Inside the Tour Van: Fitting Q&A with Aaron Roth

By Drew Mahowald -- 2nd Swing Staff Writer

As 2nd Swing continues to grow and evolve its award-winning club fitting process, employing an exceptional staff of experienced club fitters remains a top priority.

That’s where people like Aaron Roth play an important role.

Roth has a decade of experience in the golf industry and is an avid player himself, carrying a single-digit handicap for nearly 20 years and competing in numerous amateur events in Minnesota every year.

Thankfully for us at 2nd Swing, Roth serves as a master club fitter at our Minnetonka Tour Van location. He took some time out of his busy fitting schedule to share some of his insights on fitting, new product launches in 2019, and what he likes most about working with golfers every day.

2nd Swing: From a fitting perspective, what are your takeaways from the new product releases in 2019? Does any of the new equipment stand out to you?

Roth: The biggest thing I have noticed for this year’s products, specifically drivers, is how close all the manufacturers are in performance. In past years, it was generally a two- or three-horse race for the best performance, but now it seems every manufacturer has great options. Manufacturers have also done a great job engineering drivers that cover the entire spectrum of player needs, providing low-spin options and more-forgiving options. This allows us to fit players into a driver that not only goes farther but that is more forgiving for the player’s swing as well.

2nd Swing: When fitting for wedges, how do you determine what bounce is best for customers?

Roth: As with any fitting, it starts with the interview. I want to know what wedges the customer is currently playing (head model, length, shaft, loft, lie angle, bounce, and grind). Then I try to identify what the tendencies are. Are the missed shots hit thin or heavy? Pushed or pulled? I look at gapping issues and maybe a distance the player struggles with. In general, if a player attacks steep and tends to miss heavy, he or she will most likely benefit from higher bounce and wider sole wedges. Meanwhile, a player with a shallow angle of attack (otherwise known as a sweeper) would benefit from a lower-bounce, thinner-sole option. On a side note, one of the most common things we do to improve a player’s wedge game is ensuring the lofts are gapped properly. I see players almost every day that have too big of a gap between a pitching wedge and a gap wedge and too small of a gap between the rest of the wedges. Ideally, golfers should have four to six degrees in between each wedge depending on how many wedges are in the bag.

2nd Swing: At what point do you recommend that a customer removes a long iron, such as a 3-iron or 4-iron, from the bag and replace it with a hybrid or utility club?

Roth: Proper gapping is one of the most important parts of fitting a set of clubs for a player. Most players think of yardage only in total distance, but the best players in the world think in terms of carry distance and spin to ensure the ball stops consistently. Players that can no longer hold the green with a long iron will need to find a replacement. I often tell my customers that unless they are going to only play courses that do not have hazards or obstacles leading up to the green, they need to give a hybrid or a higher-lofted wood a try. Not only will the ball carry further, but those clubs are more forgiving than an iron. Who wouldn’t want that combination?

2nd Swing: Of all the adjustments you make to a customer’s driver, is there one that has the most impact on gaining more distance off the tee?

Roth: There are many different adjustments that can be made to a driver that are going to impact distance, so this varies depending on the player on their tendencies. Some players will gain distance simply by increasing or decreasing loft. Others gain distance when weight is moved forward in the clubhead. However, moving that weight forward reduces the club’s forgiveness and launch. Because of that relationship, it’s very important to look at how one change might create another problem and understand what each different player is looking for from the driver.

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

Roth: I love working with players of all ages and skill levels and helping them have more fun on the course. Some of the best experiences I’ve had over the years are with younger players. Fitting youngsters into their first set of clubs and then watching their games get better year after year and working with them during their growth is something I am very proud of. I am very lucky to have worked with some of the best young players in the midwest, and to see their success in high school and college tournaments is the most exciting part of my job. I have a hat collection from all of the players that have gone on to play college golf, and I won’t be satisfied until that number is well into the hundreds!