Inside the Tour Van: Fitting Q&A with Chris Curley

2nd Swing master club fitter Chris Curley boasts over 20 years of experience in golf and has served a professional at some of the most prestigious golf courses in America, including The Pinehurst Resort, Sea Island Golf Club, and Monarch Beach Golf Links. 

He also graduated from the Professional Golf Management program at Ferris State University in 1998 and has been a member of the PGA of America since 2007.

Curley now uses his extensive golf background to help customers in our Scottsdale, Arizona location identify the right clubs for their games, serving as a master club fitter. 

We recently had a chance to ask Curley for some of his fitting insights, the most common fitting corrections he makes, and his newfound fame starring as Greg in 2nd Swing’s ad campaign featuring Sir Stewart Mulligan.

2nd Swing: What are some of the things you have noticed, from a fitting perspective, about the newest golf clubs released in 2019?

Curley: What I am noticing is how competitive these companies are getting. All the major manufactures are making great products that are very close in performance.  For me, it’s all about matching the unique attributes of the golfer which include their look and feel preferences with a model that is both appealing and a great performer for the golfer.

2nd Swing: What are some of the most common changes you make when fitting a customer for a putter?

Curley: The most common adjustment to a putter I make is a length change. It is very rare for a player to set up with their eyes over the ball with an off-the-shelf standard length putter. After length is determined, I then look at the lie angle of the putter. If the heel or toe of the putter is off the ground, I will make an adjustment to the club until the putter is level to the surface. After the lie angle adjustment, I take a look at loft and make sure the ball is coming off the face rolling. If it is hoping up in the air or skidding across the ground, we add or subtract loft until we get the ball rolling as soon as possible. I have found that after adjusting and optimizing these three areas, that improvement is immediate for the player. 

2nd Swing: What do you consider a good sample size of shots to gather data for fitting? Does it depend on the player? 

Curley: I try to keep a close eye on the total number of shots that the player has hit. For example, during a driver fitting, I have found that after 25 swings that there is a dramatic decrease in the golfers performance, and this does not depend on the player. A high-handicapper and a tour player will see a similar degradation in their performance. Anyone who claims that golf isn't a sport should try swinging 25 consecutive drivers! Since there are only so many swings in the player’s tank, in a typical driver fitting we will compare three drivers, with five swings each. Five swings are enough for us to get a good idea on how that particular driver head is performing. After we have a great performing clubhead, we will take the final five to 10 swings to find a shaft that is the best fit for that player with the head that is performing the best. That recipe of great head and shaft working together helps me find big performance increases for our customers. 

2nd Swing: Are there any disadvantages for a high swing speed player using a low compression ball? What about a low swing speed player using a high compression ball?

Curley: Both can be problematic. One of the first questions I ask during a fitting is what kind of ball they are playing. Both the high speed player and the low speed player can see a significant performance penalty for playing the wrong ball. Ball fitting in some instances can be the final piece to unlocking performance for a player, yet is probably the piece of equipment that golfers consider the least. 

2nd Swing: What is your favorite part about club fitting?

Curley: My favorite part of club fitting is helping golfers improve. It doesn't matter to me if it’s a simple loft and lie change or a complete bag fitting. If I have helped that player get a little better at the game they play for enjoyment, then I feel like I am winning.  Hearing those success stories from folks that have worked with me has provided me with more satisfaction than any job I have ever had in the golf industry.  

2nd Swing: How has your life changed since starring as Greg in 2nd Swing’s ad campaign with Sir Stewart Mulligan?

Curley: LOL! Well, Mr. Mulligan has certainly helped me reconnect with friends and family that I haven't talked to in a long time! It’s been a fun experience. But for the record, I was acting! If it was Chris out there instead of Greg, I would only need a mulligan or two!