Many golfers walk into an iron fitting believing the clubhead is the star of the show. And while head designs certainly matter, experienced fitters know that the shaft often has the greatest influence on how a golfer delivers the club to the ball.
During an iron fitting at Club Champion much of the session is devoted to identifying the shaft that produces the most consistent strike pattern, ball flight, and dispersion. And the process is far more sophisticated than simply choosing between flexes or lengths.
So in this review I'm taking you Inside the Mind of a Club Champion Master Fitter and it's going to be one of the most detailed and thorough fitting reviews you've read anywhere. I'm going to share with you what your fitter is really looking at and exactly why he or she is doing what they do when changing shafts and iron heads in your fitting.
Introduction
When I was recently fit for irons with Mike at Club Champion I asked him each time he handed me a new shaft (and iron head) why he did so, what he was seeing from my swing (good and bad), and what he was trying to achieve with each new shaft (and iron head) tested.
So consider this review a sort of deep dive roadmap. I'm not going to focus on specific shafts and iron heads tested (that's better left for equipment reviews). Instead we're going to delve into the specifics of what your Club Champion fitter is trying to accomplish every step of the way in your fitting. And I can tell you right off the bat my fitter Mike is one of the absolute best around.
You Start with a Baseline
Your Club Champion fitting typically begins with the your current irons. Or if you don't come in with your current irons your fitter will ask what iron in the studio you'd like to warm up with. And your fitter then starts recording and analyzing TrackMan date to establish your baseline.
- Club speed
- Ball speed
- Launch angle
- Spin rate
- Peak height
- Carry distance
- Descent angle
- Shot dispersion, and
- Strike location on the clubface
This baseline provides a snapshot of how you deliver the clubhead. And your fitter then begins exploring all possible ways and options to ideally match a club to your swing.
Shaft Weight can be the Most Important Variable
One of the first characteristics your Club Champion fitter evaluates is shaft weight. Mike explained how many golfers assume they need a lighter shaft to swing faster. But in reality a shaft that's too light can cause timing issues, inconsistent contact, and wider dispersion. On the other hand a shaft that's too heavy can reduce swing speed and create unnecessary fatigue.
As Mike and I tested different shaft weights he told me he was looking at and watching for things like:
- Improved center-face contact
- Better tempo and rhythm
- Consistent club delivery
- Tighter left-to-right dispersion, and
- Efficient ball speed production (smash factor)
Mike explained how a player who struggles with quick transitions may perform better with a heavier shaft that improves sequencing. But other golfers can gain consistency with lighter options that allow them to swing more naturally. I fit somewhere in the middle.
Shaft Flex is about More than Swing Speed
Contrary to what you've been lead to believe shaft flex is not selected solely by swing speed. Mike explained how two golfers with identical 6-iron speeds can require completely different shaft flexes because of their different loading characteristics, transitions, and release patterns. Mike and I looked at different flexes and he evaluated things like:
- Launch angle
- Spin rate
- Shot shape tendencies
- Face control at impact, and
- Consistency of strike
A shaft that's too soft may produce excessive (left and right) ball curve and inconsistent face delivery. A shaft that's too stiff can feel difficult to load, reduce launch, and even minimize carry distance. But as Mike pointed out, even if a golfer comes in and says they want to maximize distance with their irons Mike is also trying to accomplish and deliver predictable performance for you.
Launch and Spin Optimization
One of Mike's primary objectives of shaft testing is finding the ideal launch and spin window for his players. He wants to see shots that:
- Launch high enough to maximize carry distance
- Produce enough spin to hold greens
- Reach an appropriate peak height, and
- Descend steeply enough for stopping power
I can have a tendency to launch shots too low so Mike was looking at shafts that promoted more dynamic loft for my swing. For players who have excessive spin, different shafts (and properties) can reduce those ballooning shots. But no matter who you are the ideal numbers always vary from player to player. And Mike explained my ideal numbers were based on my particular swing speed and delivery.
Shaft Profile and Bend Characteristics
We just mentioned shaft properties above and Mike said this is where your Club Champion fitting becomes highly individualized. As you can imagine every shaft has its own unique bend profile. Some shafts have softer tip sections while others are designed with stiffer handle sections.
Mike had me testing different shaft profiles to see how my swing reacted with the different shafts (and profiles) hit. In particular Mike was looking at:
- Was I squaring the face more consistently?
- Was my impact closer to the center?
- Did my dispersion tighten?
- Did my launch become more predictable?
- Did I like the feel?
Yes I can see for myself the results on the screen after each shot but Mike is also watching my swing itself. And he noticed how some shafts also had me making more efficient motions without any conscious adjustment. For example Mike put me into a shaft that actually closed the face a bit more at impact and even delivered the club (swing path) more on line.
Face Impact Location
Mike was putting face impact locations on the screen for each shot hit and with each shaft tested. And even the smallest changes in shaft properties and characteristics had effects on my impact.
Some shafts produced slightly higher or lower impact on the face, others caused impact more towards the toe or heel, and ultimately there were an ideal few that gave me the most consistent on-center or near-center impact. Mike was taking me through the process of finding a shaft that delivered the best ball speed, best smash factor, most predictable spin, and tightest dispersion.
When you go into a Club Champion iron fitting your fitter will ask you what goals you have. More distance? More accuracy? More consistency? And Mike told me whatever your goal is, he's also always looking to improve (and places tremendous value on) our dispersion.
Yes Mike had me hit a few shafts that added three or five yards but they also increased my dispersion. And as Mike was handing me different shafts he was evaluating my dispersion by looking at things like my:
- Left-to-right consistency
- Front-to-back consistency
- Standard deviation of carry distances, and
- Predictability of misses
The ideal shaft for me produced repeatable results rather than occasional spectacular shots. In fact there were two different shafts that were giving me great performance (and we'd revisit both of these shafts later as we dialed in iron heads).
Our Feedback Matters
Player feedback is a critical part of the fitting process for Mike and Club Champion. He was asking me all kinds of questions throughout the fitting to perfectly satisfy my needs and also to give me that ideal performance we were looking for. Mike was asking me things like:
- Does the shaft feel stable?
- Can I sense the clubhead during the swing?
- Does the shaft feel too heavy or too light?
- Do I feel confident over the ball?
It seems self-explanatory but I asked Mike anyway, "Why do you ask me all these questions?" And one aspect of his answer was particularly interesting when he said, "A shaft that produces excellent numbers but feels uncomfortable may not perform well over time on the course."
In Mike I trust.
From Consistent Shaft to Changing Iron Heads
When we moved to iron head testing I asked Mike what he's looking to accomplish in general. And he said inside the context of player goals he wants to find an iron that delivers the best combination of distance, forgiveness, consistency, trajectory, and feel. Or in other words, the iron that helps us create the most repeatable and predictable results.
Ball Speed and Distance Retention
Many golfers focus on maximum distance in their iron play and that's always a good thing. But Mike also wants to be sure distance gains don't ever sacrifice control or consistency. We hit some iron heads that produced incredible ball speeds on center strikes but lost significant distance when I started missing toe and heel.
When I asked Mike what he was looking at as we were hitting different heads he singled out my:
- Average ball speed
- Ball speed consistency
- Distance retention on mishits, and
- Carry distance consistency
Through this process we discovered a few iron heads that produced nearly identical results across multiple swings. And these were preferable to other heads that gave me slightly more distance but less consistency.
Different iron heads obviously create different launch characteristics. And Mike is extremely knowledgable on what each iron head does and how they compare to each other. Elements like center of gravity placement, face construction, and overall design influence how easily your ball gets airborne.
I mentioned earlier I'm a low ball hitter and always looking for more and easier launch with my irons. So as we were swapping out heads Mike was paying careful attention to:
- Proper launch angle
- Appropriate peak height
- Consistent trajectory windows
- Sufficient stopping power, and
- Predictable shot patterns
A player with a low-ball flight like myself benefits from a head that launches higher (even blade-like irons with more traditional lofts). While a player who already hits the ball high enough will be looking for iron heads that deliver more penetrating ball flights. Mike told me all of us as unique players have ideal trajectories that maximize carry distance while also providing enough descent angle to hold greens. And that's what we were dialing in.
Spin Rate Consistency
Mike believes spin is one of the most important variables in how irons perform for us. Too little spin can create shots that fly unpredictably and struggle to stop on greens. Excessive spin can cost us distance and create ballooning trajectories. So while we were testing heads to find my ideal spin Mike was looking at things like:
- Average spin rate
- Spin consistency
- Distance control, and
- Green-holding ability (again)
Mike also mentioned that for some players the best iron head is often one that produces the most repeatable spin numbers rather than the highest or lowest spin rates.
Dispersion Patterns
Mike likes to say, "Distance is exciting. Dispersion is what lowers scores." So like we did testing shafts we also focused on dispersion patterns with the various iron heads I hit. Mike said his goal was "to find a head (or heads) that keep my misses manageable and improve my overall ball striking consistency."
So Mike was watching my:
- Left-to-right dispersion
- Front-to-back dispersion
- Shot pattern size, and
- Predictability of misses (again)
Mike explained how there are different iron heads that minimize particular miss tendencies and he got me into a few heads that kept my big right misses more controllable and even less extreme.
Turf Interaction
Your Club Champion fitter will closely observe how your irons move across the ground. Sole design, bounce, and leading-edge geometries influence how efficiently the iron head interacts with the turf.
So Mike was asking me questions about my swing while also observing:
- Was my iron bouncing or gliding through impact?
- Was my contact clean, repeatable, and consistent?
- What was my angle of attack like?
Players with steep attack angles often require different sole geometries than players with shallower swings. Mike explained that unique sole designs can produce similar launch numbers, but one sole width can still be better than another because of your swing. I rarely take a divot and have a flat angle of attack. When I miss however I tend to miss fat so narrower soles are more effective for me.
Appearance, Feel, Sound and Confidence
As we did with shafts Mike asked me how I liked the different iron heads appearance, feel, and sound. If you don't like what an iron looks like you might not trust it on the course.
So when choosing different iron heads to hit Mike paid closed attention to my feedback on things like:
- Head size
- Top-line thickness
- Offset
- Blade length, and
- Overall appearance
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