Should I Get Fitted For Golf Clubs Before Lessons?

If you’re looking to get into golf, or maybe you’re debating whether to get some lessons to get more serious about your golfing then you’ll need to take into consideration that getting fitted for your golf clubs may benefit your game.

If you’re a beginner it may seem like a big commitment to splurge on golf clubs if you’ve never even had a lesson before, but this also seems pointless to go and get fitted with a poor swing for you to go and only improve and change your swing once your lessons begin.

On the other hand, you don’t want to start improving your game using the random clubs that your coach has that aren’t custom to your swing or your body.

It’s all very confusing, but it doesn’t need to be, in fact, there is no dead straight answer to this question and you’ll receive different responses from both coaches and fitters wherever you’ll go.

We’ll be showing you why the advantages of either of the processes outweigh the other and you can still improve your game whatever you decide to do first.

Get Fitted As Early As Possible

We don’t like to encourage everyone to go out and get fitted for clubs as soon as they think of having lessons, but yes, the sooner you get fitted with custom clubs the more your game will benefit.

Your mind and body will try to adapt as much as possible to random clubs you use in your lessons, but nothing will feel as good as one’s that are custom-fitted for your height, hand size, and grip. You’ll be able to reach your true potential when you’ve got some custom clubs that are the correct length, shaft, loft, and lie angle for your swing.

If you’re serious about committing to improving your golf swing then you’ll want to try and get fitted to buy your own golf clubs as soon as possible so you can get used to swinging with something that your body feels natural with.

However, beginners will only need around 5 clubs to begin with to help them cover everything in their lessons, so there’s no need to go out and buy a bag full of custom-fitted clubs.

Club Fitting Is Not The Cure For Flaws In Your Game

Let’s be real here, no golf clubs can fix serious flaws in a player’s swing, even though golf equipment and fitting companies may tell you differently because they need to sell their service and products for their company to stay alive.

If your swing is not good yet, then going to a custom club fitting is pointless as they’ll try to find clubs that suit your current swing and not what your swing could potentially be like when you’ve improved.

There are some things that a custom-fitted club can fix, but if you’re not listening and taking on board what your coach is telling you then there’s no way you’ll be able to improve. Like the saying, ‘all the gear, no idea’.

Sometimes you gotta face it if something isn’t for you, not everyone is born to be a pro golfer and if you’re happy with having some flaws to your game then that’s fine, but even with the best equipment if you haven’t got the skill then you won’t be getting very far.

Find Someone Who Knows Their Stuff

You should get unbiased advice from someone who’s got experience with playing golf, coaching golf, and also getting custom-fitted clubs.

A good golf coach will not teach you if you’re using clubs that are not suited to you and not helping your swing, however, a decent custom club fitter will not recommend and fit you with clubs if they’re not 100% sure if it’s your swing or your clubs that is the problem.

It may be hard to find these traits in just one person, so it may be best to ask around from numerous experts about this topic.

A highly skilled golf coach is essential as they’ll be able to point out and fix major flaws in your swing and golfing game, which will help you improve quicker, and therefore you’ll be more ready to get custom clubs fitted to you.

What Do We Think?

Whilst it is all about opinion, we do recommend to people that they have lessons first and then get their equipment. Chances are your coach will have a good selection of clubs that will suit a variety of swings and heights, so you’ll find something comfortable that will also complement how your body moves.

You also don’t want to make the mistake of investing in some solid custom-fitted clubs to discover that golfing isn’t for you 6 months down the line.

Not everyone has the luxury of golfing every weekend to improve their game and many beginners tend to drop off the golfing scene when they don’t see the results they want and can’t seem to compete with their buddies.

We’re not saying you need to be Tiger Woods within the first few months of you taking lessons, but if you’re struggling to improve and you’re not willing to put the time and effort into practicing on the course, then there’s no point in you spending over $500 for a full bag of custom clubs for you to put in storage to create dust.

Just like if you’re driving a car with the seat in the wrong position and height, using a club that’s not fitted to you may make you feel less comfortable and unnatural when you swing, which could result in you having poor performances.

This doesn’t reflect on your skill or ability (although your coach will be able to train you to individual clubs) but having custom-fitted clubs will feel more natural when you’re playing and you’ll often have a better game.

After all, you wouldn’t dare to call Rory McIlroy a bad golfer if he had a poor game whilst golfing with some worn-out clubs belonging to a teenager.