Custom fitting's a croc, 2 different fitters on same day said to go 2 up and 4 flat.

[ozsurfer]

I was out of the game for 10 years, got fitted a few weeks ago, saw 2 different fitters and chose one before I bought a brand new $3200 complete golf set.

 

Not everything went smoothly, and for you professional fitters out there, here is a few major criticisms. (Summary is in bold).

 

Here are my specs: 6'1 height, 37.5 inch wrist to floor, swing speed 100-105mph, aggressive tempo, ~250+ yards carry with driver, high spin around 3000-4000, high ball flight with a slight fade, handicap around ~12 now, but used to be down to 7. My long irons and driving is pretty good, my wedges are very average. I have a high swing and tend to fade the ball, but I can adjust my swing to hit both a fade and a draw.

 

1. First of all, the different fitters couldn't even agree on what lie angle I needed for my 7 iron, which I hit high and about 165 yards+ carry. One said 4 flat, the other 2 up. I went with the 2 up because it was a driving range and they had more facilities etc. I think this was a problem because I can adjust my swing to the club relatively easily.

 

2. They both got the length right, about 3/4 to 1 inch over. They both only tested 7 iron and driver. They didn't ask to test any other clubs. The fitting for one cost $118 which I went with, the other was free.

 

3. I was recommended Mizuno JPX EZ forged, all 2 up, 1 inch over, S300 steel irons, and XR 16 Pro driver/pro 3 wood/3 pro hybrid all with X stiff flex. Vokey Wedges were also 1 inch over, and I was told they were also 2 up.

 

4. However when the clubs arrived, that isnt what I got.

 

I was hitting them all well left with some hooks, so got some second advice and a check of lies. Turned out the irons were all 3.5 up, 1 inch over (making them effectively 5.5 up). Moreover I got the XR  16 9.0 standard driver/fairway wood /hybrid -the standard model not the XR 16 PRO, which was not what was decided at the end of testing. The driver/fairway/hybrid shafts were all X flex, even though my swing speed is only 100-105mph.

 

When I tested the XR 16 pro afterward it felt lower, better, and longer. The XR 16 went too high, even with X flex, and I had to put it at its lowest setting of 8 degrees at neutral, which worked ok, but the XR 16 pro was lower and longer and lower spin.

 

The vokey wedges were not 2 up either, I was hitting them well left and when checked, they were both 4 up, making them, with 1 inch over, effectively 6 up. Who uses 6 up wedges???

 

5. I went back and showed them some shots on the range which all went left, and they agreed to flatten the irons by 3 and the wedges by 4. They now hit much better, but why did they change the lies to such high angles in the first place? even to above what I was told I was actually getting when they arrived?. Did they just stuff up the order???

 

I got the distinct impression of being just put through the motions, with no-one really checking anything, or the proper order. They saw a high fade and high swing, so probably thought lets just order 4-6 up to correct the swing, even though I'm really not bad, can hit the ball up to 290 yards roll and have a handicap around 12. The Mizuno EZ forged suit my ~12 handicap, although its coming down, so could have gone a bit more pro/bladey.

 

I'm now ordering the M1 driver/fairway/3 hybrid with S flex, because the XR 16 driver/fairway/hybrid goes a little left and a little too high, and might even get the MP25 irons , which suits a 5-10 handicap, because my iron game is good, my handicap coming down from 12 is probably a touch better than the JPX EZ forged, although this was only a minor criticism, as these irons can also be used by lower handicap players. 

 

But why didnt they give me what they said, and why did I have to then go out and waste time checking and adjusting??? Not impressed. 

 

 

(By the way, the tested I didnt go with was a bit miffed, but I thought he would have done a better job (he was also closer with the 4 flat) and so am ordering new clubs through him.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[null]

Sounds like you just ran into some bad fitters.

 

The custom fitter by me (perfect swing in toms River) is absolutely awesome

[ozsurfer]

reply to SR. FIELD OPERATIVE

Yeah, when I went back they didn't really want to talk much, either because they realised they stuffed up and don't want their boss to know and for it to go away quietly, or they think i'm just being pesky and overly fussy and want me to go away and stop pestering them. I wanted them to check the final lies and they weren't very co-operative-'they are already done' kind of thing.

 

Either way, they arent very approachable after spending close to $3500, which suggests something is wrong somewhere. I'm taking my business elsewhere.

[jbil8802]

That's an unfortunate situation. Finding a good fitter requires a lot of research beforehand sometimes along with a willingness to travel further for it.

[Maverickping]

Not a nice thing to deal with. You saw the wrong people to say the least. Where are you located? Good chance someone would know the right person to see.

[MattF]

I'm guessing with the user name, they're in Australia somewhere...that and the $3200 on clubs is a giveaway to me.

 

Plus, I can usually sniff another Aussie from 12,000 miles away.

[ozsurfer]

Yes in Australia, I don't know why its so hard to order some irons with agreed lies, but there you go.

 

The place I went is a new golf complex, and obviously hasn't sorted out itself yet. There is still construction etc going on, so you put it down to teething problems, but it still shouldn't be that hard. If I was the manager and I knew about it I would be chucking a fit with this kind of customer service and poor management. 

[Mr_Theoo]

Question: when you checked the lie angles did they read 3.5 upright on the irons and 4 up on the wedges or were they 5.5 and 6?

[Fireinthehole]

The title of your post threw me off a bit. Maybe the idea you had, that if someone assists you, that the particular custom fitting was going to be the end all be all and perfect. It's unfortunate that it was the exact opposite of a positive experience.

 

Like others have mentioned it is important to find a fitter who you can trust and sometimes it is hit and miss-unfortunately. In this day and age there are a lot of resources online to look up reviews of fitters in your area. I understand your disappointment with your experience, because the hope is that they will treat you and your clubs as they would their own.

 

The other unknown is big box retailers.n now you didn't name names so I'm just including this as a side note. Not to insult anyone or step on their toes, due to lower compensation from chains and possibly other factors, its not like you will find a veteran club fitter there, they don't pay to attract those people.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy mobile app

[PMookie]

I remember reading an article that getting fitted using a lie board could cause an issue you describe here. It was proven, in one study, that a lie board does lie. The best fitting I ever had used Trackman and video. Video was used for measuring the angle of the club at impact, getting a true lie measurement. I also have read about, and personally experienced, OEMs shipping clubs that were way off and quite different from what I and others were measured for or used during the fitting. I personally feel only companies like Nakashima take away that possibility by having one walk out with the club that was used during the fitting.

 

 

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[GolfSpyC]

I'd love to hear more about who actually did the building of your clubs...b/c if they "fit" you and then sent your specs to the OEM, it's still an entire crapshoot b/c the attention to detail simply won't be there - And in terms of flex, if you're fit for "stiff" or "X" they're still going to be all over the place...those terms really don't mean anything b/c of how much they can vary....so unless your fit and built to exceptionally tight tolerances, you're just throwing darts

[PlaidJacket]

I pretty much agree with the comments. Ozsurfer had a bad experience for sure and I don't blame one bit him for his disgust. Finding a good experienced fitter is one thing. Getting the clubs built properly is still another thing.

My fitter has been applying his trade for 25-30 years. His fitting is a mix of old school and new school. Nothing in my opinion beats longevity in a career and experience. My guy has seen it all. He almost instinctively knows what to do and how to do it. He doesn't rely strictly on electronics. Thank goodness. He personally hand builds each club to exacting specifications and takes great pride in his craft. It shows.

Go back Ozsufer and start asking around for a true - experienced fitter. They're out there. In the outback somewhere. Dig deeper.

[jofi]

Unfortunately customer service isn't what it should be in all aspects of life, and more than likely we've all experience being delivered incorrect goods at some stage (whether that be golf equip, cars, online purchases etc)

A simple phone call from the manufacturers confirming the equipment & specs would have avoided this outcome, and kept you as a happy chappy

[jbil8802]

Unfortunately customer service isn't what it should be in all aspects of life, and more than likely we've all experience being delivered incorrect goods at some stage (whether that be golf equip, cars, online purchases etc)

A simple phone call from the manufacturers confirming the equipment & specs would have avoided this outcome, and kept you as a happy chappy

Considering tolerances from most manufacturers aren't that tight, it actually might not have avoided the outcome. Whenever I order new irons or wedges the first thing I do is take them to someone I trust to measure lofts and lie angles.

[jpappy]

And that's why I have a mitchell machine bolted to the floor in my garage!!!!!  Have to check the specs...can't trust the factory. I can adjust my swing to lie angles as well.  Its tough for a fitter to do a good job.  How did they fit lie angle-lie board I'm guessing?  Do yourself a favor and use the marker method and watch ball flight, then get them bent to fit that.  Take the time and do it with EVERY club, not just the 7 iron.

[RookieBlue7]

I'm betting they ordered them direct from the manufacturer, the manufacturer had one of their assembly line folks assemble them. They bent them 2 up from where they were (not from standard spec) and manufacturer tolerance was the issue. It was then compounded by the fitter not verifying every spec on the clubs when they got them, prior to contacting you. Any fitter worth their salt does that when they order direct from the manufacturer. I, personally, prefer to have the fitter build them if I'm paying someone. Which is precisely the reason I build my own clubs. Because I trust no one to do it right and to what I expect