F i n a l p u t t
Dave Silbar
Ditch the Reviews, Get Fitted for What Works Best for You
T he gleaming chrome of the “ Best Iron from 2025 ” caught the sunlight perfectly in the viral video. On the screen, a charismatic influencer launched ball after ball into a digital sunset, the launch monitor flashing numbers that seemed plausible. “The best irons that money can buy in 2025,” the influencer concluded.” Tom, an avid golfer with a 15-handicap and a thinning wallet, was sold. He ignored the nag- ging thought of a professional fitting, and instead scoured the internet to find the best price and clicked “Buy Now.” After all, in addition to the videos he watched,
The Spin Rate: The Best Iron from 2025 was designed for lower spin to aid with distance, but Tom’s swing naturally produced low spin already. The combination meant his ball didn’t have enough “lift” to stay in the air. The Custom Solution His fitter didn’t reach for the gold-medal winners. He pulled a head from a different brand—one Tom had scrolled past because it “looked bor- ing” on Instagram. He paired it with a lightweight graphite shaft and bent the hosel 2° upright. The difference was instantaneous. The very
“The problem with
the reviews across three major golf publications gave these irons a Gold Medal rating. Thousandsofcom- ments echoed the sentiment: These clubs changed my game. Two weeks later, Tom stood on the first tee with his perfect new set. He swung
first strike felt like a hot knife through butter. The ball stayed on a frozen rope, climbing to a peak height Tom hadn’t seen in years. It even produced that slight draw that any instructor worth his weight is seeking for their student. “Reviews are a
ratings,” his fitter
explained as he
hooked Tom up
to a high-speed
launch monitor, “is
with confidence, but the ball didn’t soar. Instead, it came off the face a bit clunky, leaking weakly to the right. By the ninth hole, his confidence was shattered. The “top-rated iron” felt heavy, the shafts felt like telephone poles, and his distances were shorter than with his ten-year-old set. Frustrated, Tom finally gave in and visited his local fitter. The Mirror vs. The Map “The problem with ratings,” his fitter explained as he hooked Tom up to a high-speed launch monitor, “is that they are based on a ‘standard’ golfer, one who does not exist. Media reviews tell you what a club can do in a vacuum. A fit- ting tells you what a club will do in your hands.” As Tom swung, the data told a story that no YouTube video or magazine article could: Lie Angle: Because of Tom’s height and arm length, his new “off-the-shelf” irons were hit- ting the ground toe-first, forcing the face open at impact. This was the cause of his weak fade. The Shaft Flex: The “stiff” shafts he bought based on a reviewer’s recommendation were far too heavy for Tom’s smooth tempo. He couldn’t load the club properly, resulting in a loss of ball speed.
compass; they point you in a general direction,” the fitter said, pointing to the screen showing a tight dispersion circle. “But a fitting is the GPS. It accounts for your swing speed, your release point, and even the way your hands move through the ball.” The Moral of the Game Tom realized that by chasing the “best” iron according to the internet, he had ignored the most important variable: himself. Golf is a game of centimeters, and a club that is 1% off for your swing can result in a 20-yard miss. He left the shop not with the “hottest” clubs on social media, but with a set built specifically for his DNA. He no longer had to fight his equip- ment; he just had to play golf. In addition to being editor for GOLFChicago magazine, Dave Silbar is a PGA Associate and certified personal coach and expert custom club fitter, working for GOLFTEC in Vernon Hills. In addition to teaching more than 2,000 lessons annually, Dave averages more than 150 cus- tom club fittings each year and is a certified fitter for Titleist, Callaway, TaylorMade, Ping, Cobra, and other major manufacturers.
that they are based
on a ‘standard’
golfer, one who
does not exist.”
54 GOLFChicagoMagazine.com
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