Custom fit experience in the TaylorMade Performance Lab

Recently we were invited to Wentworth for the ultimate custom fit experience in the TaylorMade Performance Lab and we sent Adam Smith along to test it out.

Dubbed ‘Golf’s Ultimate Fitting Experience’ the TaylorMade Performance Lab at the home of the European Tour at Wentworth is pretty special and it’s tough to argue with the slogan attached to it.

For around four years the state-of-the-art facility has customised drivers, irons, wedges and even putters in the testing suite for golfers which previously only housed professionals honing their game throughout the season.

So what exactly is custom fit? In simple terms it is the design and creation of a club that is made to match your individual golf swing.

Now readily available to the avid golfer the custom fit experience is second to none and you really do receive the professional treatment during your one-on-one with a Wentworth professional.

Motion Analysis Technology

The Lab is kitted out with the most advance customised equipment available including a loft and lie machine, a putter loft and lie machine and a unique gripping station.

The Performance Lab uses Motion Analysis Technology (MAT-T) that enables TaylorMade professionals to capture real-time animation of your swing along with Trackman technology so they can fully understand the loft and lie you require along with your launch conditions including angle of attack, swing path, spin rate, club head and hand speed and ball trajectory all within a tenth of a degree.

The custom fit session lasts two hours and for the first hour you will use the Motion Capture feature which is the same technology used by professional golfers when they are being recorded for the latest computer game technology or when they want a full animation of their swing.

You will put on your motion censor suit in the suite where nine high speed cameras capture every moment of your golf swing creating a 3D animation. This can then be analysed to create your ultimate custom fit experience.

The second hour is using the Trackman technology and when the session is finished all the data collected will be analysed taking into account your swing and launch conditions and your clubs will be custom made just for you.

In charge of putting me through the motions was PGA Professional and TaylorMade specialist Luke Peterken:

“The MAT-T system by Taylormade is one of the most accurate pieces of technology available in capturing data about a golfer's swing and impact position. So with regards to how someone should be custom fitted, using this technology is a must in ensuring you are having the most accurate fitting.

“All the information is then combined with Trackman hitting out onto the Wentworth driving range to then verify what the golf ball is doing. This allows us to build the golf clubs that produce the ultimate performance that the golfer is looking for”.

What next?

You can book your two hour custom fit session through the TaylorMade booking system or by calling 01344 846306. A two hour session costs £200 for a 14 club fitting or £100 for an hour fitting. The session includes warm up, fitting session, club validation and consultation of results. You will also receive a Wentworth logo Ashworth polo shirt along with a sleeve of TaylorMade premium balls.

It had been around four years since I last had a custom fit and as soon as I started receiving feedback from Luke in regards to my swing and indeed my results I understood why professionals spend hours in-between playing in tournaments using this sort of equipment. The confidence you get from knowing exactly where a well struck drive is going to land is huge. Add that to the rest of the clubs in your bag and you soon realise why golf is as much a numbers game than anything else and why they rely so much on precise yardages.

I fully recommend visiting the TaylorMade Performance Lab if you haven’t had a custom fit session or like myself you haven’t had one in a while. From the warm welcome from the staff to the information you receive makes it well worth the money and it really is an ultimate fitting experience.

For more information visit http://wentworth.tmag-performancecentre.com/

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