The following article and video is as much “inside baseball” as I can give in terms of what actually happens when a Tour fitter prepares to work with a Tour player.
Star of the show: TaylorMade fitter Adrian Rietveld, who has the top three players in the OWGR under his watchful eye. You read that right – Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood all rely on “AD,” as we call it, to keep an eye on their gear.
i want to leave the video (in the player, below) and Adrian do most of the explaining, but there are three things he covers that I think might be helpful for any golfer, not just the best in the world.
“>
- Start from an honest point: The first part of the video shows Adrian doing something I’ve seen a lot on Tour trucks. He takes the player’s bag in his hands and begins to specify them to create apples-to-apples situations. There are no “ideas”, “poop” etc. His goal is to deliver every club as close to the player as humanly possible – and not just loft, shaft and swing weight. Think total weight, correct loft and lie, face angle, score lines vs. actual lie, shaft twist, grip size, etc. This allows the “first hit” to inform the assembler what direction the player should go.
- Ask the players what they see: EVERY player reacts differently to how a club sits. For example, I like to see attics. When I see the loft, it tells my brain that I can stay on top of the shot and trust that the club and structure will be there for me when I need them. When I don’t see loft, I start “helping” it, which has a diminishing-return effect through my bag. I start having a “forest swing” and an “iron swing”. It is impossible to play this way. Adrian (or any good fitter) will ask these questions: “How do you like the look?” “Do you see the attic you want to see?” I don’t hear this on typical rigs, but I always hear it with Tour rigs.
- Ask the players what they would do HOW to see: In the video, Adrian asks me, “What kind of ball flight do you want to see?” In my case, I want the ball to start straight and fall left with a left miss, ie I don’t want the driver to go right – ever. These are ball flights that a fitter can control. Once AD knows I’m afraid of a right error, it eliminates a variable and he can start focusing on putting me in a driver that starts left and goes left. As a player, I can then step up to each tee trusting that no matter what swing I make, the ball flight will stay in a sandbox I can live with.
TaylorMade Qi4D Custom Driver
SHAPE FOR SPEED The re-engineered head profile increases ball speed thanks to improved aerodynamics developed through advanced simulations. FACE FOR DISTANCE 60x Carbon Twist Face™ is a technological cornerstone that provides weight savings, exceptional ball speed and more durability compared to a titanium face. ADJUSTABLE PERFORMANCE The 4° loft sleeve can be used to adjust the loft angle, reach and face for optimized flight. PROVEN TOUR TECHNOLOGY The new and improved Speed Pocket™ cutting edge protects ball speed and reduces spin on low face shots. Advanced CAD modeling creates a design with a clean and powerful sound, a foundation of TaylorMade driver performance. Multi-material construction allows engineers to strategically place mass in areas of the head where it maximizes performance, speed and stability.
View Product
This is not a comment about how consumer assemblers “don’t do it right;” there are many great fitters who really take the time to put you, the golfer, in the best position to succeed. I look at this deep dive as more of an industry-wide mindset.
With so much incredible club tech on the market in 2026, I’m stoked for this to be the year that mounting methods turn up the volume a bit. If you have seen “Completely suitable,” you will see that each company has its own way of doing it.
It’s all effective between major brands, but if I’m a fitter or even an OEM, I’d replicate (in a realistic way) what Adrian does. Yes, this is a man who works with the best in the world, but his process for getting it right comes from a person who takes ownership of the situation.
Devices are a financial transaction, but their spirit never should be. It’s a contract between the winner and the player with one offer: the process will make you a better player. It’s not all speed and ball release, it’s confidence. That’s why on Tour, the fitters work in groups with the players in order to build trust. I believe there is a version of all of this (and what you’ll see in a video later this week) that anyone who calls themselves an assembler can adopt.
Fujikura Ventus Black Wood Shaft (Velocore+)
View Product
Assembly is a craft. There are jedis, apprentices and pretenders. AD is a master, no question, but not only because he is talented. He also cares more than anyone I know about getting the process right, and through that he’s been able to learn, make mistakes, and enjoy victories. He rose to this level because he cares about his players improving.
Haircut by the same stylist every time, because when I first met her, she asked me these questions: “Where do you want your hair to be in 6 months?” “What do you like now and what do you hate?” “Are you a person who takes crazy ideas and makes them come true sometimes?”
That woman will cut my hair as long as I live in this neighborhood. Why? I trust her, and she cares.
At the end of this week, you will see the proper video, which is also fascinating. Being able to work with someone like Adrian (who is also one of my closest friends) is always a pleasure, but how Aaron Dill of Vokey, this TM “AD” is someone I learn a ton from every day. I spent hours on the phone with this man discussing Tommy, Scottie, Rory, our games, etc. It’s always a passionate conversation and all credit to TaylorMade for continuing to let Adrian grow, evolve and thrive with their all-star lineup of staff players.
Adrian is at the top of his game and for me to share his process and expertise with all of you for educational purposes is a great honor.
