One Great Shot Isn't a Fitting Result. Look at the Dispersion.

You're comparing two clubs.

One of them produces the best shot of the day. Big carry number. Right down the middle.

It feels like the decision just got made.

Maybe it did. Maybe it didn't.

One golfer asked a question I wish every fitting answered:

How do you know you're seeing a real difference between clubs, and not just normal variation in your strike?

The honest answer is that a few shots can't tell you.

Your swing makes a range, not a number

Every golfer's swing produces a range of results.

Some are flushed. Some are thin. Some come off the toe. That's golf.

So a real fitting result is one that shows up again and again. In the averages. In the dispersion. In the misses.

A difference that only shows up when you happen to catch one perfectly isn't a fitting result.

It's a highlight.

The number I care about most

Dispersion is your pattern. It's how spread out your shots are, left to right and front to back.

It's the number I care about most, and the one golfers look at least.

Averages hide a lot. Two clubs can have the same average carry and very different patterns. One might land everything in a tight window. The other might spray shots over a wide area.

The tight one usually scores better.

If you want a quick refresher on what the rest of the screen means, start with The numbers.

What to ask when you're looking at the screen

Look past the best number.

Then ask three things.

What's the average?
Not the best one. The typical one. That's closer to what you'll take to the course.

If the only number anybody mentions is the longest carry, ask what the typical carry was.

What does the dispersion look like?
Left to right and front to back. Ask to see the patterns for both clubs next to each other.

Don't skip front to back. A club that carries about the same distance every time is easier to trust than one that comes up short on one swing and flies the green on the next.

What happened on the mishits?
You won't flush every swing on the course either. Where did the bad ones go? Could you play from there?

None of those questions takes any technical knowledge. You're just asking to see the whole picture instead of one frame of it.

The trade I'd take

I'll take a club that's a touch shorter on average, with a tighter pattern and a more playable miss, over a club that produces one spectacular shot.

That doesn't mean distance doesn't matter.

It just has to show up in the average, not once.

If two clubs are close on average, the one with the tighter pattern and the safer miss usually wins.

This isn't about second-guessing your fitter

A fitting moves fast. A lot of shots, a lot of numbers, not a lot of time.

In that setting, the best shot is the easiest thing to remember. For you, and for anyone else watching.

The limitation is often the fitting format, not the fitter.

Asking about the average and the dispersion isn't challenging anybody. It's making sure you and your fitter are looking at the same thing before a decision gets made.

And if the pattern is wide with everything you hit, that might not be an equipment question at all. That's a good one to take to your instructor.

If the fitting already happened

Think back. Were you looking at averages, or mostly at your best shots?

If you're not sure, ask your fitter for the averages and the dispersion before you order.

If something still doesn't add up, send the build sheet and the question you still have. It's free, and a person will look at what you were given and reply by email.

You can do that on Before you order.

One great shot is a nice memory. The pattern is what you'll actually play with.