleasing weight to them which, even if my swing doesn’t yet do them justice, does provide me with a lot more confidence and, for me, consistency.
When I had my fitting with Keith, we made the decision to top out at a 6 iron, and add a 7-wood. That’s not a decision I regret – it is quickly becoming one of my go to clubs and I’m finding it really versatile. At some point, I’m sure I’ll be removing the old 5 hybrid from my bag.
As Keith said, mastering the driver is an art in itself. Luckily, I’m finding that the 3-wood is serving me well from the tee. There’s context here of course, they aren’t all straight and long, but I’ve seen a marked improvement in my ability to get my first shot away safely.
I’m also a big fan of the Golf Pride MCC Grey +4 grips,with two fitting tapes, we settled on. I have to admit, before the fitting I hadn’t given the grips on my clubs much thought. “The grip influences everything from how you position the clubface to how you release the club through impact,” explains Keith. “More importantly, having that same familiar feel throughout the set will help you become comfortable with the new clubs more quickly.” He’s not wrong, and if I do use the hybrid the standard grip feels all wrong.
Of all the new clubs, and despite Keith’s advice, the Odyssey Ai-Dual #7 putter is the one I’ve actually spent less time practicing with than I should. It’s not a technical analysis, but it does have a far more solid feel than the two putters I’d used before, with a lovely weight as I swing. It’s yet to stop me recording too many three+ putts, but it isn’t the tools!
That said, last week I recorded my best ever score over 18-holes. Coincidence?
