Brad Smith, a member of the PGA Quarter Century Club and the 2014 Southern Ohio PGA Section Teacher of the Year, is PGA director of instruction at Heatherwoode Golf Club in Springboro, Ohio, and a two-time Greater Western Ohio Conference Coach of the Year as coach of the Springboro High School golf team.

Brad Smith on the importance of earning credibility with students through clubfitting:

I have students come to me frequently and tell me they have a large yardage gap between clubs. The first thing I do is watch them take a few swings and I examine the divots. From there, I can modify or fit the club to the students swing. Once they try the new club, they notice a different ball flight and realize they do not have to work as hard to get their desired results, since the club has now been tailored to them. This gives me instant credibility in the eyes of the student and opens up possibilities for a future relationship.

Brad Smith on the business impact of earning credibility with students through clubfitting

Golfers are much more educated when it comes to clubfitting nowadays. I used to have a loft/lie machine that I got a lot of work out of, but most players now know in order to play their best, they need to get fitted. However, I still have people come to me after they have purchased clubs and even been fitted elsewhere, just to get my opinion and confirm that they were fitted correctly. The credibility I have earned with these students can often lead to added sales in the shop and in additional fittings. It also helps that these students spread the word to others that I can help them.

If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email brad@golfdronline.com