From The Tour Van: 2nd Swing Master Fitter Cliff Walzak

Introducing a new series called From The Tour Van, a short question-and-answer segment with the certified master club fitters of 2nd Swing. Through six retail store locations and an online store at 2ndswing.com, 2nd Swing Golf has the most experienced and knowledgeable staff of club fitters in the industry. Golfers can click here to schedule an award-winning 2nd Swing club fitting.

This edition of From The Tour Van features Cliff Walzak, a master club fitter at 2nd Swing's Scottsdale store location. Cliff spent 20 years as a club fitting manager at Titleist and fit clubs for 15 major champions and 50 collegiate winners. 

Now, Cliff's expertise is available at the fingertips of any golfer who is interested in a club fitting at our Scottsdale location. Just visit our fitting website to schedule and make sure you choose Cliff as your fitter to see his openings.

Below is our Q&A with Cliff.

During your career working with Tour Professionals, which players did you learn from the most?

CLIFF: I think the fact that each Tour player had individual thoughts on equipment has been very interesting and it forced us to adapt to each player's needs. Some are feel players, some are launch monitor numbers players, some are club aesthetic players and others can make just about anything work. Tiger could spot the slimmest of margins in the profile of his irons. Rory knew when a ball flight fit his eye at ten years old. Justin had a short game that was unbelievable. All of the players brought something different to the table.

How would you describe the similarities and differences between working with Tour pros and working with amateurs in the 2nd Swing Tour Van?

CLIFF: The vast majority of the Tour players, male and female, woke up one day when they were very young and when they swung a golf club, they understood where the clubface was pointed at impact and how to adjust if the ball was not flying towards their target.

The majority of our players at 2nd Swing have consistent swings, but they do not have a great feeling of where the clubface is pointed, or it has never been explained to them.  When a player understands why the ball goes too far left or right, high or low, as fitters we can work with them to determine which clubs can improve the ball flight.  

There's been a spike in popularity of 7-woods and 9-woods lately. Why are high-lofted fairway woods so beneficial for amateur players?

CLIFF: Twenty years ago, the loft on a 5-iron was 27-28 degrees and a balata ball created significantly more spin than the modern ball.  Now that 5-irons are regularly 22-23 degrees and the ball does not spin as much, a club with a deeper center of gravity that produces more spin is a necessity for many players.  6-hybrids, 9-woods and 7-woods, all create a ball flight that is higher and enables a player to stop the ball on a green.

What do you see is the biggest mistake golfers make when buying clubs?

CLIFF: Many players have too much access to information and they are not experienced enough to understand what applies to them and what does not.  Quite often their preconceived idea of what they need could not be further from what is suitable. We can help remove any doubt about what does and does not apply to a particular player during a fitting.

What are golfers missing out on if they do not get fit for their clubs?

CLIFF: Most players could benefit from the expert opinion of a trained fitter.  Learning why a club performs well or not at all is invaluable information.  When players walk out of a club fitting, they have improved confidence and an understanding of the player/club relationship, which they would never have without working with a professional. The result is better golf, and better golf makes the game we love more fun!