Demo Day Fittings

[Tom the Golf Nut]

Has anyone gone to a Demo day and have a manufactures rep give you a bad fitting?

I have been fitted twice two years ago, and based on the launch monitor data I was fit for two options. Same specs different brands. You know when you think you need something and the data proves you wrong! Well, I went for a 11 degrees, soft regular flex,  Ping G400 which was one of the recommended configurations. I hit the heck out of it. Driver distance went from 220 to 250 and a fairway finder. 

I went to my clubs demo day last week. I took a driver out of a company's  bag that somewhat matched what I was fitted for just to try different brands.  After a swing or two the rep said what club are you hitting? I showed him and he said that was not right for me. He put me in a 9 degree stiff. I hit two balls and it obviously wasnt right. Ball flight was low and short. Then he proceeded to tell me that was better for me. This happened twice by different companies. Then I went to one that brought their own track man.  Guess what, I was back to my original fitting recommendation from two years ago.

How can well known golf companies have reps at demo days that dont know what they are doing? Who knows how many people that day were fitted incorrectly and wasted money on equipment that were not right for them.  A shout out to Titleist  for bringing a track man. 

Anyone else run into this situation?

Should the manufacturers be told about the reps?

Is there some type of qualification that the reps go through to get the job in the first place?

[RickyBobby_PR]

I’ve had good and bad fitting from the same brand with different people trained at the same place by the same people. 

Depending on the brand the demo day reps aren’t necessarily trained by the company they represent and maybe be in the learning process of fittings. Some may have understanding of launch monitor data but limited to no understand of the swing and seeing how it loads. Many of the demo day reps are just working part time. 
 

It’s not really isolated to golf. There are good car salesman and bad salesman at the same dealerships, there knowledgeable sales reps and bad sales reps at electronic stores.

 

[Shodags]

I also feel like the demo day reps are working to move product - going to a independent club fitter that doesn't care which product you purchase has been, for me, game changing....

[heavygolffeels]

They get commissions on moving product. I have a buddy who does demo fittings. Really not any different than someone pushing a vaccum or blender at Costco. 

[cnosil]

Yes,  the fitter at a demo day is a hit or miss proposition.   Use it as an opportunity to do your own testing and see how the various shafts and clubs work for you.  

[IceHawk]

While they may be there for you to perform basic driver adjustments, I really don't think there's too much of a vested interest there.  There's usually too many other people to deal with, and it just turns into a guessing game for them and they start throwing different options at you to try.  If you can book a fitting session with them individually though, it may be different, as they can take the time to view and analyze the data that they are gathering.  Most of them likely just go through a training session that the manufacturer puts them through, so it's not  like they have an engineering background or anything.  They're there to sell the clubs.  The rep that I dealt with was fantastic though, and never rushed or pressured me into doing anything that I didn't want to do.  It's great when you find one that has playing experience as a pro and or/they truly have a passion for the game and what they do.

[juspoole]

Agree - it really depends on who the fitter is and how invested they actually are.  Most of the time, they are traveling all around the state for their given territory and if they don't get the feeling it could lead to a sale, they are tuned out within 5-10 minutes.  You get the same thing at box store fittings. 

I feel like if given the chance I could do a mediocre club fitting of myself, but I would obviously need access to the shaft and clubhead options.  Hell, I would just about pay for them to allow that as sometimes I feel like I am being a nuisance by asking for a different shaft/head or taking up too much time.