. “Not getting a fitting before buying the club is a fundamental mistake, because that club might be suitable for your friend, but not for you.”

. “Many men would do better with women’s clubs, as they are lighter. A heavy club doesn’t help, and neither does a longer shaft.”

The past, present and future of the material used in the golf industry, where are we going?, was the focus of debate at the second event of the Communication and Companies Cup of the season, a set of actions promoted by the RFEG in order to spread the values of golf to the whole of Spanish society, which was attended by Mar Ruiz de la Torre, vice president of the RFEG.

Carlos Fabregues,

The head of the Fitting area of the Golf Centre of Excellence, located on the course of the National Centre, a place of reference in Spain, Europe and, why not say it, the world, together with Kiko Luna -coach of the national golf teams-, Carlos Balmaseda and Carmen Alonso -professional golfers with extensive experience and various triumphs to their credit- acted as speakers in a colloquium that attracted the attention of all those present.

What is golf fitting, and what is it for? Are amateur golfers aware of the importance of a fitting? How often should they get fitted? And what about professionals?

What are the most common mistakes?

What common mistakes do amateur players make with their equipment? These were issues that found a place in the debate, which converged on a common question:

Is it true that the fields are at the limit of distance and design due to the improvement of the material?

Kiko Luna, for his part, provided the keys to creating the perfect bag based on each player's characteristics, highlighting common mistakes and the differences compared to the professional level. The characteristics of Jon Rahm's bag were also discussed in his presentation.

For his part, Carlos Balmaseda discussed the importance of equipment among golf professionals and how the materials used for clubs, balls, gloves, etc. have changed radically over time.

The loss of distance with increasing age and the possibility of mitigating it with a change of equipment, or the differences between professionals playing on different circuits, were also discussed by Carlos Balmaseda.

By way of explanation, Carlos Fabregues reminded everyone that “a fitting is a process that must be carried out by a qualified technician and aims to recommend the equipment best suited to the player's physical and technical conditions. Not getting a fitting before buying the club is a fundamental mistake. Some people copy a friend or a professional. That's not a good idea; it leads to mismatches, because that club might be suitable for your friend, but not for you,” he explained.

Kiko Luna used the same argument: “It is essential to do a fitting first, especially for the putter, because it is the most important club in the bag,” he said.

The question for Kiko Luna, whose coaches have included talents like Jon Rahm, was inevitable: what should an amateur golfer carry in their bag? “The essentials are sands, irons from the wedge to the 7-iron, fairway woods depending on distance, and a driver. That's all you need. It's about making things easy, not more difficult,” he argued before concluding with a quote from Seve Ballesteros: “The most important thing is your hands.”.

With his experience, Kiko Luna asserted that “just by watching the swing, you can tell if that player should carry more irons or woods in their bag. You have to find what works best for you. For example, many men would do better with women's clubs. It happens to me, since they are lighter clubs. A heavy club doesn't help, and neither does a longer shaft,” he explained.

“The equipment can help level the playing field for golfers.“

The perspective of a professional player was essential, and that was provided by Carlos Balmaseda, Spanish Professional Champion (2007) and Senior Professional Champion (2021 and 2023), among other titles. In his opinion, golf has changed significantly over the years due to the evolution of equipment.

“Equipment can help a mediocre player improve; in a way, it levels the playing field,” he stated, with Kiko Luna’s approval. “I agree that you should play with the clubs that suit you best, and I say this because when you’re a professional, it seems like you have to jump straight to supposedly better clubs. As an anecdote, I can tell you that I had a great round in a tournament years ago with the clubs an amateur girl lent me because mine were lost in transit,” he explained.

Carlos Balmaseda brought into the discussion the existing restrictions on club lengths to prevent courses from being too short for professionals. “They hit incredible distances, but I’ll always prefer a shorter, well-protected par 3, not one over two hundred meters long that forces you to use a 3-wood.”.

Carlos Fabregues introduced another factor into this variation: the improved physical conditioning of the players, which has allowed them to gain ground. "No one can access a circuit now without being a good athlete.".

“It is the equipment that must adapt to the player”

The best summary of the day was provided by another professional golfer who supported the event with her presence, the winner of the Ladies European Tour, Carmen Alonso.

“It’s essential that the equipment is adapted to the player, not the other way around. Sometimes we have technical issues that aren’t technical issues at all, but rather stem from a mistake in choosing the right equipment. It’s vital that the tool we have in our hands is right for us, not for the person next to us. Go for a fitting; they’ll put the correct club in your hands, and that will help you enjoy golf,” he pointed out. It couldn’t be explained any better.