Spring is in the air, and the Masters tournament is near.

Malbon is once again in the news (marketing geniuses) as they recently dropped Jason Day’s scripting for the week.

The clothing is bad, don’t get me wrong, but I have to tip the cap to the folks at Malbon. They’ll likely generate tens of millions of free impressions from Instagram/Twitter alone.

There isn’t a brand better positioned to capitalize on the expansion of golf into the more casual players of the game. Hate em or love em, Malbon is a force among new players who are looking to push the envelope on the golf course.

Not for me, but it’s a well-run business.

A few weeks back, I spent some time with Billy Ore at 24/7 Golf in Stuart, Florida. (I highly recommend Billy for anyone down there).

At first glance, his facility checks many of the boxes enumerated in How to Identify an Elite Club Fitter. The storefront is poorly marked (and in a strip mall), his wall of shafts is vast, and the website barely functions. All good signs!

For my new readers: if you want to read a mini tour’s perspective on equipment, I’ll direct you to Tour Equipment - Worth the Hype?

Now, I will lend a few words of advice on how to approach a club fitting.

You’ll arrive, and the best fitters will want to talk to you a bit to learn more about the current clubs you play, your “gapping” and your misses. Don’t skip this step. It’s important to give the fitter as much data as possible before you start hitting balls. This becomes especially important if you’re hitting balls inside and can’t see it fly.

My advice is to find a fitter with a Trackman or the equivalent. You want real data, especially spin numbers, which will help the fitter match the shaft and head.

I put together a little website with some of the known good fitters in the country, which you can check out here: https://clubfitting.thetuxedocollective.com/

The goal here is to match shaft preference with desired spin rate + shot shape. My advice would be to hit a bunch of different shafts and head combinations to see all of the data. I’m not a numbers guy when it comes to golf, but it’s good to know the data backs up what you see and feel.

As much as you’ll go into the fitting with preconceived ideas, keep an open mind to different brands. You might be surprised.

Some combos will immediately feel off, and you’ll find yourself gravitating toward others. The numbers won't tell the whole story. How a club looks at address matters as much as what Trackman says.

Example: I like the look of the low spin driver heads, but I don’t necessarily need to play them. Billy helped me tinker until we found a shaft + weight distro on the head that produced what I was looking for (a 280 yard baby fade).

I’ve played Titleist or Callaway irons (no free ads) my entire life, but I made the move to Mizuno this time. I like the way they look, feel, and sound. The numbers didn’t change too much from my old gamers.

With irons, I’m fairly particular about the top-line and offset. The Mizuno S1/S3 looked the best to me, but it always comes down to personal preference.

Find a place where you can hit them outside if you can, as you’ll see and hear the turf interaction and can get more accurate spin numbers.

You’ll also want to think about the profile of the metal of the club. For example, Ping tends to produce a “harder” metal whereas Mizuno makes a super soft metal. There is no right or wrong here, just preference.

I’d also advise against switching iron shafts unless the feel and data are overwhelmingly pointing you in another direction. Iron play is about consistency, not chasing distance, so I’ve found it’s best to stick with what you know.

The wedge fitting is primarily about the bounce of each club. Do you play on fast and firm ground? Or soft and wet? I’d suggest giving the fitter as much info as possible, and do this part of the fitting outdoors if you can. You’ll want to feel club + turf interaction before buying.

Find one that looks good to you at address. Whether it be a blade or mallet, the putter should instill confidence in you. This is an underrated and overlooked element of becoming an elite putter. The best ones truly believe they are going to make every putt they hit.

Minor detail here, but I’ve been “red pilled” into seeing the benefits of midsize grips. I think playing normal grips with a few wraps has been a detriment to my game for a long time.

Find what feels best for you.

Ideally, you’ll want to find a club fitter who is also skilled at building the clubs. This is why I advise staying away from the big companies like GolfTec and Club Champion. The guy who fits you does not know how to build the club.

Find a guy who knows how to fit and to build, and use him for everything.He's there when you need a re-grip, a shaft swap, or anything else the big shops won't touch.

If you haven’t already, take the time to check out every hole at Augusta at The Fried Egg. It’s an excellent read and break down of the most scrutinized golf course in the world.

My main takeaway: Many of the holes and greens no longer resemble what they were when Mackenzie initially built his masterpiece. To me, it seems many holes have been manufactured over time (not just with distance) for the tournament while leaving original framing in the dust.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with it, but there are some super interesting original Mackenzie greens that I’d love to see on TV.

Whether you like him or not, Nick Faldo was a pure-bred flusher of the golf ball. I love his position at the top of the backswing and how he just ever so slightly re-routes it to the inside to shallow it on the way down.

As a guy with a quicker golf swing, it gives me hope watching some of the greats with fast tempos as well.

Grail.

In honor of The Masters starting tomorrow, we will remember former Arizona State player Jose Ballester urinating in Rae’s Creek last year. Let’s make sure we aren’t relieving ourselves out in the open on the golf course.

This should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway.

A meme cleanser to close this week. Long live the true ams.