Ep: 4: Precision Golf – The Art of Custom Fitting Golf Clubs

"Ultimately it's just what works best for you. Technically a pretty low grade, rotten, 10 buck shaft can outperform a ₤350 shaft if it just suits you better." – Simon Cooper Simon Cooper co-founded Precision Golf in 2004, alongside clubmaker and good friend James Davey. The company custom fits clubs to players, utilizing advanced technology to manufacture the clubs which best suit an individual's needs. Ultimately, this enables golfers to maximize their potential with the skill set they have. Prior to this business venture, Simon was a talented golfer himself. He participated in a number of esteemed amateur events, and played on the EuroPro Tour in 2004 – coincidentally the same year in which Precision Golf launched. As a player, he showed an interest in understanding his game as deeply as possible, which made a move into club fitting a natural progression. In this episode, Simon explains how Precision Golf got started, and how the process of being fitted works. He also provides some valuable insights into various technical elements of a club, how they impact shot outcomes, and some of his favorite clubs. Ep. 3: Simon Cooper from Precision Golf Show Notes Simon explains the history of Precision Golf. [3:40] How the perception of club fitting has changed in recent years. [5:40] What was the driving force behind starting Precision Golf? [7:10] How Precision Golf's location was chosen. [8:30] The benefits of fitting indoors vs outdoors. [9:30] Simon talks about the impact of personal biases in selecting clubs for purchase. [12:10] Simon explains the process of being fitted by Precision Golf. [14:00] The most common problem with clubs which players face prior to being fitted, and how Precision Golf attempts to rectify them. [17:10] Simon explains the difference between the swing of a low-handicapper and a high-handicapper. [21:30] Fixing your swing vs changing your clubs.[22:50] What happens after the swing data has been gathered? [26:00] What are the key metrics looked at in the TrackMan? [30:30] Simon explains how long the entire process of club fitting takes. [33:00] What gear is used at Precision Golf to manufacture the clubs? [34:40] Simon talks about the development of equipment in recent years. [36:40] The benefits of being fitted for a putter. [38:20] Simon explains the danger of becoming overly fixated on data. [42:00] How much are drivers improving? [44:00] Is the club head or the shaft more important? [46:40] Simon explains what makes a good shaft. [47:40] Who is the best manufacturing company to work with? [49:40] Simon talks PXG. [51:30] Simon answers some rapid fire questions. [53:30] Why lessons are the best value investment for a golfer. [58:30] The differences in club grips. [61:00] Simon talks about the differences in player's requirements. [63:00] What are the highest quality clubs? [63:50] Simon's favorite book. [65:10] Action challenge. [66:00 Simon Cooper's Action Challenge Work out your yardages Specifically, work out carry distances for every club in the bag. This will enable you to know whether your ball will carry that bunker, that body of water, that hazard. Record it in whichever way you prefer – write distances on your shafts, on your card, in your pocket. Memorize it. Gear/Resources Mentioned TrackMan SST Pure Shaft Technology RBZ Driver Seven Dreamers custom made shafts PXG Mizuno T-ZOID Pro Iron Set Mizuno's TP11 irons TaylorMade r500 Driver Series Miura Wedges Ping Answer Putter GripMaster Grips Black Widow Grips Arnold Palmer Autobiography People Mentioned James Davey Colin Montgomerie Jack Niklaus Bernhard Langer Lee Westwood Connect and follow Simon Cooper Precision Golf LinkedIn Twitter Facebook