The Advantages of Custom Golf Clubs

Getting your own personalized set of golf clubs can give you a huge edge in the game. There are hundreds, even thousands of different brand name clubs out there that all boast superior performance, hitting power, range, ease of use, and whatever else the various marketing honchos can think of to make a new model seem appealing to consumers. Still, no two people are built alike, so a golf club that works wonders for one person may not work for you at all.

The solution to this problem is to have a custom set of clubs made. Customized golf clubs have a lot of advantages over mass-marketed models. Some of these advantages are purely practical, while others are a bit more whimsical and decorative in nature.

Sure, there are a lot of golf clubs out there patterned after the ones used by famous professionals. Most golfers seem to think that because these clubs worked wonders for the pros, that they'll immediately improve the performance of the average golfer. This is definitely not true.

The fact of the matter is, those same pros spend countless hours tweaking the weight, shaft length, head shape, grip shape, and other details of their own clubs for optimum peformance. They do it to fit their own body types and play styles, however, not that of the average golfer. Brand name clubs work great if all you want to do is show off your new toys, but if you're serious about improving your game, get a custom job that's made especially for you.

Physiology is one of the primary reasons for getting a customized golf club made. Not all people are of a uniform height, weight, and body shape. Even two people of similar heights may have different arm lengths which can affect a club's stroke. As a matter of fact, customized golf clubs in Canada are becoming more popular because the demographics of golfers there are more wide and varied than anywhere else in the world, due to the great diversity of its citizens.

Here are a few of the physical factors which can affect your game, and need to be taken into consideration when having a custom golf club made:

Gender and Age - women, children, and the elderly all have different fitting scales when it comes to golf clubs. Be sure to get a club of the correct type. Generic golf clubs sold in the average sports shop are usually geared towards middle aged men averaging 6' in height, so these wouldn't work at all for, say, a 5'4 female golfer in her early twenties...

Shaft length and shape - the appropriate length of shaft on your club is determined not only by your height, but by the distance from your wrist to the ground. People with arms that are a bit too long or short for their bodies will also generally have minor differences in their stroke when they hit a ball, and these should also be taken into account when customizing the shaft's length and shape.

Shaft Flex - the amount of flex in the club's shaft are determined by several other factors, namely a person's handicap level, estimated swing speed, and yes, even body weight and age. The first two factors determine how good you are at the game to begin with, and helps designers find a club that fits your competence level. The last two factors are physical ones that determine how much hitting power you can generally put out on your shots.

Grip Type - not all custom golf club makers take this into account, but it's a good idea to look for one that does. Just as everyone has different ages, heights, weights, and builds, so too are there differences in hands and wrists. The width of your wrists, the length of your fingers in comparison to your palm, and the breadth of your palm all affect how you hold a golf club. Taking these factors into account is very important, because no matter how well made the rest of the club is, if your grip isn't comfortable and made to fit firmly in your hand, you won't be playing at optimum performance.