"A golf swing is like a fingerprint" — each golfer swings differently. To maximize performance, players need clubs optimized for their swing and body type. Seoul Economic Daily presents a four-part series with Ping Golf, which pioneered club fitting 50 years ago, offering solutions for golfers struggling with their swing, ball flight, or equipment.
The first installment focuses on driver fitting, featuring two male golfers in their 50s. Park Chan-sik, handicap 8 with 27 years of experience, and Kwon Ki-beom, who shoots around 90 despite only six years of play. Their key difference is physique — Park stands 185cm tall while Kwon measures 162cm.
Why Driver Fitting Includes Iron Distance Questions
Ping's Assistant Manager Cho Seung-jin, a veteran who has worked with tour professionals including nine-time KPGA winner Kim Bi-o and 19-time KLPGA champion Park Min-ji, conducted the fitting.
The process begins with consultation: current ball flight, desired improvements, distance, scores, rounds played, and physical limitations. Cho explained, "Golf requires consistent distance gaps between clubs, so even during driver fitting, we need to understand iron and wood distances."
Six Grip Sizes Available
Hand measurement came first. While most manufacturers offer only one grip size, Ping provides six options based on hand dimensions. Park's hand measured 20cm with 8.7cm middle finger length — on the larger side.
Park's concern was an occasional severe low hook curving sharply left. With swing speed around 96 mph, he first tested the G440 Max, averaging 227.3 meters total distance. The problematic hooks appeared.
Thicker Grip, Low-Spin Head Eliminate Hook
Switching to the low-spin G440 LST produced dramatic results. Over five shots, hooks disappeared and balls flew straight. Total distance jumped to 243.7 meters — roughly 16 meters longer. Shot dispersion tightened from 15 meters to 4.8 meters.
"Park has large hands but used standard grips, and his backswing path came too inside," Cho analyzed. "A thicker grip reduces wrist action, and the LST model promotes fade bias."
Loft Selection Based on Swing, Not Skill Level
Kwon Ki-beom struggled with excessively high ball flight. Despite conventional wisdom that amateurs need higher lofts, Cho immediately recommended reducing his driver loft from 9 to 7.5 degrees.
"Kwon grips down due to his height, making the head feel lighter and increasing hand action. His wrists release early, creating an upward strike," Cho explained.
Cho cited tour pro Kim Bi-o as an example: "Kim has fast swing speed but uses 10.5-degree loft because he hits down on the ball. Loft selection depends on swing style, not skill level."
Tee height adjustment proved equally crucial for Kwon's trajectory and directional consistency, demonstrating how comprehensive fitting addresses multiple variables beyond equipment specifications alone.