To be able to play golf like a tour player takes years of practice, perseverance, dedication and motivation. It also takes the best equipment which is finely tuned to the individuals needs.

Most of us don’t have the time to practice as much as we would like, and most everyday golfers are somewhat confused as to what fitting will do for them so, to give us an edge over our fellow golfers, and to make the game more enjoyable, we should all get equipment that fits our swing and physical abilities.

Hot Stix Golf is the premier market leader when it comes to fitting golfers to their equipment. It is also the largest independent club-fitting lab in the USA and provides tour level club fitting to professionals and amateurs of all abilities.

Located in Scottsdale, Arizona and with a location in Colorado, these guys are second to none. I went along for a Iron “Tour Fitting” session with Chris Ferguson, a Master Club Fitter with Hot Stix Golf and regular on the Canadian Tour.

The moment that you walk into one of the fitting centre’s you know that these guys mean business. Very friendly and unassuming staff that offers you their hospitality, which includes water or soft drinks or coffee before you even catch your breath. You are then required to fill out a questionnaire and fact sheet, which relates to your game, your needs and your experience. All of this information will help the club fitter to better understand where you are with your golf game, and where you want to take it.

Once they got my information they took me on a quick tour of the facility, which included their research and development lab. This houses their own swing robot similar to the “Iron Byron” we are all familiar with. These guys have tested every club you can think of and continue to do so as new equipment is produced and released into the market. They also test equipment for the likes of golf magazine (check out March 2008 page 128 Golf Magazine Test).

After the quick tour I was introduced to Chris Ferguson. He was the Master Club Fitter who was going to help me get “dialed in!” We chatted for a while and he told me that he plays on the Canadian Tour and enjoyed one of my favorite courses (Wolf Creek in Ponoka. Alberta) when he played there some years ago. He asked me about my game, my handicap and my equipment. He then went through my bag and took out the Irons to analyze. He documented the length, the frequency of the shafts (for flex) and the swingweight. He also documented the loft and lies of the irons. He did all of this while making sure that I knew what was going on and he explained everything in easy to understand terms.

After he analyzed everything to do with my irons, it was now time to swing the clubs and hit some balls. He let me warm up for about five minutes hitting balls at my leisure and then returned to take all the data that he needed to make his recommendations. He explained to me that he would be taking all kinds of measurements from the equipment that was located around the hitting area. This equipment included Radar to measure club head speed and a launch monitor to measure the amount of launch that I am achieving with the different clubs and, spin rates that the ball is generating. I learned that I am generating a launch angle with my 6 iron, that is normal for a 7 iron, so without knowing me for more than 30 minutes, Chris knew that if I missed my target, I was always short and right of it. (I was looking for his Crystal Ball at this point!). He explained to me that he knew all this from the data that he had received through the equipment. He said that although I have a slow to medium swing speed, I still hit through the ball and make good contact (my head just got a little bigger!), and that the club heads that I use are ideal for me to play with for my handicap.

Chris then took all the data and entered it into the computer to get some recommendations regarding what kind of shafts that I should be playing to lower the trajectory of my irons. He said that I need to change the kick point to get a more penetrating ball flight rather than one which gets that ball in the air quickly. He explained that the shafts I am currently using are for higher handicap players who struggle to get the ball airborne.

He ran off and came back with a 6-iron demo club with a shaft that he thought would work. I hit another dozen or so balls with it and it felt like it was made for me. Chris also recommended a different ball for me to play which will also reduce the spin rate coming off the clubface, but spin more with my wedges.

He then compiled all this information and clarified it all with me to make sure that I understood everything that he had done for me during the last hour and something. Doesn’t time fly when you are having fun!!

Chris gave me a package, which outlines all his recommendations and findings regarding my present clubs and the ball that I usually play. I will be changing my shafts to the recommended ones and will also try the recommended balls too. I figure that even if I can shave one or two shots off my game. The change is well worth it!

I thanked Chris and the rest of the guys for such an enjoyable afternoon and commended them on their awesome facility and knowledge. It is no wonder that tour players from every tour, not just the PGA, dial in their game with Hot Stix Golf as they are all looking for that extra edge when it comes to performance of their equipment.

I can highly recommend these guys. They know exactly what you need. They can make it for you right there in their facility and you will thank them tenfold once you start beating all your buddies on a Sunday morning!

Check out their website by visiting www.HotStixGolf.com and do yourself a big favour….. Get fitted by them. You will play better and enjoy the game more. After all, why should the pros get all the star treatment!