The Truth About Beginner Golf Club Fitting: Insights from Randall Henry of Henry-Griffitts

Operation 36

Why do we still expect golfers to thrive with equipment that’s quietly teaching them bad habits?

Golfers and parents will invest in lessons, practice plans, and junior programs, yet the clubs in the bag often work against everything the coach is trying to build. In this episode of The Golf Sit Down, Ryan Dailey, PGA and Seth Thompson, PGA talk with Randall Henry, CEO of Henry-Griffitts, about why club fitting is no longer a “nice to have,” especially for beginners and juniors, and how the Op 36 x Henry-Griffitts partnership is rethinking equipment from the ground up.

What You’ll Hear About:

Why ill-fitting clubs create bad motion and long-term bad habits
The difference between “too strong” vs “too weak” equipment—and why most golfers are on the wrong side
How integrating coach + fitter + builder creates a true long-term development plan
A new one-club-at-a-time pathway for juniors and beginners through Operation 36 & Henry-Griffitts

No matter where your junior is in their golf journey, this episode will help you nurture their love for the game—without burning them out along the way.

“There’s no wrong time to get fit, but it’s most important when you’re first starting. Let’s make golf easier for kids and beginners so we’re not spending years unlearning bad habits the club built in.” Randall Henry, CEO, Henry-Griffitts

Key Takeaways for Golfers, Parents & Coaches

Equipment affects motion. The club either supports a sound swing or forces compensations. Keep the club neutral so the ball goes where the swing says it should.
Get fit early, not later. Beginners and juniors should be fit as soon as they start—otherwise they learn to “survive” bad clubs and those habits can take years to unwind.
Err on the “too weak” side. More loft, lighter and softer shafts, and appropriate lie angles help players make strong, athletic swings instead of hanging back and flipping at the ball.
Consistency beats brand-mixing. Mismatched drivers, fairways, irons, and wedges with different specs ask golfers to learn multiple swings instead of one repeatable motion.
A better junior model exists. The Op 36 x Henry-Griffitts system lets families start with just two clubs and add one custom-fit club at a time, upgrading length, flex, and lie angle as the player grows—without a garage full of obsolete junior sets.

In a world where you “can’t outswing an ill-fitting club,” paying attention to equipment is no longer optional if you care about long-term development. For coaches, that means becoming conversant in fitting and partnering with brands that control the full circle: fit, build, and verify. For parents and players, it means asking better questions and choosing a pathway - like Operation 36 with Henry-Griffitts - that treats clubs not as a box-set purchase, but as a long-term tool for building confident, efficient motion.

Listen to the full conversation on The Golf Sit Down Podcast for more insights from coaches shaping the future of junior golf.

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