The proper fit

My friend Nicole took up golf two years ago. Her husband gave her an old set of his clubs that were cut shorter to fit her height. I could tell that Nicole’s clubs were too stiff and heavy, so I suggested she buy a set customized to her needs; clubs that would help me, help her, improve.

Both Nicole and her husband pushed back. They explained that Nicole had made a deal with herself — she would buy clubs when her golf improved. Conventional wisdom would say they were right because Nicole’s skill level didn’t warrant fitted clubs.

On the other hand, I couldn’t help her improve when her golf clubs resembled sledgehammers. It was impossible to teach Nicole to swing her husband’s heavy hand-me-downs with any finesse or control. Because I wasn’t yet confident that fitted clubs would translate into instant improvement, I kowtowed to their strategy. As a golf instructor trained in science, I didn’t want to be that professional on the range selling snake oil.

In my experience, Nicole’s mindset is typical. She w...