Hilary Howard, 31, director of communications and marketing of the Northern California Golf Association, competed last year in her first U.S. Women's MidAmateur Championship. To qualify, she had to lower her handicap from a 5.8 to a 2.9 in just seven months. How did she do it?
"I practiced," Howard says. "But what made the most difference in my game was getting my clubs fitted for the first time."
Clubfitting, once reserved for tour players, has become an accessible—and essential—service for all golfers. Today, most golf stores are equipped with state-of-the-art fitting systems that allow all players to find the ideal specifications—from clubhead style and loft to shaft flex, length and grip size. Susan Roll (near left), co-owner of Carlsbad Golf Center in Carlsbad, Calif., and the PGA of America's 2007 Southern California Section Clubfitter of the Year, has seen the dramatic benefits of fitting, especially for women.
"We put women on the launch monitor and compare their old drivers with new ones with different specifications, and pinpoint the club that best optimizes their launch conditions," she says. "Putting most women in higher-lofted drivers, say 13 to 15 degrees, allows them to get as much as 15 to 20 yards more distance."
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