Golf club fitting is quite common nowadays. While the majority of golfers still play with off-the-rack items, more and more players discover the benefits of having their clubs measured and customized to their specific swings. It wasn't too long ago that customizing clubs were limited to mostly repairs. Re-gripping, replacing shafts when they broke or got too rusty, or bending clubs a few degrees and grinding soles were what club repair shops did. We still see some of these shops today, and for basic services like regripping, I think they are still ok.

With technology, club fitting became an important part of golf. Initially limited to professionals, customized clubs are now accessible to any golfer. My first encounter with Jake Ong and Custom Clubmakers was at their former shop in Makati. It was 2007 and I was looking at a new set of irons. I was eyeing a set of blades from TaylorMade in their Makati Golf branch, their TP blades to be exact and got curious about one of the shops in Makati golf. I noticed Jake Ong speaking with and doing a fitting for a client. I listened while hitting demo clubs and after Jake's fitting session, chatted with him about getting fit myself. He guided me through the basics and even helped in picking the right specs for clubs I was about to buy. Makati Golf was quite near my office then, and I spent quite a number of afternoons and early evenings there, hanging out, letting the rush hour traffic pass before heading home.

After purchasing the irons I liked, I went straight to Jake to have them checked, grips measured to my specs, lies and lofts adjusted. I also wanted to check my driver shaft and was looking to replace my shaft with something better fitted to my swing speed and how I loaded the club. To my surprise, Jake told me not to replace my shaft as he thought it was already a good fit. He just rearranged a few weights on my driver to get better launch and spin numbers, and to counteract my typical shot shape when I missed. That left quite an impression on me. There I was, raring to purchase a shaft from his shop, when he stopped me and told me not to. I wasn't used to people letting a sure sale go out of integrity and honesty. I am sure Jake doesn't remember that instance, as he is just a naturally decent guy. But for someone who is used to being offered all sorts of clubs in pro shops and driving ranges, Jake's honesty left an impression on me.

I would come back to Jake for all sorts of things, sometimes just to chat with him and James when they aren't busy. I'd sometimes watch them build sets, measure shaft frequencies, bend, re-shaft, grind soles, change ferrules, any and everything that has got to do with customizing golf clubs. Even when they transferred to Mandala Park along Shaw Boulevard, I'd still drop by with or without clubs. Every time I'd have a new club or set, I'd drop by to make sure they were adjusted to my specs.