MODERN GOLF: The MBP's Get Fit

[The Dansome]

 

Written by: Dan Mann

 

Let's get right to the point. Would you pay $325 to $400 for a fitting? Should you pay this much for a fitting? How good does this fitter have to be before you go out of your way to get there? With the readily available list of box stores out there seemingly offering fitting options with purchase for free who needs a high-end fitter?

 

If I'm going to drop this kind of coin I'll surmise what I would expect from this fitting center. This fitter should be completely agnostic to brand & will try any and every option possible regardless of product price, to ensure at the end of the day that you get the absolute best fit possible. They will not be required to tee up each shot for me, but I will expect fairly drastic results come the end. To cap it all off pretentiousness needs to be left at the door, show some enthusiasm and display a true love for what you're doing.

 

I was excited when I found out Toronto, Canada's raved about gem of a fitting center; Modern Golf, was coming out west to the greater Vancouver area. They are renowned for their glossy Apple store like facilities and world class fitting techniques. But would it be the same?  At the recent open house I had the pleasure of meeting the man who's made the Toronto location such a success - Ian Fraser. This guy just oozes fitting knowledge, so how were they going to match that out west?

 

 

Let me introduce you to the best glasses in golf, Dean Walters. Dean is young, enthusiastic and extremely knowledgeable. He comes with a personality that instills confidence in the process you're going through. Having a comfortable personality is also extremely important; I know especially where my wife is concerned. She gets spoken down to a lot from people who treat her as the tag along golf wife. Little do they know…

 

 

MBP: So Dean, why should people care about Modern other than the cool pics and flashy store layouts?

 

DEAN:  With our highly trained professionals we are here to help you find the right set of clubs to compliment your golf game.  As you can see in some of these cool pics, we have thousands of different combinations to test, providing you with every option and to actually see and hit those clubs. It takes the guesswork of what might and might not work for you.

 

You're able to see your numbers and improvements. We have a state of the art 1,000 square foot PGA Tour caliber club building workshop with some of the industry's most skilled craftsmen. We build the clubs onsite so that we can ensure your golf clubs are built to the precise specs that were prescribed by our fitters. Our fitters have honed their skills through years of tour level experience.

 

We have precise instruments and the highest grade components. Our stores have state of the art technology such as TrackMan, SST PURE and Quintic Ball Roll. People should care about Modern Golf because our staff truly cares about every customer that walks into our shop.  We're there to provide an excellent service and make the customer feel welcome, give them more knowledge and to help them get the most out of their game.

 

 

MBP:  What's different about your process than the guy fitting people out of his garage down the street?

 

DEAN: We pride ourselves on helping our customer get the most out of their golf equipment, and creating a great customer experience unlike any other shop out there.

 

Our shop has the latest industry leading technology it allows us to refine and customize every aspect of the fitting process and relates that to your swing needs. We use a combination of camera and motion sensor technology with our computer software that will identify the club components that best match your swing for each individual club. We have highly trained professionals that provide the highest level of service so that you get personal attention to ensure you are getting the best clubs suited for you.

 

Our approach and professionalism is what separates us from the field. Modern Golf is motivated on the improvement of your golf game and not by our sales numbers; we guarantee that you will be satisfied with every aspect of our fitting process and the performance of your new golf equipment. We pride ourselves on making the fitting process a fun and enjoyable experience that you will learn from. It most certainly is a no-pressure, stress-free experience.

 

Dean seems pretty confident and enthusiastic about who Modern is and what they're doing, but at the end of the day how does this attitude translate onto the person being fitted?

 

Before we start, here are a few early questions I threw at Nidine.

 

MBP: What intimidation if any did you have going into it?

 

Mrs. MBP: You know I watch Dan all the time with his golf buddies and industry friends talk about changing one piece on a club and never got it.  I also couldn't care less because I didn't understand how changing one thing would affect the game so much.  Plus, I'm treated like just "the wife" who doesn't know anything about golf, when some industry guys or friends meet me (until Dan explains how untrue it really is), or just "the photographer".  I'm usually in the background, which I don't mind most of the time.  So for a company like Modern Golf to really embrace having me fitted was pleasantly surprising.

 

I guess I'm sort of skipping around the actual question but I think it was important to give you the back-story.  Yes, of course when it was mentioned that I would be fitted, there was a little anxiety.  However, after meeting with Dean during the open house, his friendly, easygoing but professional demeanor put me at ease.

 

MBP: For the cost of a fitting like that what expectations did you have coming going into it?

 

Mrs. MBP: In all honesty, I wasn't sure what to expect.  I knew what the idea was but I had no expectations because I didn't understand what it meant to get a fitting.

 

 

THE CLUB BLUEPRINTING

 

 

MBP: So Dean Walters, why spec the user's current clubs?

 

Dean: There are different reasons for why we spec a customer's clubs before the fitting is started. How a customer's clubs are configured can drastically change performance on the golf course.

 

In our club fittings we look at the problem areas of the customer's game and can relate that to the specs we have just measured. For example, when we look at club length we measure the exact length of each club, having the wrong length of clubs can lead to inconsistency in contact.

 

Club loft can be crucial to a customer's swing too, because every person's swing is different and with the different dynamic loft that a person can produce, loft can affect the trajectory and the spin rate of the ball leading to variations of travel and carry. By measuring the exact lofts we have found inconsistency in off the rack sets and often these lofts tend to change over time with regards to usage. If the lofts are incorrect for that individual, they might find difficulty in ball flight, whether it be getting the ball flight up or lowering the ball flight.

 

We then go into club lie angle. Proper lie angle will differ between each customer depending on dynamics such as height, swing characteristics and arm length. We frequency the clubs to see whether the clubs have been built to spec and are frequency matched or whether there might be a club that's a little off which would lead to inconsistency in the set.

 

Lastly, we check swing weight, which is essentially how heavy the club feels. Again, there are inconsistencies we see throughout sets.  With our builds we are meticulous with the swing weight, making your set feels exactly the same throughout.

 

Rest assured the process is thorough. To spec out each of our bags Dean spent a good 30 minutes on various machines, scrutinizing every last detail: loft, lie, grips size, shaft frequencies etc . It was quite a shock to see the large variances in my shaft frequencies, especially since my sticks came straight from Tmag's custom department.

 

I'd like to point out a key feature included in your fitting price. Your body and swing will most likely change over time, so your specs probably won't stay the same forever. Modern Golf will adjust your clubs free of charge for life.

 

Now this visit also gave me the opportunity to play around with a new technology idea to get you guys the best content possible. Our Modern Golf fitting will be accompanied by time-lapse videos of each step. Please let me know if these work or don't work for you and I'm open to suggestion on improving them. Highly recommend switching to HD 720p or 1080p for best quality viewing.

 

 

 

THE FITTING

 

 

MBP: Dean, what key factors are you looking for in an iron fitting (I remember smash, backspin and descent angle came up a lot). Just tell me all.

 

Dean: Every fitting will be different to cater to the individual because every swing is unique. The first step in our consultation is to get to know the golfer and find out individual goals and what they expect to achieve through our custom fitting process.  From this information we can narrow down what we would like to achieve during the fitting and that will provide the fitter with the information and factors to look at. A few examples would be to look at Smash factor, spin rates, angle of attack (“AOA”), launch angles, height, land angle and dynamic loft. We also take a look at how the player might load the club and also look at their swing tempo.

 

All of these have a significant effect of what club type and shaft type to choose. There are certain numbers that we look for with each club to optimize the ball flight. By looking at dynamic loft (loft at impact) we are able to suggest what loft the player might be better suited to as well as looking at launch angles, especially for irons. A customer might add loft to the club at impact therefore leading to possibly bumping the lofts of their irons, or vice versa, where adding loft to the club might help a player who shuts the loft of the club face down at impact.

 

If spin rates are lower than they need to be you may be able to try a different club head, which might increase spin rate, or a different shaft, which is the main driver behind the golf club.  We also look at land angle to get the optimal numbers out of a driver fitting.

 

So there definitely are different factors being looked at through different fittings, since there are so many different parts to every individuals swing.

 

 

MBP: So Nidine, were your expectations fulfilled coming out of it and what were they?

 

Mrs. MBP: I guess you could say my expectations were exceeded, all right, way beyond what I could've ever thought.

 

Outstanding Service: From the minute we walked in the door, we were asked if we needed a beverage, guided to the monitor room, and made to feel comfortable.  They made sure to explain exactly what we were going to do, which made me feel very little pressure and very much at ease.

 

As mentioned I didn't know quite what to expect until Dean explained.

 

Using their Trackman they would monitor different things with my swing.

 

Dean brought a few different shafts and heads and now it was time to try to better my game. First off I hit some balls with my own clubs. To reduce the pressure, Dean would simply erase shots I didn't like due to miss hits or poor swings. That helped immensely, to drop the nerves and just relax, so I was able to hit some solid shots.

 

He was able to pick up on how I felt about a certain club or shaft almost instantly.  I was quite impressed!   Once he noticed I got some confidence and some benefit with a shaft he would change the club head to see if I could benefit any more.

 

 

MBP: With that said wife, did you learn anything about your game?

 

Mrs. MBP: That I still think of myself as a newbie and I really shouldn't.  I also learned my husband is screwed because I have expensive taste, even in golf clubs.  But really, I learned that tweaking even a little piece on your club can either enhance or diminish confidence and can release or restrict your true potential.

 

My smash factor is important to keep as close as possible to 1.5, and your club composition does factor in to this result.  I'm all about the tradition of the game but after this fitting, I'm also now a believer that without technology in sports we would fall behind. It's like that commercial where the guy is like "my mallet" is perfect for him and you know he could have so much more potential if he gave into change a little and adopted some of this new technology.  Makes sense to me now, after the fitting. I always thought, I can adapt to anything you give me but it's just not true. Not with golf clubs.

 

 

MBP: Did you see big results?

 

Mrs. MBP: YES! By the end of the fitting I had gained a carry distance of 10 yards in my irons and 17 yards in my driver! My smash factor also went up 0.06 with my irons and 0.03 with my driver to 1.44!

 

The great thing about this fitting is the explanation of where you should be and the visible results.  Sometimes people just get told the results but I like that Dean was able to send me the results and comparisons of the clubs I tried and my own clubs.

 

Check out my fitting results below:

 

 

 

 

 

MBP: OK now you Dean: what are the biggest wins from Nidine's fitting?

 

Dean: The biggest wins from Nidine's fitting would be the carry that she gained and also the tighter dispersion in both the driver and her irons.

 

Nidine's spin rate with her irons was a little low leading to a lower land angle. By increasing her spin we gained yards in both carry and height, which should help her hold greens a little easier. By putting Nidine into a head and shaft combination that essentially created more ball speed, we were able to increase carry by 10 yards.

 

With Nidine's driver we found that she wasn't getting the ball up in the air. She was launching the ball on average at 14.6 degrees with her driver and height of her shot being at 47.3 ft, so by putting her into the Jetspeed head and accra rt 50 shaft we were able to increase launch angle by almost 4 degrees and lowered her spin rate by a few hundred RPM.  By increasing her launch angle and lowering her RPM we got the height of her ball flight up to 70.1 ft but with the lower spin.

 

The higher launch angle, higher, but still penetrating ball flight and lower spin allowed Nidine to realize substantial gain in carry and total distance, but more importantly got her more consistent and closer to the middle of the fairway. In the end, her driver carry distance went from 144.8 yards to 162.3, and total ditance from 168.6 to 180.5 yards, which is phenomenal. A little more practice and we might see her on the LPGA tour soon

 

MBP: OK beautiful - no not you Dean - I'm talking to the Mrs. Who would you recommend get this done?

 

Mrs. MBP: I think it's valuable for a lot of people.

 

1. The Regular:

 

If you've been playing the game for a while and haven't considered playing another set of irons because you're used to the ones you have, why not see if you are at full potential?  Technology has changed the game of golf, so and why not see if those clubs are keeping up with the times and your game improvement. And if you're in your perfect set already, they will let you know!

 

2. The Noob

 

I think this would also be fantastic for someone who would like to try golf or is very new still. The great thing is you have options! Sure the stores you go to have a large selection, but you only get what the standard shaft is in the club heads.  What I've come to realize is it's the combination of the right size grip, shaft and club head for your swing that can really give a new/novice golfer the confidence they need.

 

 

 

MBP: So we're almost done Nidine, anything else you want to add?

 

Mrs. MBP: If you are invested in this sport already or are just getting started; do it right.  Get fitted by someone who makes you feel comfortable, whether you're a player or not, and someone who is willing to tell you the truth rather than just trying to sell you on product. The beauty of purchasing the fitting with Modern Golf is if you do purchase clubs from them, they'll tweak your club spec adjustments (loft and lie angles) for free FOREVER!

 

$325 (minus the putter fitting) is completely worth it if you are really committed to bettering your game long term.  That's less than a buck a day for a year!

 

I remember we had switched from the Speedblade heads and into the Ping heads but the same Accra shaft.  After a couple swings, Dean intuitively stopped me from taking any more shots with the Ping because he could sense I wasn't comfortable with the club head. That just blew me away.  I'm kinda shy and don't like to complain, and didn't want to have to say I didn't like a club head option he gave me.  Turns out I didn't have to, but I have a feeling even if I did say something he would agree and be fine with recommending something else.

 

At no point did I ever feel pressured to buy anything.  I think that is the best thing about the entire process; you don't need to be convinced by anyone but yourself.  You look at your own numbers and decide for yourself either to stay with what you have, more make a change or two.  Or four.

 

The one challenge I have after this amazing experience: How do I convince my, uh, thrifty husband to spend $200 on each Epon club head?  Maybe I'll just have to settle with the 20 yard more carry on my driver and get the Jetspeed driver head and Oban shaft.

 

Thank you to Dean Walters at Modern Golf for an eye-opening experience.

 

 

 

That's a lot to read, so where are we at? Mrs. MBP seems pretty ecstatic about the whole experience, but has she simply been wooed by all the fancy technology, pretty displays and Dean's slick glasses?

 

Without actually buying and gaming the clubs recommended, it's virtually impossible to tell if any of the recommendations will actually make a difference on the course.  Modern Golf knows this, and the cost of the fitting makes it highly unlikely you'd go through the process “just for kicks” without planning to actually buy something.

 

But beyond all the pizzaz and glossinees, Modern Golf provides an opportunity – for a price – that any semi-serious golfer and gear-head lusts after: the opportunity to walk into a golf shop and be fitted like the pros.  You'll receive the same kind of personal, one-on-one experience Ricky, Dustin or Luke get, and you'll be able to test virtually any and all major equipment brands and components there are.  Combine that with the high-end, first-class environment and Modern Golf gives you a winning combination.

 

So when are hers arriving you ask? Ha! Tell this lady to consider a few less purses and maybe we can investigate some Epons down the road.

 

For More info visit: http://moderngolf.ca/

 

Oh and one last question Nidine: What were these doing on the camera roll?

 

 

 

 

ManBearPig B-Roll footage:

 

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Awesome experience - felt like I was there with you!  

 

Question - at that price for a fitting - do they roll the cost of the fitting into your purchase price if you do go ahead and buy a full set?

[BestGrips.com]

Wow. I really want to get a club fitting now!  That place looks great.

[The Dansome]

Awesome experience - felt like I was there with you!  

 

Question - at that price for a fitting - do they roll the cost of the fitting into your purchase price if you do go ahead and buy a full set?

 

negative, complete seperate.

[hckymeyer]

Nice writeup, I really enjoyed the Q & A style of this review and it's great to hear the fitting perspective from a non-gearhead.

 

Time lapse video feedback - Love the idea, but may need a few tweaks.  How about one rotation through at normal speed before hitting the FF button?  Also they don't need to be as long, maybe 30 sec clip since it's the same thing over and over.  Also please queue the Benny Hill music in all future time lapse video sequences

[The Dansome]

Nice writeup, I really enjoyed the Q & A style of this review and it's great to hear the fitting perspective from a non-gearhead.

 

Time lapse video feedback - Love the idea, but may need a few tweaks.  How about one rotation through at normal speed before hitting the FF button?  Also they don't need to be as long, maybe 30 sec clip since it's the same thing over and over.  Also please queue the Benny Hill music in all future time lapse video sequences

 

Youtube didn't have authentic Benny Hill music in their editor... Trust me I thought about it

[Mr_Theoo]

That sounded like an awesome experience. Wish there were more of fitting places like this around.

[The Dansome]

Nice writeup, I really enjoyed the Q & A style of this review and it's great to hear the fitting perspective from a non-gearhead.

 

Time lapse video feedback - Love the idea, but may need a few tweaks.  How about one rotation through at normal speed before hitting the FF button?  Also they don't need to be as long, maybe 30 sec clip since it's the same thing over and over.  Also please queue the Benny Hill music in all future time lapse video sequences

 

I also say the addition of real time footage has been discussed too. I really wished I had real time footage of Dean explaining the numbers during it.

[Mr_Theoo]

What type of balls were you guys hitting? I know at most big box stores the balls are usually range balls which can skew the data.

[The Dansome]

What type of balls were you guys hitting? I know at most big box stores the balls are usually range balls which can skew the data.

 

ProV 1X

[snoopy]

great write up dan - very impressed how you were able to put it all in words, it was so much information and such a long process to document! awesome job!

 

i'm waiting for my specs from dean but going through the whole process myself, at $325, i feel that it's money well spent, especially for a first timer getting fit with no expectations. getting my off the rack clubs spec'd out was invaluable and getting on a trackman and really understanding the numbers, my swing and everything else was a great learning experience.

[MmmmmmBuddy]

Outstanding write-up!!  Sounds like a ton of fun.  Now I have a few questions..  Obviously, I have no dog in this fight, and I think that Mrs. MBP should play whatever she wants.  Looking at the data provided, the one glaring gain that I can find was the tremendous increase in ball speed with the Epon 6 iron.  However, when I look at the plot of shots on the TrackMan readout, it looks as of the Epon has a much larger variance between the distanced that the shots are traveling than the Amp Cell 6 iron.  More clearly stated, the Cobra iron was more consistent. I know the sample size is tiny, but if these were numbers that I was looking at for myself, I would seriously consider playing an iron that goes the prescribed yardage on more swings, rather than one that goes 5 yards too far and 7 yards too short every 3rd or 4th shot.  I have no doubt that in the long run, Mrs. MBP would learn to dial in the Epons.

 

As far as driver fitting, Looks spot on..  (She must wear you out hitting fairways all day long.... )

 

Can't wait to hear the final resolution....

 

N. 

[The Dansome]

Outstanding write-up!!  Sounds like a ton of fun.  Now I have a few questions..  Obviously, I have no dog in this fight, and I think that Mrs. MBP should play whatever she wants.  Looking at the data provided, the one glaring gain that I can find was the tremendous increase in ball speed with the Epon 6 iron.  However, when I look at the plot of shots on the TrackMan readout, it looks as of the Epon has a much larger variance between the distanced that the shots are traveling than the Amp Cell 6 iron.  More clearly stated, the Cobra iron was more consistent. I know the sample size is tiny, but if these were numbers that I was looking at for myself, I would seriously consider playing an iron that goes the prescribed yardage on more swings, rather than one that goes 5 yards too far and 7 yards too short every 3rd or 4th shot.  I have no doubt that in the long run, Mrs. MBP would learn to dial in the Epons.

 

As far as driver fitting, Looks spot on..  (She must wear you out hitting fairways all day long.... )

 

Can't wait to hear the final resolution....

 

N.

 

Ya I have zero problem keeping her in the irons she has now

 

As for hitting fairways its suck...

[GolfSpy WD]

That sounds like an incredible experience! Really like the timelapses.

 

Gotta say though, except for one hit with the Amp Cell Driver, those Cobras seem to work pretty well for her. The Jetspeed was better sure, but the difference wasn't huge when you take out that one shot. Still probably 10 yards, and I'd pay good money to get that .

[Caseyv98]

Great review!

makes me want to get a custom fitting now

[Maverickping]

Sounds like you had fun and for those that do not know "everyone" has the same experience that these two had.Right now they are testing out some of Albert's grips in Mississauga. Albert come on up here for a visit and see Modern Golf Hq.

[The Dansome]

Sounds like you had fun and for those that do not know "everyone" has the same experience that these two had.Right now they are testing out some of Albert's grips in Mississauga. Albert come on up here for a visit and see Modern Golf Hq.

 

I have it from reliable sources that a Vancouver location visit is in the works

[JBones]

Nice write up.

 

Nidines position at the top of her backswing makes me jealous.

[golfingdeano]

Outstanding write-up!!  Sounds like a ton of fun.  Now I have a few questions..  Obviously, I have no dog in this fight, and I think that Mrs. MBP should play whatever she wants.  Looking at the data provided, the one glaring gain that I can find was the tremendous increase in ball speed with the Epon 6 iron.  However, when I look at the plot of shots on the TrackMan readout, it looks as of the Epon has a much larger variance between the distanced that the shots are traveling than the Amp Cell 6 iron.  More clearly stated, the Cobra iron was more consistent. I know the sample size is tiny, but if these were numbers that I was looking at for myself, I would seriously consider playing an iron that goes the prescribed yardage on more swings, rather than one that goes 5 yards too far and 7 yards too short every 3rd or 4th shot.  I have no doubt that in the long run, Mrs. MBP would learn to dial in the Epons.

 

She most definitely hits her irons well, her data you see is on total distance, we were mainly concentrating on carry distance, being in Vancouver we have to take the elements into play as well during her fitting, so total distance on her irons was not a huge factor based on the softer greens she would be playing, saying that we went from her spin rate on her irons being 3700 and with the new irons at 5300 so even if she did go play courses with firmer greens she would be able to hold the greens a little easier leading to a more consistent yardage. the one yardage with the Epon that seemed to carry further was a "guesstimate"from Trackman on her spin so I would have to say with the others carry distance she is looking pretty good and consistent , It was fantastic having both Dan and Nidine they are quality people!

 

[The Dansome]

 

She most definitely hits her irons well, her data you see is on total distance, we were mainly concentrating on carry distance, being in Vancouver we have to take the elements into play as well during her fitting, so total distance on her irons was not a huge factor based on the softer greens she would be playing, saying that we went from her spin rate on her irons being 3700 and with the new irons at 5300 so even if she did go play courses with firmer greens she would be able to hold the greens a little easier leading to a more consistent yardage. the one yardage with the Epon that seemed to carry further was a "guesstimate"from Trackman on her spin so I would have to say with the others carry distance she is looking pretty good and consistent , It was fantastic having both Dan and Nidine they are quality people!

 

image.png

 

 

It's Dean! Welcome to the forums!

[golfingdeano]

It's Dean! Welcome to the forums!

 Indeed thanks for having me

[Mr_Theoo]

Welcome Dean!

[The Dansome]

 Indeed thanks for having me

 

This calls for a thread in the introduce yourself forum!

[Wannabegolfer67]

I would definitely spend the $325.00 for a fitting like this!! Too bad I don't think you have any locations in Georgia!!

 

I was also curious, during a fitting do you ever just suggest using the set of clubs (irons specifically) a person already has maybe with different shafts & maybe tweaking the loft & lie?? 

[BestGrips.com]

Sounds like you had fun and for those that do not know "everyone" has the same experience that these two had.Right now they are testing out some of Albert's grips in Mississauga. Albert come on up here for a visit and see Modern Golf Hq.

 

 

I like the sound of that plan! I'll be in vancity in the first week of june. Judging by my globe, though, that seems to be a large distance to cover via MBP's dog sled. 

[The Dansome]

I like the sound of that plan! I'll be in vancity in the first week of june. Judging by my globe, though, that seems to be a large distance to cover via MBP's dog sled. 

 

We'll make it as far as Surrey Zach. You remember Surrey from last year don't you?

[BestGrips.com]

We'll make it as far as Surrey Zach. You remember Surrey from last year don't you?

 

Yeah. I LOOOOOOOVED Surrey.

[KT-18]

Vancouver Open 2014, Dan?  =)

[The Dansome]

Vancouver Open 2014, Dan?  =)

 

Oh you'll be getting the call it's in the works

[Maverickping]

I like the sound of that plan! I'll be in vancity in the first week of june. Judging by my globe, though, that seems to be a large distance to cover via MBP's dog sled. 

 

I would agree, glad to hear you're going to MG. You will have fun.