The joys of fitted clubs make a golfer dream of well-groomed fairways and perfect shots. The Adams Golf fitting process and current Super line can help get you past that dreaming phase a little more quickly.
To try out the entire process, I headed to my local Golfsmith and went through the complete Adams Smartfit procedure. Players are invited to bring in their current set of clubs into the Adams Smartfit station. Sensors feeding a computer simulator track your swing, distance and direction as you go to work with your current set.
Then, a Smartfit professional coaching registers your personal measurements and swing requirements to serve up the best club for you.
For example, my fitting process detected my current club set was too short – causing me occasionally to dip my back knee and back shoulder in an effort to generate a cleaner ball strike. Unfortunately, that dip in my swing meant I was catching the ball fat and robbing distance.
In addition, at 6’3” and 250 lbs. on a good day, I hit the ball with considerable power and maybe excessive club head speed – coming over the top slightly on my swing. That meant flexible graphite shafts are not for me as every swing would threaten to snap them cleanly in half.
With the Smartfit procedure complete, the resulting measurements suggested a steel, stiff club shaft, extended 1.5 inches. The resulting set would be rugged enough on the backswing and follow through with extra length to remove that dooming dip in my ball striking.
Once set up with a demo club matching those specs, another run at the simulator indicated I’d gain 40 yards on average per club with fitted Adams clubs. After submitting the Smartfit numbers to Adams Golf, a couple short weeks brought a new set of Super S Idea Irons, Super S Hybrids and Super S Driver.
With a club head roughly the size of a Volkswagen Beatle, the Driver’s sloping design and ample face provided an inviting tool at the range on those first tees. However, the most appealing feature of the Super S Driver is its balance. Since I tend to come over the top of my golf swing, my drive can suffer. My short irons love the loop as I dig under them nicely, but any driver requires a perfect circle on plane to work with the extra shaft length.
The reassuring balance of the Super S Driver reminded me to keep me back swing behind me and on a level plane with my downswing and followthrough on drives.
After a few test swings to whittle away a minor slice, I had the Super S Driver working.
Switching to the steel shaft irons, the Adams S series there offers a departure from where many manufacturers are going. In era when many golf club makers are fattening their club heads and making hybrids out of almost every club, Adams returned to true iron design with thinner, lighter blades.
Forged from high tech materials the designers of the past couldn’t have imagined, the slim, hollow design makes for clubs that cut through the air like a plane wing – generating extreme impact speed and providing that extra distance promised by the Smartfit testing.
Finally, the Super S Hybrids pass the essential test of all hybrid clubs: The player can hit them like standard irons without adapting his or her screen. Designed with thin, flatter heads, the Hybrids cut through fairway grass with minimum friction and the same calming balance of the Super S Drive. These hybrids won’t hide in your bag because you’re somehow afraid of hitting the half iron/half wood. Just grip and rip.
In the end, the Adams Smartfit process made the pleasure of using these fit clubs possible. It’s a reliable entry into the Adams family and comes through with the additional distance promised.