How to Get the Right Fit

Any woman who has ever tugged on a bra strap sliding down her shoulders will tell you: When it comes to many things in life, fit is everything. Here's a guide to fitting some of them.

Golf Drivers
The longest club in your bag -- your driver -- is probably the most difficult to fit, says Mike Dickerson, owner of Golf M.D. on Strang Line Road in Lenexa and president of the International Professional Association of ClubFitters.

Dickerson's custom club-fitting is high-tech. A customer stands at an indoor tee and takes several swings with the club.

A launch monitor outfitted with Doppler radar "reads" the swing and comes up with three pages of information on everything from club head speed, vertical launch of the ball, quality of contact between the club and ball, and spin rate. "It will tell us your life story," says Dickerson.

If you're shopping for a driver:

• Don't believe the shaft-flexibility label. Eighty percent of clubs don't have the flexibility they claim, says Dickerson. "Flexibility is the engine of the club," says Dickerson, which is why you really need to take those swings off that indoor tee. Generally, the softer the flexibility, the higher the ball will fly.
• Play around with grip sizes. Too small or too large will affect your swing. Golfers with arthritis or other hand issues find softer, bigger grips more comfortable.

Eyeglasses
Roman Beznovsky and Felix Milman treat eyeglasses as jewelry for the face. The most expensive glasses they sell, for instance, are $3,800 platinum and diamond frames from Cartier. Their Romanelli Optix boutiques, in Waldo and southern Leawood, carry names recognizable from the runway and Fifth Avenue.

So yes, they're all about the fashion. But it really gets Beznovsky's blood boiling to hear customer horror stories about glasses that didn't fit and "should never have gone on their faces," he says.

If your frames fit properly, they won't pinch your head or slide down your nose. They shouldn't rest on your cheeks, fit tight against your temples or cover up your eyebrows.

Consider:

• Are they wide enough for your face? You don't want a frame that fits so tightly that the sides, or temples, bow out away from your head. If you have a wide face, look for a frame with an extended hinge that will give you some breathing space on the sides.
• Do the frames complement the shape of your face? Rule of thumb: Opposites attract. For instance, a person with a square face should look for circular and oval glasses. Frames with crisp, straight lines look good on round faces. People with oval faces can wear virtually any shape. 
• You might be limited in your choices. "Some prescriptions allow us to only fit certain frames," Milman says. Consider how the frame you want will work with any customized lens -- i.e. thick -- you might need.