Is Club Champion worth it?

[Mr. 82]

So I am staying with my sister for 10 days here near Asheville, NC, and I checked and not only is there Top Golf in Greenville, SC an hour away  but there is also a Club Champion in both Charlotte and Greenville, each within an easy drive, which definitely wasn't the case where I live in Tallahassee.

I've been considering seeing them to see if there is a better option for both my PING G400 driver and fairway club then the standard stock shaft in both.  From everything I've seen with Club Champion their goal is to evaluate every club by select manufacturers to find the one that is best for you.  But what if I life the clubs I currently have and just want to see if there is a better shaft that might perhaps increase distance in both clubs?  Is that something I can stipulate up front with them?

Also, I noticed a fitting session for those two clubs alone is $200 (they have a 33% discount, so that would soften the blow a bit).  That's a lot of money to me, but if I can go in there and have them evaluate everything with my driver and fairway club and find some improvement, distance wise, then I am definitely interested.  I just don't know if it would be worth the investment, especially since I am sort of straying from their conventional fitting model in that I want to keep my current clubs and just see if the shafts can be upgraded to something better.

Anyone have any thoughts on all of this?  Anyone do a club champion fitting and can offer me some advice, tips, or suggestions before committing to it?

[fozcycle]

I think you’re on the right thought process.......just consider it an investment like a couple lessons.


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[RickyBobby_PR]

I’ve have seen mixed reviews on club champion fittings, mostly based around the experience itself due to the attitude/approach of the fitter. personally I’m not a fan of indoor fittings because I prefer to see the actual ball flight and how the ball reacts. 
 

Im not sure how the process works for getting current club optimized but you are paying for a service there so I don’t see why they wouldn’t fit your current club to find the best combo/setup.

As for whether it’s worth it that really depends on the person but also what/how much is gained thru an optimization fitting. If a person was properly fit for their club the chances of seeing more than 5 yards in carry or a large improvement in dispersion will probably be low. 
 

The $134 plus cost of shaft, grip, etc it may not be worth it to every person. Then there’s the chance that there is no better combo is the $134 worth that peace of mind. 
 

I personally would only pay for a fitting if I was in the market for something new and that would be after doing some self testing to see if there were enough gains over my current club. 

[CarlH]

OK...yes, I've done a Club Champion fitting and yes, I did it with the intent of keeping my driver head.

First off, I did an entire bag fitting.  I had a wonderful experience and learned a massive amount of information regarding my swing characteristics.  I walked away feeling the cost of the fitting was well worth the price paid, but I did go into the experience with the knowledge that I was looking at the fitting process as part of a long term investment and not just the prelude to purchase.  Everyone's financial situation is different and what is worth it to one person is simply an added expense to another.  If money is an issue, then it will likely have more impact on your satisfaction than it would if the cost were less of an overriding factor.

Now, they will not have a Ping G400 head available and you'll need to utilize the latest Ping head for the fitting session.  Their shafts have a custom fitting so that each shaft can fit every head that they have in the shop and will not fit the standard manufacturer's fittings.  You will start with your club head and shaft and determine your baseline numbers.  From there, you would hit a similar head with a variety of shafts and work through the numbers looking for a shaft that optimizes your swing and club characteristics to obtain the best distances with the least dispersion.  If you're the person that's hung up on seeing actual ball flight outdoors, then you're likely going to be less than satisfied because everything is done by the numbers and what you see on the screen.

For me, it was a great experience. 

 

Edit:  Be prepared for sticker shock to get your club upgraded through them, but recognize that you are NOT committed to purchase the shaft and work through them and can take the recommendations to any fitter to have the work done. 

[cnosil]

CarlH summed it up pretty well. If they are doing a 33% discount they must be a new store; if so, then they typically do 50% on full bag which would be cheaper than the 2 clubs.

Ultimately, you are paying them, so they should do what you want regarding the fitting. If the full bag is cheaper, you might go try doing a bag gapping instead of
Looking for new clubs.

I did a CC fitting a couple of years ago simply to learn about the process, analyze my own bag, and learn a few things. I have access to a launch monitor so it was helpful for doing my own analysis.

Cost and value are based on the individual. Right now I would love to do a driver fitting because I think I am leaving something on the table from a distance perspective. However, the cost/value proposition isn’t high enough for me to do a fitting at club champion.

[TENBUCK]

I did not have a good experience but that could be the store I went too. 

First odd they didn't measure me for anything, looked at my swing or lie angle. I took about a half dozen swings and they started to get me into exotic shafts (which I really didn't want to get unto) mainly because of the cost. I wanted to try different heads but they also said that I wasn't a good candidate for some of the heads, why (??). 

This was supposed to be a 3 hour session, and it lasted about 1 1/2 hours and by the time I was finished my arms were dragging. I must have taken about 100 swings, I had a small break, but still I was dragging. 

I decided I wanted to keep the driver as is because I didn't see any results markedly better than what I had. On to irons.

Playing CF16, we went through several shafts, and the one that THEY said was better was a Paderson Kinnetic shaft. To replace my whole set of irons shafts (8) with grips and installation was a little over $1200. They were charging me 100 per shaft. I went on the Golfwroks site and the same shaft costs $69.00. I decided to have a single iron replaced with the recommended shaft. Bottom line, for shaft, installation cost, grip, grip installation and spinning (highly recommended) was another $35, plus shipping because it had to be sent to Chicago for the repairs. I later learned that the Paderson shaft has no spine because of it's construction! The bill was over $200 + tax. Lesson learned.

Oh the 5i with the shaft, it didn't work out, just a little too whippy for my swing. I was told I could bring it back and they would put me in another shaft, NO THANKS!

I have heard good things about CC, obviously this store didn't meet those standards. 

[Middler]

I can let you know in a couple weeks. I just did a CC driver fitting and got my new after market shaft Friday, hope to play it this week. The process was slick but a little hokey/rigged and cookie cutter IMO. Their process all but guarantees a recommendation for new shafts and/or heads whether you'll really benefit or not. And their "guarantee" won't change that.

Until I see actual results (or lack thereof) on course, I won't have an opinion. Frankly I hope I do see an improvement. If not I've learned a $450 lesson...

[update: the CC fitting was worthless. I ended up selling the shaft they recommended for about 15 cents on the dollar. I will never go to CC again for anything.]

[TR1PTIK]

3 hours ago, Mr. 82 said:

But what if I life the clubs I currently have and just want to see if there is a better shaft that might perhaps increase distance in both clubs?  Is that something I can stipulate up front with them?

Also, I noticed a fitting session for those two clubs alone is $200 (they have a 33% discount, so that would soften the blow a bit).  That's a lot of money to me, but if I can go in there and have them evaluate everything with my driver and fairway club and find some improvement, distance wise, then I am definitely interested.  I just don't know if it would be worth the investment, especially since I am sort of straying from their conventional fitting model in that I want to keep my current clubs and just see if the shafts can be upgraded to something better.

Anyone have any thoughts on all of this?  Anyone do a club champion fitting and can offer me some advice, tips, or suggestions before committing to it?

I haven’t done a fitting with CC, but I have been looking into it as well. I reached out to them to inquire about optimizing some of the current clubs in my bag and they confirmed that they can do it. You’ll just need to address that upfront when making your appointment.

I agree that $200 does seem a bit steep just to look at 2-3 clubs (same thing I’m looking at primarily), but for $150 more you can be fit for the entire bag. Even if you have absolutely no intentions of buying anything beyond a couple shafts, knowing what to look for in your next set of irons/wedges/putter adds a lot more value to the fitting IMO. If you also consider the intangibles such as the knowledge gained from such a fitting experience... well, it just seems like even more value.

However, I have heard good and bad about CC and while some experiences can certainly be summed up by the fitter, I think it also depends what the golfer’s mindset is going in. At the end of the day, they do offer a performance guarantee so if you’re unhappy after the fact, you do have a course of action to take.

[ChiefMikeOfficer]

Quick rundown of my experience -- some of it is repetitive with what others said. I've had a good-but-not-great experience with them, but I continue to go back. I've been to two locations and am about to go again in a couple weeks (if COVID doesn't cancel it). I'm happy with the equipment that they fit me into, and their fittings gave me a lot more confidence than others fitters. Some highlights: 

• Expect to spend $$$.
  • Fitting Fee: Unlike many other fitters, they don't waive the fitting fee with a purchase. However, if you make any purchase, they waive the fitting fee in the future (at least that's true with the Full Bag fitting), so you can go back and tweak things as needed (that's why I'm about to go for a third time).
  • Shafts: you're most likely buying a shaft on top of your current club setup, and depending on the shaft, it could be a lot of money. Expect another $200+, upwards of $1000 depending on the shaft. I went with Accra wood shafts -- my driver shaft was $450 after everything ($365 shaft plus new OEM adapter plus installation), and the 3-wood shaft was closer to $275 -- there are cheaper options out there, but there are also more expensive options (e.g. my buddy that did a fitting alongside me walked away with a $650 driver shaft). 
  • Heads: May not be applicable to you, but a full club direct from the OEM is the same price as the head only, so if you swap out the entire club and choose an after-market shaft, you'll be paying a steep price. If you choose a head/shaft combo that's a standard offering from the OEM, you pay retail plus add-ons if desired (see next); if you choose an after-market (like my Accra), a $400 retail driver can balloon up to $700+ very quickly. 
  • Add-ons: They will push PUREing the shafts, which does make some difference but may not be noticeable to the typical amateur (I've hit my clubs well, but can't say that it would be different if I skipped PUREing...). They have different prices if you buy the shaft through them vs. needing to pull the shaft to PURE it (the latter is quite a bit more expensive, almost matching the retail price of certain shafts). 
• Mid-season form? This is more general fitting advice, but make sure you're swinging the club well. If you haven't played much over the winter or you're planning to take lessons early this year, go get your swing in shape first - a few MPH or a slightly different swing path could mean big differences in what you get fit into vs. what you actually need. 
• Using your own clubhead: You can definitely get fit for a shaft with the intention of keeping your own head -- for woods, I've only bought shafts from them, no heads. CarlH summarized this well, although one thing that was slightly different for me -- last time, I was able to use my own driver head with their shafts. It depends what the location has on hand -- they do have a proprietary adapter on all of their shafts, but my location had a Callaway-to-proprietary adapter that they stuck into my head, allowing them to use their shafts with my head. I'm not sure if they'll have the same thing for Ping, but it's possible.
• Measurements: TENBUCK noted that they didn't take measurements. That was true for me too, which is one of my biggest criticisms of the process (but to be fair, I'm 0/3 on fitters taking measurements). They started with swing speed, ball flight, etc., and once they narrowed the head/shaft combos down to 2-3, they started tweaking based on lie angle and other factors. It didn't feel like guesswork (if I were a few inches taller, I think they would have adapted), but it also didn't feel all that precise. They did have varied length shaft options, so they could test with other lengths, but my frame is pretty close to standard specs. 
• Wedge fitting is...a joke. My first guy told me "wedge fitting is more of a conversation"; my second guy didn't even touch on it. 
• Putter fitting is worth it - they'll tweak your putter on the spot (adjust loft/lie). They'll also tell you the type of putter you should be using and won't push a new one unless you're using the "wrong" model. They use SAM technology, so you likely don't need to go to Club Champion to get this feedback, but it's a nice add-on if you do a full bag fitting. 

Ultimately, it depends what you want to get out of it. I've done a quick fitting at Golf Galaxy, a couple at GolfTEC, and a couple at Club Champion -- I'd say skip the retail fitting unless they have actual trusted fitters on staff (our location did not). For GolfTEC vs. Club Champion, my GolfTEC location only had a subset of the equipment offered through the club manufacturers, and it felt like they used guesswork to pick the best one of the lot -- it felt more like "I'm going to order clubs online, what specs should I order?". Club Champion was a more comprehensive fitting that gave me more confidence in the outcome, but that came at a price. 

[RickyBobby_PR]

4 hours ago, TENBUCK said:

irst odd they didn't measure me for anything, looked at my swing or lie angle. I took about a half dozen swings

The vast majority of fitters especially the good ones don’t do any measurements. Wrist to floor means nothing when standing straight up. Good fitters can watch a persons swing and see how the move, how they load the shaft and how they deliver it. Using a sharpie line on the ball vice a lie board is how many go about checking lie and length.

if the guys at tpi measured @Golfspy_CG2 they would have put him in 1” long clubs but instead based on how he swung they went with their standard length and even contemplated going shorter. 

[TR1PTIK]

I don't think @ChiefMikeOfficer could have put it any better. As for static fitting, I think we're seeing a trend away from that and it's unsettling for those who are used to it or build clubs as a hobby and lack the tools used by professional fitters. TrackMan and GC Quad (and I'm sure several others that I'm unaware of) have the ability to measure what the club head is doing at impact and see how the ball is reacting to your input. What happens at impact is all that matters, and this data provides them enough information to determine if you need a different lie angle or more length, etc. Granted, I do still see some merits to static fitting (primarily, how it could possibly save some time), but I wouldn't be disappointed by a fitter that skipped over it so long as they have the capability to see what's going on at impact.

[tony@CIC]

9 hours ago, Mr. 82 said:

So I am staying with my sister for 10 days here near Asheville, NC, and I checked and not only is there Top Golf in Greenville, SC an hour away  but there is also a Club Champion in both Charlotte and Greenville, each within an easy drive, which definitely wasn't the case where I live in Tallahassee.

I've been considering seeing them to see if there is a better option for both my PING G400 driver and fairway club then the standard stock shaft in both.  From everything I've seen with Club Champion their goal is to evaluate every club by select manufacturers to find the one that is best for you.  But what if I life the clubs I currently have and just want to see if there is a better shaft that might perhaps increase distance in both clubs?  Is that something I can stipulate up front with them?

Also, I noticed a fitting session for those two clubs alone is $200 (they have a 33% discount, so that would soften the blow a bit).  That's a lot of money to me, but if I can go in there and have them evaluate everything with my driver and fairway club and find some improvement, distance wise, then I am definitely interested.  I just don't know if it would be worth the investment, especially since I am sort of straying from their conventional fitting model in that I want to keep my current clubs and just see if the shafts can be upgraded to something better.

Anyone have any thoughts on all of this?  Anyone do a club champion fitting and can offer me some advice, tips, or suggestions before committing to it?

I always rationalize the cost of a fitting to the price of a club that didn't work for me. I'd prefer spending the fitting dollars then buying a club and having to resell it at a loss. 

[Golfspy_CG2]

2 hours ago, TR1PTIK said:

I don't think @ChiefMikeOfficer could have put it any better. As for static fitting, I think we're seeing a trend away from that and it's unsettling for those who are used to it or build clubs as a hobby and lack the tools used by professional fitters. TrackMan and GC Quad (and I'm sure several others that I'm unaware of) have the ability to measure what the club head is doing at impact and see how the ball is reacting to your input. What happens at impact is all that matters, and this data provides them enough information to determine if you need a different lie angle or more length, etc. Granted, I do still see some merits to static fitting (primarily, how it could possibly save some time), but I wouldn't be disappointed by a fitter that skipped over it so long as they have the capability to see what's going on at impact.

Bingo!! This along as @RickyBobby_PR said, my fitter used his 30 years experience watching ball flights and the trackman resutls if club path face angle other parameters to determine the proper specs. 

[LeftyRM7]

I can vouch for Club Champion in Charlotte and especially Bruce. I think weather a fitting is good or bad depends mostly on the fitter, not necessarily the company they work for, and you knowing what you want out of it. To me it’s worth it just for the use of the launch monitor and the expertise of the fitter is a big plus. You’re paying for the experience so all you need to do is be honest up front on what you do/don’t want out of it. I will say that it may be tough to get an appointment on short notice, sometimes they’re booked out a few weeks.


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[PuffyC]

Been fit a couple times including once at CC. IMO if you have pro level consistency then fitting is probably great, but for somebody like me who plays at a 14, my swing is a little different every time I play. Plus do you really think 10-15 swings is enough to get an honest analysis of how you’ll be swinging over the next 30 rounds of golf, or enough to truly understand the subtle differences in shafts? Not in my case but maybe it’ll work for you.

[TENBUCK]

On 3/16/2020 at 3:03 PM, RickyBobby_PR said:

The vast majority of fitters especially the good ones don’t do any measurements. Wrist to floor means nothing when standing straight up. Good fitters can watch a persons swing and see how the move, how they load the shaft and how they deliver it. Using a sharpie line on the ball vice a lie board is how many go about checking lie and length.

if the guys at tpi measured @Golfspy_CG2 they would have put him in 1” long clubs but instead based on how he swung they went with their standard length and even contemplated going shorter. 

I agree with you to a point. When you say "the vast majority of fitters especially the good ones", how do we as customers know that our fitter is good? @Golfspy_CG2 say that his fitter has 30 years of experience, which is fantastic that he has a relationship with a fitter that good, I didn't. You can take probably 10 fitters some good, some meh, and some that are tops and you'll probably get several different answers about being measured. I for one would like to know what my "specs" are when I got fitted. I read a quote from a master fitter who said"The shaft matching a golfer's swing I'd say is 80 percent of the fitting process, with length, loft, lie and grip making up the other 20 percent." 

[TENBUCK]

I forgot to add, when you have a fitter telling you how important to have your clubs spined, you agree, and then you find out that the club you're getting has no spine because of its construction, you kind of doubt their whole process and what they should have or not have done.

Again, this is probably not representative of the whole CC, but it was my experience and that's the only thing I have to go by when someone say CC.

[Dko213]

I've done 2 fittings at CC, at 2 different locations, and both were not good experiences. Fitters were not really informed about their product and just read off numbers to me. I would do research on the fitters at the location first before committing to a fitting.

For me I won't go back to those locations unless they get other fitters. But I'm sure other locations might have good fitters. Good luck.

Edited March 20, 2020 by Dko213

[TR1PTIK]

20 hours ago, PuffyC said:

Been fit a couple times including once at CC. IMO if you have pro level consistency then fitting is probably great, but for somebody like me who plays at a 14, my swing is a little different every time I play. Plus do you really think 10-15 swings is enough to get an honest analysis of how you’ll be swinging over the next 30 rounds of golf, or enough to truly understand the subtle differences in shafts? Not in my case but maybe it’ll work for you.

You'd be surprised - as most golfers would be - at how consistent you can actually swing the golf club. Inconsistent golf shots does not necessarily equal an inconsistent swing. There are many variables that determine where the golf ball goes. I was probably somewhere close to your handicap when I first went to a fitter to do a gap analysis. Except for a few clubs, it only took about 5 swings with each to collect the data we needed because my input variables were so consistent.

[TR1PTIK]

47 minutes ago, TENBUCK said:

I forgot to add, when you have a fitter telling you how important to have your clubs spined, you agree, and then you find out that the club you're getting has no spine because of its construction, you kind of doubt their whole process and what they should have or not have done.

Again, this is probably not representative of the whole CC, but it was my experience and that's the only thing I have to go by when someone say CC.

Depends on whether or not the fitter is recommending spine alignment or SST PURE shaft alignment. SST PUREing isn't quite the same as spine alignment. While both methods attempt to achieve the same thing, the processes are markedly different. Since CC advertises SST PURE technology, I'm going to assume that's what they all go with.