SI Columnist Gary Van Sickle's 2011 golf season preview roundtable discussion includes comments from Sports and Leisure Research Group President Jon Last on topics including an outlook for the year ahead, the state of private clubs, equipment launches and the opportunities presented by custom fitting and women friendly initiatives.

A new study reveals a golfer's natural ability and swing are not the only things holding them back; 90 % of US golfers may be playing with clubs that do not fit them properly. This study is a wake-up call for every golfer who wants to get better. We spoke to thousands of golfers coast to coast and the majority had no idea of what true custom fitting is all about and how it can shave strokes off of score cards, said Jon Last, President of Sports and Leisure Research Group, which conducted the research. The magnitude of the differences in perceptions between those fit and not fit was among the most significant.

Custom fitted clubs increase golf enjoyment, study find For as long as I've been playing golf - almost 15 years now - I have been told that I should never buy clubs off the rack. I know it flies in the face of what many sporting goods stores and online retailers would prefer you do, but having a proper fitting (even a half-decent one) will drastically increase the chances that a consumer will purchase the right equipment for their game.

Forbes.com coverage of SLRG's custom clubfitting research.

Results from SLRG's new study for Golfsmith and Sports Illustrated Golf Group, are included in the cover story of the February 2011 issue of Golf Magazine