Club Fitting Necessary or Not?

• Posted on 18 November 2025
• By Luca Sibon
• Posted in clubfitting, Custom Golf Clubs, fitting, Golf Advice, Irons
• 0

Some golfers love it, others dread it: The online purchase of new golf clubs. Buying online is often much more affordable than in-store at a golf shop, but how does that work? Can everyone get by with standard clubs, or is custom-fit always necessary? This blog post is about whether or not to buy custom-fit golf clubs. We're happy to shed some light on the matter...

Is Club Fitting Smart?

Is it wise to buy new golf clubs online? Drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, and putters are sold in their standard versions 95% of the time, so that's usually not a problem. At most, people might occasionally opt for a special grip (type or thickness) or shaft, but that's usually about it. But is it wise to also buy your iron set online, for example? Many golf shoppers wonder about this. It would be rather predictable if we, at online golf shop GolfDriver.nl, were to claim that buying irons online is perfectly fine. We're not going to do that lightly, though, as the situation is more nuanced than that. We'd like to explain our opinion.

Why is Online Cheaper?

The prices in an online golf shop are often much more attractive than in a traditional golf shop. You've probably already discovered that. Online golf shops have significantly lower costs (no showroom, fewer staff, etc.), so that's not surprising. Saving on all those store costs results in lower prices for the same products. We believe that golfers who appreciate the experience of a luxury golf shop and the personal contact with an advisor don't mind paying more for their golf equipment. That's often a conscious choice. However, we're clearly seeing that this group is shrinking, and people are increasingly choosing to save sometimes hundreds of euros by buying online.

What exactly do 'Standard' and 'Club Fitting' mean?

First, let's briefly explain the terms 'standard' and 'club fitting'. If you order new golf clubs (online or otherwise) without having them measured, you will receive them with the 'standard' factory specifications. All manufacturers use this as a starting point. These clubs are designed to meet the needs of the broadest possible golfing audience: the average golfer. Standard, therefore, refers to the unadjusted 'factory fit' regarding the length and specifications of the club, tailored to the largest possible target group.

Club fitting simply means adjusting golf clubs to your body and personal requirements. Because golfers differ, we, as a supplier, fully support the premise that not everyone can perform optimally with exactly the same standard specifications. There are certainly legitimate reasons to have your measurements taken and to have new clubs adjusted to your personal measurements. Whether that's worth a few hundred euros to you, I'll leave open the question. For example: Very tall or very short golfers often benefit from a fitted set of golf irons. You can still manage with slightly too long clubs if you use a shorter grip. However, playing with clubs that are much too short for a tall golfer is asking for trouble. Body proportions and your swing structure are also sometimes important in this regard. For example, swinging with clubs that are too short is not good for your back or your results. Furthermore, the sole of your club should be parallel to the ground at ball impact (correct lie). For tall people with clubs that are too short, the lie is often not quite right, making it difficult to hit straight.

When is Fitting Useful?

For many beginning golfers with a more or less average build, I'd venture to say that club fitting isn't very useful. This large group of golfers doesn't yet have a "set stance" at address and won't notice if their clubs are an inch too long or too short. Accurately hitting the ball isn't easy for this category of golfers because their swing varies with every shot. It's important to stand comfortably behind the ball and have the club perfectly parallel to the ground at impact. That's why many ready-made beginner sets are sold unfitted in one length. A brand like Wilson excels in this area because they offer their beginner sets in both standard and "long" versions, with irons that have an extra inch of shaft length.

For (very) advanced golfers who want to get the most out of their clubs, fitting can provide that last few percent improvement. Their swing is virtually identical every time, and then you can have clubs fitted to the golfer's stance, tailored to all specifications and preferences. This category of golfers also often have a strong preference for a particular shaft or grip type and want their new set to be made with that. That's perfectly fine, of course.

Beware of "fitting for the sake of fitting"

The advantage of buying from an "offline golf shop" is that they have the tools to measure you and use that information to sell you a set of golf clubs tailored to your body, technique, and specifications. Yet, all too often, we see golf shop staff abusing their advisory power. There's a category of salespeople in golf shops who, for "commercial reasons," immediately start insisting that you absolutely need a fitted set of clubs and that you absolutely can't play with a standard set of irons. This tactic is an attempt to keep you away from the much more affordable online options. Of course, a fitting session takes time and therefore money. It's simply not done to get fitted for free at a golf shop and then use that information to buy a new, fitted set of irons online at a much lower price. Most "offline" golf shops simply charge (rightly so) for a fitting session. However, golf shop staff must remain honest and not pull any punches. Golfers certainly differ, but whether club fitting in an offline golf shop is necessary remains to be seen. Often, a standard set of clubs is more than sufficient.

Quality of advice and fitting

How much does quality weigh? That's an important question. If you decide to have your measurements taken and your clubs fitted, it's quite possible that it won't be done correctly. If you get measured by three different club fitters, you'll often come home with three different measurements. That's how lousy things often are, and that's a shame. Because how valuable is club fitting compared to an unfitted standard set of irons? It's something to keep in mind.

Furthermore, regardless of whether an advisor in a physical golf shop measures you correctly or translates the measurements into necessary adjustments, the fitting itself is also a specialized skill. There's often a noticeable difference in quality when you compare the club fitting work of the golf club manufacturer to that of golf shop staff. For this specific reason, we regularly see customers get measured in a golf shop, pay a fee, and then order the clubs online at GolfDriver.nl, specifying the desired adjustments. In that case, the club manufacturer will carry out the work to a perfect standard!

Conclusion: The Best Choice for Your Clubs

Buying online is by far the most affordable and fastest way to get (a new set of) "standard" golf clubs. You don't have to leave the house and can easily compare without all the often unnecessary information the golf salesperson wants to give you. If you're a beginner with a more or less average build, club fitting really isn't necessary. A standard golf set is perfectly fine. If you're unsure about which shaft (graphite or steel) or aren't sure whether you need senior, regular, or stiff flex shafts, you can often tackle that over the phone with one of our specialists. With a few questions, they can easily assess your needs and give you some guidelines. After all, it's not rocket science... Are you (very) advanced and want to get the most out of your equipment, or are you very tall or very short? Then club fitting could be ideal for you, and perhaps even necessary. Feel free to get measured (for a fee) at an offline golf shop, but don't feel obligated to buy right away! With the measurements, you can take your time and, if desired, buy your golf clubs online at a great price. That might not be your style, but if you're serious about saving money, it's the way to go. Best of luck!

Club Fitting at GolfDriver.nl

Want to buy a custom-made golf set? GolfDriver.nl will have your new golf set custom-made by the manufacturer to your desired specifications. This is reassuring, because when the manufacturer custom-fits the clubs, we know for sure that they're being done optimally. This is in contrast to many brick-and-mortar golf shops, where the quality of club fitting is often far below par. Besides specific requests for clubs with a specific shaft or grip type, we often order clubs with requested adjustments in shaft length, lie angle, and grip thickness. We're open to your specific needs! Read more about our club fitting options here.