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What is the WORST place to get a fitting? Fitting HORROR Stories?


Buffly

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What is the WORST place to get a fitting? Fitting HORROR Stories?

Please share fitters to "AVOID AT ALL COSTS" and any terrible experiences we can learn from?

--- edit: the following are my thoughts on the subject to get the ball rolling and not intended for anything other then contribution for the greater good---

I am thinking about a fitting in 2021 myself, and what little experiences I have had in big box stores verses what I see on TXG's YouTube videos has me really questioning my experiences as total fails.

I have gone 3 places: Roger Dunn in Santa Ana, PGA Superstore in Irvine, and Golf Galaxy (& Dick's which makes it 4 places)

Roger Dunn has hitting bays to test the clubs, new and used, before you buy, with launch monitors that only measure ball speed and use a fixed smash factor without any club path data (same experience at all the places I tried so I won't mention it again). This is open to the retail public without a true fitting which has led to many purchases for me on used equipment. They do have a real fitting experience with major OEMs and better launch monitors for a fee if you already know the brand you want. And, you have an option of getting 'fit' by the Roger Dunn employee in the public area if you want to look at used or multiple brands. 

The PGA Superstore experience I had was sub par to me. I wanted to try clubs that were over length and a better fitting shaft than what I had, but the help I got was super lame with very little actual fitting or recommendation. It did reveal a swing fault of handle raising and a need for upright lie that I have since adopted to my set of old Pings, so I can't say the experience was all bad. 

Golf Galaxy was very limited in knowledge and club/shaft combinations to test. It was more of a try before you buy kinda place. With the same fixed smash factor it seemed like they were falsely padding the results to sell more gear. I did make the purchase of my favorite club to this day early in my golf journey at Golf Galaxy - a used TM SLDR S 5w with a Stiff shaft, and I love it. 

The Dick's experience was the worst with a small selection and a tiny hitting bay which was a small try before you buy experience. 

The things I hope for in a fitting are: not brand specific, a deep dive into every detail from grip to toe of the club, full club and ball data, and using similar urethane golf balls. Is that too much to ask?

--- edit: I know I am a newbie, oddball who prefers used equipment and doesn't know anything about squat. This is to learn from your experiences that you share so that travesties like my experiences can hopefully be avoided for others. ---

Edited by Buffly
Too much ridicule over how dumb I am of a poster because I'm an idiot noob

Golf is simple - people are complicated.

5w Taylormade SLDR S 19* - 220yd, Ping G2 5-U - 190-105, Maltby M+ 54* & MG 60* - 95-75, Evnroll ER8, Titleist 816 H1 4h 21*, Maltby 4 Hybrid Iron 24* - 210-200, Callaway XR16 8* - 235 carry

886809507_image1(5).jpeg.56bc697c3b02b1fb00feb8d4b66389bc~2.jpeg

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you can’t go to Men’s Wearhouse and expect to come out with a bespoke super 130 custom tailored suit.

the same way you can’t go to Dick’s and expect to leave with a perfectly fit set of clubs. 

find an indy shop around you with great reviews and be willing to spend some money getting fit.  

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@Buffly where to start on this...going to box stores and expecting personalized results is setting yourself up to be disappointed. Also anyone who would charge a fee if you know what you want I would personally turn towards the door and run as fast as you can... also I would avoid any major commercial operation that advertises as a custom fitter unless you have a budget of $5k or more... here is a $500 putter shaft sold for $750 plus tax from one of those places... to be honest where you are located it might be tough... send me a DM and we can chat more...

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Mine is with Edwin Watts (which I think is the same as Roger Dunn). I had just been playing seriously for six months and it was my first fitting. My coach had sent me with a list of things to try.

I began by hitting the drivers (rookie mistake) and was carrying it about 200. Keep in mind I was eleven years old and had not played very long. My "fitter" started telling me to swing faster and faster. He tried to change my grip from an interlock to an overlap and reconstructed my entire swing. I was never fit for clubs; he was just coaching me with different heads.

At the end of the fitting (or lesson) I could barely hit the ball. I had tons of swing thoughts and just could not piece anything together. He handed my dad a business card and promised I would be a scratch golfer in four months. I was a 21 at the time.

It was a horrible experience.

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True story, I have a friend fitted at Club Champion, he was fitted for his irons and wedges with shafts 2 inches shorter than standard, but they gave him standard driver and fairway wood shafts, he’s 5’ 5”. Went back because he couldn’t get any consistency, his fitter was fired. Somehow the new fitter had the shafts he needed which were 1/4 less than standard in his current gamers, he sold them to my buddy for a small $300 fee installed. The shafts them self were KBS c-taper lites. Subsequently my friend took the bait. No discount, no real apology for being taken advantage of. 

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I don't have a horror story of any place in terms of fitting, but I do have some advice.

First, talk to an independent fitter in your area (even Hot Stix, Tru-Spec is they are local) and explain what you are looking for.  Always discuss your price range so you don't waste time testing a shaft that you will never buy ($700 TPT driver shaft for someone with a 110 mph swing comes to mind).  Check out what they carry in terms of heads and shafts and whether they can get something else that you might be interested in trying.  

Once you choose a fitter, bring your clubs to the fitting so you can compare.  Simulators have a multiplier that can be adjusted to change carry yardages, some unsavory vendors like to increase the multiplier to make it look like you are hitting the ball further.  Using your clubs as a reference will give you a standard for comparison purposes.  [I tested a TaylorMade driver a few years back and hit it the same distance as my 5 year old driver.  The guy at PGA Tour Superstore just looked and told me there was no reason to change at this time].  Prepare to spend a few hours during your fitting and it may take multiple sessions to get it right.  You will be tired and your swing may suffer by the end of the session.

From looking at your carry yardages, I am guessing that your driver swing speed is in the 90-95 mph range.  If that is accurate, your 8 degree driver isn't giving you enough spin to keep the ball in the air long enough (which would explain your 235 yd carry).  With a swing speed in this range you are going to be in the meaty section of the bell curve and you should be able to find a variety of shafts that should fit your swing in a wide range of prices.

Good luck on your journey.

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13 hours ago, jaskanski said:

If you take the lazy option to visit the local big box store - don't expect miracles based on your effort.

I take offense to this statement because newbies don't know any better - I fall into that category. 

Thinking it would take bundles of research hours to find a good fitter in order to get decent results seems counter intuitive. 

I read what you wrote and it seems more judgemental than helpful. Can you provide any helpful content or answer the questions directly? Commentary only on my experience is like laughing at a clown at a circus = silly. 

Golf is simple - people are complicated.

5w Taylormade SLDR S 19* - 220yd, Ping G2 5-U - 190-105, Maltby M+ 54* & MG 60* - 95-75, Evnroll ER8, Titleist 816 H1 4h 21*, Maltby 4 Hybrid Iron 24* - 210-200, Callaway XR16 8* - 235 carry

886809507_image1(5).jpeg.56bc697c3b02b1fb00feb8d4b66389bc~2.jpeg

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3 hours ago, FORE Left said:

From looking at your carry yardages, I am guessing that your driver swing speed is in the 90-95 mph range.  If that is accurate, your 8 degree driver isn't giving you enough spin to keep the ball in the air long enough (which would explain your 235 yd carry). 

My swing speed varies from 90-105 yes, too much of a difference. On a good day I get a few out to around 300 yards. Lately my best have been closer to 280 total. 

As far as the loft, I hit the ball higher at 8.0° than my friends with their 10.5° lofts. I hit up and slightly above center which both add loft. If I am not swinging at my top form then I set the club to 9.0° to help when my swing speed is lower. Something about the XR16 head just spins a little too much for me so less loft works. 

All that being said, my questions were about fitters to avoid and horror stories-do you have any contributions on those subjects?

Golf is simple - people are complicated.

5w Taylormade SLDR S 19* - 220yd, Ping G2 5-U - 190-105, Maltby M+ 54* & MG 60* - 95-75, Evnroll ER8, Titleist 816 H1 4h 21*, Maltby 4 Hybrid Iron 24* - 210-200, Callaway XR16 8* - 235 carry

886809507_image1(5).jpeg.56bc697c3b02b1fb00feb8d4b66389bc~2.jpeg

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7 hours ago, RollingGreens said:

True story, I have a friend fitted at Club Champion, he was fitted for his irons and wedges with shafts 2 inches shorter than standard, but they gave him standard driver and fairway wood shafts, he’s 5’ 5”. Went back because he couldn’t get any consistency, his fitter was fired. Somehow the new fitter had the shafts he needed which were 1/4 less than standard in his current gamers, he sold them to my buddy for a small $300 fee installed. The shafts them self were KBS c-taper lites. Subsequently my friend took the bait. No discount, no real apology for being taken advantage of. 

That sounds like a horrible experience & expensive!

Golf is simple - people are complicated.

5w Taylormade SLDR S 19* - 220yd, Ping G2 5-U - 190-105, Maltby M+ 54* & MG 60* - 95-75, Evnroll ER8, Titleist 816 H1 4h 21*, Maltby 4 Hybrid Iron 24* - 210-200, Callaway XR16 8* - 235 carry

886809507_image1(5).jpeg.56bc697c3b02b1fb00feb8d4b66389bc~2.jpeg

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13 hours ago, Manimal26 said:

@Buffly where to start on this...going to box stores and expecting personalized results is setting yourself up to be disappointed. Also anyone who would charge a fee if you know what you want I would personally turn towards the door and run as fast as you can... also I would avoid any major commercial operation that advertises as a custom fitter unless you have a budget of $5k or more... here is a $500 putter shaft sold for $750 plus tax from one of those places... to be honest where you are located it might be tough... send me a DM and we can chat more...

32DCD03E-A45B-4D12-894C-3A236FC13AA6.jpeg.4301b28bb5e58babc06ac49e3b4d3ace.jpeg76EC2B45-287F-466C-A208-9571475826B3.jpeg.abb117502d3f823b63bfa52df19522e3.jpeg

I don't get your response? Why would you want to keep the conversation out of the forum when it could help someone other than just me?

I was never expecting personalized fitting, but I didn't know fitters are not created equal. I have never actually been fit. I only shared my big box experiences to start off the conversation of something not close to optimal. 

I guess my optimal fitting experience would be to be fit into an attainable used set of clubs that only costs around $800 for 13 clubs that are up to 15 years old irons, new Maltby Wedges, and within 5 years of drivers, woods and hybrids. I just want to know specs and models that fit me so I can buy them, have them adjusted, and play them without having to order new equipment at new equipment prices. I am a poor man playing a rich mans game and not looking to keep up with shiny new metal when a few scratches will do the job. 

Golf is simple - people are complicated.

5w Taylormade SLDR S 19* - 220yd, Ping G2 5-U - 190-105, Maltby M+ 54* & MG 60* - 95-75, Evnroll ER8, Titleist 816 H1 4h 21*, Maltby 4 Hybrid Iron 24* - 210-200, Callaway XR16 8* - 235 carry

886809507_image1(5).jpeg.56bc697c3b02b1fb00feb8d4b66389bc~2.jpeg

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15 minutes ago, Buffly said:

I guess my optimal fitting experience would be to be fit into an attainable used set of clubs that only costs around $800 for 13 clubs that are up to 15 years old irons, new Maltby Wedges, and within 5 years of drivers, woods and hybrids. I just want to know specs and models that fit me so I can buy them, have them adjusted, and play them without having to order new equipment at new equipment prices. I am a poor man playing a rich mans game and not looking to keep up with shiny new metal when a few scratches will do the job. 

what you want simply doesn’t exist. 

no one - not big box or local - is going to fit you into 5-15 year old clubs. you’d have a hard time even getting fit for last year’s products. that’s like going to a new car dealership and asking them to sell you a 2015...with the options you want.

club fitting is a business.  their goal is to sell you clubs and make money, and they can’t do that very well if they hold on to inventory that’s a decade old.  

what you could do is go and pay for a fitting just to get your specs, and then piece a set together using that information. 

i just did that to put a second bag together for my house down south.  i took all of the specs that came up when i was fit into my clubs and scoured ebay, craigslist, and the classified forums for suitable backups.  i ended up with a full bag for under $1000 by haggling and searching for deals  

either way, the onus is going to fall to you. 

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2 hours ago, Buffly said:

I take offense to this statement because newbies don't know any better - I fall into that category. 

Thinking it would take bundles of research hours to find a good fitter in order to get decent results seems counter intuitive. 

I read what you wrote and it seems more judgemental than helpful. Can you provide any helpful content or answer the questions directly? Commentary only on my experience is like laughing at a clown at a circus = silly. 

Just because you're a newbie to golf doesn't mean you're also bereft of any common sense. And you can't be bothered to do any research to find a good fitter? It seems like you're proving my point.  Can I provide any helpful content? I've never met you and I have no idea where you live or where you play and a what level - and you want me to tell you what's good for you? I think you've proved my point again. Have another look in that mirror....

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16 hours ago, Buffly said:

The things I hope for in a fitting are: not brand specific, a deep dive into every detail from grip to toe of the club, full club and ball data, and using similar urethane golf balls. Is that too much to ask?

It's not much to ask, but are YOU willing to pay for that service?

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48 minutes ago, Kanoito said:

It's not much to ask, but are YOU willing to pay for that service?

And this is where the penny drops.

Club fitting, just like many other businesses are a simple time and materials proposal. You pay for my time and the components I provide.

Sure, I could give you the full works from grip to toe on everything that could make a difference to your game - but by the time we had finished around 2 days would have passed and you would be looking at bill that would be more than double the cost of an OTR set.

If you want to try out every conceivable shaft and head combination that is available to see what works - that'll be another 180 days +.  In the meantime, my electricity, insurance, rent and tax is still due which is covered under my laughably slim margin.

I usually invite millionaires into the fitting studio with open arms, but even they have limits about what to expect when paying for a service. And frankly, I don't have time to spend with time wasters.

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3 minutes ago, jaskanski said:

Club fitting, just like many other businesses are a simple time and materials proposal. You pay for my time and the components I provide

nailed it. 

and to the OPs original point about materials, there isn’t a fitter out there that will bother fitting you into old clubs. what’s the incentive for them?

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  image.png.4f15ae5144722103242556b2db6d1033.pngSIM 3W 14º | Fujikura Atmos Black Tour Spec 9TX

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21 hours ago, Buffly said:

Please share fitters to "AVOID AT ALL COSTS" and any terrible experiences we can learn from?

I am thinking about a fitting in 2021 myself, and what little experiences I have had in big box stores verses what I see on TXG's YouTube videos has me really questioning my experiences as total fails.

I have gone 3 places: Roger Dunn in Santa Ana, PGA Superstore in Irvine, and Golf Galaxy (& Dick's which makes it 4 places)

Roger Dunn has hitting bays to test the clubs, new and used, before you buy, with launch monitors that only measure ball speed and use a fixed smash factor without any club path data (same experience at all the places I tried so I won't mention it again). This is open to the retail public without a true fitting which has led to many purchases for me on used equipment. They do have a real fitting experience with major OEMs and better launch monitors for a fee if you already know the brand you want. And, you have an option of getting 'fit' by the Roger Dunn employee in the public area if you want to look at used or multiple brands. 

The PGA Superstore experience I had was sub par to me. I wanted to try clubs that were over length and a better fitting shaft than what I had, but the help I got was super lame with very little actual fitting or recommendation. It did reveal a swing fault of handle raising and a need for upright lie that I have since adopted to my set of old Pings, so I can't say the experience was all bad. 

Golf Galaxy was very limited in knowledge and club/shaft combinations to test. It was more of a try before you buy kinda place. With the same fixed smash factor it seemed like they were falsely padding the results to sell more gear. I did make the purchase of my favorite club to this day early in my golf journey at Golf Galaxy - a used TM SLDR S 5w with a Stiff shaft, and I love it. 

The Dick's experience was the worst with a small selection and a tiny hitting bay which was a small try before you buy experience. 

The things I hope for in a fitting are: not brand specific, a deep dive into every detail from grip to toe of the club, full club and ball data, and using similar urethane golf balls. Is that too much to ask?

I just shared this story in another post, but this has to be one of the worst experiences I've witnessed...

I was in Dicks Sporting Goods right before Christmas browsing the golf section aimlessly.  I witnessed a salesman working with someone on a set of Mizuno irons.  The man was trying to figure out if he wanted to go with the Mizuno 921 Forged or the Pro.  I overheard the salesman after he had hit both say to the guy, "I know both shafts didn't produce what we thought.  I think we can get you in another shaft but there's a $20 charge per club to change out the shafts for something else..."  The guy obviously wasn't really in tune with the clubs or the brand so he said let me look around here a moment and think about it.  

After the guy broke free from the salesman I walked over to him and said, "Nothing for nothing but Mizuno does NOT charge you to change out shafts or grips, and or adjustments to the club to fit your spec.  Not sure what that guy was telling you but they're one of the few brands that allow you to change out any of those things for free..."   The guy looked at me in amazement and said that he loved them and they came highly recommended but he wasn't sure he wanted to spend the $1200+ for a set and then add in $20 per club to reshaft them.  We had a bit of a chat after that and he walked away....

The main thing he learned was that Dicks CHARGES you for their less than top shelf fitting process (Hit a few shots into a net with a launch monitor and then someone who is NOT a PGA pro tries to make sense of the numbers) and if you choose not to buy clubs after you do it  you must pay for their fitting  process.  (couple hundred I believe)

In the end, I watched the guy leave the shop with NO CLUBS in hand so I'm only assuming he made a financial decision that it was better to get his numbers and then take them somewhere that they knew what they were doing so he could order his clubs.  

This all reminded me of a time when I went to the 2nd Swing in Maryland and had some... well less than knowledgeable chap to be nice tell me that I was a toe digger on a set of new unadjusted clubs.  Ummm Toe Digger, really?  He hadn't asked for my specs or did any sort of measurements to know that I typically go 2* upright on clubs hence why I was toe down.  

Rule of thumb is easy here.  If you don't know what you're doing as a player and you have little knowledge about your equipment you MUST go somewhere they do know what they're doing and are fair to you.  If you don't you're going to be taken advantage of fairly quickly by people whom have the singular goal of selling "stuff" and not being passionate / knowledgeable about the clubs you're trying to purchase.  

BNewt51

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3 Wood:  TS2 14* :titleist-small:

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7 hours ago, Buffly said:

I guess my optimal fitting experience would be to be fit into an attainable used set of clubs that only costs around $800 for 13 clubs that are up to 15 years old irons, new Maltby Wedges, and within 5 years of drivers, woods and hybrids. I just want to know specs and models that fit me so I can buy them, have them adjusted, and play them without having to order new equipment at new equipment prices. I am a poor man playing a rich mans game and not looking to keep up with shiny new metal when a few scratches will do the job. 

As others have said, this fitting experience doesn't exist in the commercial world.   The way to do this fitting is to do it yourself.   Educated yourself and experiment with different clubs, shafts, grips, etc.   Many shops stock used clubs that you can try in their launch monitors.  Hit shots and understand how the different options impact your swing.  

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5 hours ago, Kanoito said:

It's not much to ask, but are YOU willing to pay for that service?

I hope to someday. Yes, absolutely

Golf is simple - people are complicated.

5w Taylormade SLDR S 19* - 220yd, Ping G2 5-U - 190-105, Maltby M+ 54* & MG 60* - 95-75, Evnroll ER8, Titleist 816 H1 4h 21*, Maltby 4 Hybrid Iron 24* - 210-200, Callaway XR16 8* - 235 carry

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I think bad fitters and fitting experiences can be had anywhere.  That said, my impression is that the high volume outfits like Dicks, PGASS, Club Champion, etc. tend to be more product sales centric than most.  We really can't knock them for it as that's what pays the bills.  Simply based on the number of fittings they do, odds are more "horror stories" come from them.  If a really competent fitter is working at a facility that pushes their workforce to make sales and upcharge options, then they either do it or get replaced.  I view fitters in the same light as swing instructors - their abilities run the gamut.

Doing your homework beforehand about perspective fitters, and doing an honest assessment of yourself and your golf capabilities, will increase the odds of a favorable outcome.

:ping-small: G410 Plus, 9 Degree Driver 

:ping-small: G400 SFT, 16 Degree 3w

:ping-small: G400 SFT, 19 Degree 5w

:srixon-small:  ZX5 Irons 4-AW 

:ping-small: Glide 2.0 56 Degree SW   (removed from double secret probation 😍)

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I had a bad experience at Club Champion, and will never go back. I detailed that earlier, and got beat up pretty good here (though without addressing my concerns), so I won't rehash it. I will say their methodology, what I experienced and other customers described they had the exact same process, leans toward them recommending new shafts and or clubs whether they will help you or not. While some people have walked away without CC recommending new shafts or clubs, I am certain that's an exception. And their guarantee doesn't include getting your money back if the fitting doesn't provide results.

You don't have to be a scratch golfer to possibly benefit from a good fitting (there are more bad than good out there, so caveat emptor). If your swing is not repeatable - like a majority of ALL players, a fitting will make little if any difference.

Quote

You Should Not Be Fitted

The question of whether you should be fitted leads to another: Can you repeat your swing? If the answer is "no," being fitted for clubs should not be your first priority. It's not about how your swing feels; it's about the results. If you consistently hook, slice, pop up or roll your shots, chances are you have a swing that at least reasonably repeats. If you consistently hit shots in different flight patterns--one left, the next right and not on purpose--you probably have trouble repeating your swing.

You can't fit a club around your swing if you can't repeat it consistently.

You will end up trying to fit your swing around the club. Before spending money in custom-fit golf clubs, invest in lessons from a PGA professional.

You Should Be Fitted

If you can repeat your swing, then you absolutely can benefit from being fitted. If you strike the ball too close to the heel or toe of the club, or the sole bottoms out on the heel or toe, your clubs might be too long or short for you.

The fitting process will reveal these problems, and you can have the clubs adjusted so your natural swing will regularly strike the ball on the sweet spot.

Having clubs that properly fit your swing can help correct a flaw or poor ball flight without changing your swing. Playing with the right clubs will have an immediate and profound impact on your scoring ability.

 

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  • Titleist TSR2 16.5º HZRDUS Red 60 CB 6.0 & TSR2 21º HZRDUS Black 4G 70 6.0 w Lamkin UTx Midsize
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3 minutes ago, Middler said:

If your swing is not repeatable, a fitting will make little if any difference.

Unless you walk in with a set of Blueprints and handicap of 20 something... in which case I could fit you into a more favorable club 🙂.  And amazingly, peoples pride gets in the way of reality.  Best to leave that at the door when you walk in.

:ping-small: G410 Plus, 9 Degree Driver 

:ping-small: G400 SFT, 16 Degree 3w

:ping-small: G400 SFT, 19 Degree 5w

:srixon-small:  ZX5 Irons 4-AW 

:ping-small: Glide 2.0 56 Degree SW   (removed from double secret probation 😍)

:EVNROLL: ER5v Putter  (Evnroll ER5v Official Review)

:odyssey-small: AI-One Milled Seven T CH (Currently Under Product Test)

 

 

 

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23 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

I think bad fitters and fitting experiences can be had anywhere.  That said, my impression is that the high volume outfits like Dicks, PGASS, Club Champion, etc. tend to be more product sales centric than most.  We really can't knock them for it as that's what pays the bills.  Simply based on the number of fittings they do, odds are more "horror stories" come from them.  If a really competent fitter is working at a facility that pushes their workforce to make sales and upcharge options, then they either do it or get replaced.  I view fitters in the same light as swing instructors - their abilities run the gamut.

Doing your homework beforehand about perspective fitters, and doing an honest assessment of yourself and your golf capabilities, will increase the odds of a favorable outcome.

Absolutely 100% agree.  Doing your homework beforehand will ALWAYS garner the type of results you're seeking. 

BNewt51

Golf Addict.... Father of 4.  Pennsylvania Golfer 

Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond - Ventus Red X :callaway-small:

3 Wood:  TS2 14* :titleist-small:

Hybrid:  Titleist TSI 2 18*  (Only used on Soft Rainy days)  image.png.94e8f04243fe8584238d70d382b90525.png

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9 hours ago, Buffly said:

......

I guess my optimal fitting experience would be to be fit into an attainable used set of clubs that only costs around $800 for 13 clubs that are up to 15 years old irons, new Maltby Wedges, and within 5 years of drivers, woods and hybrids. I just want to know specs and models that fit me so I can buy them, have them adjusted, and play them without having to order new equipment at new equipment prices. I am a poor man playing a rich mans game and not looking to keep up with shiny new metal when a few scratches will do the job. 

As others have said you can get a poor fitting experience from just about anywhere if you aren't up front with them about what you want.  Since you say you are fairly new to the game and don't know your swing very well, if you really want to make the investment... 

Take the time and effort to search the web and talk to local club pro's and other top players in your area looking for a fitter in your area that has a lot of good reviews and recommendations.  I really doubt this will be someone at a chain store.  It probably will take a couple months to research this.  Pay for their time to do a full bag fitting to analyze the shaft / head / loft / length / lie combo that works for you including the hybrid / long iron cutoff.   Tell them up front this is what you want and your price range for the clubs so they know what shaft / head combo's to focus on.  The fitting will probably be a multi day experience since the number of swings  / hours to hone in on an optimal combo would likely tire you out and your swing would degrade after a few hours beating balls.   Then take those numbers to search the used market for the closest match to your desired combo / price range.  

Or....Take time to study your swing carefully and honestly, recognize tendencies and shot patterns, develop feel for shape, weights and balances of clubs & flexes of shafts and what works for you by experimenting with cheaper, individual irons or drivers or hybrids.  Use different tools to determine strike patterns.  This could take a few years / decades.  😃 Use this info to get your best estimate of what you need (narrowed down to about 3 or 4 combo's) to a local trackman outlet that can swap a few heads & shafts, lengths & lie angles on a 7 iron head and driver to try out for about an hour and compare the numbers.   Then take those numbers to search the used market for your desired combo / price range.  

Take lessons and practice enough so that you have a repeatable, grooved swing that your club set up can then depend on. 

In both cases, once you get the first iteration of the gamers in play be ready for the club ho tendency to kick in and fight that desire to keep looking and swap out clubs / shafts as "great deals" pop up!!   (Not that I know anything about this aspect!!!  🤪 )  And we haven't even talked about putters!!!    🤣  It can be a fun experience if you approach it the right way.

Modern Bag:  :ping-small: G410 LST 10.5*, Hzrdus Smoke RDX 6.5 Flex;   :titelist-small:  915F 3w, Diamana S+ 70 S flex;  Snake Eyes 18* 2h, 23* 4h & 27* 5h; :mizuno-small: JPX 900 Forged 6 - PW, PX LZ 6.0;  Edison 2.0 49*, 53*, 57* KBS Tour 120 S;   :ping-small:  Heppler Fetch;  Ball - :Snell: MTB-X; Bag - Jones MyGolfSpy Edition! 

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Besides absolute beginners, I think most golfers have a pretty repeatable "motion", even though we think we have different swings. To quote Monte, "Many golfers believe they have multiple golf swings. In reality, most people have one motion that results in a variety of outcomes."

I don't think you have to wait until you have a consistent outcome to get fit. I also think too many of us are looking for the "perfect" fit. I think its okay to get fit with an imperfect swing to find the equipment that works best for your current state swing. If you improve in the future, that is awesome, get refit at that time to see if there is something that will work better for you.

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21 minutes ago, dlow206 said:

Besides absolute beginners, I think most golfers have a pretty repeatable "motion", even though we think we have different swings. To quote Monte, "Many golfers believe they have multiple golf swings. In reality, most people have one motion that results in a variety of outcomes."

I don't think you have to wait until you have a consistent outcome to get fit. I also think too many of us are looking for the "perfect" fit. I think its okay to get fit with an imperfect swing to find the equipment that works best for your current state swing. If you improve in the future, that is awesome, get refit at that time to see if there is something that will work better for you.

 

20 minutes ago, jaskanski said:

 

This is the lament you will hear from a vast majority of golfers. Unfortunately, they don't realise how wrong they are.

Fitting in it's fundamental principle is about making a club suited to your build and swing. The beauty of this principle is that you, the golfer, are not as variable as you think. 

Once an assessment has been made on your physical measurements and your swing tendencies, a club can be tailored to match these specifics - meaning you are less likely to make errors than if you were to play with clubs that are not matched to these specifics.

It's a simple numbers game based on probability - build a club that gives you a greater probability of finding the centre of the club face at impact. Your miss becomes less frequent, your swing becomes more constant because it is easier and more intuitive to do so with a club built specifically for the purpose. 

Give someone a club that meets the basic requirements of length and weight and the chances of hitting it squarely at impact increase by a reciprocal factor. Fine tune that proposal for lie, bend point, flex, grip size, face angle, sole width, etc, etc - you will realise your true potential.

I absolutely love these 2 posts.  Couldn't agree more!  If you want to wait until you think you have mastered your swing, you'll be waiting a really long time.

Just tap it in.  Lil' taparoo.

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48 minutes ago, jaskanski said:

 

This is the lament you will hear from a vast majority of golfers. Unfortunately, they don't realise how wrong they are.

Fitting in it's fundamental principle is about making a club suited to your build and swing. The beauty of this principle is that you, the golfer, are not as variable as you think. 

Once an assessment has been made on your physical measurements and your swing tendencies, a club can be tailored to match these specifics - meaning you are less likely to make errors than if you were to play with clubs that are not matched to these specifics.

It's a simple numbers game based on probability - build a club that gives you a greater probability of finding the centre of the club face at impact. Your miss becomes less frequent, your swing becomes more constant because it is easier and more intuitive to do so with a club built specifically for the purpose. 

Give someone a club that meets the basic requirements of length and weight and the chances of hitting it squarely at impact increase by a reciprocal factor. Fine tune that proposal for lie, bend point, flex, grip size, face angle, sole width, etc, etc - you will realise your true potential.

Fair enough. Care to quantify? How much can lessons and practice alone improve your scoring? And how much can fitting alone improve your scoring (aside from the unfortunate minority who happen to be grossly misfit)?

I think many people are led to unrealistic expectations re: fittings to improve their game. If you’re buying clubs anyway you might as well get fit. But as long as your clubs aren’t grossly misfit, which you can find out for free, a paid fitting and new clubs may provide a small improvement if any.

Length isn’t primary for most of us. A fitter will recommend a 1/2” or 1” change in length, when most of us play with a range of lengths of about 9” every day, about 44” to 35” driver to wedge? By all means if you’re getting fitted to buy anyway, but crucial otherwise?

I know quite a few single digit players who buy off the rack. But if you want to spend extra to be sure, that’s fine.

  • 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
  • Payntr X 002 LE, Ecco Biom C4, FJ DryJoys
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29 minutes ago, Middler said:

Fair enough. Care to quantify? How much can lessons and practice alone improve your scoring? And how much can fitting alone improve your scoring (aside from the unfortunate minority who happen to be grossly misfit)?

I think many people are led to unrealistic expectations re: fittings to improve their game. If you’re buying clubs anyway you might as well get fit. But as long as your clubs aren’t grossly misfit, which you can find out for free, a paid fitting and new clubs may provide a small improvement if any.

Length isn’t primary for most of us. A fitter will recommend a 1/2” or 1” change in length, when most of us play with a range of lengths of about 9” every day, about 44” to 35” driver to wedge? By all means if you’re getting fitted to buy anyway, but crucial otherwise?

I know quite a few single digit players who buy off the rack. But if you want to spend extra to be sure, that’s fine.

Lessons and practice are knowledge. The beauty is, you can apply that knowledge to any set clubs you ever own in the future.

As for fitted clubs, ever wonder how they make lessons and practice easier? Example - it's been said numerous times about the correct set up with grip, stance, ball position, alignment - before you even start your backswing - can have a tremendous influence over the outcome of a shot. Get those fundamentals correct in your set up, and you stand a pretty good chance of hitting a good shot. Question: is it easier to set up a club that is built to your physical stature and hands that one that is not?

I think we know that answer. So you're in good shape before you even swing. Now let's pose another question: is it easier to swing a club that is balanced for feel and weight and length than one that is too heavy, too light or too short or long?

I think we know that answer too. Final question: is it easier to return a club head squarely at impact with a club that has the correct flex and shaft profile, married to the correct face and lie angle than with a club that is too stiff/weak, with to much/little offset with the incorrect lie angle?

Hmmm - that's a tough one. I think it might be with the fitted club?

Can you see a pattern emerging here? As a fitter, we simple eliminate the variables which have an influence over ball flight and control them into a set of parameters that give a greater chance of success. That's just plain logic based on physics. And it's hard to argue the case otherwise.

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4 hours ago, dlow206 said:

Besides absolute beginners, I think most golfers have a pretty repeatable "motion", even though we think we have different swings. To quote Monte, "Many golfers believe they have multiple golf swings. In reality, most people have one motion that results in a variety of outcomes."

I don't think you have to wait until you have a consistent outcome to get fit. I also think too many of us are looking for the "perfect" fit. I think its okay to get fit with an imperfect swing to find the equipment that works best for your current state swing. If you improve in the future, that is awesome, get refit at that time to see if there is something that will work better for you.

I don’t recall which pro it was...I want to say Andrew Rice in one of his YouTube videos talked about how people’s swings are pretty repeatable but because of bad mechanics or sequencing then club will get out of position and they hav two compensate. 
 

You have been videoing your swing for awhile and feel free to correct me but I think that most times you looked at it on different days you would see a similar swing pattern albeit not always consistent results. 

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

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