News

Find a Great Club Fitter, Then TRUST Them.

Published

19 years ago

Sep 25, 2007

R Hetzel

Finding the right club fitter will do wonders for the average golfer’s game.

In fact, I would argue that the average joe golfer stands more to gain from a good club fitting session than a professional golfer. I tried two other club fitters before the 3rd one had me fitted correctly. That’s right, the third time was the charm. Quite possibly the best club fitter in southwest Ohio is Mr. Kirby Bolen of Golfstix. Golfstix recently relocated within the Swingview Indoor Golf Facility (more on that technology real soon) in Loveland, Ohio.

A proper golf club fitting will tune you in to the right golf club, the right shaft, kick point, tip stiffness, shaft torque, and the right loft among many other variables. Believe me, there are a lot of them. The first club fitter I visited had me swing a driver on his launch monitor about ten times and then said 10.5 degrees and a regular Grafalloy Pro Lite 35R shaft. Let me tell you, he was dead wrong. I went back to him and said that the shaft is too weak, I am hitting it high and to the right very consistently. Then I asked about tipping the shaft. He said, "Nope it’s the right shaft for you". I never went back to him again and I sold that driver on eBay.

The second club fitter analyzed my swing correctly and told me I should play a 12 degree lofted driver because of my ball flight’s tendency to not climb enough. He was correct in that I don’t "hit up enough on the ball". Everyone swings differently, so the loft number on the club’s sole really may not matter. For example; I was launching the 10.5 degree test driver at about 8.5 degrees fairly consistently. That might be fine if I had a 100+ mph swing speed, but I do not. However, he was dead sold on a certain brand of golf shafts, none of which seemed to really fit me correctly. He really wasn’t interested in getting me aligned with the proper shaft. Since I seem to fall between a stiff and regular I seem to be a tough person to fit with the proper graphite shaft. Again, I never went back to him and my father in law got himself a brand new, barely hit driver that I pretty much hated.

About 3 weeks after the seeing the second club fitter, I stopped in at Golfstix in Cincinnati on a whim in 2006 and was fitted for a new driver, again. Kirby also took into account that even though my swingspeed wasn’t off the charts, I made a strong move at the ball and utilize a pretty strong grip. He recommended a 12 degree driver as well, but this time I was fitted with a Graphite Design YS 6+ stiff shaft. Once I combined that with the KZG Gemini driver I was set! I was hitting the ball pretty straight and even gained some yardage. Or so I thought.

While playing Black Lake Golf Club in upstate Michigan this past summer I made the mistake of trying out another guy’s Cleveland High Bore with a Grafalloy Pro Launch Blue shaft in it. I killed this guy’s driver, not once, but three times and right down the middle. This had me thinking that I could get more height and distance (we all want that right?) with the Pro Launch Blue shaft. I took my driver to Golfstix and and asked Kirby about swapping shafts so I could try it out. Afterall, I was convinced the Pro Launch Blue was a better shaft for me than the Graphite Design. Kirby told me right off the bat, "You won’t like it". However, he humored me, swapped the shafts around and off to the range I went. It took me less than 10 range balls to figure out that I was dead wrong. I took the club back, ready and prepared to eat some crow, but all Kirby did was smile, and rehaft the driver with the Graphite Design shaft. I won’t be trying anyone’s driver anytime soon, if I ever do again.

Kirby Bolen was recently named the International Professional Association of Clubfitter’s Clubfitter of the Year. He obviously knows what he is doing when fitting all types of golfers. Kirby got into the club fitting business purely by accident. While golfing in Myrtle Beach he went to see a custom golf club fitter for custom clubs and was amazed at what it did for his own golf game. His handicap dropped from a 7 to a 3, practically overnight. He was impressed so much that he went back to Myrtle Beach and trained under that same club fitter. He then left his job in commercial and industrial sales and started Golfstix in Cincinnati.

Kirby Bolen was selected as the 2006 Club Fitter of the Year.

Many of us have visited the big box golf stores, hit into the indoor range monitor and walked out with expensive golf clubs based upon the sales clerk’s quick recommendations. These recommendations will most likely fit a wide variety of golfers to a point, but the golf clubs will not be ideally suited for you as an individual. If you are thinking of visiting a clubfitter, ask around for recommendations, and when you get there, be open to what they have to say, ask the technical questions about shafts, lie adjustments and the other components that vary based upon your personal swing tendencies. A great club fitter, like Kirby Bolen, not only fits you properly, but explains things so that you can understand what is actually going on.

Although Kirby is an authorized KZG dealer, he will repair, or improve anything that you might bring him. It’s OK if your dead set on that old Burner Bubble driver that is smaller than any new 3 wood available today. Want to check or adjust the lie on your irons? Not a problem. He’ll work with you personally and without the car salesman sales pitches.

I am sure that many of you have had similar club fitting experiences and understand the importance of finding the right club fitter for you. If you seek to take your game to the next level, and feel that a proper club fitting is in your near future you’ll more than likely reap great rewards once on the golf course.

Kirby Bolen can be contacted here:

News

Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

11 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Will Schube

In our forums, one user is wondering how many birdies other players have had in a round while still failing to break par. @Lalan45, unfortunately, asked the question after a unique experience of their own.

They wrote:

“Today I managed 8 birdies but still shot even par, could have been a round to remember! What’s the most birdies you’ve made in a round and still didn’t break par?”

Our members in the forum shared their own experiences with successful rounds that still resulted in a score over par. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

kwcsports: “I’ve had 5 a few times, still shot 80+ haha.”
jda: “I played a course for the first time, had 8 birdies, 9 doubles and an eagle. The infamous no-par round. I kept the scorecard. Every shot had a creek that I did not know about, or I was within 8-10 feet for a birdie look. To this day, I have no idea if I should be really jacked up or mad about that performance.”
jvincent: “I think my record is either 5 or 6. Probably shot 75.”
Instron4204: “3 birdies and shot a 92…man I suck!”

Entire Thread: “Most Birdies Without Breaking Par.”

News

Best current stock shaft 2026 – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

11 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Will Schube

In our forums, one user is asking for thoughts on the best stock shafts offered in 2026. Stock shafts are the shafts included with a club when it’s purchased from retailers or OEMs.

@DTorres asked:

The last couple years has seen a lot of updates and additions to no upcharge stock shafts, which do you think is the best offering in 2026?

Im a bit of a shaft nerd and recently during my Members Testing with the Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond I found the updated Project X Denali Frost Black to be a fantastic stock shaft. I absolutely did not mesh well with the original Denali. Just curious what other people think are the current best Stock shaft offerings out with new models and stock Ventus options and LinQ options popping up here and there.

We were given the option for any stock shafts for our members review. I went with the 70g Black Frost 6.5 because it’s a shaft I don’t have, it’s an updated version of the original Denali and hear little about. I typically use a Diamana WB, GD VF or a HOF Raptor. I’m not saying it was neck and neck with any of those but it was a pleasant surprise I’m not accustomed to in stock shaft offerings.

Our members in the forum have been offering up their own thoughts on the best stock shafts available in 2026. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

rsballer10: “IMO – MCA Ka’ili White Darkwave, Tensei 1k Black/white, UST Lin-Q White. People are free to spend their money however they see fit, but for me personally the shaft catalogs these days have enough options that I don’t see the value of a $400 upcharge. I have never had a problem finding a no upcharge shaft that fits the bend profile and weight that I need. Whether the paint job is good enough or not is above my pay scale.”
bcflyguy1: “Project X Titan Black. I’ve had one in 60TX in my Quantum TD Max for several weeks now. Have to give Titlieist their flowers for finding a way to make it available as a featured option; very shrewd bit of business and one that I suspect will be duplicated by the other companies. TT/PX have a certified banger on their hands with Titan.”
CTG77: “Undoubtedly, it’s the Tensei 1K RIP shafts from Titleist. The Tensei line gives about 98% of the performance of a Ventus VeloCore+ shaft at a tiny fraction of the cost if you’re looking for a blue or red profile. The white is not an exact match for Ventus Black, but it’s closer to it than the non-VeloCore+ Ventus shafts that come from Callaway or formerly came from TaylorMade.”

Entire Thread: “Best current stock shaft 2026.”

News

GolfWRX’s Father’s Day Gift Guide (2026)

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

A reminder from your friends at GolfWRX: Father’s Day is June 21. And as we do every year, we’re rounding up the best gifts for dad.

As we say every year, there’s no better golf-related Father’s Day gift than a round of golf with pops. Be it a country club or your favorite muni, take the time to get together to play 18 if you can.

Let’s get to the gifts.

Ghost Golf Qualifier Diamond Polo

We like the new polos that Ghost is offering, as the fabric and fit are so good. These new Qualifier Collection polos breathe well, are lightweight, stretch with your swing, and of course look great. You can wear them on the course, in the office, or just out at a casual event and they will fit right in.

Buy here.

STR8-Strip Grip Tape Remover

If your dad is an equipment aficionado and tinkers with his clubs, this tool works wonders. Removing grip tape has never been easier, just put a little head on the tape and the STR8-Strip peals it right off the shaft without any damage.

Buy here.

Why Golf: Putting Thing

When it comes to practice, it is good to have a purpose. This “Putting Thing” sure does it. We know from personal experience how challenging it can be and how rewarding it is on the practice green. This also provides some competition for your kiddo to see who will unload the dishwasher or do the next chore around the house.

Buy here.

OluKai Lae‘ahi Men’s Breathable Slip-On Shoes

Riding to and from the course in style and comfort is always a good thing. If you’re in a hurry, it’s a nice feature to slide into your shoes and get to the tee time. For the post-game shoe, at your locker or while putting your clubs away in the car. Nice to slide into a shoe that looks good anywhere. Pair that with meeting the family for dinner, no need to change!

Buy here.

Therabody Theragun Relief

A little wellness goes a long way. Keeping loose is a good way to go when it comes to the weekend game or treatment during the week. If there is a little ache or pain, the Theragun is there to help out. Help loosen up the back for a pre-game warm-up or cool-down.

Buy here.

World Cup golf apparel

Something for the soccer dads. Embrace the World Cup fever this summer on the course with custom gear to support the nation of your choice.

Buy here.

FootJoy Pro SL spikeless golf shoes

Give the old man a break and save his feet with the Footjoy Pro SL Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes for some added comfort on the course.

Buy here.

Bushnell Wingman 2 GPS speaker

Combine all the hits as well as some game improvement with the Wingman 2 Golf GPS Speaker by getting audible distance readings from 38,000+ courses worldwide through the Wingman 2 remote or speaker.

Buy here.

Personalized Titleist Pro V1 golf balls

The No. 1 ball in golf is a safe bet, and the Pro V1 fits the largest chunk of the bell curve if you don’t know what ball pops plays. Add personalization for a, well, personal touch!

Buy here.