Can I Get My Current Clubs Fitted?
If you arrived at this article, I’m imagining that you fall into one of two situations:
- You have a set of clubs that you really like, but you know they need an adjustment OR
- Someone gifted you a bunch of golf equipment, but the clubs aren’t custom fit to you
That leads to the question:
Can I get my current clubs fitted?
The answer is yes, you can get your current clubs fitted. The question is whether or not getting your current clubs fitted is more cost effective than just buying new clubs outright. We’ll talk about that more in this article.
Setting the Stage
You may have noticed some things that you would like to change about your current club set. Maybe the grips are worn or perhaps the clubs are too long. Maybe you want to see a different club head angle or you’ve heard about some of the benefits of custom golf club fitting.
Whatever the case, when some golfers arrive at this point, they automatically assume they need to go buy new fitted golf clubs. A custom golf club set is great, but the cost of a new set can be quite pricey.
Instead of dropping $1,000+ on club fitting and a new set, you may want to explore custom club fitting with your current set.
If you just need to make some small adjustments, this might be a cost-effective way to improve your game without buying completely different clubs.
Worth noting: The general rule is that the more you alter your clubs, then the more money you should expect to dole out. Eventually, there will come a point where altering old clubs isn’t the most cost-effective option, but again, it can be a good place to start.
But at what point should you change the whole of your club? What are the benefits of changing the length of your club? How much does custom fitting your club cost, on average? Is it worth the cost?
This article answers these questions and more, so I hope you’ll keep reading.
How Easy is It to Get My Existing Clubs Fitted?
Many golfers prefer to use the same clubs they’ve played with for years, but things change over time, including your golf game.
Other golfers use a set that they bought off the shelf at Golf Galaxy. Unfortunately, the one size fits all approach can only take a golfer so far.
If you’re struggling on the golf course but you don’t want to give up your current club set, it may be worth a session with your local club fitter, who is more than likely a PGA professional.
This isn’t a difficult process, but it will take an hour or so of your time for the fitter to analyze your swing speed, ball flight and tendencies. This assessment helps determine what a properly fitted club will look like.
As you might expect, many elements of a club can be changed, but that doesn’t mean it’s always advisable to do so. This is because major alternations can be pricey, perhaps even as much as a new club itself.
This is why spending some time with a club fitter is a logical first step. They can help determine what you need and then give you pricing information for buying new custom fit golf clubs or modifying your existing clubs.
You can read all the golf tips you want, but if you’re playing with clubs that don’t match your game, you’re losing yards and adding strokes. The right club makes all the difference.
Altering Your Golf Clubs – Easy Changes
1. Replacing your club grips
Changing your club grips are probably the easiest and cheapest alteration for you to make to your clubs. You won’t need to modify your clubhead or the shaft of the golf club.
Do some homework on what grip size you want or talk to a local PGA professional to get some advice. A golf shop will replace grips at a reasonable price, but you could also put YouTube to work to figure out how to replace them yourself.
I’ve done it, it’s not rocket science.
2. Modifying the length of your clubs
If you are taller than average, then we would certainly recommend having the length of your club extended by a few inches. Club extensions are possible, and YouTube has some videos documenting the process. DIY Golfer also has some helpful tips.
Nick Faldo is a taller golfer and he says that he increased the length of his irons by 1/2″ and the length of his wedges by 3/4″. These adjustments made a difference of around 1 or 2 degrees on his lie.
The point being, a club length change can make a significant difference in your game.
See a Custom Club Retrofitting
On the flipside, if you feel like your clubs are too long for you, you can certainly cut them to a more appropriate length. If you’re going this route, it probably makes sense to regrip your clubs at the same time.
I’m all for DIY projects, but before you start cutting or extending shafts, go get yourself fitted. Once you cut off too much of your club shaft, it becomes more difficult to increase the length.
Altering Your Golf Clubs – Major (and More Difficult) Changes
1. Changing the Loft and Lie Angle
There are a number of reasons why a golfer may want to change the loft or lie angle, but this process is more complicated than replacing the grips.
Consequently, it comes at a much higher price.
If you’re not a professional club fitter, and you don’t know much about golf club manufacturing, you should turn to the experts for this adjustment.
2. Changing the Club Shaft
Another adjustment golfers may want to see is a new shaft on their old clubs. Shaft flex can be helpful for some golfers, while a rigid shaft may be the right choice for others.
This is yet another reason to see a club fitting expert. They can tell you what shaft you should pair with your game.
Keep in mind, all of these adjustments (shaft length, shaft type) will have an effect on the weight of your club. These minor differences could have a major influence on your swing.
Plan accordingly.
How Long Does it Take to Get a Club Fitted?
Generally speaking, driver and iron fitting takes about 45 minutes to an hour, wood fittings take about an hour and wedge fittings take about 30 minutes.
How Much Does it Cost to Have Clubs Fitted?
This depends on your location and how extensive the club fitting process ends up being. On average, the fitting experience will cost you about $100 for each category of club or $275-$300 for your entire bag.
Again, golf club fitting cost can vary by location. Some pro shops will offer free club fitting, but this may be a basic overview session rather than a detailed breakdown of what you need.
In Review
Back to the original question: Can I get my current clubs fitted? Yes, you can.
But if you need to change angles, swap out club shafts, etc…it may be more cost-effective (and better for your long term progress) to just purchase a brand new set of fitted clubs.
That may not be practical if you have a limited budget or a set of clubs that carries special sentimental value. In that case, start with the easy adjustments (grips, shaft length) and then progress to the more advanced modifications (shaft type, etc).
My advice: Make sure you get some advice from someone who knows golf clubs before you go making irreversible adjustments!
Also worth noting: If you haven’t found the right golf ball for your game, you should probably start there. See our write-up on the Longest Golf Balls and the Most Forgiving Golf Ball.
