Carl Parker never set out to be a clubmaker – he just wanted his own perfect clubs. Today and 720 golf shafts later, he’s opened his own custom-fitting and club-building studio. We spoke to him about his new space, what makes his fitting process stand out, and how Over The Top Golf help his business.
How did you get into clubmaking and clubfitting?
I got into clubmaking and coaching through trying to improve my own game. I’d completed my PGA foundation degree and started coaching, but I soon realised that if a golfer’s equipment wasn’t right, it didn’t matter what I told them, they’d still hit it badly. Visiting a local pro or an off course retailer wasn’t always the answer. It’s not just a case of “a bad workman blames his tools,” you can genuinely end up with the wrong coach or the wrong clubs and go completely off track.
So, I started learning about equipment, initially just to sort out my own bag. My boss at Crews Hill, Neil Wichelow, taught me the importance of loft and lie angles, and I eventually bought his old loft and lie machine. I’ve still got it today.
Before long, I had 720 shafts on the wall and was building clubs for players of all standards. I never set out to be a clubmaker, it just happened. I’m hands-on, I like sorting out both the swing and the equipment, and I prefer to build the clubs myself.
Tell us about your new studio.
I’ve had my own business for 23 years. Most recently I was coaching, fitting, and building at Old Fold Manor. I’d planned to open my own space before Covid, and when a site came up near my home in Buntingford, I went for it. It’s about 30 minutes north of where I was, and it’s been busy since day one.
The studio is powered by TrackMan 4 and TrackMan iO, and I’ve got a full workshop on site too. I’ve found keeping the business small is key. I’m a perfectionist, so I want to be involved every step of the way, from the fit to the build.
What brands do you stock?
For heads, I work with Mizuno, Ping, Srixon, TaylorMade, and Titleist. Shaft-wise, most of my stock comes from Over The Top Golf, they distribute Fujikura, Mitsubishi, Graphite Design, KBS, and Breakthrough Golf Technology.
OTT are fantastic. They’re my first call for shafts and components like adaptors. The team care about what they do, they’ve got their customers’ best interests at heart, and they’re all passionate golfers. Their service is spot on. They get stock out fast, and because they carry so much, I don’t have to hold a huge inventory. If something is out of stock, they keep me updated throughout the process.
How do your fittings differ from others?
I wear a lot of hats, coach, fitter, sometimes even sports scientist. I always start by asking what someone’s working on in their swing. Then I measure their current equipment for length, loft, lie, and swingweight to get a proper picture.
Most fitters treat coaching and fitting as separate things. I don’t. If I can make a change that improves your game – coaching or equipment – I’ll do it.
There’s a dark art to it. Sometimes five minutes in, you just know you’re on the right track. A lot of fitters start with the shaft. I start with the head. The head is the engine, and the shaft is the transmission, you need both to be working in harmony.
There’s also a bit of tough love in the room. Some people need that. I’ve been doing this long enough to be straight with people. Sometimes that means saying, “You might want a mini driver, but you don’t swing fast enough and you hit it chest-high.” My only goal is to help you play better golf.
Is an indoor studio essential for fitting now?
100%. It lets me do my job properly all year round. I’ve worked both indoors and outdoors and there are pros and cons, but let’s be honest – what’s better than turning up in a T-shirt and hitting shots off a perfect lie with your own ball?
I’ve installed TrackMan iO in the studio but I still use my TrackMan 4 too – usually both together. The iO has a high-speed camera and gives really accurate spin and ball data. Using both systems together means I don’t need to worry about putting dots on balls or clubs, and I get a complete picture. I won’t baffle the golfer with data – but I know I’ve got all the information I need.
How much does margin factor into your fitting decisions?
It doesn’t. I trust my suppliers like Over The Top Golf to let me make a margin. When I’m fitting someone, I can’t be thinking about margin. I don’t steer people into products to make more money.
Some golfers will perform best with stock shafts. Others will perform better with a £300 aftermarket one. If I start chasing margin, I’m compromising the quality of the fit. I’d much rather someone walks away playing better, or even better, their mates notice they’re playing better. That’s the best advert for my business. Most of my new customers come through word of mouth.
How has clubfitting changed since you started?
I started coaching and fitting armed with just a Sony mini cam and a small swing speed measuring device! I would get to work on their golf game and if necessary, formulate a plan going forward for their golf equipment too. This was long before interchangeable shafts, so this often involved putting together a club or two for the next session to test. Now I use launch monitors based on missile tracking technology, and can give someone a test club in 30 seconds.
Golfers used to want one brand from head to toe, like a tour player. Now, most of my clients say, “It’s down to you. Tell me what’s best.” With launch monitors, you have to prove that a club works. Brand loyalty quickly disappears when performance is on the line. Very few tour players are full-bag these days – and they’re getting paid to be. So why should you be?
Graphite iron shafts are becoming more popular too, and I think in the future more players of all standards will be using them. If they weren’t so expensive, I think everyone would be using them. A lot of tendonitis and golfer’s elbow comes from hitting off mats. Graphite is the way forward. I do really well with the KBS PGI – it’s sensibly priced and comes in a lot of weight options, so it fits a wide range of golfers.
I aim to get someone within 5% of a perfect fit within 20 balls and then fine tune even further from there. Any longer and they’ll get tired or lose interest. Combined my experience, TrackMan shows me what’s needed quickly. Whether it’s a club change, a ball change, or even a bit of coaching, I can usually spot it quickly. I’ve been doing this half my life.
For more info on Carl Parker visit Carlparkergolf.com
For more information, on how Over The Top Golf can help improve your custom fittting sales or for information on their brands please contact:
Tel: +44 (0) 1243 213601
Email: info@ottgolf.com
Web: ottgolf.com
