How to create excitement before they take the first swing!
The post fit is a very important aspect of the club fitting process that is often overlooked. It’s a process that frequently ends when the order is placed with whoever is building the set of clubs.
Here is an example of a fitting process for a club fitter. You’ve dialed in the length, grip size and type, lie angle, swing weight, and total weight. Now it is time to have fun as your customers try out the newest and best clubs and shaft combinations. They are excited, and it’s hard not to be when you are holding a new set of clubs! After switching dozens of shaft and head options, you find the best combination to give your customer the best opportunity to play at the top of their game! The excitement level builds, and the order is placed!
Check it and Spec it!
Your customer is like a kid in a candy store, chomping at the bit as they wait for their new sticks to arrive so he/she can come and pick them up. Now comes the part that is too commonly overlooked. Too frequently, the golfer comes and picks up their clubs and then beelines it right to the range, eager to test the new clubs. The problem? The club fitter is nowhere in sight.
Let’s build that excitement a little bit more before you allow them to hit the first ball. How is this accomplished? Spec Out the set with them watching! This will solidify the sale and will bring them back to you next time they need a new set of clubs.
When you spec the clubs, check the loft, lie, length, swing weight, and ideally the shaft frequencies. Record the specs so you can reference them; or hand them over to their instructor. I cannot stress the importance of an ongoing equipment analysis in a lesson plan, but that is an entirely different subject.
If you are not building the set of clubs that you fit your student for, you cannot control the build.
This is where all this prework comes into play. You may be surprised that if you did not build the set, the specs on the new clubs were not exactly what you ordered. This is a great opportunity for you to build trust with your student. Simply make the necessary adjustments to the errors you find with the information you have gathered. Now it is time to break in the new club(s)! Walk to the range and watch them hit a few balls. Interact with the student, and ask questions. If you notice any irregularities with ball flight, head back to your angle machine and make some adjustments. The result? You have solidified the sale and gained a lifelong customer!