KZG Announces the 'World’s Top 100 ClubFitters' Awards for 2017

(PALM DESERT, Calif.) – KZG, the #1 Custom ProLine, announce the 12th annual “World’s Top 100 ClubFitters” Awards for 2017. Each year KZG honors 100 outstanding ClubFitters possessing superior skill, integrity and passion for their profession.

“Reports indicate that 68% of all golfers claim to have been custom fit.  Yet other reports state 92% of all golfers are still playing the wrong equipment for their unique swing” reveals Jennifer King, President of KZG.  “We offer seminars to PGA members and they agree with these sad statistics.  They also admit that they can’t teach golfers who play with ill-fitting clubs. The biggest challenge for the public is discerning a true Professional Fitter from a glorified salesman claiming to be a fitter”.

So, what should golfers be looking for?  How can they discern if a clubfitter is truly qualified?  Is there a list of equipment that clubfitters should utilize during a fitting?  With virtually every salesman in a retail store and every teaching pro claiming to be a professional clubfitter, answers to these questions are difficult and the search for a truly qualified fitter daunting.

Mike Girard, a PGA teaching pro, Master Clubfitter rated in the World’s Top 100, and owner of Tree Tops Golf in Florida suggests what to look for in a qualified fitter.  “A short list of what to
avoid in selecting a fitter seems obvious:  internet fitting systems; stores where every salesman claims to be a fitter; a teacher or “fitter” who fits by “eyeballing” your shots; anyone who is not using a launch monitor and frequency analyzer; anyone using a fit bag with limited options; or a fitter who doesn’t partner with a qualified custom builder to guaranty his fitting specifications are followed precisely. “  

“Professional ClubFitters are highly trained in understanding the mechanics of the swing, the design features and profiles of clubheads and shafts, utilize sophisticated launch monitors, have a wide spectrum of fitting clubs to work with and assume the responsibility that their fitting instructions are perfectly carried out by a professional club builder” adds Ed Mitchell, Founder of Mitchell Golf Equipment Company.

The industry is focused on growing the game.  Suggestions of making 18” holes and turning courses into “football” fields have been floated. “The most obvious and quickest way to help grow the game is giving our golfers the right tools so they can improve and truly enjoy the game” says King.  “The 2017 ‘Top 100 ClubFitters’ are exceptional professionals.  Their primary goal is helping the golfer. Their reputations are important and they will not just give the golfer what they ‘want’ for a quick easy sale, but rather will insist on fitting the golfer into clubs that will optimize their swing … integrity is crucial.”

An independent panel of industry experts determine the criteria necessary to be considered a top Professional ClubFitter.  From the criteria submitted, a point system was put into place to grade each application. The panel included Clay Long, renowned club designer and personal fitter for Jack Nicklaus; Gene Parente, president of Golf Laboratories, Inc. the premier golf equipment testing facility and producer of robot testing utilized by every equipment manufacturer; Dr. Jennifer King, KZG’s President; Dr. Christian Reichardt, author of “Pain Free Golf” and doctor of sports medicine and fitness, and Ed Mitchell., President and Founder of Mitchell Golf Equipment Co.,  one of the top providers of equipment for repairs and custom club building.

This year’s Honorees hail from around the world, including 44 honorees from the UK/Europe, 31 from the United States, 13 from Canada, 4 from Asia, and 8 from Australia/New Zealand.  The Honorees come from a wide variety of locations ranging from small stores serving rural areas to large performance centers with multiple fitters and instructors. All of them are highly skilled and continue to hone their skills to raise the bar for their profession.

CANADA:   
AB
Jordy McKenzie, Alberta Golf Works
Rey Erickson, Erickson;s Professional Custom Clubs
Lyle Helland, Simply Golf
BC
Jonathan Lee, Lincoln Li, Fit Golf Center
Terry Stav, Golf West
Chris Knight, Vista Ridge Golf
NS  
Bob Spicer, RJS Custom Clubs
ON
Don Irving, Artisan Golf Co.
Rene Grandmaison, Grand Lynx Golf Centre
Greg Rodrigues, Hi-Cor Golf
Jason Faubert, The Golfer’s Academy
PQ
Peter Lamothe, Golf Opinion

EUROPE & UK:
Austria
Manfred Capelli, Capelli Golf
Gerold Fiechtl, GF Clubfitting
Andreas Lauss, Golfclub Ottenstein

Belgium
Vincent Willems, European Golf Fitting Studio Golf Centrum Puurs

Czech Rep.
Jiri Votroubek, Milan Vantuch, Golf 59

England
Matt Pearson, Performance Fitting Center at Waterton Park GC

France
Herve Francillon, BackSpin Golf Fitting
Jean-Christophe Jarrige, Bretagne Clubmaking
Olivier Chalon, C.O. Golf
Ludovic Michelot, Fer Square
Arnaud Smaghe, Gard & Golf
Nicolas Tourkia, L'Atelier du Golf
Marc Brossard, MB Clubs
Alexandre D'Incau, Pro Clubmaker
Jean-Michel Queva, Queva Clubfitting
 
Germany
Alistair Grandison, Bob & Son
Joerg von der Gathen, Club Align Golf
Gerald Friz, Golf+IT
Benny Pfister, Marco Burger, Hole in One Fitting                            
Richard Phillips, Richard Phillips Proshop M/S Tinnen
 
Ireland
Nigel Shaw, Warrenpoint Golf Club

Luxembourg
Nils Bichel, BIGOLF S.A. dba Luxgolfhouse

Netherlands
Brian Griffiths, Golf Academy Brian Griffiths
Marcel de Jager, Golfhunter

Slovenia
Viljem Kern, Kern Golf
                                 
Spain
Mateo Noel, Fit & Golf
Daniel Lasseter, Fitting Center Under Par
Jose Angel, Golf Getafe
Juan Carlos Garcia Diaz, Golf Planet
Agustin Sanchez, Golfinteligente
Miki Rapado, Handmade Custom Clubs
David Canet, Leylak Projectes, SL dbaTot golf Clubmaker
Michel Rodriguez, MicRod Clubfitter
Tobias Widmer, Tobias S Widmer Golf

Sweden
Anders Molin, Anders Molin Golf
Marcus Karlsson, Golf Monkey
Tony Guelli, Golf Performance Sweden AB
John Ahlblom, Golfakademin i Uppsala
Johanna Pyk-Jargard, Johanna's Golf Shop

Switzerland
Giuseppe "Pepe" Naula, Pepe's Golf-Clinic
Norbert Studer, Willi Vogt, R & L Custom Golf Clubfitting

UNITED STATES:
AK
John Gose, Full Swing Golf

AZ
Efren Nava, Advanced Dynamic Clubfitters

CA
Brad Whalen, Eric Sherman, KZG Performance Center
Anthony Stagno, Mammoni Golf @ Santa Fe Golf Range
Brad Wubben, Old River Golf Course
Chad Dietz, The Bunker Golf Center

CO
Bryan “buddy” Beem, Colorado

CT
Paul Ferrone, Downtown Golf

FL
John Duffy, Duffy’s Golf Studio
Dick Cicero, Pin High Enterprises
Glenn Southworth, Southy Custom Golf
Michael Girard, Alex Girard, Tree Tops Golf

KS
Mike Dickerson, Golf MD

KY
Tom Barron, 21st Golf Technology
Dale Cummings, Cummings Custom Clubs

MI
Clark Peterson, Golf Performance Academy
Brent Norton, Miles of Golf

NC
Kelly York, Kelly’s Golfe
Curtis Eudy, Leatherman Golf Learning Center

ND
Andrew Baumann, Golf Etc.- Bismarck

NY
Paul Sanders, Sanders Golf Academy

OH
Dave Freed, DV Golf

OR
Jari Hakonen, Birdie Finish Golf
Bob Duncan, eCoach Ventures

PA
Jerry Hintze, Clubmakers Shop
Dave Gedris, Oakmont Golf Center

PR
Hector “Blanco” Matos, Play Better Golf

SD
Bryan Sterk, Golf Etc.- Sioux Falls

VA
Jim Smiley, Matt Trenton, Golfdom
                                     
For more information, visit www.kzg.com or call (800) 200-8800 or (760)341-4433.