The golf ball is the only piece of equipment you
use on every shot. At Titleist, we know you want
a golf ball with consistency on every hole, during
every round. But how do you find the right ball for
your game to improve performance?
Being fit for your golf ball is a great place to start.
And when it comes to fitting, there might not be
any better authorities on the topic than our golf
ball fitting teams who tour across the country
helping golfers get dialed in every day.
Now you might be thinking: What does a golf ball
fitting look like? Well, we caught up with one of
our experts, Patrick Dewar (pictured above) from
our east coast golf ball fitting team, to give us the
scoop.
Here are some key points from our discussion and
you can check out the rest of the interview below.
Quick hits:
• Bring a lofted wedge (54⁰-60⁰), a 6 or 7-iron,
and your driver to the fitting.
• A full fitting will take 15-20 minutes to
complete.
• Titleist uses a “green-to-tee approach” for golf
ball fittings.
• You should go through a golf ball fitting when a
new generation of your favorite Titleist golf ball is
launched or if you have new equipment.
• Titleist has three mobile golf ball fitting teams
that conduct fitting events across the U.S. year-
round.
• Playing the right golf ball will make a difference
in your game.
Q: What do I need to bring to my fitting?
Patrick Dewar (PD): If you are signed up to go
through our full golf ball fitting using our
TrackMan launch monitors, you will need to bring
a lofted wedge (54⁰-60⁰), a 6 or 7-iron, and your
driver. To help us make a recommendation as to
which golf ball is best for your game, we will have
you hit a series of shots using the three different
clubs, starting with a 50 yard wedge shot. Arrive
a few minutes early to allow yourself enough time
to warm up before your appointment.
If you have not signed up for a full fitting but still
want to find out what is the best ball for your
game, we also offer a fitting service where we
conduct an in-depth game assessment and make
a golf ball recommendation.
So, if you haven’t signed up in advance or don’t
feel like hitting shots on our launch monitor,
please still come by one of our fitting events and
we’ll help you determine the best ball for your
game.
Q: How long will the fitting last, and how will the
fitter determine which golf ball is best for my
game?
PD: A full fitting will take 15-20 minutes to
complete, and it begins with an assessment of
your game and your performance objectives. This
provides your fitter with information about your
game, your current golf ball, and what you are
looking for in terms of golf ball performance. You
will then hit a series of shots on our TrackMan
launch monitor: a 50 yard wedge shot, a 6 or 7-
iron, and your driver.
During the TrackMan assessment, your fitter will
look at your launch conditions – launch angle,
spin rate, land angle, etc. – and will use that
information and the feedback you provide to
make a golf ball recommendation. You will then
be provided with samples of a recommended and
alternative golf ball to test during your own
green-to-tee on-course assessment in order to
make a final determination as to which golf ball is
best for your game.
Q: Why choose a golf ball using a green-to-tee
approach?
PD: At Titleist, we use our “Green-to-Tee”
approach to golf ball fitting to fit all players, from
the players you see playing Titleist golf balls on
the PGA and LPGA Tours, to golfers who shoot
over 100, and everyone in between. All Titleist
golf balls are designed and manufactured to be
exceptionally long off the tee, and golfers typically
only hit 14 drives per round, so to find the best
golf ball for your game we start at the green and
work back to the tee.
We take this approach because we know it is the
“scoring shots” - approach shots, pitches, and
chips - that have the most significant impact on
your score. Professionals and amateurs alike
shoot lower scores when they save shots into and
around the green, which is why we start at the
green and prioritize fitting golfers into golf balls
that will maximize their performance on the
scoring shots.
Q: How often should I go through a golf ball
fitting?
PD: We love talking golf balls with golfers, so
anytime our mobile fitting team is in your area
we’d love to have you come to one of our events.
However, there are a couple situations in which
you should always try to go through a golf ball
fitting:
When a new generation of your favorite Titleist
golf ball is launched, you should reassess your
golf ball selection to make sure you are still
playing the best Titleist golf ball model for your
game.
If you make any equipment changes, such as
purchasing a new set of wedges and/or irons, or
significant swing changes then your launch
conditions may change and it can be important to
re-evaluate your golf ball selection at that time.
Q: What time of year is best to go through a golf
ball fitting?
PD: Anytime. Titleist has three mobile golf ball
fitting teams that conduct fitting events across
the U.S. year round.
Q: Will the golf ball make a difference in my
game?
PD: Absolutely, yes! At Titleist we have found the
most overlooked piece of equipment in an
amateur golfer’s bag is the one they use on every
shot: The golf ball. Has a well-struck approach
shot ever run out more than you thought it
should? Do you consistently have longer putts
than you’d like after you hit short game shots
around the green? The fact of the matter is that
there are game-changing performance and quality
differences between golf ball brands and models,
especially on shots into and around the green.
If you play a Titleist golf ball that is fit for your
game and use that same model every shot of
every round, you will absolutely see the difference
in your game.
