Fitting/Club Choice

[Paxton6577]

Good news!

I went to Golf Galaxy today to demo the Mizuno MP-20 MB and the Taylormade P7MB. I posted a few days ago wondering if I was good enough to play a more bladed iron, and I am pleased to announce that the answer is a resounding yes. I LOVE the look of the P7MBs, so I really wanted to like them, but they weren't quite what I hoped for. The distance control and spin were magnificent, but the feel was surprisingly lacking compared to the MP-20s. I'll need a proper fitting to be able to really decide, but it's awesome to know that a club like that isn't completely above my skill level. I don't have the money for a real fitting and clubs right now but hopefully in the next year or two I'll have the extra cash.

Also, does anyone have advice for hitting off of artificial turf? It throws me off like crazy and I end up topping like 20% of my shots and I feel like it'll affect my fitting.

[Tarheelvolvo]

3 minutes ago, Paxton6577 said:

Good news!

I went to Golf Galaxy today to demo the Mizuno MP-20 MB and the Taylormade P7MB. I posted a few days ago wondering if I was good enough to play a more bladed iron, and I am pleased to announce that the answer is a resounding yes. I LOVE the look of the P7MBs, so I really wanted to like them, but they weren't quite what I hoped for. The distance control and spin were magnificent, but the feel was surprisingly lacking compared to the MP-20s. I'll need a proper fitting to be able to really decide, but it's awesome to know that a club like that isn't completely above my skill level. I don't have the money for a real fitting and clubs right now but hopefully in the next year or two I'll have the extra cash.

Also, does anyone have advice for hitting off of artificial turf? It throws me off like crazy and I end up topping like 20% of my shots and I feel like it'll affect my fitting.

Great to hear about narrowing down the clubs and confidence boost! Regarding your fitting, look around for a local shop at a driving range, or even a private/semi-private club that has a good reputation and proper launch monitor - like a Trackman 4, GC Quad, etc... to give you, and the fitter, some data to verify everything is dialed in and hopefully learn a bit about your swing type. A lot of fitters will also put the fitting costs towards the clubs you order through them, which is nice. Wouldn't waste my time with a big-box retailer since it's a mat you're hitting off of and in my experience the employees aren't as invested in your club fitting as they are in getting you into the priciest model...just my 2-cents.

[Paxton6577]

13 hours ago, Tarheelvolvo said:

Great to hear about narrowing down the clubs and confidence boost! Regarding your fitting, look around for a local shop at a driving range, or even a private/semi-private club that has a good reputation and proper launch monitor - like a Trackman 4, GC Quad, etc... to give you, and the fitter, some data to verify everything is dialed in and hopefully learn a bit about your swing type. A lot of fitters will also put the fitting costs towards the clubs you order through them, which is nice. Wouldn't waste my time with a big-box retailer since it's a mat you're hitting off of and in my experience the employees aren't as invested in your club fitting as they are in getting you into the priciest model...just my 2-cents.

I live about an hour away from a Club Champion. Do you know anything about the quality of their fittings?

[cnosil]

I live about an hour away from a Club Champion. Do you know anything about the quality of their fittings?

Search the forum and you will find favorable and unfavorable opinions.
I think it depends on the persons goals, how much the communicate with the fitter regarding what they are looking for, and understanding their business model/fitting costs.

[Tarheelvolvo]

Yep, like @cnosilsaid, it can really depend. I've heard good and bad stories from them - major complaints seem to be cost and time to build clubs; major praise is the fitting environment (still I mat, though), technology involved, and access to a LOT of different clubheads and shafts to really hone it your precise combo. Maybe stop by and chat up the guys a bit to see what they are like and if you get a good vibe from them then go from there.

Reason I mentioned a proper launch monitor before was because it shows a fitter is committed to the craft of fitting - these things aren't cheap so some guy who thinks he knows how to fit isn't going to invest almost $20k

[HardcoreLooper]

1 hour ago, Paxton6577 said:

I live about an hour away from a Club Champion. Do you know anything about the quality of their fittings?

It's really dependent upon the fitter.  You can read about my experience in the Wilson D7 Forged review.  

 

The head fitter in the Richmond, VA Club Champion is excellent.  So if you want an indoor fitting, he's a good choice.

 

[Larryd3]

I went to True Spec for my iron fitting earlier this year.  I've also been to Club Champion for a putter fitting.  Both were good experiences.  Thing about True Spec is that you hit in a bay that is open to the driving range so you can not only get Trackman numbers but see the ball flight, etc. (From what I know of Club Champion it's all inside fittings.)  Also I was able to hit the irons off of grass there after we'd narrowed down the choices.  Now downside is that they aren't cheap if you buy clubs from them but they do have some negotiating room in the prices.  The putter fitting at Club Champion was great and I'd highly recommend them.