Driver lofts and fittings

[Mr_Theoo]

So I want to get a new driver. I have settled on a Ping G30 LS tec but I am wondering if I should buy a head off online and use it during my fitting or just do a normal fitting. The reason I ask is because we all know how iffy the lofts can be on drivers. While it may say 9° on the driver the loft can be much higher than that. I don't care what the loft really is as long as I'm getting the desired numbers and performance from it.

 

What would you do?

[Zeasy]

Getting a shaft fitted with a specific head is a GREAT idea. Just takes one more variable out of the equation.

[jaskanski]

Get fitted. Depending on how you swing it - and specifically how your angle of attack contacts the ball - will have influence to what specific loft works best. Digital lofting will tell you what the exact angle is in the centre of the club face, but the chances are 32 index will be using a lot more than just the centre of the club face - hence and proper fitting (normal??) would be my advice. Wanting to buy a random head online prior to getting fitted seems like a pretty dumb idea really.

[Mr_Theoo]

Get fitted. Depending on how you swing it - and specifically how your angle of attack contacts the ball - will have influence to what specific loft works best. Digital lofting will tell you what the exact angle is in the centre of the club face, but the chances are 32 index will be using a lot more than just the centre of the club face - hence and proper fitting (normal??) would be my advice. Wanting to buy a random head online prior to getting fitted seems like a pretty dumb idea really.

Well I have hit the driver I want a few times and comparing it with my gamer I know that my launch angle needs to come down about 3-4 degrees.

 

That's why I think getting the head and having a shaft fitted to that head is better than getting fitted with a demo and hoping the specs come out the same.

[jaskanski]

Like I said -without being fitted first, how do you know which loft to buy? Get professional advice in the first instance for which set up works with your swing, then buy afterwards. Second guessing which head may or may not be suitable is usually a costly mistake. If you're taking the assumption you already know what head you should be using, then why even bother getting fitted? Zeasy pretty much nailed it with post #2 - people get fitted because it takes variables out of the equation. If you're not 100% certain of how you intend to get the optimal set up for your game, then that is also a variable. Eliminate ALL variables before buying equipment - unless you like selling nearly new clubs for fun.

[Mr_Theoo]

Like I said -without being fitted first, how do you know which loft to buy? Get professional advice in the first instance for which set up works with your swing, then buy afterwards. Second guessing which head may or may not be suitable is usually a costly mistake. If you taking are the assumption you already know what head you should be using, then why even bother getting fitted? Zeasy pretty much nailed it with post #2 - people get fitted because it takes variables out of the equation. If you're not 100% certain of how you intend to get the optimal set up for your game, then that is also a variable. Eliminate ALL variables before buying equipment - unless you like selling nearly new clubs for fun.

Ok so what happens when I go through a fitting and we decided on X loft, with it being a demo head there is no way of knowing I'm going to end up with that same loft as what I hit during the fitting.

[jaskanski]

Are you not listening to anything?

If you (or more accurately - your fitter) decide on X loft, then get your order specced out to the same. Just because it's a demo, it doesn't mean the true spec cannot be determined. If you're truly intent on getting fitted - then get fitted. Period.

Does that make any sense? Or have you already decided you're going to buy driver head on a whim anyway?

[Mr_Theoo]

Are you not listening to anything?

If you (or more accurately - your fitter) decide on X loft, then get your order specced out to the same. Just because it's a demo, it doesn't mean the true spec cannot be determined. If you're truly intent on getting fitted - then get fitted. Period.

Does that make any sense? Or have you already decided you're going to buy driver head on a whim anyway?

http://www.mygolfspy.com/mygolfspy-labs-the-worst-kept-secret-in-golf/

[Zeasy]

Are you not listening to anything?

If you (or more accurately - your fitter) decide on X loft, then get your order specced out to the same. Just because it's a demo, it doesn't mean the true spec cannot be determined. If you're truly intent on getting fitted - then get fitted. Period.

Does that make any sense? Or have you already decided you're going to buy driver head on a whim anyway?

I've never seen the equipment on hand that could confirm the loft of a driver at a fitting. Now maybe they request the drivers to be stated as is. I've never heard anyone claim to have done that, maybe it is just assumed.

 

if he comes in with the club head he wants to be fitted into, they will find the best shaft for that head. he's posted a lot about hitting different drivers and both heads and always comes down back to that head, so I do t think he's being "willy-billy."

[jaskanski]

I've never seen the equipment on hand that could confirm the loft of a driver at a fitting. Now maybe they request the drivers to be stated as is. I've never heard anyone claim to have done that, maybe it is just assumed.

 

if he comes in with the club head he wants to be fitted into, they will find the best shaft for that head. he's posted a lot about hitting different drivers and both heads and always comes down back to that head, so I do t think he's being "willy-billy."

 

Ignoring what is actually written on a club in terms of loft (from the link provided by Mr_Theoo) - I've never seen two clubs with the same rated loft, from the same product line, of the same manufacturer that were markedly different either. The link only goes to show the discrepancy between what is stamped on the head and what is measured - not the discrepancy between every club made in the same mould. For example, the quoted 9.5 degree 915 head will be the same loft as another 9.5 915 head - even when digitally measured, the difference will be within a gnats hair of each other. Even when taking into account the tolerance of the hosel fitting adjustment, the lofts are consistent. It's a precision engineered piece of equipment after all.

So you rock on down to your fitter with the intention of getting fitted for loft. The loft will be determined based on your swing and AoA. The LM data will speak for itself. At no time will the actual digital loft on that club be relevant, because the fitting can only be based on the head at that time, which will be as near as dammit as the head you subsequently order to spec. 

If you buy a head without getting fitted first, then how do you know if it's right or not digitally measured or otherwise? It hasn't been validated to coincide with your LM data! 

Like the OP stated, they are not really bothered what the actual loft of the head is, as long as the fitting numbers are good. The fitting process outlined will do this for you! Buying a head in advance won't!

[Mr_Theoo]

http://www.mygolfspy.com/advanced-driver-buying-for-dummies/

 

Tip #7 is my main point. Since I know what loft I most likely need(90% sure) it would be smarter to get fitted with the head I plan on putting in play than to get fitted with their demo and then order it.

[fozcycle]

How did you come by this decision that the Ping G30 was definitely your club?

[Mr_Theoo]

How did you come by this decision that the Ping G30 was definitely your club?

Just through hitting it during my lessons and demo days. It has given me the best data out of the ones I've tried. I like the look of it and it's much more forgiving than my SLDR.

[jaskanski]

http://www.mygolfspy.com/advanced-driver-buying-for-dummies/

 

Tip #7 is my main point. Since I know what loft I most likely need(90% sure) it would be smarter to get fitted with the head I plan on putting in play than to get fitted with their demo and then order it.

 

Self diagnosis is symptomatic of an internet society.

[Kanoito]

The idea of buying a head and going to the fitting it's not that crazy.

At least you can be sure that the specs used for fitting will also be the ones on your gamer.

The only downside would be: you won't know if other heads would fit you better, so you are basically limiting yourself to the best shaft (for you) on the G30LS head.

If you are OK with it, then I don't see any harm in this method.

 

On the other hand, assuming you demo a G30LS stamped with 9.5* and it really measures 9.5*.

What would happen if the fitter orders a new 9.5* for you and it ends up measuring 12*?

I know this is your big concern.

Will you have any kind of guarantee or service to get the head exchanged to the correct one?

[RookieBlue7]

You've never ordered with Ping, I can tell that for certain. They offer digital lofting services. You pay and they get you a head to exact specs of what you were fitted for. Pretty sure that's why jakanski keeps specifically mentioning digital loft. Any fitter worth their salt will know the loft of their drivers at neutral.

 

Were it another manufacturer, yeah, you might have a point. But it's not any other manufacturer... It's Ping. And they do things differently.

 

I mean if you're into second guessing, the fitter isn't going to give you the shaft from his fitting cart. What happens when you get one where the adapter is within tolerance but isn't exactly the same as the one from the fitting cart? Trust Ping, trust your fitter to place the order correctly. Ping won't make the mistake.

 

Since we're linking MGS articles, do yourself a favor and check this one out:

 

http://www.mygolfspy.com/missionping-uncovering-the-truth/

[jaxbeachpackerfan]

 

Since we're linking MGS articles, do yourself a favor and check this one out:

 

http://www.mygolfspy.com/missionping-uncovering-the-truth/

Wow, I have never had a Ping club except for a couple of putters.  Reading this makes me want to go out and buy a whole set!  Going to look for a Ping fitter right now........

 

 

 

[wbealsd]

FWIW, when I was fitted for driver, my fitter contacted the OEM to hand pick the head to his specified loft.

[Jmikecpa]

The only comment that I will add is that Ping does a great job on their head tolerances and making sure you get what you order. With that being said there is really no way to know what the true loft of a demo head is unless they have the equipment to properly do it which most fitters do not have.

 

I do however like the idea of fitting a shat to the head. I hit the Adams XTD last year with the Black Tie and hated it to no end since the head felt dead. My fitter just could not even get me to consider putting it in my bag. Two weeks ago I picked one up out of need with the Red Tie and it is a beast. Completely different feel and results just by a shaft change within the same line and manufacturer.