Every good fit ends the same way. You leave thinking this is it. The numbers look great. Clubs feel good. You start to imagine how much better golf will be.
Then you put those new clubs in your bag, take them to the course, and things don’t work out the way you expected.
I replaced a few devices this year and while I still like how the assembly process went, the transition to playing those devices wasn’t instantaneous. That experience reminded me of something we don’t talk about enough.
Any change in golf creates disruption. New devices are no different. There is always a learning curve and that doesn’t mean something is wrong or you made a mistake.
Here are the things that helped me the most while adjusting to new clubs.
Don’t be scared. You didn’t make a mistake.
When new clubs don’t perform right away, the first instinct is to assume something went wrong.
You start to wonder if you bought the wrong club, if there is a manufacturing problem, or if the fitter missed something.
In most cases, none of these are true.
A device is designed to match the devices to your swing. It cannot eliminate the adjustment period that comes with change. New feel, new ball flight and new sights take time to process.
Don’t spend too much time on the line
Driving range can create false confidence. In the interval, you hit the same club over and over and count the performance. The course doesn’t work that way. It forces you to commit to a shot and live with the outcome.
I struggled early with my new 5-iron. It fit me well, but it was very different from the old one. Every time I hit a 175-yard shot, I tried to find a way to use it.
Once I stopped avoiding it and forced myself to use it on the course, things started to change.
A good range session doesn’t always teach you how to incorporate the club into play. Learning how a club performs in real situations is what builds confidence. Now I know how that 5-iron works for me, and I have those feelings (and visuals) saved for future rounds.
Give yourself time to learn the ball flight and miss patterns
New equipment changes how the ball flies and where the fouls go.
Your old clubs had popular trends. You knew what your miss looked like and how to manage it. With the new clubs, that information is initially gone. When you first put new gear into play, all you can do is learn.
Learn what the ball does when you miss. Learn how the club reacts to different lies.
Be prepared for yard changes
During my fits this year, there was no significant loss in distance. In fact, at times, there were gains in the distance. But when I took the clubs to the course, I saw a slight drop.
For me, it was all about being puzzled. A bit of caution coming off impact makes it difficult to get that perfect combination of strike and speed. As you get used to the new clubs, these types of things will work themselves out.
Also, if you miss five yards with your irons but hit five more greens in a round, you’re a better golfer for it. Consistency matters more than raw distance, so try not to get bogged down by small differences in distance as an overall factor in your equipment choices.
Don’t change your swing to fit the clubs
You are equipped for those clubs with your swing.
Trying to slow down, speed up or adjust the pace to help the club usually creates new problems. Let the clubs work with the swing you brought to the set.
Stay committed to the way you play golf. If something doesn’t work after enough time, adjustments can be made. Early on, patience is the best approach. You don’t need to accommodate your new equipment.
Final thoughts
New equipment doesn’t fix golf overnight. Sometimes, it exposes things you didn’t notice before. Sometimes, it just feels unfamiliar. It took me months to feel like my new clubs weren’t foreign objects. This learning curve is all part of the process.
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