Custom Fit Clubs And A Winter Golf Rebuild: Can Expert Intervention Finally Help Me Break 90?

Over the winter I decided I'd had enough of being a rubbish golfer. So, with all the determination I could muster, I planned to utilise the off-season and improve my game.

But, in order to achieve that, I was fully aware that I needed some expert help.

Fortunately, that help arrived in the form of three specialists who kindly agreed to join my corner - and you can watch how much progress I made in the video below.

Alex James, Head Professional at Sand Moor Golf Club, took guardianship of my golf swing - helping me with everything from improving my ball striking to providing a short game clinic that would fix my yippy, duffy action around the greens.

Mark Wilson at Apex Rehab and Performance took on the mammoth task of whipping me into shape, providing golf exercises that aimed to rapidly improve my golf game and transform me into a fitter version of the mid-30s desk-dweller I had become.

Finally, after playing their clubs for three years, and shaving 10 shots off my handicap in the process, Benross offered to custom fit me for their new RS line of clubs in order to help me take my game to the next level.

With all that support (and close supervision), surely this could only end in success, right? Well, with the end goal of my winter golf rebuild being to break 90 for the first time ever in just five months time - the hard work was about to begin...

The Winter Golf Rebuild

The winter golf rebuild kicked off with some baseline tests. If I'm honest, I think Alex and Mark wanted to assess the magnitude of the job that they had just taken on.

With plenty of data on my fitness and golf game in two, the experts set about creating a plan of action.

I was immediately being pushed to my limits in the gym and I was shocked to find that 5 fitness exercises made me a better golfer in just 30 days - with a significant focus on improving my mobility, flexibility and strength in my trail hip.

This had been identified as a weak area for me physically, preventing a full and efficient turn in the backswing and limiting power in my golf shots.

The backswing was also a focus for Alex in my golf lessons, as he walked me through how to get into a better position at the top which would essentially improve consistency and help me to find a centred strike with irons and driver more often.

We also worked diligently on improving my short game and putting, focusing on a simple repeatable process that I could repeat for all shots around the green (just changing the loft on the club to suit the scenario) and pace putting with various putting drills.

From December to April, I had two fitness sessions and one golf lesson per week - and I practiced at least once on top - consciously trying to avoid the 7 things you should never do at the driving range.

The results were incredible, along the way I shot my best ever round (statistically) and saw a 106% power boost that helped me to driver over 240 yards.

These milestones straight away confirmed that I had made the right decision to dedicate the winter to improving my game - but the most exciting part was yet to happen.

The next question was... how much more improvement could I make with custom fitted golf clubs that used the latest tech to elevate my game to the next level?

Custom Fit with Benross

The custom fitting process was something I was already familiar with, having been fitted for Benross Delta XTs back in August 2023.

At the time, I was wallowing in high-handicap hell and shooting scores in the 110s and higher. My index looked more like a respectable individual T20 batting average at 30.2 and I was unable to keep the golf ball on the planet a lot of the time.

The Delta XTs, along with the process of learning more about my game through the fitting process, helped me to get my handicap down to the low 20s and increased my confidence as an amateur golfer immeasurably.

Sadly, the time had come to fondly retire the Delta XTs and upgrade to the latest Benross tech - the RS line.

As I arrived at American Golf Leeds I was treated to my first look at the gear - and I'll be honest it blew me away.

These clubs did not look at all like other game improvement irons on the market. They were sleek, stylish and I couldn't wait to knock a few away in the fitting bay.

With the expert help of the fitter who walked me through the process, we saw an improvement in my dispersion, a boost in distance and ball speed, an opportunity to improve gapping and a pathway to much lower scores on the course.

Eventually I was fitted into the RS200 in the scoring clubs (8-,9-iron and wedges) to allow me to be positive with approach shots from 130 yards and in.

As part of a combo set, which is a great option to have with this range, I also took the RS300 in the 5-, 6- and 7-iron to add a little more consistency with my longer irons.

There was a real problem in my previous line-up with gapping. Not only did I have nothing between my 4-hybrid and 3-wood, but I saw very little distance gained between the two clubs.

So, with that data in mind, the fitter encouraged me to go for a different approach in this area of my bag - and I'm pleased he did.

The new composition includes a 4-hybrid, 7-wood, 5-wood, mini driver and driver - all in the RS Max to provide increased distance with the benefit of a little more forgiveness.

Since gaming these new clubs I have noticed another spike in confidence, an improvement in my ball striking and progressively lower scores on the course - but with that elusive sub-90 score still evading me, could I do it in time for the end of the challenge?

Break 90 Challenge

Before I knew it, the day had finally arrived. I made the almost five hour journey south to play Tandridge Golf Club, a Top-100 rated course, for the first time ever.

This would be the day that I would officially put my progress to the test and attempt to break 90. It had a shade of the old football cliche... 'can he do it on a cold windy night in Stoke' - but in this case it was a warm, pleasant day in Surrey.

Don't get me wrong, there was wind (and quite a bit of it) but I would certainly have taken the conditions on offer over the wet weather we had been experiencing.

Playing at the Golf Monthly spring test day as one of the least competent golfers on the team is always a little daunting, but I was keen to show off my progress and the sharp-looking new clubs in my bag.

Going off the back tees was always going to be a challenge, especially as it added quite a few hundred yards onto the length of the track, but standing on the first tee I felt positive about my chances.

That positivity took an early hit when I started with a bogey, a double and a triple - but there was plenty of golf still to be played.

I approached the turn in 45 shots, with the par-5 9th to play before I embarked on the final stretch.

Despite some of my less favourable swing tendencies rearing their head, I was encouraged by the fact that the gapping in my woods and the dispersion with my irons had certainly improved with the new gear in the bag.

The issues I faced on the day were more centred around poor course management and an inability to putt - which is never a great recipe for success.

In the end, I fell short despite a solid back nine performance. I really found my golf swing in the second half of the round and even made a few gross pars - which is always a cause for celebration.

The highlight was the par-5 12th, where I hit the fairway thanks to a monster drive with my new RS Max driver, left myself the perfect number with a 7-iron lay up and striped a wedge to the middle of the green.

Two putts produced a welcome par on a difficult hole, framed by the incredible views provided by the infinity green.

While I might not have broken 90 at Tandridge on that particular day, one thing is for sure. I am a better golfer as a direct result of my winter golf rebuild and the new clubs in my bag.

With the help of my new RS200, RS300 and RS Max clubs, along with plenty of confidence in the tank, I am almost certain that I have enough to cut my handicap in 2026 and reach my goal of being a mid-teen handicapper by the end of the season.