The following article and video is as “inside baseball” as I can offer in terms of what actually happens when a Tour fitter prepares to work with a Tour player.
Star of the show: TaylorMade’s Adrian Rietveld, who has the top three players in the OWGR under his watchful eye. You read that right – Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood all rely on “AD,” as we call him, to look after their tools.
I want to allow video (to the player, below) and Adrian do a lot of explaining but there are three things he talks about that I think would be beneficial anywhere golf, not just the best in the world.
Start from the HONEST place: The first part of the video shows Adrian doing something I always see in tour trucks. He takes the player’s bag in his hands and begins to specify to make apples-to-apples shapes. There are no “opinions,” “whims,” etc. His goal is to get any given club as close to the gamer as possible – and not just loft, shaft and swing weight. Consider total weight, exact loft and lie, face angle, score lines versus true lie, shaft tipping, grip size, etc. This allows that “first hit” to let you know which way the player should go.
Ask the players what they see: EVERY player takes a different approach to how the club sits. For example, I like to see the loft. When I see loft, it tells my mind that I can sit on top of the shot and trust that the club and setup will be there for me when I need them. If I don’t see a loft, I start “helping” it, which has the effect of diminishing returns with my wallet. I start having “wood swings” and “metal swings.” It’s impossible to play that way. Adrian (or any really good guy) will ask those questions: “How do you like the way you look?” “Do you see the loft you want to see?” I don’t hear this in standard installations, but I hear it all the time with tour connectors.
Ask the players what they would say like to see: In the video, Adrian asks me, “What kind of football do you want to see?” In my case, I want the ball to start straight and fall to the left with a miss to the left, that is, I don’t want the driver to go to the right – always. These are football planes that a person can control. If AD knows I’m afraid of missing the right, it eliminates the swing and he can start focusing on getting me a left-start driver. As a player, I can step up to any tee and hope that no matter how I swing, the flight of the ball will stay in the sandbox that I can sit with.
TaylorMade Qi4D Custom Driver
EFFECTIVELY DESIGNED The redesigned head profile increases ball speed thanks to improved aerodynamics created by advanced simulation. FACE FOR DISTANCE The 60x Carbon Twist Face™ is a technological cornerstone that offers weight savings, incredible ball speed and more consistency compared to titanium faces. ADJUSTABLE OPERATION 4° loft sleeve can be used to adjust loft, lie and face angle for improved flight. TOUR PROVEN TECHNOLOGIES The new and improved Speed Pocket™ cutter protects ball speed and reduces spin on low-face shots. Advanced CAD modeling creates a clean and powerful sounding design, the foundation of TaylorMade driver performance. Multi-Material Construction allows engineers to place weight in the head areas which maximizes performance, speed, and stability.
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This is not a comment on how the consumer puts it “is not doing it right;” there are many great partners who take the time to put you, the golfer, in the best position to succeed. I look at this in depth from a conceptual perspective across the industry.
With so much amazing club technology on the market in 2026, I’m keen for this to be the year when the putts turn up the volume a bit. If you watched “Fully Fit,” you’ll see that each company has its own way of doing things.
It all works well between top brands, but if I’m a qualified company or an OEM, I’ll be replicating (literally) what Adrian is doing. Yes, this is someone who works with the best in the world, but his process of fixing it comes from someone who has to take ownership over the situation.
Incorporation is a financial undertaking, but your spirit shouldn’t be. It is a contract between the fitter and the player with one deliverable: the process will make you a better player. It’s not all ball speed and initiation, it’s confidence. That’s why on Tour, fitters work together with players to establish trust. I believe there is a version of all of this (and what you will see in the video later this week) that anyone who calls themselves a fitter can take.
Fujikura Ventus Black Wood Shaft (Velocore+)
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Installation is a manual process. There are Jedi, teachers and hypocrites. AD is a genius, no question, but it’s not just that he’s gifted. And he cares more than anyone I know about getting the process right, and that’s why he’s been able to gain experience, make mistakes and enjoy victories. He rose to this level because he cares about his players getting better.
I get my hair cut at the same stylist every time because when I first met him, he asked me these questions: “Where do you want your hair to be in 6 months?” “What do you like now and what do you do?” “Are you someone who takes crazy ideas and turns them into reality sometimes?”
That woman will be cutting my hair as long as I live in this place. Why? I trust him, and he cares.
Later this week, you’ll see a relevant, and impressive, video. Being able to work with someone like Adrian (who is also one of my best friends) is always great, but like Aaron Dill from Vokey, this TM “AD” is someone I learn a ton from every day. I spent hours on the phone with this man talking about Tommy, Scottie, Rory, our games, etc. It’s always a passionate conversation and all credit to TaylorMade for continuing to allow Adrian to grow, develop and thrive through their stellar program of staff players.
Adrian is at the top of his game, and for me to share his process and expertise with you all for educational purposes is a great honor.
