We get this question all the time.
One thing we always recommend our clients do ahead of their fitting is do whatever they can to prepare their game. Why? Because to the extent possible, we want to fit the player you typically are rather than an outlier version of yourself (positive or negative). Now, living in MN makes this difficult for ~6-months of the year. During our local offseason we recommend getting yourself into an indoor simulator, a hitting dome, or even out to Topgolf once or twice in the week or two leading up to your fitting.
*On a side note, if you typically have a couple beers on the course throughout your round we’re not NOT telling you to have one (or two) before your fitting.
Another thing we recommend to our clients is to leave all performance anxiety at home when they come in for a fitting. We don’t know what it is about human nature but for whatever reason players of all skill-levels come in for a fitting and get disappointed when they’re not striping the ball like a touring professional. As fitters our job is to work with you and your game, wherever it’s at. No pressure. No judgment. Golf is a game, meant to be enjoyed.
**We’ve found the “have a beer” suggestion above can sometimes be helpful combatting performance anxiety as well.
We also recommend clients spend at least a little time online browsing the equipment that’s available to get a sense for a.) what you like and don’t like in terms of looks and b.) refine your budget. One one hand, performance should always be the top consideration… but if you can’t stand looking down at the crown of a two-tone driver head then your fitter should probably not bother putting one into your hands during your fit. On the other hand, if you come in not wanting to spend any more than $300 – $400 on a driver shaft your fitter probably shouldn’t be putting an autoflex into your hands that costs more than double that. Remember, your fitting should be viewed as a consultation. Your fitter should have their ears open and take your input into account.
Our last recommendation to our clients is to come in with an open mind and a positive attitude. Golf is a game and it’s supposed to be fun. Getting custom fit for golf equipment is supposed to be similarly fun (especially when it’s -10*F and snowing outside here in MN)!