My driver and I picked up this spring where we’d left off last fall – the slice into the woods, the less-than-lovable loft, a seed of doubt. After 4 years of togetherness, I dreamed of a new driver in my hands and an improved trajectory for my balls.
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The best way to select a new driver is to test golf clubs – and Miles of Golf Cluboratory is a place to do just that. Testing is where the customer finds the club she likes. Fitting is where the specifications of that club – loft, flex of shaft shaft length, etc. – are determined to be correct for her and her unique swing. Today I’m interested in the testing phase.
The CluBORatory
The Cluboratory (think “laBORatory” with a British accent) is a sheltered, 2-bay area at Miles of Golf where a golfer can try the latest clubs under the guidance of a trained club fitter. It faces onto the range where the full trajectory of the ball can be seen, a sort of “field of dreams” where everything seems possible.
Getting Started
My visit begins at the Miles of Golf shop counter where I fill out a Player Data Sheet – basic info like current clubs, average score, common ball flight. I meet my club fitter, Allen Dante, and we head to the Cluboratory. After a brief chat about my goals, he lines up several drivers for me to try.
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In the Swing of Things
I’ve brought along my current driver and hit a few balls to warm up. Then on to the demos, the first of which is not for me. Allen watches my swing, hands me another and stands back to observe. He makes an adjustment to a third club and after a few swings, I’m in love. Face tape shows a good contact point and confirms what I can feel – this club fits my particular swing. I try out a few more drivers, but none quite replicates that all-is-right-in-the-world feeling of the 3rd demo driver.
At this point, I’ve hit about 50 balls, spent about 35 minutes and have an interesting prospect in front of me – a club I might not have walked in and selected in the shop. Allen makes a note of it on my Player Data Sheet and we call it a day. I want to think about my prospective purchase – and indeed I do, with every subsequent swing of my old driver!
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If I return to Miles of Golf to buy the club, the store staff can refer to my data sheet, produce the right club and credit the Cluboratory testing fee toward my purchase price.
About Testing Clubs at the Cluboratory
- Bring along your current club(s)
- Bring along a friend too if you’d like
- Plan to hit about 50 balls over 30 – 45 minutes
- It’s first-come, first-served – and less busy on weekdays
- Testing clubs costs $25 and is refundable with the purchase of new clubs
After TESTING new irons and woods, FITTING is a logical next step. Clubs are precisely fit to the golfer and her swing. Loft, flex of shaft, shaft length, etc are examined. There is a $25 fee to be fit for woods and $75 to be fit for irons, both of which are refundable with purchase of clubs. Miles of Golf is one of the largest custom club fitting golf shops in the country and has been recognized for its expertise. Read more about club fitting.