Measure your basic height from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. Stand up as straight as possible to get the measurement. You don’t need to be in your swing stance.

Alternatively, it’s good for the fitter to see you swing the clubs you already own and play with regularly to see what might make for a good corrective size, helping to address any inconsistencies in your swing. Standard size golf club lengths are different for men and women. Each club, from the driver to the wedge, also has it’s own standard length, so you must be fit each type. If you want to do a quick-check of your measurements and get a sense of your plus-or-minus length score, you can plug your numbers in here.

One of the most common reasons for just buying clubs off the rack is that golfers say, “I’m not good enough for a custom club. " In fact, players with a higher handicap have a game that can be much more drastically improved with the use of custom-fit clubs that help to train the swinging motion properly. [6] X Research source

To determine your swing speed, you’ll likely need access to an electronic launch monitor and a radar machine available at most high-end pro shops. [7] X Research source It’ll be difficult to do at home. In general, though, most amateurs fall somewhere in the neighborhood of 80–85 mile (129–137 km)-per-hour swings. In general, people with faster swings prefer stiff shafts on their woods and iron shafts on the irons. People with slower swings are more likely to prefer flex shafts on the woods and graphite shafts on the irons.

Less than 180 yards (165 meters), use ladies flex. Between 181 to 200 yards (166 to 183 meters), use senior flex. Between 200 to 235 yards (183 to 215 meters), use regular flex. Between 236 to 275 yards (216 to 251 meters), use stiff flex. More than 275 yards (251 meters), use extra-stiff flex.

If a 4 or 5 iron, ladies flex. If a 5 iron, senior flex. If a 6 iron, soft regular flex. If a 7 iron, regular flex. If a 7 or 8 iron, firm flex. If an 8 iron, stiff flex. If a 9 iron, extra stiff flex.

If you use a small or cadet-small glove, use a lady standard grip. If you use a medium or medium-large glove, use a standard grip. If you use a large glove, use a mid-size grip. If you use an extra large glove, use an oversize grip.

Ask golfing buddies, family, or golf shop employees to let you try different clubs on the driving range. You can predict what you’re going to like a little bit based on your height and swing speed, but a lot of it is also personal taste. Choose a standard club to practice.

Try out short clubs in various situations from various distances and see what works for your style. Head to any Golfsmith and there will be a small putting area for testing clubs. Try not to get distracted by all of the crazy looking options and focus instead on which ones you’re actually getting the ball into the hole with.