Customization is the name of the game in golf. Gone are the days of pulling a set of irons, apparel, shoes or golf balls off the rack at your local sporting goods store. Now, golfers of all skill levels are personalizing and customizing each and every aspect of their games with the goal of enjoying and optimizing golf a bit more.
Let’s explore nine ways you can customize your golf game:
Clubs
The holy grail of golf customization, club personalization is perhaps the most efficient way of improving your game.
Club customization begins by visiting a club-fitting professional and running through a custom fitting process. Most club-fitting professionals will run you through a process that includes hitting golf balls so that a swing monitor can ascertain the information specific to your golf swing, including swing path, angle of attack, ball speed, swing speed and more.
This personalized data informs the club-fitting professional which direction to point you in. From there, you can have golf clubs built for your specs. The result of customized golf clubs, of course, isn’t that you’re instantly a better golfer. But, having clubs built specifically for your swing type makes a big difference in your ability to make optimal contact with the golf ball at impact.
Shafts
Customizing golf shafts can be a part of the entire club-fitting process or something golfers do as their game evolves.
There are seemingly countless shaft options out there and only a few companies are big enough to be stocked in clubs made by the game’s biggest manufacturers. Many shafts, indeed, are selected by way of a custom shaft fitting process. The type of customized shaft you ultimately get fit for, of course, is dependent on your swing speed, swing type and overall profile.
Grips
Previously overlooked, many golfers are putting grip customization at the top of the list when personalizing their games. Until only recently, grips were simply part of the club-buying process and only avid golfers sought out grips on a regular basis to ensure ideal conditions.
Now, grip companies are offering seemingly countless grip types that all provide different benefits. From cord grips to wraps and multi-compound, the type of grip that fits your game best is dependent upon your personal preferences and the climate in which you play most of your golf.
Balls
Many golf ball manufacturers offer fitting as part of the buying process. Golf ball fitting includes a look at your swing type, speed and the way you hit multiple shots — including approach shots, chips and putts.
In addition to golf ball fitting, personalizing your golf balls is now commonplace in the game of golf. Golfers seek out golf balls with specific numbers on them, or order customized balls with their favorite numbers. Additionally, many companies will print your name, a message or your company’s logo on balls.
Shoes
Depending on where and how you purchase your golf shoes, you may be able to get them customized. The golf shoe customization process is similar to the process long-distance runners go through to get fit for their running shoes.
Bag
What better way to make your golf bag stand out than by embroidering your name or club logo on it? With so many similar-looking golf bags, personalizing yours can help you and the bag attendant identify it at the club — and ensure it never goes missing.
Towel
Most golfers play with a towel attached to their bags, but how many people carry a towel with your name on it? Customization doesn’t stop at equipment, it can even be used on the items we utilize to keep our equipment clean!
Apparel
While being fully-customized to your apparel is an opportunity reserved for the extremely wealthy and those of us who have won multiple PGA Tour events, fitting your golf clothing to your body is easier than you think. By ordering your golf apparel online, you’ll have the opportunity to pick and choose your sizes, fit and style.
Swing
Perhaps the most important item on this list, customizing your golf swing is incredibly important towards your success and enjoyment on the golf course. As most good golf swing coaches and instructors will tell you, your swing is your swing. Don’t try to emulate any particular player. Rather, learn how to maximize your abilities with your very own, customized golf swing.
Looking to customize your golf game? Click Here to enter TaylorMade’s ‘Custom Shop’!
— Ben Larsen