Ladies playing golf need fitted clubs just as junior golfers and for that matter all golfers. The key issues for ladies are length and lie of the shafts, flex and grip size and overall weight of the clubs. Heck that just about covers it all in regards to fitting.
While working as Director of Instruction at Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head for 10 years I ran the Sea Pines Academy of Golf one day golf schools 8 months of the year every Wednesday. It was a really good program in that half the day covered the long swing. The other half was short game instruction that covered putting, chipping, pitching and sand shots.
During those 10 years, we had a lot of husbands and wives take the school together. This is great, as they get to spend some quality time together. (Remember my motto: A family that plays golf together'¦stays together.) But just as importantly, as their golf games go, they get to hear and see each other's swing issues and corrections. When I had married couples or close friends who play together, I always did my prescription and setup and swing corrections with both of them participating. That is, I worked with one, with the other listening to everything and having the opportunity to question and comment. I did this because for one, they learn from listening and seeing their partners swing problems and corrections. More importantly, they learn and understand what their mate or friends' problems and cures are and can turn into a 'Surge assistant instructor' and helper when they return home and practice and play, helping each other.
During the 10 years of the Sea Pines Academy 1 day golf schools, I saw almost weekly a great travesty befall many ladies playing golf as regards club fitting. I saw ladies whom I would consider new to casual golfers playing with ladies sets of clubs. Many times these sets were old and or what we call mix/match sets with mongrel clubs in them. It is the mongrel clubs that were the problem.
Many times these mongrel clubs were top line expensive brands of clubs. This was great in that they certainly were playing with the best money could buy. The problem was that those clubs were men's clubs. That means they were way too long, way too stiff and heavy and the grip were way too oversize. In other words, these clubs, despite being top quality clubs, were low to no quality for these ladies.
The majority of the time the clubs involved in this low quality experience were the putter and wedges. I cannot tell you how many times I ran into ladies at these golf schools using their husbands old or extra putter and wedges. I am sure the concept and plan involves something like, 'If you really like and decide to play seriously then we'll buy you a better set of irons, including wedges, and get you a putter you really like.'
That sounds reasonable and financially responsible. But it is not sound and reasonable golf judgment. How can a lady golfer be expected to learn and enjoy the game of golf using men's wedges and putters. The most important clubs needing touch and feel to execute well with are too long, heavy and unplayable. They are doomed to struggle using men's clubs and hit chunks to thin shots and skulls. These heavy clunkers give them little to no chance to learn and develop a good short game and putting stroke.
Yesterday, I was on the putting green practicing, and a lady drives up in a cart, grabs her putter out of the bag and walks onto the green to putt. What do I see when she bends over to stroke her first putt? She had to grip down to the steel and she had around 6 inches of grip extending beyond her left hand. And worst of all that extra grip length was sticking almost into her stomach and getting caught in her blouse. It would have been OK if it was actually a belly putter, bit it was not. It was a standard men's putter of 35 or 36 inches.
One of my best PGA Professional friends who taught a lot of really good teenage girls and young ladies, including one who was ranked the #1 junior girls golfer and then collegiate women golfer of the year and made it to the LPGA tour, has a great perspective on ladies and their short game problems. He believes that to have great touch and feel, especially in the short game, one first needs to have adequate STRENGTH. I really agree with him on that. Strength allows the player to be able to control the club and the speed of the swing. That is the key to controlling the direction and distance.
So, the moral of this article is since short game relies on strength to develop touch and feel, than it is imperative (that means a must) that ladies have wedges and putters in their bag that fit them. Ladies playing with long and heavy men's wedges and putters is a travesty. It should NEVER happen — and is one that can easily be remedied.
The Surge!