OPERATION CALLAWAY: RECONNAISSANCE

[GolfSpy Dave]

MyGolfSpy.com OPERATION CALLAWAY: Reconnaissance

An average Joe gets fit like a Pro

 

Making a hard game harder...

How many recreational golf players are actually playing clubs that fit them? How much better could the average player score on the course if his or her clubs were working in sync with the swing rather being compensated for during the swing? As a MyGolfSpy.com reader, you are likely well aware of the benefits of playing fitted clubs and you are probably already bagging clubs that were fit to you. However, think about the players that are not as dedicated to the game as you and I. Think about the players who are not total gear heads with encyclopedic knowledge of the available club offerings from each manufacturer. Do you believe that the average recreational golfer has any understanding of how length, loft, and lie can affect the flight of the ball? How many players are out there with regular shafts, considering themselves “regular” golfers because they play on a “regular” basis? I may be exaggerating a bit there, but I would be willing to bet that the number of all-in-one golf sets sold to the casual golfer greatly outnumbers those that are sold custom fit.

 

So why don't the average recreational golfers get fit for clubs?

I think that there are a few basic answers to this question. First of all it is likely a matter of ignorance. People who purchase clubs online or from a sporting goods store or big box retailer will not encounter a club fitter during the purchase process. Can you imagine the sales person at the cash register asking the customer if they would like their irons 2° flat? Consumers can get some great deals on complete club sets at the warehouse stores, totally unaware that the clubs they are buying would fit their game no better than a 54” pair of pants would fit their waist. But look at it this way. What if the only pants that you have ever worn had a 54” waist? What if you were used to having to severely belt them to fit your 32” waist? You would likely not think anything was wrong, because that it all you have ever known.

 

The second possible reason why the recreational golfer doesn't get fit for clubs is that they may perceive club fitting as costing too much. Something along the lines of “I can't afford something custom, so I'll just play these”. Again, a little education goes a long way here. Many of the golf shops offer custom fitting as part of the purchase price of the clubs. Others that charge for the fitting session typically refund all or part of that fitting fee when one buys the clubs from them. The consumer just needs to explore the possibilities available at a specialized golf shop to know what services are available. They will likely find that it is not as expensive as they thought.

 

The third and maybe strongest reason that the average golfer doesn't get fit for clubs is fear. Golf is a very difficult game. The game is very simple in theory but devilishly difficult in execution. What makes it even more frustrating for the beginner is that good players make ball striking seem effortless while they swing as hard as they can producing a shot that flies ten yards total, dead right. A player who has no chance of breaking 100 on the course may feel that they are such a bad player that there is no way that they are worthy of custom clubs. They don't see it as buying a pair of pants that fit.

 

Even interacting with the staff at some golf shops can also be intimidating. It takes more than a modicum of bravery for the average player to approach a club pro for help. Would you feel comfortable showing a NBA player your game if you are just learning how to dribble the ball? The average player may also fear that they are going to improve so rapidly that clubs they get fitted for now will not fit once they become an expert player. And let's be honest, the good players who have little empathy of even outright mockery for their struggles reinforce some of the average golfer's fears. I laughed when Tiger did his impression of Charles Barkley's swing, but I don't think I would be laughing had he mimicked by 18-handicap delivery.

 

So what is Operation Callaway?

The intention of this and the subsequent articles is to demonstrate the club fitting process and alleviate the fears that the average consumer may harbor about getting fitted for clubs. Perhaps my current play is a bit better than someone who fits the “average” description in the above paragraphs, but not by much. I have been playing golf for three years now and the fears and misconceptions that I listed were basically my own. I would have been grateful when I started playing for a guide who could walk me through the fitting process, expounding upon its benefits while dispelling my misconceptions and fears.

 

To go forward with this project I needed a club fitter. To this end I approached Callaway Golf and asked if they would like to be involved with my chronicling of the club fitting process in a way that the average recreational player could relate to. I proposed going to a local shop and going through the process. Callaway responded that they were happily willing to help, but with one condition. Rather than doing the fitting at a local retailer, they would like for me to come to their main facility in Carlsbad, CA to do the fitting. So fellow golfspies, later this month I will be traveling to southern California to Callaway headquarters and undergoing the whole fitting process from start to end, from driver to putter. My intention is to provide you with a step-by-step overview of the process. Hopefully this series of articles will teach you something about the fitting process that you didn't know before. More importantly, what the articles will give you is a place to refer new golfers, or golfers who have never been fit for clubs, so that they can see the benefits of properly fit clubs. Better fitting clubs will help them play better.

 

Obviously lessons are important too, but dance lessons alone are not as effective for someone wearing dance shoes three sizes too small.

 

What would you like to know?

Because I am not heading to Callaway until next week, there is time for me to collect some questions from you about either the fitting process, Callaway products, and/or Callaway in general. I don't really know what the process in Carlsbad will entail, but I will take your questions with me and get as many answered as I can. So fire away.

 

What will I end up with?

I thought it would also be fun to speculate a bit about the final composition of clubs that I will be fit for in the process. Check Callawaygolf.com for their gear and post your Golfspy Dave bag prediction below. Maybe I can dig up a prize for the person who gets the closest. For reference, my current bag holds G10 irons, Rapture V2 driver, Rapture V2 3H & 4H, Exotics XCG 3W, Scratch/G10 wedges, and a Byron Morgan 006 longneck putter. My driver swing speed is about 104. A recent Mizuno Shaft Optimizer session gave me numbers of 87 mph, with a code of 5 2 6 4.

 

So what will Callaway recommend for me?

[MmmmmmBuddy]

I need a little more info for a more detailed guess....... If you want specs and stuff.....

[GolfSpy Dave]

I need a little more info for a more detailed guess....... If you want specs and stuff.....

What kind of info Nic?

Age: 42

Sign: Aquarius

[MmmmmmBuddy]

Standard stuff...

Height, Wrist to floor, Shot Pattern, Handicap, ect...

[MmmmmmBuddy]

im really hoping that those are junior clubs in the pics.....

[Matt Saternus]

I'm guessing:

 

RAZR Hawk Driver & 3W

RAZR X Irons (maybe hybrids for 3 or 4)

X Series Wedges

Odyssey putter

 

Not much to guess at there, other than which iron set and driver. I'll be interested to see what kind of shaft options they come up with for you.

[Funkyfedora]

Ft-iz driver

dioblo edge 3 wood

diablo 3 hybrid

x24 4-pw irons

jaws wedges

Byron putter (Because Odyssey can't come close)

[jamo]

What kind of info Nic?

Age: 42

Sign: Aquarius

 

That's all the info I need. Aquarius is power, so you are going full out Diablo. What do I win?

[GolfSpy Dave]

im really hoping that those are junior clubs in the pics.....

Totally rocking the 32" driver these days...

[Sandy Koufax]

Here's a question I have about clubfitting, it's a bit of a chicken-and-egg query: How much can clubfitting help a golfer who is such a beginner that they do not have a consistent, repeatable swing? In this case, isn't the player better off honing in their swing until it is consistently repeatable, using cheap clubs, and then upgrading to custom-fit clubs later? I'd be interested in Callaway's response to this. I could imagine a situation where a beginning golfer with a flawed swing got custom-fit, then played for a few months and developed their swing and found their custom-fit clubs no longer fit their swing.

[The GreekGrind]

I love this thread. I hit the Diablo Forged, RAZR X Forged, and RAZR X Tour irons, and will post a review soon on the differences and comparions about them. I tried them all with the same shaft though, and though it's not the shaft I've been fitted for in the past, it's the one I feel msot comfortable with. I'm so envious you get to go to Callaway Carlsbad to get fitted directly by Callaway! Can't wait to read about the experience and see the results!

[The GreekGrind]

PS: If MGS needs a wingman for this trip, I'm applying right now!

[GolfSpy Dave]

Here's a question I have about clubfitting, it's a bit of a chicken-and-egg query: How much can clubfitting help a golfer who is such a beginner that they do not have a consistent, repeatable swing? In this case, isn't the player better off honing in their swing until it is consistently repeatable, using cheap clubs, and then upgrading to custom-fit clubs later? I'd be interested in Callaway's response to this. I could imagine a situation where a beginning golfer with a flawed swing got custom-fit, then played for a few months and developed their swing and found their custom-fit clubs no longer fit their swing.

 

Perfect question. Definitely on the list to ask.

[The GreekGrind]

Here's a question I have about clubfitting, it's a bit of a chicken-and-egg query: How much can clubfitting help a golfer who is such a beginner that they do not have a consistent, repeatable swing? In this case, isn't the player better off honing in their swing until it is consistently repeatable, using cheap clubs, and then upgrading to custom-fit clubs later? I'd be interested in Callaway's response to this. I could imagine a situation where a beginning golfer with a flawed swing got custom-fit, then played for a few months and developed their swing and found their custom-fit clubs no longer fit their swing.

Sandy I think you answered your own question. And unfortuntely the answer is a beginning golfer will have faster and greater marginal improvement than someone with more skill. And so unfortunately may play out of his or her current fittings more than a more experienced golfer.

 

Of course it also depends on if the fitter fits you for your swing as is, or as they think it should be.

 

Before I started playing more regularly a few years back I got fitted for maroon dot ping G10 irons, and if you don't know, that's exteme, and I mean EXTREME upright. The reason I got fitted for those is because my swing was so severely outside and over the top, that it was easier to staighten my shot with more upright irons.

 

Today I play more standard lie irons, and am a pretty good ball striker. Sometimes I'll still bring it over the top a bit, or come inside a smidge, but nothing like my first fitting just mentioned.

 

One the one hand that fitting gave me a quick fix, and that's probably ok if I play only a few times a year, and don't care much about improving. But once I got the golf bug, and wanted to get better in every respect, that fitting, well, didn't fit me anymore LOL.

 

Great question though and yes I'm curious to hear Callaway's response to it as well

[MmmmmmBuddy]

OK, Here is my Guess.

Driver: 10.5* Razr Hawk Draw with UST Proforce AXIV Core 69 stiff shaft.

Fairway: Diablo Octane 15* 3wd Stock Stiff Shaft.

Hybrids: Razr X Hybrids H3, H4, Stock Stiff Shafts, -1/2 inch.

Irons: Razr X Tour 5-PW. Project X 5.5 Steel Standard length, 2* up.

Wedges: X series 50.12, 54.16, 58.8 slate finish, specs to match irons.

All grips are the Golf Pride New Decade, +2 wraps.

Putter : Odyssey Black Series Tour Design #2.

 

 

[GolfSpy Dave]

I'm guessing:

 

RAZR Hawk Driver & 3W

RAZR X Irons (maybe hybrids for 3 or 4)

X Series Wedges

Odyssey putter

 

Not much to guess at there, other than which iron set and driver. I'll be interested to see what kind of shaft options they come up with for you.

Putter Model?

 

Ft-iz driver

dioblo edge 3 wood

diablo 3 hybrid

x24 4-pw irons

jaws wedges

Byron putter (Because Odyssey can't come close)

I hate the look of the Ft-iZ but I do hit it well.

 

OK, Here is my Guess.

Driver: 10.5* Razr Hawk Draw with UST Proforce AXIV Core 69 stiff shaft.

Fairway: Diablo Octane 15* 3wd Stock Stiff Shaft.

Hybrids: Razr X Hybrids H3, H4, Stock Stiff Shafts, -1/2 inch.

Irons: Razr X Tour 5-PW. Project X 5.5 Steel Standard length, 2* up.

Wedges: X series 50.12, 54.16, 58.8 slate finish, specs to match irons.

All grips are the Golf Pride New Decade, +2 wraps.

Putter : Odyssey Black Series Tour Design #2.

 

 

Slate wedges, decades, and a black #2. Maybe I should be heading to Oregon

 

What was your idea for the driver/shaft combo Nic?

[Matt Saternus]

I'm going with something horrible looking...maybe a Backstrike 2-Ball or one of those DARTs.

[MmmmmmBuddy]

 

What was your idea for the driver/shaft combo Nic?

Figured that a slightly heavier shaft would help you with some of the swing issues that we discussed last year. Also, that head/shaft combo is really solid. And I can't just go with stock everything can I??

[JBones]

I'm going with something horrible looking...maybe a Backstrike 2-Ball or one of those DARTs.

I was thinking the same thing, that Backstrike is HORRIBLE.

[The GreekGrind]

I was thinking the same thing, that Backstrike is HORRIBLE.

Have you tried it JBones? I'm with you, at least in the sense I don't like how it looks, so I didn't even give it a chance. (Currently use either the Black Series #9 or new #8).

 

But a friend of mine who's a low single digit handicap player recently tried it out, and while not caring for the appearance, told me it was the best feeling and performing putter in the Odyssey line for him.

 

Can't argue with results, he told me. Yet I remain stubborn, and unwilling to try it out, just because I don't care for its appearance.

 

Anyway just curious if the appearance is a deal breaker for you right from the start, or if you've actually tried it and don't like it for reasons not related to looks.

[GolfSpy Dave]

Just a bump for questions to take with and any other guesses about gear...

[MmmmmmBuddy]

I'm gonna edit my shaft pick on the irons to Project X 6.0, instead of 5.5... <_>

[punchdrunk]

Will Callaway frequency match shafts if requested or do they just throw it in. Heck do they even weight sort shafts and heads to get the frequency even close.

[Phana24JG]

To go forward with this project I needed a club fitter. To this end I approached Callaway Golf and asked if they would like to be involved with my chronicling of the club fitting process in a way that the average recreational player could relate to. I proposed going to a local shop and going through the process. Callaway responded that they were happily willing to help, but with one condition. Rather than doing the fitting at a local retailer, they would like for me to come to their main facility in Carlsbad, CA to do the fitting. So fellow golfspies, later this month I will be traveling to southern California to Callaway headquarters and undergoing the whole fitting process from start to end, from driver to putter. My intention is to provide you with a step-by-step overview of the process. Hopefully this series of articles will teach you something about the fitting process that you didn't know before. More importantly, what the articles will give you is a place to refer new golfers, or golfers who have never been fit for clubs, so that they can see the benefits of properly fit clubs. Better fitting clubs will help them play better.

 

 

I think the biggest problem is that Callaway is telling us VOLUMES about the "average club-fitter." Obviously Callaway cannot come right out and say that the majority of their retail fitters are not trustworthy, but exactly what else are we supposed to take from their condition? They were offered the opportunity to be present at the proposed fitting to make sure proper protocol was followed, but that was not good enough.

 

You will be the beneficiary of a state of the art launch monitor, either a Trackman or Flightscope X-2, some form of 3-D motion analysis, and ultra-high speed video, as well as a SAM-lab or putting equivalent which will match you with the very best Callaway equipment for your swing. However, we schmucks have no such equipment available to us unless we get in a car and drive at least 2.5 hours. Even then we are lucky to get two out of four.

 

My question(s) to Callaway would be why did you NOT opt for a local retail location, and why was it necessary to go to Carlsbad, CA to be properly fit?

[smgoldstein]

I have the Diablo Forged Irons, Projext X 5.5 flighted, and love them. Curious to see how the fitting goes.

[Oz Golf Guru]

I'm interested how much customisation they can do ...

 

How much weight can they add / take away from an iron / wood.

 

How much adjustment lie / loft wise is possible?

 

Do these things differ greatly between models?

 

Could they make a single length set if required? If not, how close length gaps could the irons have?

 

Who do they target for long irons vs hybrids vs fairway woods ... so who gets the 3 iron vs 3 hybrid vs 7 wood.

 

Do they do MOI matching? Why not? If they still use swing-weight, what is the reasoning for ignoring MOI?

[kg4ever]

driver: Diablo Octane Tour 9 with fubuki alpha 63s

FW Woods: Diablo Octane with fubuki alpha 73s

Hyb: Razer x 3h/4h with Oban Revenge 04 flex

Iron: Razer X proto 5-p with Diamana Thrump graph shafts

wedges: jaws cc slat at 50,56,64 with DG Spinner

Putter: Black S #1 with vegas grip and HC

Bag: Diablo Octane Tour Bag

[kg4ever]

I have the Diablo Forged Irons, Projext X 5.5 flighted, and love them. Curious to see how the fitting goes.

 

Diablo Forged lover +1, kbs tour stiff in em.

[glock35ipsc]

Will Callaway frequency match shafts if requested or do they just throw it in. Heck do they even weight sort shafts and heads to get the frequency even close.

 

Along with this, I would like to know their answer on the results of hard-stepping the Uniflex shafts would be (in a set of X-22's, if that matters). What would they be equivalent to?

[braveheart]

The customization at Carlsbad will be professionally done with all variables measured. You can be sure there you will be getting the most optimal fitting possible. They know that and they want you to know that. At retail centers such as Golf Galaxy, I am not so sure that the process is so carefully done as it will be at Carlsbad. If done correctly, it should be a painstakingly experienced golf fitting. I hope you love the Razor X irons they fit you with. Just a guess.

 

Do fitters of one brand such as Callaway stay focused on there product only when fitting? Just say you were not completely sold on something they offer and really don't want them. Do the Callaway reps or techs know enough about other brands to make them an option? Seems like why would they have to? But why not, if fitting someone correctly and making them happy is the goal.