Equipment

Fitter feedback: Club Champion fitters offer their best advice

Published

5 years ago

Nov 2, 2021

If you haven’t had a club fitting before (and we encourage you to check out our “What to expect during a club fitting” if that’s the case), the process can be a mystery filled with misconceptions. And while the aforementioned piece lays out the process, we thought it would be valuable to share some insights about the process from fitters themselves.

The nation’s largest fitter, Club Champion has more than 150 fitters on staff. Accordingly, we knew they’d have plenty of insight and a wealth of wisdom to offer, which we’ve grouped around common themes, below.

Don’t second-guess a fitting — no matter how skilled (or not) you are.

As experienced club fitters, we’ve seen golfers of all skill levels. Anyone can get fit! It should be fun and stress free. – Douglas P., Minneapolis

Being judged by a professional that you’ve never met before can be intimidating. The fitter’s ultimate goal is to make you a better player and help your golf game. We’ve all seen hundreds, if not thousands, of golf swings and all kinds of shots in the hitting bay. It is our job to judge the performance of your current clubs, but we’ll be your cheerleader for the session and want to find optimal results as much as you do. – Alex P., Schaumburg

If you’re thinking about getting fit, do it. It can only help you improve your game. Inconsistency is always going to be a thing for amateur golfers, but we’re able to discard any swings we don’t like so we can always fit your best swing. – Nick F., New Orleans

Fitting helps all skill levels but it helps the higher handicapper much more because you need more help from your equipment. This idea that “I am not good enough to get fitted” is just not correct because it could be the equipment itself that is preventing you from playing your best. – Ralph L., West Long Branch

The higher the handicap, the more critical having the right set-up is. Finding the right fit will give you the best chance at delivering an inconsistent swing more consistently, which produces consistently better results. Another thing — golfers shouldn’t get discouraged if they don’t hit a particular set-up well. Not every set-up is always going to work; that’s why we try the different combinations. – CJ M., Willowbrook

There is so much more to our fittings. It’s not just walking in and hitting a few clubs and saying, “Hey, that went the farthest.” We are looking at length, swingweight, shaft, grip size, loft, lie etc., etc. Even a beginner can benefit from new technology and getting clubs that are the right length, weight, and specifications tailored to them. They are typically the ones who see the most gains. – Logan W., Memphis

No matter how you slice it, a higher handicapper always has more to gain from a fitting than a lower handicap. There are more strokes to be shaved off of the higher handicaps game and the fitting almost always merits better results (strokes gained on handicap) with a higher handicap. – Michael H., Hartford

Don’t discount the impact that the right clubs can have on your game.

Golf is just a game of probability. If we can get the right tools in your hands, how much more likely are you to produce the desired result? The right equipment for your swing and a little bit of confidence goes a LONGGGGGGGGGGGG way! – Jonathan U., Orlando

As a PGA professional who has taught thousands of lessons and conducted hundreds of fits, it is impossible to reach your potential with clubs that are not properly fit. It was not until I started fitting for Club Champion that I realized the power of what we do here, it is game changing! Golf clubs fit at Club Champion will improve performance, make it easier to learn, and make the game more fun for everyone regardless of skill level. – Mike K., Baltimore

When you get the recipe right from the head all the way to the grip, it puts you in the position to hit the ball on the face with more regularity. When you do this, you’ll be surprised how other confidences will creep in when you know what your carry numbers are and you know how the ball is going to look coming off the face. – Jon H., Birmingham

Coming to Club Champion from an OEM company, what I’ve seen at CC is that it is nearly impossible to play a full bag of the same brand of equipment. The beauty of what CC does is that all the brands can be hit side by side on the same day with the same shaft. The numbers on TrackMan speak for themselves on what the best combination is. – Drew S., Cleveland

Know what you’re getting into and set yourself up for success.

Be prepared to essentially play a full round of golf during your fitting. – Charles P., Livingston

Know why you are coming. When we hear “to get new clubs,” it is plain and generic and it takes time to get to the root of the problems/needs. What is bringing you to the point of spending your time and resources to improve your game? Oh, and tell us your opinions. Be honest and ask questions. It is a great time to learn some new things, too! – Jim Y., Philly

A comment I hear from a lot of golfers during a fitting is that they wish they had practiced prior to their fitting. We can fit you either way but when a golfer is making good contact with the ball consistently, it allows for a more seamless fitting. – Ashton M., Naples

Bring the swing that you’re currently using and try not to manipulate it into something completely different. – Tony S., Tacoma

Be open-minded!

Ask questions and accept answers; we do this every day and our answers are based on your data. Also, good shots and bad shots can come from the same swing; don’t blame your swing. – Steve H., Philly

Get fit before forming opinions on certain clubs/brands. Without having the right shaft in the club, it is hard to really know how well the club may (or may not) perform for you. Also, I believe getting fit before starting lessons gives you a better foundation to build off of than trying to build your swing around clubs that don’t work for you. – Nick C., Houston

Other general feedback from the entire fitting staff

Don’t forget to stretch
Always trust the data
Remember: A fitting should be fun!

Whats in the Bag

Christiaan Maas WITB 2026 (June)

Published

9 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

Wedges: TaylorMade Prototype (50-SB09), TaylorMade MG5 (56-HB12, 60-LV07)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400

Putter: TaylorMade TP Juno

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

Check out more in-hand photos of Christiaan Maas’ clubs here.

Equipment

TaylorMade MySpider Tour and Tour X: More customizable build options now available

Published

9 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Alistair Cameron

TaylorMade Golf’s MySpider program underwent a substantial overhaul over the last month. Firstly, the company launched the option to customize the Spider ZT model, and now the program has returned with the MySpider Tour and MySpider Tour X.

The revamped page now gives golfers complete control over every visual and functional detail of their putter on the popular Tour and Tour X head, with every cosmetic idea thought of. In MySpider Tour, golfers can choose from four head finishes, 16 paint fill colors, nine Surlyn face insert colors, three aluminum insert options, six sightline configurations, and four hosel options — L-neck, small slant, double bend, center shaft. Six sightline options are available in MySpider Tour, including the optically engineered True Path alignment system. MySpider Tour X gives builders the option of four head finishes, four hosel configurations, and five sightline options, also including True Path alignment.

One of the more interesting features of the new MySpider program is the availability of three distinct face insert options. Along with the usual Surlyn Pure Roll insert trusted by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, which can be customized from nine colors, golfers can now also select firmer options. Two are offered with the black aluminum Pure Roll insert, slightly firmer than the traditional insert, or for the firmest feel, golfers can choose from two colors of milled aluminum inserts.

Another fun addition to the MySpider Tour is the ability to use the “Tommy Sightline.” The custom alignment aid design, which was first drawn onto Tommy Fleetwood’s putter by PGA Tour Rep James Holley, is based on the milled sightline on his Spider ZT head. There are five shorter lines on the left and right of a longer central line serving as the traditional short line alignment aid.

See below for the full specifications sheet for MySpider Tour and Tour X:

MySpider Tour

MySpider Tour X

Equipment

Then and now: Comparing Rory McIlroy’s current setup to his record-breaking 2019 Canadian Open victory

Published

12 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Alistair Cameron

In Rory McIlroy’s first appearance at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, he crushed the record books to earn his 16th PGA Tour title in dominating fashion, winning by seven shots over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson.

McIlroy’s score of 22-under-par 258 is the lowest 72-hole score to date at the Canadian Open, and his closing 61 is also the best final-round score in the history of one of golf’s oldest tournaments. Finally, with his win in 2019, McIlroy became only the sixth player to win the career Triple Crown, adding to his victories at the U.S. Open in 2011 and The Open Championship in 2014, joining Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods in a coveted list.

So, with that, why not compare his current setup to the clubs he used to break all the records?

Driver

2019: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees @8), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7X (45 5/8 inches)

McIroy led the Tour in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee in 2019; he’s doing the same in 2026. Between now and then, McIlroy has switched from the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX (a shaft with slightly more feeling in the tip) to the original Fujikura Ventus Black 7X, having just made the change to the heavier version from playing the 60X.

What’s interesting about McIlroy’s 2019 setup is that the weighting on his driver is actually set in the high-draw setting, using the T-Track weighting system, whereas in the Qi4D, he’s currently using a heavily rear-weighted setup. (Two 13-gram weights in the rear and only two 4-gram front weights.)

The TaylorMade M5 driver he played in during his Canadian Open win was the company’s first head that they claimed to design to initially exceed the USGA’s COR limit, and then injected with tuning resin to bring it back in bounds.

Fairway woods

2019: TaylorMade M6 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 80 TX; TaylorMade M5 5-wood (19 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 90 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8X; TaylorMade Qi4D 5-wood (18 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9X

The TaylorMade M6 fairway wood that McIlroy was using during the 2019 season is still in the bag of some of the best golfers on Tour in 2026. Just check out Justin Rose’s winning setup from the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year. This year, though, McIlroy has still been searching for his top-end-of-the-bag setup, having played both the new Qi4D and the Qi10, which he won the Masters with.

The same shaft swap can be seen in the fairway woods as the driver, along with slightly less loft on the 5-wood.

Irons

2019: TaylorMade P750 (4) Buy here, TaylorMade P730 (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
2026: TaylorMade P760 (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0

The biggest difference between McIlroy’s custom set and the stock P730s is the groove design. While the P730s were constructed with 14 MX-9 grooves on their milled faces, McIlroy’s proto heads instead use the higher-spinning, 16-groove layout of the TW2 grooves. Other big differences between the sets are that McIlroy’s 7- and 8-irons have thinner toplines, are 1 degree stronger in loft, and are 1/4 inch longer than the original P730 builds.

With McIlroy’s 4-iron, the switch from P750 to P760 sees a transition to a two-piece construction with Speed Foam in it, which allows McIlroy to launch the ball slightly higher, with more workability.

Wedges

2019: TaylorMade Milled Grind (48-09SB), TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09SB, 56-09SB, 60-LB09), Shafts: Project X Rifle 6.5
2026: TaylorMade MG5 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB, 60-08LB @61), Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)

Between 2019 and 2026, McIlroy’s focus on his short game has been much more apparent. It was the reason why he switched back to the TP5 golf ball, to help with launch, spin and control with his wedges leading up to his career Grand Slam victory in 2025. The most apparent changes to McIlroy’s wedge setup are his lofts and bounce. He’s slowly delofted his pitching to a sand wedge, but has increased the loft on the lob wedge, bending his current 60-degree to 61. With that, adding more loft to his lob wedge also slightly increases the bounce and leading-edge sit point, so, as a result, he plays a lower-bounce lob wedge compared to 2019. The MG5 wedges are also softer than the first Milled Grind option from 2019. McIlroy also no longer plays the full-face grooves found on the Hi-Toe.

Putter

2019: TaylorMade Spider X
2026: TaylorMade Spider Tour X

Notice anything similar. Yes, the copper finish on Rory McIlroy’s Spider X putter in 2019 is a slightly more reflective finish than the recently released torched PVD finish. McIlroy was using the True Path alignment system, but now uses only a single white sightline.

Ball

2019: 2019 TaylorMade TP5 (#22)
2026: 2025 TaylorMade TP5 (RORS)

As mentioned above, McIlroy had transitioned from the TP5 to TP5x golf ball since his victory in Canada in 2019, but now is black with the same style of golf ball as his victory at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.

Grips

2019: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
2026: Golf Pride MCC

Interesting, McIlroy actually used Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet Cord grips during his victory in 2019 (it was during a 2+ year switch to the corded TV) as opposed to his usual MCC grips, which he has played for most of his career.