Inside a club fitting with Baltimore Raven Odell Beckham Jr. | Bag Spy

Already known as one of the most prolific wide receivers in football, Odell Beckham Jr. has recently developed a deep love for the game of golf. And if his dedication to his primary craft is any indication of his newfound passion for the game, everyone should take notice. We might witness the rise of a new golf star.

During this year’s NFL preseason, having recovered from an ACL injury that sidelined him in 2022, Beckham Jr. visited True Spec Golf’s fitting studio at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Arizona. What made his visit particularly noteworthy wasn’t just the fact that he is the fastest player in NFL history to achieve both 200 career receptions and 4,000 career receiving yards (an amazing feat, by the way), but rather the reason behind his visit to a club fitter in the first place.

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To understand Beckham’s rationale, let’s first explore what considerations a beginner golfer should keep in mind when purchasing their first set of golf clubs. Typically, novice golfers tend to gravitate toward clubs their friends use or those favored by their favorite players because they assume what works for others will work for them as well. However, any golfer with more than a year of experience knows this is far from true.

With this in mind, we return to Beckham’s visit to True Spec. According to Marc Roybal, Master Club Fitter for True Spec and the person who conducted Beckham’s fitting, what a new player desires may not necessarily align with what they require.

Recognizing Beckham’s status as a world-class athlete, it became apparent to Roybal that he understood the value of carefully fitted equipment, so that wasn’t his issue.

“Beckham was aware of his need to develop and become better to appreciate clubs that afford him more shotmaking capabilities,” said Roybal. So, what were Beckham’s issues and reason for visiting True Spec? Roybal stated, “He was after a set of clubs that not only delivered superior performance over his existing set but also clubs that provided his desired feel to offer more control. We were able to deliver on both — new clubs that performed better shot to shot and also offered the look and feel Beckham wanted to find so he could trust his swing on the course.” 

Roybal added, “We frequently fit golfers new to the game at True Spec, and one of the most overlooked aspects we notice with our customers is how a club should feel in their hands as they swing and how it appeals to their preferred visuals. Often times new players assume they should use the same clubs as their friends, or if they possess some knowledge about golf clubs, they immediately opt for the largest or most game-improvement set they can find. And sometimes, that’s a huge mistake.”

“Feel and looks are of utmost importance, regardless of your skill level as a player,” Roybal emphasized. “If a club doesn’t provide a great feel and visual appeal to the player’s eye, the likelihood of hitting great golf shots diminishes significantly. For instance, we tested a few fairway woods with specifications comparable to Beckham’s preferred fairway wood, but with a shaft more suitable for his swing speed, which in turn felt much more comfortable in Beckham’s hands. He consistently struck the ball better with the club that not only felt better but the one that fit him better all the way down to the grip size.” 

Odell’s fitted clubs

Driver: Ping G430 MAX (9 degrees) | Draw setting | 45.5″ | Fujikura Ventus TR Black 6X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD | 43″ | Fujikura Ventus TR Red 8X
3-hybrid: TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD | 40.75″ | Accra FX 300H M5
Irons: Titleist T300 (4-PW) | True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (+.25″)
Wedges: TaylorMade High Toe Three 50.09, 56.10 (bent to 55*) and 60.10 degrees | True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Grips: Custom True Spec Lamkin Sonar with 3 additional wraps of tape. 

What you can learn

The moral of the story? Fit and feel often go hand inIhand. If a club doesn’t feel right or even look right to you, it’s possible it’s not fit properly for your swing. While improved performance plays a significant role in club fitting, and generally, that’s the primary objective for most golfers seeking the services of a club fitter, the aspects of feel and looks are also crucial. This applies not only to beginners but to experienced players as well. 

“The result of a proper fitting will accomplish the performance goals form a ball flight perspective, but will also check the boxes of, look, sound, and feel. For Beckham, we made sure that the look sound and feel backed up the performance of each club,” said Roybal. “If the player likes the way something looks and feels, that will lead to some confident swings and lower scores.”

Ryan Noll

Golf.com Contributor