Custom-Fitting Manual - Taylor Made Golf

Steel
Feature
Advantage Benefi t
Heavier Weight Increased Control Excellent Feel for Club Position
During the Swing
Higher Kick Point Lower Launch Angle Lower and More Controllable Trajectory
Material Increased Feedback Keen Sense of Feel at Impact
* Skilled golfers generally exhibit strong opinions about steel and graphite, and have a clear preference for one or the other.
* Tour-Caliber golfers nearly always choose steel for its increased feel and control.
DYNAMIC
If ball fl ight is too high and/or spin-rate is too high:
> Try a heavier shaft
If ball fl ight is too low and/or spin-rate is too low:
> Try a lighter shaft
Feel
> If the player has little feel for club position during the swing, try a heavier shaft
> If impact feels too harsh, try graphite
> If impact feels too harsh with graphite, try a softer fl ex
Selecting Shaft Flex
STATIC
“Flex” refers to the shaft’s degree of fl exibility. The dynamic forces of the golf swing cause a shaft to fl ex
and twist in various directions. Shafts are engineered to fl ex and twist in specifi c locations, to specifi c
degrees, and at specifi c swing speeds. A shaft’s characteristics have to complement the player’s swing
characteristics for him to easily and consistently square the clubface at impact.
Different shaft models are designed for different types of players. A shaft designed to fl ex and twist
according to the force generated by a player with a fast tempo will not behave the same way for a golfer
with a slower tempo, and vice-versa. In general, stiffer (less-fl exible) shafts work better for faster swingers
while softer, more fl exible shafts work better for slower swingers.
Using clubs with an incorrect shaft fl ex forces the player to make compensations to square the clubface at
impact, which is why it’s absolutely vital to fi t the player with the proper shaft fl ex.
The fi rst step to fi tting shaft fl ex is to ask what kind of shaft the player currently uses, including fl ex; what
his ball fl ight tendencies are; and if he wants to change his ball fl ight.
Next, gauge his clubhead speed. If you don’t have a tool to accurately measure it, ask how far his average
6-iron shots carry and refer to the chart below.
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