Golfers urged to check the length of their shaft – if they want to cut down on unnecessary strokes

GOLFERS have been advised to check the length of their shaft – if they want to cut down on unnecessary strokes.

A golf expert has warned wannabe Rory McIIroy’s that taking to a course with the wrong-sized clubs can add six shots to your scorecard and destroy your handicap.

And for professionals like the Northern Irish champion, it would have seen him drop from winning the Masters at Augusta last month to finishing in joint-eighth with the likes of Xander Schauffele, Zach Johnson and Jason Day.

It would also have seen McIIroy’s pay day for winning the prestigious title fall from $4.2m (£3.16m) to $588,000 (£433,000).

Lewis Baker, from American Golf, said playing with ill-fitting clubs was as detrimental to your short – or long game – as wearing the wrong sized shoes.

He said: “Most players buy clubs off the rack without realising that standard sizes don’t suit everyone.

“You wouldn’t wear shoes two sizes too big and expect to run your best race – so why play with clubs that aren’t made for your game?

“A custom fit is like a personal MOT for your golf game – it’s a process that makes sure every club is built for just you.

“By doing this, you can shave up to six shots off your round, especially with a full bag fit.

“With a properly fitted driver, bad shots become better and most golfers gain up to 10 yards in distance and 20 per cent more accuracy off the tee. That’s a huge difference to your score and your confidence.

“Every golfer is unique, and that’s why custom fitting matters. We’re not here to sell you clubs; we’re here to find the ones that fit you – and we’ll do it for free.”

And Lewis added that high handicap hackers can benefit the most from custom fitting of clubs because it has the biggest benefits to their game.

He said: “Custom fitting isn’t just for the pros – in fact, it often delivers the biggest improvements for higher-handicap players. By matching your clubs to your swing, posture and natural tendencies, you’ll reduce mishits in no time.

“We use the same cutting-edge technology trusted by pros, like the Foresight and Trackman launch monitors, to track your shots and analyse key factors like ball speed, launch angle and spin rate.

American Golf has spent more than £700,000 on putting custom fitting technology into more than 60 of its nationwide stores.

To book a free custom fit session at your nearest American Golf store, visit the website HERE.

MY VIEW

THERE is nothing better than a good round of golf to get the juices flowing – and the wallet out.

My first round of 2025 resulted in a respectable score (not respectable enough to share publicly), but my fellow players offered gentle encouragement that I could possibly improve – if I ditched my 25-year old clubs.

Bought off the internet, I’m not even sure what they are.

Fuelled by thoughts of hitting fairways and greens on a more regular basis, I booked in for a custom fit at American Golf in Hazel Grove, Gtr Manchester.

Buying new clubs is intimidating – with a huge amount of choice and price point.

I needed a bag as well, so after a chat about my abilities and golfing hopes for the future, expert advisor Steve honed in on three sets of clubs which come with bags and were all under £1,000.

‘Results were immediately noticeable’

To start, I pulled out my own 7 iron and smacked a ball at a computer screen, and the technology charted the speed, height and spin of the ball along with its landing distance and how far it rolled.

I hit a respectable 150 yards and was then offered three newer clubs to hit from Ben Ross, Cobra and Callaway.

The results were immediately noticeable – I hit it around 25 yards further with each.

Steve then gave some small adjustments to my swing and I tried out a driver and a hybrid.

He gently pointed out my stance for my woods was exactly the same as my irons – something I never realised needed to be different – and gave encouragement on my swing.

After examining all the data, he recommended one of the three sets of clubs to me – and I felt reassured that his recommendation was not the for the most expensive club.

I left with a set of golf balls – because all golfers always buy some new balls – and a reassurance that I knew which clubs I will buy and also what felt like a free golf lesson.