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Club fitting rides wave of technology

For $79,a computer compiles data that canhelp you choose the perfect clubs.

By JOHN SCHWARB

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 23, 2001

NEW PORT RICHEY -- If Alan Shepard had a golf cart on the moon, it may have looked like this. Who knows, maybe it would have helped him hit the 6-iron even farther.

Callaway Golf's newest technological marvel is not for sale -- and it wouldn't fit in a golf bag, anyway. It also is unlikely to make an immediate impact on thousands of Tampa Bay area golfers, because right now it can only be sampled at Fox Hollow Golf Club.

But the Callaway Custom Fitting Solution may be a sign of things to come in the increasingly popular world of golf club fitting. And as signs go, this one is hard to miss.

This summer, Callaway is debuting its first mass-market club fitting device, similar to other major manufacturers' systems yet unlike anything golfers have seen.

Within a three-wheeled, lime-green cart that appears to be straight out of a NASA laboratory, Callaway has assembled 50 clubs from across its product lines and an IBM ThinkPad computer to measure golfers' club speed, ball speed, launch angle and distance -- just about everything except what goes on in a golfer's head.

"I think we've delivered a superior system to the marketplace. Our technology will tend to stick in people's minds," said Tom Preece, Callaway's director of custom products. "And part of the goal was to be different."

From the practice tee, Callaway's device relies on just a few shots to paint a picture of a golfer's swing. With a microphone just inches from the ball and a camera a couple of yards behind, the computer records data and suggests certain clubs that can improve a player's performance.A trained club professional also can make adjustments to the computer.

At the end of the process, a printout can be made from the cart that lists the recommended Callaway products. (The ERC II driver, though ruled non-conforming by the United States Golf Association, can be included in the fitting at the discretion of the club pro.)

From the ThinkPad, a customer's order can be sent to Callaway's headquarters and a set of clubs can be mailed, usually within 48 hours.

"Our goal is for a player to get custom fit, then within a few days have those clubs," Preece said.

At Fox Hollow, chosen by Callaway as its first cart site in the bay area on the basis of its location and success with Callaway products, the cost for a fitting is $79, and can be applied to Callaway club purchases.

For the company, club fitting represents a new battleground for market share. Manufacturers and retailers say interest in custom clubs is on the rise, as golfers become more aware of the personalized technology available and continue to be conscious of the investment required for a new set of clubs.

"It's becoming more of a cognizant issue for golfers," said Gary Davis, manager of Pro Golf Discount in Clearwater. "I'm surprised Callaway didn't come out with (its fitting system) long before now.

"I think they've seen the success of the Ping custom fitting cart, and they're focusing a little more intently on it."

Of all major golf companies, Ping is likely most synonymous with personalized fitting. Karsten Solheim developed a color code for measuring players in 1971, and it is in use today.

Not surprisingly, Callaway's entry into the arena has raised eyebrows among the competition.

"If other manufacturers believe in fitting, it's flattering to us," said Pete Samuels, director of advertising for Ping. "We pioneered it. It reinforces what we've always believed."

Callaway plans to roll out 300 fitting carts worldwide this year, and 195 in the United States. If successful, Preece said the company could boost production to 5,000.

"We know there is a lot of excitement in the industry, a lot of courses that want the system," Preece said. "I think most people will find it an enjoyable product."

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