Given how popular, accessible and recommended that club fitting has become, it often comes as a surprise when a golfer hasn't undergone that experience, particularly when they have a low handicap.
Chris Eidukas is a highly experienced player from Manchester in his 40s who has made it a mission to tick off many of the finest courses throughout the UK. If you can name somewhere notable, the chances are that he's played it before.
But despite that, he hadn't been fitted for a set of irons. That was until he was invited to join Golfshake earlier this year for an unforgettable couple of days at Dundonald Links with Wilson Golf.
Currently playing off a handicap of 5.9 and using a set of irons that had been in his possession for a decade, it was beyond time for an upgrade, especially as he was keen to see if modern equipment specifically tailored to him could help to unleash some unlocked potential in his game.
How Small Changes Made a Big Difference
Keen to gain some additional distance alongside improving consistency, Chris met Golfshake's Ryan Rastall and Wilson's Scott Clelland, PGA Advanced Fellow Professional and Tour Technician, who provided his keen eye and expertise to craft the perfect setup for this passionate golfer.
Having suffered from back issues, Chris explained that he had adapted his own personal golfing itinerary by gradually transitioning into using lighter and softer feeling equipment, but now was the moment to gain some extra confidence within his iron play.
Although hitting his previous set reasonably well, there was a noted inconsistency in strike quality, which led to a drop-off in performance when contact wasn’t perfect.
That opened the door for where enhancements could be made during the fitting.
Switching to a slightly heavier shaft made the club feel "more balanced" through Chris' swing, with that changing how the club behaved during those key moments of transition and impact, meaning that his poorer strikes retained their ball speed more effectively than before.
Dispersion had tightened considerably and the quality of strike quickly became more stable.
Ultimately, this process demonstrated that, even when going further into heavy shaft options, that rather than favouring lightweight clubs due to his back problems, the solution came by understanding balance throughout the swing, which illustrated that Chris could ultimately play something moderately heavier than he had been previously.
Why Wilson's Dynapwr Forged Irons Were The Right Option
Refining the setup with Scott, Wilson's Dynapwr Forged Irons became the optimum choice, as they offered greater consistency, improved flight control, a solid feel and welcome forgiveness without giving up that "players" style that many better standard golfers favour.
Although the lofts remained close to Chris' existing irons, the key difference was courtesy of the heavier shaft profile and different balance point that had significantly improved how the club moved through the swing.
Chris had been a little concerned that moving away from the lighter clubs that he had been accustomed to would be potentially awkward, but after undergoing the full process, it became apparent that modest but transformative changes had made a considerable difference for the better.
After taking a tour of the Wilson factory and seeing his new irons being assembled, Chris headed out to the links at Dundonald, which annually stages the Women's Scottish Open and has spent several years as a Final Qualifying Venue for The Open, where he put his clubs to the truest test.
Leaving Ayrshire with a set of Wilson Dynapwr Forged irons that had a heavier shaft profile, a different shaft balance, and grip sizing that was more consistent with the rest of his bag, it was an unforgettable and rewarding experience for Chris.
If you would like to look back at previous instalments that are part of this series, please visit:
- Can these irons help a mid handicap golfer?
- What happened when this golf pro was fitted for Wilson irons?
You can see more insights from Chris' fitting by watching our new video below.
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