How do fitters identify the optimal 'shaft length' for whatever, driver, irons, etc.?

Just curious, but I understand the dilemma may be one of 'inventory'. Fitters have different shafts, different manufacturers/models, different flexes, but I've rarely seen with our local fitters (have not tried Club Champion), that they don't seem to have different lengths, which understandably gets into the pre-shaft-adapter era problem of requiring too much 'inventory' to cover that aspect. So how/when would a fitter who doesn't have different length shafts of a particular make/flex make a recommendation to cut something down that you can't try in front of him, or do they not bother with that?

Trial and error paired with face impact testing. Whichever gives the best strikes is the best length - also paired with other factors like distance.

For the longer clubs - drivers, fairways, hybrids, this DIY fitting tutorial covers it pretty well. The only difference is that instead of doing everything yourself, it's guided by the fitter and usually use an LM to more closely monitor the changes in the results.

Irons are a little different since the fitter (if done properly) needs to balance the potential of getting length too short on one end of the set with getting too long for the other end of the set. Here is another good thread to read on the subject by Tom Wishon.

The rules for play lengths is quite simple.

Dont go too short in the short end of the set, dont go too long in the long end of a set....

In the short end its about a functional stance (its no good hanging to much over the ball, we can "move right" when clubs gets to short), in the long end, its about the players eye to hand coordination, where we should avoid to go so long that the player have issues to make a pure impact.

Fitting is knowledge and art combined, but it happens that we fail, like judging the longest and shortest club in a iron set right for the actual player, based on a #6 or #7 fitting iron only. It have happened a few times for me that we took a chance and made 3-PW, but the gap and dispersion tweak done before delivery found that the #3 iron was more than the player could handle good, but i never failed judging the short end right, even if i used a #6 iron as fitting club. (the #3 iron issue only happens with 4/8" SW matched sets).

For drivers and woods, its the same issue. We cant really offer ALL models, ALL flexes and ALL play lengths, so we have to compromise like having the player to lower his hands on the grip to try a shorter play length, but even GRIPS is a issue, since most places have grips in standard size with regular grip tape, and thats NO good if the player needs MID size.... Ideal is to start with the grip, and let the player test ALL options from that point on using his grip of choice, but even then we have to compromise on something, we CANT offer all options without.

Stuart, thank you.

As Howard said, one cannot have every combination for one to try. When I had my shop, I had test irons from plus one inch to minus one inch in 1/2in increments. This mean 5 clubs but same head, same shaft, same grip. Add in say two flexes and now 10 test clubs are needed. Now add in different heads, grip sizes, etc. See where I am going?

great post

Now add heads with different BBGM...OMG i had a awakening when i started to cut shafts for demo with 3 different brand club heads, where not even the same brand had the same BBGM for all models, so "standard" in one head, could be both longer or shorter in another, and as a PFC center, i should offer the FULL line up, both aftermarked and Tour issue models in all flexes. I used compressed air to put grips on fitting clubs, that way i could offer the grip model and size, with or without extra build up as the player wanted, but it also saved me a fortune in grips i could spend on more models of shafts.

Looking back it was totally crazy, for wedges alone i had 36 base models in 6 different loft options (216 head options) before custom grinding that could be added, and the iron/wedge shaft selection was right below 50 models and flexes, and 216 x 50 =10.800 combinations....in one length, (35.00") but we must offer at least standard and plus 0.5, so thats 100 shafts or 21.600 combos for wedges only, but still i could not have "all options" ready to try off. The plus 0.5" was either for LOB as plus 0.5" or "standard" for GW, so if a player wanted to try a GW as plus 0.5", i had to pick a new shaft from my stock to make it, so no matter how hard you try, there will always be options you dont have test ready, its simply not possible, and if it was a Sand wedge, they got the LW shaft for plus 0.5" with a tape on the grip to reduce play length 0.25" (standard), and those who needed plus 0.5" would have to try +0.25" unless i could get another shaft out from my stock for that test....And players complains about fitting fees? if they only knew what it takes and cost to serve what many of them demands....