Bill Price, Director of Custom Fitting at Mizuno USA, has made a career out of sharing the importance of custom fitting. In this two-part series, we sat down and asked him to give us some details as to why, how and when you should get custom fitted.
Why is it important to get custom fitting?
Everything we do in life nowadays is fitted for us because we are all different shapes and sizes. From a rental car seat to a bike seat, you are always adjusting things for you and your height. With all of the technology out there, it’s all great only if it’s right for you. If it isn’t fit for you, it’s not going to help.
People think of custom fitting as an intimidating thing. For example, they get intimidated by the process when they see the club fitting cart.
In club fitting, the most time-consuming thing to identify is the shaft. The golf shaft is the engine and gets the ball up in the air. However, it doesn’t care if you are male or female, 10 or 70, shooting pars or double bogeys. The problem is the stereotypes that are out there. For example, ladies think they need a lady shaft and older men think they need a senior shaft. At Mizuno, we just want to fit you for the clubs that are right for you because everyone is different.
Our Swing DNA system takes all of that and unravels it and makes it fun.
What’s the biggest objection you hear when talking to players about custom fitting?
The biggest objection we hear is that they think they aren’t good enough or not consistent to be fitted. In actuality they are consistent but, they are just consistent in things that aren’t correct. But you need to take what is inconsistent and build on what they are doing good. You aren’t doing everything wrong. It’s an education process.
Many people think that working on just your swing can change things. Unless you grow, not that much is going to change. It’s important that you get the right length of equipment because it allows you to properly address the ball and make a golf swing.
What separates a professional golf player from the average joe?
They can actually have the same exact clubhead speed. A tour player is as good as he is because he has honed the craft that he has played years over years. He is more consistent through the ball strikes. But also when he is playing at that high level, his equipment is matched for him. Now that he knows his equipment is right for him, he can work on other things.
For most consumers, their equipment isn’t right for them. They have to work on other things. But if you aren’t working on the right things, you’ll never improve.
If your golf clubs are fitted for you then you have a better chance of being more consistent and hitting a lower score.
Can Mizuno be for anyone?
Mizuno has been considered a better players club, a muscle back blade. Mizuno has been a forged golf club instead of cast golf club. Our stereotype is that a forged golf club is hard to hit. However, they are equating it to the blade and shape and not the process of the material.
We have an MP and the JPX. Mizuno Pro is where we started. And then we have the JPX line. It started as more game improving but both lines are morphed together. Currently, the designs of these golf clubs were created so that Mizuno can fit any handicap available and can fit you to any club.
In short, anyone can be fitted for Mizuno clubs. The key is to get fit.
Feeling ready? Stay tuned for our next blog “Mizuno Golf Custom Fitting 101: The Appointment” at @MizunoGolfNA.
Published: November 2018