Golfer: Steve Murphy

Age: 54

Handicap: 10

Occupation: Golf course superintendent

Old Driver: Titleist 983K, 9.5º, Graphite Design YS-6 graphite shaft, stiff flex

 

New Fitted Driver: Titleist 905T, 10.5º, Graphite Design YS-6 graphite shaft, stiff flex

Clubfitter: Michael Gibson, Director of Custom Fitting, Harmon Golf & Fitness Club, Rockland, Mass. "Steve came here with a high-launch, high-spin drive that shoots up off the tee but then falls out of the sky with no roll. Way too much spin. What I want for him is a high-launch, low-spin drive that gets up in the air and stays there. I also want to give Steve a litle more pop. We fooled around with a few shaft/head combos, but in the end all it took was a new head and an extra degree of loft. Sometimes my job is easy."

Know your limits

years ago the ideal ball flight mimicked an aiplane at takeoff--starting low then soaring into the sky. But that high-spinning drive robs you of distance. It's time to be fitted for a new driver if your tee shots still have the same flight pattern they did during the persimmon era.

 

	Ball Speed	Launch Angle	Backspin	Carry Distance	Total Distance
Before	136 mph	13º	4,730 rpm	209 yards	218 yards
After	141 mph	11º	2,948 rpm	223 yards	242 yards

{C} Golfer: Joe Nagel

Age: 31

Handicap: 3

Occupation: IT consultant

Old Driver: Titleist 983E, 9.5º, Graphite Design YS-6 graphite shaft, stiff flex

 

New Fitted Driver: Titleist 905T, 10.5º, Aldila NV65 graphite shaft, stiff flex

Clubfitter: Michael Gibson, Director of Custom Fitting, Harmon Golf & Fitness Club, Rockland, Mass. "The only thing I didn't like about Joe's swing was the result. He just wasn't getting enough backspin. So his drives shot out low and like a knuckleball, stripping him of carry distance. Joe told me he likes to see a low ball flight, which is fine. But I want it a little higher and with more spin to keep the ball in the air longer. A bigger head, an extra degree of loft and firmer-tipped shaft (to tighten up misses) did the trick."

Know your limits

It's fun to watch a tee shot that rolls a mile once it lands. But professional fitters always prefer carry distance, and so should you. You can't depend on the ground to provide your max distance. Besides, the longer your ball is on the ground, the more likely it is to find trouble.

 

	Ball Speed	Launch Angle	Backspin	Carry Distance	Total Distance
Before	153 mph	7º	1,691 rpm	221 yards	263 yards
After	163 mph	8º	3,148 rpm	264 yards	280 yards