First Time Fitting - Pushed to one Brand

[cohuck2018]

I went for my first fitting ever and I'm a 10.6 HI at the moment and have hit a wall and thought this was the best thing to do (always have wanted to just never did it). Anyways went and got fitted at a respectable golf establishment and while I had a great experience with the pro and he brought a lot of new ideas/thoughts on clubs/angles/etc. the one thing I couldn't get over was being pushed to ONE brand. One issue is that they only carried 4 brands their which limited my choice of what to even look at but even then I would hit ball after ball with one brand and only a few with the other 3. Irons, driver, and woods/hybrids he all put down as one brand and the top of the line ones in the brand to say the least. When I brought this up he postured a bit and made it sound like I was attacking him but I was just stating that I haven't tried any other brands but the 4 there and possibly want to look at others. Obviously the cost of getting an entire set of custom clubs is a big one and I didn't want to just be stuck with one brand (expensive one) without looking at others. What is everyone's thought on that? I mean as long as I use the right measurements and just find clubs and I like and feel that is the way to look at it right? or should I just stick with what he put me in?

 

Thanks all.

[cnosil]

Can't judge on the quality of the fitting but based on what you described he is most likely on staff with the manufacturer and he or the store is possibly getting kickbacks from the manufacturer. This is just the way it works.

 

You should be able to take the fitting specs and get another brand. That said, the head has an impact on the launch characteristics so you may see different results than what you were fit into.

[bens197]

Lemme guess...Mizuno, PING, Callaway and Taylor Made...all of which are spiffed.

 

YOU are the one buying these clubs and for most of us, that's no small proposition.

 

This is your money so make sure that you buy what YOU want.

 

 

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[jaskanski]

The actual fitting metrics (ie the loft, lie and shaft etc) are the important part and will translate into whatever brand you choose within reason. There's no problem with that.

What the fitter is probably very aware of is an age old problem. Time and money. He or she is not exactly going to be excited to wait around will you make up your mind which brand (or mixture of brands) you want, unless of course you are paying for their time and money (it's a bit unclear if this was the case). I very much doubt they were trying to "push" you into a bad choice, but merely directing you towards the most suitable brand.

I always encourage anybody to go out and try/demo as many clubs as they want in their own time to make up their mind which type or set up they prefer - then I can readily fit them to that set without wasting my own or their time. Demos and trial clubs are readily available across all OEM's and they are a good way to get a feel and see if it's fits your eye - without any fee or obligation.

Of course, if I feel something is totally unsuitable, I can refer you back to find something a bit more suitable (again in your own sweet time).

I can certainly stand there and advise if you want while you hit 4 different brands and multiple sets and variations, but I ain't cheap - and if you want that level of fitting you pick up the tab for my time and my expertise - it's that simple.

Like I said, it's all a case of time and money (and labour and materials ultimately of course) so if you want to get fitted first and then choose which brand you want feel free - just don't expect to do it in my time.

[HardcoreLooper]

I went for my first fitting ever and I'm a 10.6 HI at the moment and have hit a wall and thought this was the best thing to do (always have wanted to just never did it). Anyways went and got fitted at a respectable golf establishment and while I had a great experience with the pro and he brought a lot of new ideas/thoughts on clubs/angles/etc. the one thing I couldn't get over was being pushed to ONE brand. One issue is that they only carried 4 brands their which limited my choice of what to even look at but even then I would hit ball after ball with one brand and only a few with the other 3. Irons, driver, and woods/hybrids he all put down as one brand and the top of the line ones in the brand to say the least. When I brought this up he postured a bit and made it sound like I was attacking him but I was just stating that I haven't tried any other brands but the 4 there and possibly want to look at others. Obviously the cost of getting an entire set of custom clubs is a big one and I didn't want to just be stuck with one brand (expensive one) without looking at others. What is everyone's thought on that? I mean as long as I use the right measurements and just find clubs and I like and feel that is the way to look at it right? or should I just stick with what he put me in?

 

Thanks all.

Did he talk to you about what you wanted to accomplish with the fitting? Did he talk about a price range?

 

In addition to fitting you physically, they should fit your swing speed (especially shafts). And the fitter should talk about using fitting to correct a swing flaw vs fitting for a more neutral swing and taking lessons to correct the flaw.

 

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[HardcoreLooper]

I went for my first fitting ever and I'm a 10.6 HI at the moment and have hit a wall and thought this was the best thing to do (always have wanted to just never did it). Anyways went and got fitted at a respectable golf establishment and while I had a great experience with the pro and he brought a lot of new ideas/thoughts on clubs/angles/etc. the one thing I couldn't get over was being pushed to ONE brand. One issue is that they only carried 4 brands their which limited my choice of what to even look at but even then I would hit ball after ball with one brand and only a few with the other 3. Irons, driver, and woods/hybrids he all put down as one brand and the top of the line ones in the brand to say the least. When I brought this up he postured a bit and made it sound like I was attacking him but I was just stating that I haven't tried any other brands but the 4 there and possibly want to look at others. Obviously the cost of getting an entire set of custom clubs is a big one and I didn't want to just be stuck with one brand (expensive one) without looking at others. What is everyone's thought on that? I mean as long as I use the right measurements and just find clubs and I like and feel that is the way to look at it right? or should I just stick with what he put me in?

 

Thanks all.

Did he talk to you about what you wanted to accomplish with the fitting? Did he talk about a price range?

 

In addition to fitting you physically, they should fit your swing speed (especially shafts). And the fitter should talk about using fitting to correct a swing flaw vs fitting for a more neutral swing and taking lessons to correct the flaw.

 

Sent from my SM-J727VPP using MyGolfSpy mobile app

[cohuck2018]

I appreciate the feedback so far tremendously and to one point I did pay for this fitting (almost 2 hours) and while I felt like he was trying to see what was best he fit me more for my physical aspects (I have long arms) nothing was said much about swing speed which is one reason I am uneasy about the club selection he has. Maybe he was looking at that and just doing work and not bringing it up to me. He also didn't "ask many questions" but rather "told me how I probably play". I get that these guys are WAY more knowledgeable about golf/equipment than I am but felt like no matter what I said he was going to put me in those clubs. To Jaskanski - he never once brought up lessons to me for anything with my swing and I know I have a TON wrong with it ha ha. 

[Undershooter]

Lemme guess...Mizuno, PING, Callaway and Taylor Made...all of which are spiffed.

 

YOU are the one buying these clubs and for most of us, that's no small proposition.

 

This is your money so make sure that you buy what YOU want.

 

 

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I'm going to guess Tmag, Callaway, Ping and Titleist. And around my area they would be pushing you into Titleist. 

[Mr. 82]

I'd be curious to know where you went to get fitted, as in this town, you either go to Edwin Watts, or you can drive a couple of hours to a bigger town (better yet, hit Orlando for multiple options).  There is a private fitter here locally, but generally Edwin Watts is the only game in town, which honestly is a problem locally.

 

Your experience would rub me the wrong way, especially if you felt there was a brand bias with whatever they were fitting you on.  If that were me I would walk away from that and not buy anything.

 

All that said, I've been a PING guy all my life, so I am brand loyal, to a fault.  I will say that I have had a few occasions to hit other brand clubs, and I always end up back at PING, because they just work for me.  With my last fitting I came in knowing I wanted one of two options with the latest that Ping had on the market, so the only thing I needed to know was the shaft and lie angle on my irons.  I hit enough balls to get my color lie angle, and enough balls to settle on a shaft flex.

 

Now with my own personal "fitting" experience out of the way, I am sure there are many others here with much more knowledge of how a proper fitting should go.  Because I am limited here in Tallahassee, I just sort of settle for whatever Edwin Watts has to offer.  Now in 5+ years or so, and if I am still very serious about this game, I am either going to fly out to Arizona and get fitted in the Ping headquarters, or I'll haul it down to Orlando and make an appointment with someone who can fit me properly, from scratch, without a PING bias.  Ultimately I have 5+ years to research that option.

 

But like I said above, I'd walk away from that fitting you had and seek another alternative, as that just doesn't sit well with me, at least the way you are explaining it.  "Uncomfortable" would be the word I would describe it as and that is never a time to drop a boatload of cash on something.

[russtopherb]

Lemme guess...Mizuno, PING, Callaway and Taylor Made...all of which are spiffed.

 

YOU are the one buying these clubs and for most of us, that's no small proposition.

 

This is your money so make sure that you buy what YOU want.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

What's interesting is that there's a fitter near me who refuses to recommend anyone beyond pretty much Titleist Ping and Mizuno. To him, everyone else only sells “gimmick clubs” and he refuses to stock or fit anyone into them.

 

To the OP, in my limited experience a good fitter will try you in multiple OEMs to see which give you good numbers, then tweak from there.

 

 

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[PlaidJacket]

2 more cents coming your way....

 

This is what I did a few years ago and by no means am I leading you to my clubs or anything else. Just a thought you might want to consider. So here goes...

Before I was ever fit I interviewed 3 club fitting shops. Each of them sold - fit many of the same clubs but with variances. I asked them if the fitting indoor or outdoor or perhaps both. How many years experience did they have, how are their fittings preformed, etc, etc. I also asked if they built the clubs or shipped the specs off to have them built. These are just few things I though were important at the time. After I selected a fitter he gave me a small booklet and had me keep records of 5 rounds prior to my getting fit. These records were on a shot by shot  - club by club basis. Distances and club selections for each shot, ball flight and direction, etc ,etc.

 

Have you even considered brands other than... Ping, Taylor-Made, Callaway, Cobra, Mizuno, etc. For example have you ever heard of Wishon, Alpha, KZG for example? Each of these brands are very good but you rarely see guys playing them. I play Wishons and they have been the best playing/feeling most consistent irons I've ever owned. I think a lot of that is perhaps due to my fitter and his build  quality. But the irons are top quality in their own right. I'm not saying you should buy what I play. Not at all. I'm just suggesting you consider irons like these. There's more out there than what's advertised in Golf Digest. A lot more. And they're damn good too!

 

Best of luck with your club selection and fitting.

[Shankster]

[GB13]

2 more cents coming your way....

 

This is what I did a few years ago and by no means am I leading you to my clubs or anything else. Just a thought you might want to consider. So here goes...

Before I was ever fit I interviewed 3 club fitting shops. Each of them sold - fit many of the same clubs but with variances. I asked them if the fitting indoor or outdoor or perhaps both. How many years experience did they have, how are their fittings preformed, etc, etc. I also asked if they built the clubs or shipped the specs off to have them built. These are just few things I though were important at the time. After I selected a fitter he gave me a small booklet and had me keep records of 5 rounds prior to my getting fit. These records were on a shot by shot - club by club basis. Distances and club selections for each shot, ball flight and direction, etc ,etc.

 

Have you even considered brands other than... Ping, Taylor-Made, Callaway, Cobra, Mizuno, etc. For example have you ever heard of Wishon, Alpha, KZG for example? Each of these brands are very good but you rarely see guys playing them. I play Wishons and they have been the best playing/feeling most consistent irons I've ever owned. I think a lot of that is perhaps due to my fitter and his build quality. But the irons are top quality in their own right. I'm not saying you should buy what I play. Not at all. I'm just suggesting you consider irons like these. There's more out there than what's advertised in Golf Digest. A lot more. And they're damn good too!

 

Best of luck with your club selection and fitting.

I second this. I would never buy from that fitter. Look at other brands and places that have more than 4 brands.

[cohuck2018]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I went to several other locations and was able to hit basically every major brand out there and came away with really liking two of them more than others and A LOT more than the ones that I was "fitted" for. I guess it's best to know that unless you REALLY trust a club fitter hitting up multiple locations (even though it's a pain) is really worth it when you're going to drop a good bit of money.

[revkev]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I went to several other locations and was able to hit basically every major brand out there and came away with really liking two of them more than others and A LOT more than the ones that I was "fitted" for. I guess it's best to know that unless you REALLY trust a club fitter hitting up multiple locations (even though it's a pain) is really worth it when you're going to drop a good bit of money.

Fitters are great but they are human too. That's why it's important to do the research up front and know approximately what club twice works best for you.

 

Chances are slim that he miss fit you but there is a high probability that you would fit very well into another brand's similar specked club(s). I had a similar experience once and told the guy the one he was suggesting was out of my budget - we moved to a similar model from another OEM when he heard, “if we don't there's no sake.” I saved several hundred dollars making the switch and don't believe that I sacrificed any quality.

 

Good luck

 

 

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[Golfspy_CG2]

What's interesting is that there's a fitter near me who refuses to recommend anyone beyond pretty much Titleist Ping and Mizuno. To him, everyone else only sells “gimmick clubs” and he refuses to stock or fit anyone into them.

 

To the OP, in my limited experience a good fitter will try you in multiple OEMs to see which give you good numbers, then tweak from there.

 

 

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We had a local guy who was similar to that. Only PING, Titleist and Wilson as they were "American companies" and generally had a 18 to 24 month product cycle.

 

He did very well in a small rural community about an hour from DC and Baltimore as he was the only shoo in town.

 

 

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[fixyurdivot]

I was just fitted last week and tested Ping, Mizuno, and TaylorMade.  He also had Callaway, but having just opened his store in June, still doesn't have that equipment complete. We started with the G400's only because I had hit them at a Ping Demo earlier this year.  But he recommended I hit other brands.

 

The club heads from Mizuno and TM he suggested, as comparable to the G400's, definitely felt different to me even with the same basic fitting parameters.  More importantly, they hit differently.  Before I buy a set of clubs, I'm going to buy a used (new) 6 or 7 iron to evaluate on courses.  LM data showed about a +10 yard gain in carry and total distance.  It also showed less dispersion - which is probably more important.  Seeing whether that translates into better scoring opportunities is my next step.

[cohuck2018]

Fitters are great but they are human too. That's why it's important to do the research up front and know approximately what club twice works best for you.

 

Chances are slim that he miss fit you but there is a high probability that you would fit very well into another brand's similar specked club(s). I had a similar experience once and told the guy the one he was suggesting was out of my budget - we moved to a similar model from another OEM when he heard, “if we don't there's no sake.” I saved several hundred dollars making the switch and don't believe that I sacrificed any quality.

 

Good luck

 

 

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That was basically my issue but he kept telling me well that's the best and if you want top of the line and want your game to be where it's at you need the best of the best. When I went to a different establishment, funny it was a big box retailer, the guy there gave me every OEM comparable to each other and we hit them and found one in my price range that I actually hit better.

[cohuck2018]

I also failed to mention that during my original fitting he did not have a launch monitor that I could see. He sat back and had his screen while I was hitting into the net but could never "see" the ball/data/numbers. When I suggested we go outside so I can actually see the flight he said that wasn't needed and he knew what would work best. It just disheartens me when I'm told that this one place is the place to go (was even on the Golf Digest Top 100 so they claim) and I get better service at a big box store.

[cnosil]

. He sat back and had his screen while I was hitting into the net but could never "see" the ball/data/numbers. When I suggested we go outside so I can actually see the flight he said that wasn't needed and he knew what would work best. I.

Not showing you the data is the biggest red flag. Not showing you the data while hitting is not bad,, but not explaining what he is seeing especially when asked is a problem.

[cnosil]

.

The club heads from Mizuno and TM he suggested, as comparable to the G400's, definitely felt different to me even with the same basic fitting parameters. More importantly, they hit differently..

Clubs will feel/sound different even when setup the same. What I have experienced in the most wanted testing is that most of the clubs will perform about the same but you may not have the exact same setup, sound, or feel due to how the head is designed and works. .

[RickyBobby_PR]

We had a local guy who was similar to that. Only PING, Titleist and Wilson as they were "American companies" and generally had a 18 to 24 month product cycle.

 

He did very well in a small rural community about an hour from DC and Baltimore as he was the only shoo in town.

 

 

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Replace w/s with Mizuno as mentioned in another post and is there really any other brand 🤣

 

But seriously it's a little disappointing when fitters have a hidden agenda.

[GB13]

I also failed to mention that during my original fitting he did not have a launch monitor that I could see. He sat back and had his screen while I was hitting into the net but could never "see" the ball/data/numbers. When I suggested we go outside so I can actually see the flight he said that wasn't needed and he knew what would work best. It just disheartens me when I'm told that this one place is the place to go (was even on the Golf Digest Top 100 so they claim) and I get better service at a big box store.

There is no problem in not showing the numbers while you are hitting. It removes your bias toward certain clubs. When I have a fitting I like not seeing the numbers. HOWEVER, once you hit all clubs and combinations you should sit down and look at the numbers with the fitter. He should then explain what you should go with and why. His "findings" should be backed up by the data. This should include distance, lateral dispersion, face impact, and spin. This is how a good fitting should work.

[McGolf]

One of the first questions I ask in the fitting is - are you brand sensitive. meaning is there a brand you particularly want or do you care.

If the golfer likes or certainly wants a brand we don't carry we get on the computer and go over specs of the club brand of choice.

I have gone so far as to call another company we don't carry to order a set via the local rep so the player can get what they want.

It is impractical to carry every brand particularly in my area (rural).