Questions to "vet" a fitter?

[MyWifesSwingCoach]

I have read many stories about fittings that were questionable whether it be their methodology, knowledge, bias, incentives etc. So I had the idea to create a thread that could contain some basic or not so basic questions to see if you and your potential fitter are... wait for it... a "fit" Bah Dum Tiss. I have also thought that I could lay this out in a document for anyone that is interested, maybe it could help someone getting into golf to have a better experience in fitting instead of a sales pitch.

So in the interest of keeping this short and sweet, What are some questions to ask a potential fitter to see if you should proceed with a fitting or not?

[Firebird]

No a question, but a suggestion - Do not simply rely on one fitter, if you can, go to several and then compare the recommendations.

[Tom the Golf Nut]

Before even going to a fitter, you have to know where to go. The best approach is by getting recommendations. Ask your golf pro at the course you play, local golf shops that don't do fittings, or college golf coaches. You have to be heading in the right direction to start. Big boxstores is a hit or miss, demo days is another hit or miss. They all have agendas which revolve around moving inventory or getting commissions. Some even jack up the equipment to make it look like you are killing it.  

Once you find a good place then you have the basics.

How long have you been fitting?

Will you compare my current club against your recommendation for a side by side comparison.

What happens if this club does not perform for me after the purchase?

Would there be a re-fitting fee?

Would they swap out shafts?

What is the return policy?

A good fitter will stand behind their work .

 

[GaDawg]

16 minutes ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

Before even going to a fitter, you have to know where to go. The best approach is by getting recommendations. Ask your golf pro at the course you play, local golf shops that don't do fittings, or college golf coaches. You have to be heading in the right direction to start. Big boxstores is a hit or miss, demo days is another hit or miss. They all have agendas which revolve around moving inventory or getting commissions. Some even jack up the equipment to make it look like you are killing it.  

Once you find a good place then you have the basics.

How long have you been fitting?

Will you compare my current club against your recommendation for a side by side comparison.

What happens if this club does not perform for me after the purchase?

Would there be a re-fitting fee?

Would they swap out shafts?

What is the return policy?

A good fitter will stand behind their work .

 

You are so correct on jacking the launch monitor, etc. up! Just today I had an employee come in all excited. He only plays 6 to 8 times a year and came in this morning saying he stopped by X store yesterday and hit the new ________ Driver. He's smiling and saying that he hit several drives over 300 yards. I have played with him several times and not to sound negative, but he normally hits his drives around 230 yds. I asked if he bought the new driver, he advised that he was going to save up the cash to purchase it. I told him to do us both a favor and hit the same driver at a couple more retailers/golf shops and get the true distance. We will see what the outcome is on the $500 driver!

Edited August 14, 2020 by GaDawg
Correct Spelling

[Tom the Golf Nut]

4 minutes ago, GaDawg said:

You are so correct on jacking the launch monitor, etc. up! Just today I had an employee come in all excited. He only plays 6 to 8 times a year and came in this morning saying he stopped by X store yesterday and hit the new ________ Driver. He's smiling and saying that he hit several drives over 300 yards. I have played with him several times and not to sound negative, but he normally hits his drives around 230 yds. I asked if he bought the new driver, he advised that he was going to save up the cash to purchase it. I told him to do us both a favor and hit the same driver at a couple more retailers/golf shops and get the true distance. We will see what the outcome is on the $500 driver!

I called a guy out on it once. Asked him when it was last calibrated. Told him it was wrong, I know how far I hit. Then he tried to argue that It was just the perfect set up for me. I asked again about the calibration. I got the "curley shuffle"  " Hit some more I have to go help another customer, I'll be back in a few."  Then I left.

[Manimal26]

On 8/14/2020 at 11:02 AM, MyWifesSwingCoach said:

I have read many stories about fittings that were questionable whether it be their methodology, knowledge, bias, incentives etc. So I had the idea to create a thread that could contain some basic or not so basic questions to see if you and your potential fitter are... wait for it... a "fit" Bah Dum Tiss. I have also thought that I could lay this out in a document for anyone that is interested, maybe it could help someone getting into golf to have a better experience in fitting instead of a sales pitch.

So in the interest of keeping this short and sweet, What are some questions to ask a potential fitter to see if you should proceed with a fitting or not?

Here are some fitters that have some good credibility in MI. I have no clue how close they are to you though...

Ann Arbor, Michigan
Miles of Golf, 734-973-9004

Okemos, Michigan
Leading Edge Golf, 517-253-0960

@Tom the Golf Nut had some good points for when considering a purchase from them along with @GaDawg about the LM (PGA & Golf Galaxy known for this)

 

I will say this as a fitter, a fit is to serve a few things. First it is to maximize where you stand at the moment in your game. Second it is to help to position you to where you want to be as you improve with practice lesson etc. Finally if you make major swing changes such as release deliver at impact etc and you have worn through your gear you should get refit along with your next purchase

[Kansas King]

I would recommend doing a little research on what Tom Wishon has to say. He and Maltby are more or less the kings of club fitting and custom clubs. Their clubs (especially Wishon's) are built solely for custom fitting. I think it is important to do a little research on the factors that go into club fitting. Wishon has several good YouTube videos that explain the elements for fitting certain aspects of the club. His book, "The New search for the perfect golf club", is a good read to get a really good idea of how the club works and what goes into getting fit properly. I like him because he isn't trying to sell anything in his publications even though he makes his own clubs. If you are considering dropping some serious coin on a fitting and clubs, I would recommend you do some research on Wishon. 

[MyWifesSwingCoach]

56 minutes ago, Manimal26 said:

Here are some fitters that have some good credibility in MI. I have no clue how close they are to you though...

Ann Arbor, Michigan
Miles of Golf, 734-973-9004

Okemos, Michigan
Leading Edge Golf, 517-253-0960

@Tom the Golf Nut had some good points for when considering a purchase from them along with @GaDawg about the LM (PGA & Golf Galaxy known for this)

 

I will say this as a fitter, a fit is to serve a few things. First it is to maximize where you stand at the moment in your game. Second it is to help to position you to where you want to be as you improve with practice lesson etc. Finally if you make major swing changes such as release deliver at impact etc and you have worn through your gear you should get refit along with your next purchase

Miles of Golf is definitely closer, ~38 minutes as opposed to about 1.5 hrs. Thanks for the recommendations!

[MyWifesSwingCoach]

27 minutes ago, Kansas King said:

I would recommend doing a little research on what Tom Wishon has to say. He and Maltby are more or less the kings of club fitting and custom clubs. Their clubs (especially Wishon's) are built solely for custom fitting. I think it is important to do a little research on the factors that go into club fitting. Wishon has several good YouTube videos that explain the elements for fitting certain aspects of the club. His book, "The New search for the perfect golf club", is a good read to get a really good idea of how the club works and what goes into getting fit properly. I like him because he isn't trying to sell anything in his publications even though he makes his own clubs. If you are considering dropping some serious coin on a fitting and clubs, I would recommend you do some research on Wishon. 

Thank you @Kansas King, I want to learn as much as I can so I appreciate the info!

[Manimal26]

11 minutes ago, MyWifesSwingCoach said:

Miles of Golf is definitely closer, ~38 minutes as opposed to about 1.5 hrs. Thanks for the recommendations!

You are welcome... Looks legit and similar to what we do and offer...

[aerospace_ray]

I would recommend doing a little research on what Tom Wishon has to say. He and Maltby are more or less the kings of club fitting and custom clubs. Their clubs (especially Wishon's) are built solely for custom fitting. I think it is important to do a little research on the factors that go into club fitting. Wishon has several good YouTube videos that explain the elements for fitting certain aspects of the club. His book, "The New search for the perfect golf club", is a good read to get a really good idea of how the club works and what goes into getting fit properly. I like him because he isn't trying to sell anything in his publications even though he makes his own clubs. If you are considering dropping some serious coin on a fitting and clubs, I would recommend you do some research on Wishon. 

+1 for Tom Wishon.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[Kaplack]

I have been on more than a couple monitors that have measured me hitting the ball 10-15% more than normal.

My advice is follow the standard rule.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

Edited August 24, 2020 by Kaplack
Typo

[palvord]

After watching my father-in-law go through a horrific experience with a fitter that was clearly inexperienced, may I suggest:
  - Does your launch monitor show club impact information?

At my FIL's fitting, the only information he was shown was carry distance, total distance, swing speed, ball speed, ball spin.

On the screen, it kept showing him hooking the ball, but there was no data provided showing where on the club face he struck the ball, his swing path, face angle, etc.

It became a wasted three hours.

[Buffly]

On 8/14/2020 at 4:12 PM, Firebird said:

No a question, but a suggestion - Do not simply rely on one fitter, if you can, go to several and then compare the recommendations.

That seems cost prohibitive

[Buffly]

I would focus on what helps me be the most consistent. 

Many people, and fitters, get wrapped up in distance instead of dispersion and shot area. 

1. Get fit when you're swinging well
2. Pay attention to consistency of impact location either by face tape or monitor data
3. Pay attention to shaft weight, length, and lie or at least see if your fitter is paying attention to those things
4. Hit more than just 7 irons - set wedges and long irons might not feel as fit for you in that config. Some people play different lie angles throughout the set. 
5. Make sure you get an adjustment fit after purchase included. You might need a slight gapping adjustment after you play then for a few weeks. 
6.  

One thing I noticed at the local box store was their launch monitor only captured ball speed. The system would calculate your club head speed based off of a predetermined smash factor. It is easy to spot because all the smash factors will be the same. It is still possible to have a good fit from such a monitor but it requires a well trained eye and experienced staff. 

[MyWifesSwingCoach]

4 hours ago, Buffly said:

That seems cost prohibitive

This is one of the biggest reasons I thought about this in the first place. If I cannot trust what my fitter is fitting me to, then why would I get fitted by them?

Thank you everyone for your responses!

[null]

Really good video on the subject of getting the most out of a fitting here

 

 

 

[MyWifesSwingCoach]

1 hour ago, jlukes said:

Really good video on the subject of getting the most out of a fitting here

 

 

 

Thank you for this @jlukes! I have been watching a lot of TXG lately but I haven't seen this video yet, I will have to watch it at lunch or after work.

Edited September 1, 2020 by MyWifesSwingCoach
Typo

[Buffly]

2 hours ago, jlukes said:

Really good video on the subject of getting the most out of a fitting here

 

 

 

Txg is fantastic