| Custom golf clubs are anything from a single | | | | important part of the club, are made by a |
| club to a full set of woods, irons and putter | | | | very few companies, but normally China, |
| which have been custom specified and | | | | Bangladesh, Japan, etc. None of the big names |
| assembled just for you. They may work for | | | | make their own shafts, the majority fitting |
| somebody else and other people will probably | | | | True Temper shafts, sometimes branded with |
| love your custom built golf clubs, but they | | | | their own name but never manufactured by |
| are yours.To make an analogy that most of you | | | | them.Now when you pick up the magazines or |
| will be familiar with we will compare buying | | | | discount shop offers are you looking for what |
| a new set of golf clubs to buying a new suit | | | | suits you best or, more likely, the same |
| or dress, there are three ways you can go | | | | clubs you thought Tiger or Vijay or Ernie or |
| about this;Option 1 - You go to a clothes | | | | Annika were winning with last weekend?This is |
| shop and browse around until you see | | | | a good time to dispel a widely held belief, |
| something fashionable and then buy it and | | | | the only similarity between the clubs you can |
| hope it fits you OK and is comfortable. That | | | | buy and the clubs winning major pro |
| is the normal way most people buy their golf | | | | tournaments is the branding. These pro |
| clubs.Option 2 - You can go to the same shops | | | | golfers are paid anything up to seven figure |
| and try a few different designs, maybe even | | | | sums of money to use these brands, they and |
| mix and match top and bottom of the outfit, | | | | their coaches specify every head, shaft and |
| and eventually you will get something that | | | | grip that makes up that set and somebody has |
| fits OK but you may need to have altered, | | | | to pay for that. So when you buy your set of |
| within the leeway the existing clothing gives | | | | Z43 Super Pingaway irons you are paying for |
| on sizes and lengths and quite a lot of | | | | the components, the plush headquarters and |
| people will get a reasonable fit. This is | | | | the massive advertising and endorsements that |
| very similar to custom fitting your new golf | | | | made you notice them in the first place.A |
| clubs, you are still limited to the small | | | | good custom club builder will use components |
| number of shafts and flexes that that | | | | made from at least as good raw materials as |
| manufacturer provides and most will only | | | | the big boys, often from the same factories |
| extend or reduce by 1/2" and at the most 2 | | | | to produce the heads, they offer the same |
| degrees loft and lie. The shaft flexes will | | | | shafts and grips AND take the same sort of |
| only be those stamped on the side of the | | | | time to analyse your game and physique as |
| shaft and are different for every shaft | | | | those top pros get, but because they don't |
| manufacturer, very rarely are these actually | | | | pay for the names on their components, that |
| measured and you better match one of the five | | | | set of clubs, designed just for you, is an |
| or six flexes available. For a lot of people | | | | affordable possibility.Again a good |
| that just isn't enough, and this can still | | | | clubmaker, and there are bad ones as in any |
| take many weeks.Option 3 - If you wanted | | | | walk of life, will be more concerned about |
| something that would last a long time and | | | | the results of your fitting than you spending |
| fitted really well from day one you would go | | | | money.There are many ways of fitting but |
| to a bespoke outfitters, they would take all | | | | during the fitting ask your clubmaker what |
| your measurements, find out exactly what you | | | | they think of your game, does it match with |
| wanted the item for, how often it would be | | | | your and your friends impressions of your |
| used, etc. This would cost a relative fortune | | | | shot shape and distance or are they just |
| but gives great results every time. This is | | | | telling you things to make you sepnd money. |
| the same as custom club building, but the | | | | If it doesn't meet expectations can they |
| good news is, unlike the clothing market this | | | | justify their statements without resorting to |
| is normally less expensive, and rarely more | | | | technobabble?The best part about about custom |
| expensive, than the first option. So how does | | | | building should be when you go back to your |
| that work?Well, almost all golf club heads, | | | | clubmaker and tell them "I've just shot my |
| with very few exceptions - if any - are made | | | | lowest ever score" or "I've just won my first |
| in the far east, mainly China. We believe | | | | ever competition" or "I've just hit my best |
| that all heads are made there but several of | | | | ever shot" or, and my favourite, "That's the |
| the big manufacturers just will not give a | | | | most I've enjoyed a game of golf for years". |
| straight answer, try them!Shafts, the most | | | | |