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Is Club Champion worth it?


Mr. 82

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On 3/8/2021 at 11:10 AM, ChiefMikeOfficer said:

Build quality: my purchase history with them is a full set of irons, 2 driver shafts w/adapters (1 fitted, 1 similar shaft with a better design because I felt like it), a fairway shaft w/adapter, and a hybrid shaft. With those clubs, I've had three build issues - the short irons were set to the wrong lofts (just an oversight in specs on a combo set, but it was significant), the 6 iron had an epoxy rattle (not functional issue) that I simply dumped out when swapping the grip, and one of the driver adapters came loose after about 2 weeks of use. All were easily fixable, but annoying, especially considering the closest location is 90 minutes away for me (had to send in for the iron lofts, and I just fixed the other two myself). 

I think that's the thing that really gets me. I've had a lot of golf clubs in my time - just off the rack - and I haven't had any that just rattle or come apart. Could I just be lucky - maybe - but I mentioned my club guy before and I've NEVER had something like that happen from him. I keep hearing stories from people who have gone to CC having this exact same problem time and time again. Being big means they can do fittings well, but I have to wonder about their build processes and how fast they're moving. 

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On 3/8/2021 at 8:12 AM, Middler said:

They fit me for a driver shaft that diminished my results, I just sold it for 24% of what I paid. The process they used with me wasn’t statistically valid, but it ensured they’d have a shaft that appeared to perform better than what I had- I did NOT. Hindsight is a wonderful thing...

Do tell me more. Did you start the fitting process with your existing shaft/head? How were the numbers different in store vs on the course.

I'm asking because I'm scheduled for a "driver fitting" on the 19th at CC. Specifically, I'm looking for a shaft upgrade. Note: I have existing trackman data from my last fitting in 2020 from an independent fitter. Note: while I'm looking to get fit I will be doing a price comparison after the fact (and don't feel obligated to buy from them). 

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:taylormade-small:SIM 2 D Max with Fujikura Air Speeder Shaft 

Cobra  Radspeed 3W/RIptide Shaft
:ping-small:  410  Hybrids 22*, 26*

Cobra Speed Zone 6-GP/Recoil ESX 460 F3 Shafts 

:titelist-small: SM7 54* Wedge

:ping-small: Glide 3.0  60* Wedge

:odyssey-small: O Works putter

:ShotScope: V3
:918457628_PrecisionPro:NX9-HD

:CaddyTek: - 4 Wheel 

EZGO TXT 48v cart
:footjoy-small: - too many shoes to list and so many to buy

:1590477705_SunMountain: And  BAG Boy

Golf Balls: Vice Pro Plus 

2020 Official Teste:SuperSpeed: Beginning Driver Speed  - 78

2019 Official Tester :ping-small:  410 Driver

2018 Official Tester :wilson-small: C300

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1 hour ago, The_Rough_is_my_fairway said:

I think that's the thing that really gets me. I've had a lot of golf clubs in my time - just off the rack - and I haven't had any that just rattle or come apart. Could I just be lucky - maybe - but I mentioned my club guy before and I've NEVER had something like that happen from him. I keep hearing stories from people who have gone to CC having this exact same problem time and time again. Being big means they can do fittings well, but I have to wonder about their build processes and how fast they're moving. 

It definitely does happen with direct-from-mfr clubs, it just might not be as frequent. I've had adapters come loose and epoxy rattles on those types of clubs too. 

This is 100% a guess (not sure if anyone even tries to keep stats), but it makes sense in my head: I'd expect the least issues in off-the-rack because of how many nearly-identical builds they do; next most in custom-ordered clubs from the manufacturer (similar build process but custom steps might lead to error), and the most in any club that's fully hand-built (whether that's a fitter like CC, expert club builder, etc.). It makes sense to me because those custom shops are likely less precise with things like measuring and applying epoxy. There's skill in club building too, and whether CC has highly skilled builders is a valid question -- the fitters tend to make it sound like they are the ones doing the actual build, and if that's true, I'd expect variance in skill across location; however, I'm pretty sure my last fitter did not build my clubs - he is based in Milwaukee, and I'm pretty sure the clubs were built in Chicago (the cities are close, so not unreasonable for him to go to a Chicago build shop, but how likely is that?). 

Driver: :taylormade-small: Stealth Plus 8* (adjusted to 8.75*), Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 70 X Flex (New toy incoming!)

Fairway: :taylormade-small: Stealth2 Plus, 15* (adjusted to 14.25*) w/ Graphite Design Tour AD-IZ 7X

Irons:  :titleist-small: U505 1 Iron (16*), T200 "Utility Build" 3 and 4 irons, all with Graphite Design Tour AD-IZ 95 X Flex, :titleist-small: T100S 5-9 with Nippon Pro Modus 120 X Flex (2021 MGS Test). These things are monsters. 

Wedges:  :vokey-small: SM9 46.10, 54.12, and 58.08, all with custom etchings & KBS Tour Masters-themed shafts, X-flex (CHA Post)

Putter: Total headcase and Putter Ho. Down to two main options in the rotation (one mallet, one blade), but have 4-5 by the basement putting green that might make it in the bag at some point this year... Mallet: :L.A.B.: Mezz XL 36" Orange; Blade: :L.A.B.: Link.1 w/Accra White shaft & :garsen: grip

 

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32 minutes ago, tony@CIC said:

Do tell me more. Did you start the fitting process with your existing shaft/head? How were the numbers different in store vs on the course.

I'm asking because I'm scheduled for a "driver fitting" on the 19th at CC. Specifically, I'm looking for a shaft upgrade. Note: I have existing trackman data from my last fitting in 2020 from an independent fitter. Note: while I'm looking to get fit I will be doing a price comparison after the fact (and don't feel obligated to buy from them). 

Hopefully clear from my other posts here, but I'm 50/50 on CC. Do some research and go in with some ideas of shafts that you'd like to try/compare (some fitters gravitate toward the brand that has worked for them in other fittings), and keep referencing your past results and knowledge of stats/process (better chance of getting the right fit rather than "oh this works")

For driver specifically, I'm happy with what I was fit into, but I am not 100% confident that I have the best shaft for me. At the same time, finding that better shaft might take a ton of work and might not be worth the effort. The best thing for me is the selection that they have in relation to my location (Madison is a sweet city but we're not big enough to attract certain things...) - my top two brands coming out of both fittings were Accra and Paderson, and even though there could be something better out there for me, I don't know if I ever would have tried those without the CC fittings (closest CC is 90 minutes away, and I don't know anyone else within 2.5 hours that carries these brands). 

Driver: :taylormade-small: Stealth Plus 8* (adjusted to 8.75*), Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 70 X Flex (New toy incoming!)

Fairway: :taylormade-small: Stealth2 Plus, 15* (adjusted to 14.25*) w/ Graphite Design Tour AD-IZ 7X

Irons:  :titleist-small: U505 1 Iron (16*), T200 "Utility Build" 3 and 4 irons, all with Graphite Design Tour AD-IZ 95 X Flex, :titleist-small: T100S 5-9 with Nippon Pro Modus 120 X Flex (2021 MGS Test). These things are monsters. 

Wedges:  :vokey-small: SM9 46.10, 54.12, and 58.08, all with custom etchings & KBS Tour Masters-themed shafts, X-flex (CHA Post)

Putter: Total headcase and Putter Ho. Down to two main options in the rotation (one mallet, one blade), but have 4-5 by the basement putting green that might make it in the bag at some point this year... Mallet: :L.A.B.: Mezz XL 36" Orange; Blade: :L.A.B.: Link.1 w/Accra White shaft & :garsen: grip

 

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5 hours ago, tony@CIC said:

Do tell me more. Did you start the fitting process with your existing shaft/head? How were the numbers different in store vs on the course.

I'm asking because I'm scheduled for a "driver fitting" on the 19th at CC. Specifically, I'm looking for a shaft upgrade. Note: I have existing trackman data from my last fitting in 2020 from an independent fitter. Note: while I'm looking to get fit I will be doing a price comparison after the fact (and don't feel obligated to buy from them). 

I went thru it in detail about a year ago if you want to find that thread, and many “experts” here blamed me while completely side stepping the clear statistical flaws I pointed out in CC’s methodology. And I’ve seen others here who had the exact same methodology used at CC on them, so my experience wasn’t an outlier. The some “experts” also told me CC obviously did my fitting in the wrong order, and I should’ve known better! I pay them and then tell them how to do their job? Yeah right...

So I’m not keen on reliving that.

For $450+ the shaft they sold me was worse dispersion and no change in distance vs the OEM shaft I had, I have 6 weeks of stats that prove it. But I am sure under the right circumstances a CC fitting can be value added. They wouldn’t be in business otherwise.

  • Titleist TSR2 11° HZRDUS Red CB 50 6.0 w Lamkin UTx Midsize
  • Titleist TSR2 16.5º HZRDUS Red 60 CB 6.0 & TSR2 21º HZRDUS Black 4G 70 6.0 w Lamkin UTx Midsize
  • Mizuno JPX923 HMP 4-GW, T22 54.12WS, T22 58.04DC w Lamkin ST+2 Hybrid Midsize
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  • Maxfli Tour & ProV1
  • Ping Pioneer - MGI Zip Navigator AT
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Like most things, it comes down to the person(s) at the store.

I am satisfied with my driver fitting and purchase at Club Champion.  I am comfortable that I got to try out all the clubheads that I was interested in and that the shaft selected fit best.  It's expensive, but I believe the fitting is a fair value.  Note: "Fair value" is when you won't pay a penny more and they won't take a penny less.

What I don't like is that you have to pay full price for the driver and stock shaft.  And then the full price of the fit shaft (not an upgrade charge).  But when they come in, you don't get two shafts.  I would have liked to have offset my cost by selling the stock (which I could have done if I just purchased both the club and shaft separately myself).

Also, I'm not a beleiver in shaft puring.  

:ping-small:G410 plus driver,:taylormade-small:Aeroburner 3W, :cobra-small:F6 Baffler 
:callaway-small:XR 4, 5 hybrids
:titleist-small:2021 T300 6 - GW, SW irons
:callaway-small: Mack Daddy CB 58/12 wedge
Axis1 Rose putter

Alternates: Srixon ZX4 MKII irons

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I read this entire thread and two thinks popped out for me.

1. I’m glad I live in a place where there are multiple fitting options.
2. How did Tony’s fitting go?


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60  Aldila  R flex   - 42.25 inches 

SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft

Ping G410 7, 9 wood  Alta 65 R flex

Srixon ZX5 MK II  5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex

India 52,56 (60 pending)  UST recoil 75's R flex  

Evon roll ER 5 32 inches

It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD   

 

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13 minutes ago, revkev said:

I read this entire thread and two thinks popped out for me.

1. I’m glad I live in a place where there are multiple fitting options.
2. How did Tony’s fitting go?


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/44407-a-long-fitting-story-at-club-champion-with-a-different-ending-–-so-grab-a-cup-of-coffee/

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  • 2 months later...

I have been in the consumer goods/customer service business for over 30 yrs and this is very out of character for me to vent publicly, but and I'm extremely frustrated with the company and whole process, pandemic aside, which I know is still affecting all of us, and certain suppliers more than others but. The communication has been really poor from the start, and it’s not even finished...I got fitted on May 2nd, told 5-7 weeks, but likely sooner, AFTER the fitting process, I cringed but was like ok given the state of the world at that time, but was optimistic things would progress sooner…still no equipment, even tho some of the items are sitting at the fitting location according to Fedex, but order not complete.  Let me state that I did have a really good fitting session, believe in the process (my 3rd time being fitted, 1st at Club Champion tho) and it was from the Regional Sales Mgr at the location, solid session, we had a great report, was very happy where we landed equipment wise and felt great walking out despite the $$$erious investment, really stoked, hoping the ‘perfect fit guarantee’ is just that!  But, other than the auto communication on the delays, the dialogue to keep me updated, or furthermore try resolve a pending issue, 'hey we can expedite this by'...nothing, has been crap to put it bluntly...even when I initiated it, NO proactive communication, zilch, crickets....it is like hey, too bad, sucks to be you. Yes I have received the auto-email updates about the order and actually have gotten more C19 details/impacts found the company website v.my fitter.  And when I responded to the store location regarding one of the email updates, and to my cc'd fitter (the Regional Sales Mgr to boot, come on lets go!!) I didn't get any response...period. I texted my fitter as well like he said 'that’s the best way to contact me', again, the Regional Sales Mgr and nothing...so frustrated and have lost almost the whole summer w/out fruits of the process. So I have stopped wasting my time trying to communicate and just waiting patiently. And yes I know what we have all been thru with the pandemic, but there is a way you can handle things with customers that have invested resources toward improving their games. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 7/11/2021 at 8:47 PM, Budsunderpar said:

I have been in the consumer goods/customer service business for over 30 yrs and this is very out of character for me to vent publicly, but and I'm extremely frustrated with the company and whole process, pandemic aside, which I know is still affecting all of us, and certain suppliers more than others but. The communication has been really poor from the start, and it’s not even finished...I got fitted on May 2nd, told 5-7 weeks, but likely sooner, AFTER the fitting process, I cringed but was like ok given the state of the world at that time, but was optimistic things would progress sooner…still no equipment, even tho some of the items are sitting at the fitting location according to Fedex, but order not complete.  Let me state that I did have a really good fitting session, believe in the process (my 3rd time being fitted, 1st at Club Champion tho) and it was from the Regional Sales Mgr at the location, solid session, we had a great report, was very happy where we landed equipment wise and felt great walking out despite the $$$erious investment, really stoked, hoping the ‘perfect fit guarantee’ is just that!  But, other than the auto communication on the delays, the dialogue to keep me updated, or furthermore try resolve a pending issue, 'hey we can expedite this by'...nothing, has been crap to put it bluntly...even when I initiated it, NO proactive communication, zilch, crickets....it is like hey, too bad, sucks to be you. Yes I have received the auto-email updates about the order and actually have gotten more C19 details/impacts found the company website v.my fitter.  And when I responded to the store location regarding one of the email updates, and to my cc'd fitter (the Regional Sales Mgr to boot, come on lets go!!) I didn't get any response...period. I texted my fitter as well like he said 'that’s the best way to contact me', again, the Regional Sales Mgr and nothing...so frustrated and have lost almost the whole summer w/out fruits of the process. So I have stopped wasting my time trying to communicate and just waiting patiently. And yes I know what we have all been thru with the pandemic, but there is a way you can handle things with customers that have invested resources toward improving their games. 

It is unfortunate.  I'm going through a situation with them at the moment and I will never recommend them to anybody in my area.

 

For a company who has been in business for 11 years and is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau, that should have given me some pause.

Edited by hrfdez

Driver:  TM SIM2 Max

Woods:  3/5 TM SIM2 Max

Hybrid:  22 PXG

Irons:  5-PW 0311XF PXG

Wedges: 50/54/58 Vokey SM8 Black 

Putter:  Custom SC 009 35/330g

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  • 2 weeks later...

I wouldn’t recommend them. In my experience, they’re going to try to put you into the most expensive clubs and shafts that they can. Better to find a non-chain fitter, and one that lets you hit outdoors, if possible. 

Driver: :titelist-small: TS2 8.5* Project X EvenFlow T1100 White 65 (6.5)

Woods: Turner H-2 3W, 5W, 7W Aldila NV 65 Stiff 

Irons: :cobra-small: King F8 6i - PW Steelfiber i110 Stiff

Wedges: :cleveland-small: RTX 3 50*, 54*, 60* Steelfiber i110 Stiff

Putter: :scotty-small: Futura 5W

Bag: :1590477705_SunMountain: C-130 Cart bag

Ball: :Snell:MTB-X

Rangefinder: :918457628_PrecisionPro: NX7 Pro

Tracker: :ShotScope: ShotScope V2 

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6 hours ago, scott80109 said:

I wouldn’t recommend them. In my experience, they’re going to try to put you into the most expensive clubs and shafts that they can. Better to find a non-chain fitter, and one that lets you hit outdoors, if possible. 

This topic has been discussed in multiple threads the informed consumer can walk in let the fitter know their budget and if they don’t want upcharge shafts they can be fit to stock offerings. Anyone looking for how club champion works can do a Google search and find the same topic discussed almost to the extent of beating a dead horse. They will find that those who had a bad experience typically went in 1) not knowing how fittings work 2) not knowing the business model of club champion and similar businesses 3) didn’t communicate well with their fitter before or during the fitting 4) occasional a bad fitter

Driver: PXG 0811 X+ Proto w/UST Helium 5F4

Wood: TaylorMade M5 5W w/Accra TZ5 +1/2”, TaylorMade Sim 3W w/Aldila rogue white

Hybrid: PXG Gen2 22* w/AD hybrid

Irons: PXG Gen3 0311T w/Nippon modus 120

Wedges: TaylorMade MG2 50*, Tiger grind 56/60

Putter: Scotty Caemeron Super Rat1

Ball: Titleist Prov1

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Not too keen on going to CC after seeing some of these posts.  

WITB:  Do I like Titleist or what? 

 

Driver:     :titleist-small: TSR3 9* UST Mamiya Proto LIN-Q Blue 

Fairways   :titleist-small: TSi2 UST Mamiya LIN-Q Blue 13.5* 

Driving Iron:   :titleist-small: U500 17* :Fuji:  Blue Ventus HB Velocore 

Irons   :titleist-small: T350 4 & 5, T200 6 - PW UST Mamiya Recoil Dart F4 105g

Wedges    :vokey-small: SM9 48*, SM9 52*, SM8 56* Modus Tour Wedge 

Putter    :cameron-small: Newport 2 w/ Garsen Ultimate grip 

Ball    :titleist-small:  *ProV1 Left Dot

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I have done a fitting at Club Champion on two occasions at two different locations in the Atlanta area. My experience is that they, in both cases, tried to upsell me into an exotic shaft that was more than the club itself. It was not a very good experience for me. I would go to Golf Galaxy in Greenville (Pelham Road) and have them run you through the Ping G425 with the various STOCK (no upgrade charge) shafts. The GG store there in Greenville has quality launch monitors and some decent staff guys.  Figure out which shaft works best for you and order it directly from Ping or take a look on EBay. My opinion is that if it works for you in the 425 there is a pretty good chance it'll work for you in the 400. I did the same thing when I moved from the G400 to the G410. Ping typically makes very small incremental changes with their new models and I am comfortable telling you that if works in the 425, it'll work in your 400. Just my $.02 worth.........

Edited by John W
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There is a Club Champion is our area but have never used them.  There are are also a couple of certified fitters in our area that have over 25 years each fitting that I use and trust, one specifically for Titleist and the other who is certified for numerous brands.  A buddy of mine approached me the other day in the parking lot at the local muni where we play and showed me his new clubs.  Was bragging about them and how much he had invested in them.  Said he had been fitted at Club Champion and his total investment was $5500.00.  My only response was WOW.  Not much I could say.  He is a low single digit player and asked if we were playing in the men's senior invitational at the air base this year.  He is the defending champion and love playing with him.  Could not believe the cost of the fitting and the clubs.  Guess it is all about choices and deep pockets.  As to big box brick and mortar, never use them.  Too much turnover.   

Driver - TSi3 10.75* - Fujikura Speeder 661 TR

Fairway - TSi2 14.25* - Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 6.1 

Fairway - TSR1 17.0* - Fujikura Vista Pro 65S

Hybrid - TSR1 19.0* - Fujikura Atmos Red Tour 75  

Hybrid - TSR1 23.0* - Fujikura Atmos Red Tour 75

Irons - T350 (2023) - 5-48W - True Temper AMT Red 95g-107g

Wedges - Vokey SM9 - 52.08F, 56.10S - True Temper AMT Red 94 

**  GolfPride MCC +4 Midsize Grips  (all woods/irons/wedges)

Putter - 2023 Scotty Cameron Super Select Squareback 2 35" 

**  Superstroke 1.0 Pistol Grip  

Golf Ball - TITLEIST - Prov1 (2023)                                                         

Golf Bags - TITLEIST  - Cart 14 (black), Mid Size Tour (black/white)

Golf Glove - FootJoy (StaSof), Shoes, Apparel and Outerwear        

Rangefinder - Bushnell Pro XE

 

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I've had three different fittings with Club Champion and it can be worth it provided you have specific issues that you needs answers. For example, you need to arrive with a fairly narrow set of clubs that you want to try. If your top brands have new and interesting stuff, say a new driver or new set of irons, Club Champion has the widest range of options for the club

  • Whole bag fitting is exhausting and I do not recommend it. I was ready to spend $1000's just to make it stop.
  • Driver fitting is a a good value provided you have a limited set of heads to try, Club Champion will have the best shaft options available.
  • Iron fitting is also a good but then again, I wanted to try just a couple of different heads and slide into graphite shafts

While their fitting expertise is good, golf fitting, in general, tends to overload golfers with tangential information that can muddle the decision. Read up on metrics such as smash factors, ball speed, spin rate and launch angle so that you can cut through all the information. Trust your feel and select what you want.

One last thing, Club Champion has the highest prices on the planet and the add puring which is not needed for higher end shafts. Do not be pressured into making a purchase decision. 

Good luck and have fun!

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I did my first and only fitting (so far) at CC around April up here in Seattle. I felt that it went pretty good, i only fitted for my irons and hybrid. I told him what kind of club i'm looking for, as well as price range. I ended up with the Sim2Max OS irons with R flex shafts and a Sim2 rescue in a R flex shaft. Both shafts were stock and not upcharges. The fitter double checked the shafts that he was giving me to hit to make sure that i wasnt trying on any upcharged shafts. I didnt get my clubs until late June. Overall I think the fitting process was fine, though I would not go back there for my next fitting as the place i'm taking lessons at right now also does fittings for cheaper.

 

I am a "member" now though i havent taken advantage of any of the perks. I tried to book a trackman session once but you can only do so 24h in advance and no earlier, so they were all booked out. 

 

I did not order the clubs right away, but did go home with a spec sheet that i could have used to order. I used that to price check what they were quoting me, and overall it seemed that their price was maybe $50 higher in the totals, which was not a drastic difference to me. This is considering I wanted to make sure that all the specs get entered in right and would rather them do it. 

 

In the end, i think i shoulda taken lessons before i ordered clubs, but my existing clubs were in such bad shape i didnt wanna spend money to spruce them up and then buy new ones. 

rx1232

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Went to CC for an iron fitting after a friend recommended them.  Made an appointment before my season starts figuring I would have to play with my old sticks for maybe a round or two tops.  My original appointment in March was canceled due to the fitter having a baby, next availability was a month later.  Fitting went great, really enjoyed the experience and the choices.  Had a little sticker shock when he showed me the invoice, but went with it since I tend to keep my irons for a long time.  Was told that it would take 6 weeks to get them due to the pandemic, etc.  I wasn't happy but figured it is what it is.  On the 6 week mark, end of May, I call up and am routed to a corporate office voice mail.  Left a message and receive an email the next day from the manager of the store I was fitted at that the grips aren't available until July.  Decide on another set of grips and was told probably a week to a week and half more.  Now I'm really not happy.  Then at the 2 week mark, find out it's going to be another week.  Mind you at this point, I'm over 25% into my season.  Ends up taking 9 WEEKS to get my clubs.  No apologies, no acknowledgement that it took an extra 3 weeks than promised.  

Next time I will go to the PGA Superstore near me that is always ranked as being one of the top fitters in the area by the magazines.  Actually did that when I was fitted for a new 3W in early May.

Driver: Cobra F6

3W: Titleist TSi3

5W: TM RocketBallz -(my favorite club)

Hybrids: Cleveland 2-4

Irons: Callaway Apex DCB 4-PW

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SMB 52 & 56

Putter: TM Rossa Monte Carlo Mallet 

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Be it Club Champions or PGA Superstore or Cool Clubs or any location with a lot of heads and shafts, much of the success depends on the person doing the fitting.  No matter what inventory they have, if the fitter isn't good, the results may not be the best. Good luck! 

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You should be able to use your own G400 head for the fitting.  I had a ping g400 3wood and did exactly what you want to do last March.  The fitting will consist of you warming up, a slew of shaft options, and a stat sheet at the end with the best shaft for YOUR swing.  They will print out the specs and give you a copy (don’t leave without it).  You can always shop around for the shaft from your fitting or find a similar one.  As for similar shafts, ask the fitter about previous models.  My fitter in Cleveland was very accommodating especially when I told him my financial goal in regards to my clubs.  Finally, I will not buy clubs again without a fitting.  Hope this helps.

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First off, let me say this about your Ping G400 and the stock shaft it came with. OR ANY off the shelf driver for that matter. 

Truth is the shaft in all OEM drivers and wood are "Cheap, low end shafts". Truth is that most any after market shaft that is Spine and FLO aligned before being installed in the club would be a BIG improvement over the factory stock shaft the club came with. Until you hit a drive with a properly aligned shaft you have NO IDEA what an improvement a decent shaft properly installed can make. 

IF you are mostly looking for MORE DISTANCE, then you will NOT be happy with the money you will be spending.

IF you would like to see "tighter dispersion pattern" , then you might just be amazed at what you can get with a good aftermarket shaft that is aligned properly in the head. YES, you "Might" see a gain in distance, but only if the shaft in your driver is NOT close to what you need. When I was fit a few years ago I did NOT see any gain in distance with the  shafts I was tested for, But ONE of the shafts gave me a shot pattern that was HALF the size of any of the other shafts I tested in the Ping G400 Max we used  for the test. WE used the Ping G400 Max for two reasons, One is that it was the most forgiving head available at the time, And second is the fact that my driver head of choice does NOT use a tip adapter, so we HAD to use a newer head that could be used with different shafts with the turn of a wrench. My driver is the 15 year old Cleveland 460 Launcher Comp. WHY? Simple answer is that it's LONG and easy to hit, and with the correct shaft for me, i'ts as good or better than the newer much higher priced drivers on the market today. I can get the 460 Comp head in good shape for less than $50 with shipping, and then install any shaft I want and have a much better driver then ANY off the rack driver you can buy today. And at a much lower total cost. Believe it or not, a properly aligned shaft is much more important that what head you use. 

Truth is most new drivers come with a shaft that cost the OEM "less than $10" YES, that new $500 driver comes with a shaft that cost the factory less the $10 to buy. Is it any wonder that a decent shaft can make a huge difference in the performance of the club? 

 

 

All my clubs are custom built with aftermarket shafts that have been spine and FLO aligned for max performance every swing. 

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I am surprised that with all the negative input about CC, that a company rep has not posted stating their concerns etc. Something, even a we are sorry you feel that way.  Just find it interesting. How about that Olympic Gold eh?

D- Ping G 400 SFT

16*- Adams Tight Lie

19*- Adams Tight Lie

4H- Ping G 400

5-U- Ping G 400

SW- Nike

56*- Ping Glide 2

P- Sub70 004 Mallet

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1 hour ago, IONEPUTT said:

Truth is the shaft in all OEM drivers and wood are "Cheap, low end shafts"

Not even close to the truth. Even the made for callaway hzrdus im shaft isn’t low end.

The ping tour shaft is actually built off the aftermarket elements chrome+
 

The hzrdus shafts, the Aldila rogue white which is stock in at least one brand are $300+ shafts when bought from aftermarket dealers. Just like a graphite design, Accra, fujikura and so on

Driver: PXG 0811 X+ Proto w/UST Helium 5F4

Wood: TaylorMade M5 5W w/Accra TZ5 +1/2”, TaylorMade Sim 3W w/Aldila rogue white

Hybrid: PXG Gen2 22* w/AD hybrid

Irons: PXG Gen3 0311T w/Nippon modus 120

Wedges: TaylorMade MG2 50*, Tiger grind 56/60

Putter: Scotty Caemeron Super Rat1

Ball: Titleist Prov1

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I don't have any experience with Club Champion, but a very good friend of mine was not pleased with his fitting. I wish I could help more.

However, if you are ever in southwest Ohio (I live in Dayton), I can't recommend Miles of Golf in Fairfield (near Cincinnati) enough! I have been going there for the past 7 years. See Derek - he is awesome. Great putter fitting with Eric this summer as well!

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On 3/16/2020 at 6:52 AM, 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?

They are 'pricey,' but realize that they have rent and utilities, the build out cost of the facility, as well as labor at each store, AND, they own all the equipment you will be using during the fitting, plus they need to generate a return for the investors and business..  Tour Spec and the rest all have similar cost issues. I think the fitting is a necessity, but also realize none of the fitters have photographic memory. They're looking to see how you load a club, transition characteristics, how you release into the ball, etc., and put quantifiable evaluations to those parameters. Having all that, they then access a shaft database that allows them to narrow the shaft world to 5-6 that will likely fit your need. That database by the way was originally started by Tom Wishon and if memory serves me well, I believe Everett Lockinvitz of EJL also had a hand in persuading shaft manufacturers so share their shaft profiles with he, Tom, and a few others.  Should you use them to build the clubs they suggest?  Me, Joe K, and a few others can do just as good of work.

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3 hours ago, Medfloat said:

You should be able to use your own G400 head for the fitting.  

This may or may not be possible.  My guess is not possible since they probably aren't going to install the required adapter into his driver to make it work with the universal adapters they have on all the demo shafts.

3 minutes ago, flyingwedges said:

They buy heads only, not full clubs, from the OEMs

This has been discussed several times before in several places and I believe the consensus is that they order the entire club & pay the same price as everyone else.  Even if you/they only want the head, the OEMs won't sell just a head and you have pay for it all.  I've been told that you can "request" the stock shaft from club champion and they will give it to you but have no personal experience to back that up.  

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On 4/13/2021 at 8:01 AM, ChiefMikeOfficer said:

It definitely does happen with direct-from-mfr clubs, it just might not be as frequent. I've had adapters come loose and epoxy rattles on those types of clubs too. 

This is 100% a guess (not sure if anyone even tries to keep stats), but it makes sense in my head: I'd expect the least issues in off-the-rack because of how many nearly-identical builds they do; next most in custom-ordered clubs from the manufacturer (similar build process but custom steps might lead to error), and the most in any club that's fully hand-built (whether that's a fitter like CC, expert club builder, etc.). It makes sense to me because those custom shops are likely less precise with things like measuring and applying epoxy. There's skill in club building too, and whether CC has highly skilled builders is a valid question -- the fitters tend to make it sound like they are the ones doing the actual build, and if that's true, I'd expect variance in skill across location; however, I'm pretty sure my last fitter did not build my clubs - he is based in Milwaukee, and I'm pretty sure the clubs were built in Chicago (the cities are close, so not unreasonable for him to go to a Chicago build shop, but how likely is that?). 

All CC builds are in Willowbrook, IL, a few steps from where Everett had his second shop (the fist was in a small storefront about 1 mile away)  Your Fitter will never see the inside of the build shop for any customer, it's not what they do.

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On 4/13/2021 at 12:42 PM, Middler said:

I went thru it in detail about a year ago if you want to find that thread, and many “experts” here blamed me while completely side stepping the clear statistical flaws I pointed out in CC’s methodology. And I’ve seen others here who had the exact same methodology used at CC on them, so my experience wasn’t an outlier. The some “experts” also told me CC obviously did my fitting in the wrong order, and I should’ve known better! I pay them and then tell them how to do their job? Yeah right...

So I’m not keen on reliving that.

For $450+ the shaft they sold me was worse dispersion and no change in distance vs the OEM shaft I had, I have 6 weeks of stats that prove it. But I am sure under the right circumstances a CC fitting can be value added. They wouldn’t be in business otherwise.

Can you recall the name of thread where you posted that evaluation?

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