"self-fit" vs "professional fit"

[GolfSpy_BOS]

So I was looking at the 2021 Driver Satisfaction Survey results this morning and it got me thinking about fittings.

I have been fit for the G30 that I had, and the M5 I had by professionals before getting a tele-fit with the Cobra folks for #CC4 and then basically going through a long demo/self-fit process getting into my Epic Max LS.

At this point, I know I'm pretty much optimized on distance for my swing speed and consider myself "fit" to my driver even though I didn't get a performance fitting with a pro.  The way I think about it is if I was fit for the previous, and I'm seeing improvements in the new design (in the case of the Epic Max LS I was seeing much less curvature and fade bias over the M5 and Speedzone) than I still consider myself "fit" on survey results and such.  

Who here does demo/self-fit vs a professional fit every time?  I feel like now I'm at a point where I know which sort of shaft profiles tend to work for my swing and will demo clubs and heads multiple times to see if there's a consistent difference in performance for me and don't feel like I need a professional fitting to get dialed.

[MGoBlue100]

I agree with your statements.  I am a BIG proponent of fitting.  How-evah; I did a "self fitting" prior to buying my current PXG driver because there was not an easy way to get fit for a PXG.  Happy I did so, love my Gen 2 0811 XF.

[NM01]

I do a combo of the two. I’ve been fit to the same 3-4 iron shafts and with woods I have a good idea what works for and have enough knowledge that I can get myself into a good setup. However with new versions of wood shafts and changes in design and weighting I like to do a fitting for driver. Also when it comes to top of the bag I like to do a fitting to find a setup that gives me distances I’m looking to fill especially when I change iron types 

[DiscipleofPenick]

I also did a combo. I did a professional fitting for my driver at a local off-course fitting place. They are nationally reputable and I love my Titleist, so I feel it was worth the $500 I spent. However, when it came time to get new irons, I knew the $1200-$1500 cost was out of my price range. So I went to Golf Galaxy during the offseason, I wanna say Jan/Feb 2018. I hit 4 or 5 Titleist head/shaft combos, the Ping iBlades, and a few Mizunos. I settled on the 718CBs with DG X100 shafts. Though I was curious that I hit the 7i 190 yards, when my current 7i was carrying 165. So I thought about it and went back the next week with my 7i, and it was also going 190 on their monitors. Mystery solved! Anyway, knowing the club I wanted I hopped on eBay and in a day or two found a deal on 714CB with X100.

Now comes a big challenge though. As the driver & irons are 6 & 8 years old respectively, it's probably time to upgrade again. I'd like to do a full bag fitting, but I know the $2k+ is more than I can spend. Decision time over the winter. 

[ejgaudette]

15 minutes ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

I do a combo of the two. I’ve been fit to the same 3-4 iron shafts and with woods I have a good idea what works for and have enough knowledge that I can get myself into a good setup. However with new versions of wood shafts and changes in design and weighting I like to do a fitting for driver. Also when it comes to top of the bag I like to do a fitting to find a setup that gives me distances I’m looking to fill especially when I change iron types 

I think this what many of us will feel over time. We find profiles that work and can really narrow some things down and get close to optimum without the full fitting. 

[revkev]

I’m in the combo camp.  I basically know what works for me but that has come through numerous fittings. I’ve also learned that it’s possible to be misfit because you weren’t swinging well that day or also, let’s be honest, swinging too well.  
 

It’s only happened a few times but I prefer process fittings where I go more than once to verify the fit. I’ve learned that if someone wants to put me in something outside the norm, then I need to be suspicious about it. 
 

I will generally go to a fitting day at my club each year to verify that I’m still where I think I am though. The best one that I ever attended was a Titleist ball fitting day - we talked irons and loosing the 3 wood

[GolfSpy_BOS]

3 minutes ago, revkev said:

I’m in the combo camp.  I basically know what works for me but that has come through numerous fittings. I’ve also learned that it’s possible to be misfit because you weren’t swinging well that day or also, let’s be honest, swinging too well.  
 

It’s only happened a few times but I prefer process fittings where I go more than once to verify the fit. I’ve learned that if someone wants to put me in something outside the norm, then I need to be suspicious about it. 
 

I will generally go to a fitting day at my club each year to verify that I’m still where I think I am though. The best one that I ever attended was a Titleist ball fitting day - we talked irons and loosing the 3 wood

I agree on the idea of “trust but verify”. 
I probably hit that Epic Max LS 5 times in the bay with different combos because I was seeing a different (better) shot shape than I was used to. I needed to rule out if it was a fluke or not.  And even then it wasn’t until I was able to demo it with a shaft closer to my gamer that I thought it might actually be a better fit for me than the Speedzone. 

 

 

[THEZIPR23]

I am a combo guy as well. With irons I know what works and probably could just buy anything with my specs. Driver is pretty close however I have found that there are some shaft/head combos that don't work for me even if the same shaft was previously perfect. 

[BostonSal]

2 hours ago, revkev said:

I’m in the combo camp.  I basically know what works for me but that has come through numerous fittings. I’ve also learned that it’s possible to be misfit because you weren’t swinging well that day or also, let’s be honest, swinging too well.  
 

It’s only happened a few times but I prefer process fittings where I go more than once to verify the fit. I’ve learned that if someone wants to put me in something outside the norm, then I need to be suspicious about it. 
 

I will generally go to a fitting day at my club each year to verify that I’m still where I think I am though. The best one that I ever attended was a Titleist ball fitting day - we talked irons and loosing the 3 wood

I'm pretty sure than launch monitor testing has to be on the up and up or so many people wouldn't go through the expense of doing it.

I just don't have that level of commitment.

Now that our club's pro shop is almost out of the club selling business altogether, I usually go to TGW, look at the specs, hold my breath, and hope for the best.

I probably play as well as my remaining athletic ability would allow me to play anyway. Can't know for sure, though, obviously.

If you look in my bag, you'll find thirteen mix and match R-flex graphite shafts and a putter.  

To my credit, however, you WILL find thirteen matching grips!

 

[GolfSpy_BOS]

13 minutes ago, BostonSal said:

I'm pretty sure than launch monitor testing has to be on the up and up or so many people wouldn't go through the expense of doing it.

I just don't have that level of commitment.

Now that our club's pro shop is almost out of the club selling business altogether, I usually go to TGW, look at the specs, hold my breath, and hope for the best.

I probably play as well as my remaining athletic ability would allow me to play anyway. Can't know for sure, though, obviously.

If you look in my bag, you'll find thirteen mix and match R-flex graphite shafts and a putter.  

To my credit, however, you WILL find thirteen matching grips!

 

I don’t even have 13 matching grips!  At the moment anyway.  I have some fresh grips waiting to get put on… but I was making sure I was done toying with settings before I locked it in.  Also, I always feel bad NOT using a perfectly good grip for at least a little bit.  

So how long will you hold onto a club if you get it and it doesn’t seem to be doing what you expected?  

[dlow206]

I am a tinkerer, which I consider part of the hobby, so I do self-fit sometimes (for better or worse). But also have gotten professional fittings as well. 

[GolfSpy_BOS]

7 minutes ago, dlow206 said:

I am a tinkerer, which I consider part of the hobby, so I do self-fit sometimes (for better or worse). But also have gotten professional fittings as well. 

I’ve got a feeling that you’re well down the path of knowing what different things should work for you.  And we know you like to tinker and try out new things (nothing wrong with that either).  

I’d imagine you know pretty quickly if a combo is going to work for you like you we’re hoping for.

[Nolan220]

I tried the ping g400 sft driver and liked it but it was stocked and had a good price so bought it then got fitted for the shaft and got my specs and did the same with my one set of irons got fitted by a pro. After I knew the general specs I kind of just tinkered with some things and now I love my iron set up .. I did get fitted for the T300s that I will be testing so I want to see how they compare to my self fitted irons 

[dlow206]

13 minutes ago, B.Boston said:

I’ve got a feeling that you’re well down the path of knowing what different things should work for you.  And we know you like to tinker and try out new things (nothing wrong with that either).  

I’d imagine you know pretty quickly if a combo is going to work for you like you we’re hoping for.

It has taken a few iterations to find out what works for me 

In iron shafts, I have decided i like everything about the Nippon 950 series, except I need graphite shafts. I believe I have found the equivalent in the Tensei Blue Am2 iron shafts. They are different in weight, but Titleist's CPM measurement for butt and tip closely match each other, so I would suspect they should feel similar. We will see, because i have those coming in the T300 irons. 

[fixyurdivot]

7 hours ago, B.Boston said:

Who here does demo/self-fit vs a professional fit every time?

Great question.  I'm thinking more professional at this point or at the least a demo day with either my SC200 or the OEM LM for numbers and someone who specializes in club fitting overseeing things. I mean I do have build specs but simply just don't know enough about all the various options.  I was quite surprised how much difference there was between the half dozen iron shafts and half dozen iron heads I tested at True Spec.  A combination of a couple of them would have been a disaster.

[BostonSal]

9 hours ago, B.Boston said:

I don’t even have 13 matching grips!  At the moment anyway.  I have some fresh grips waiting to get put on… but I was making sure I was done toying with settings before I locked it in.  Also, I always feel bad NOT using a perfectly good grip for at least a little bit.  

So how long will you hold onto a club if you get it and it doesn’t seem to be doing what you expected?  

I never sold or traded in a club, believe it or not.

My finished basement is decorated with old golf bags going back to the beginning.

I usually play a set quite a while though. 

I'm not the proverbial "club ho."  

I have slightly larger loft gaps at the short end of my set so that I can bag lofted woods and long irons at the same time.

When I do configure a new set, it's usually the same set makeup as the old set.  Not many surprises.

 

[revkev]

I’m not stunned that this crowd prefers a combo BTW. We do know more about equipment than the average bear. 
 

The thing that’s often left out of the equation is the mind - if you think it’s the right shaft head/it may Be even if it’s not.

[BostonSal]

6 minutes ago, revkev said:

I’m not stunned that this crowd prefers a combo BTW. We do know more about equipment than the average bear. 
 

The thing that’s often left out of the equation is the mind - if you think it’s the right shaft head/it may Be even if it’s not.

Are you familiar, sir, with UST Recoil 95 shafts? I have several of those in R flex.  How are they different from your Mamiya shafts?

I've seen them on Hogan clubs, but didn't approach the owner to ask about them.

 

[GolfSpy_BOS]

57 minutes ago, revkev said:

I’m not stunned that this crowd prefers a combo BTW. We do know more about equipment than the average bear. 
 

The thing that’s often left out of the equation is the mind - if you think it’s the right shaft head/it may Be even if it’s not.

There is something to be said about confidence.... and having good memories with a club.  I had an old Cleveland Hibore XLS 4 hybrid... with the whippiest regular flex shaft... for way too long because I felt like I could do anything with it.  Took a while to find another hybrid that better matched my swing and gave me better results.  

[Paul Hedrick]

I was fitted for my current irons, and have been pleased with the results.  Part of me worries if I could have done better.

[cnosil]

3 hours ago, Paul Hedrick said:

I was fitted for my current irons, and have been pleased with the results.  Part of me worries if I could have done better.

What does "better" mean?   You were fitted by a professional;  sometimes you have to trust that they know what they are doing.   Doing another fitting would most likely not result in the exact same setup.  Every fitter has their preferences and ways to achieve similar results.  

 

[Golfspy_CG2]

I’ll take a bit of a contrarian view.  While I realize most of us here are definitely knowledgeable than the average golfer on equipment and specs, and we can probably do a serviceable job of fitting ourself.  I will be pretty confident in saying it most likely won’t be as optimum as a good professional  fitting. 
 

Every time I assist one of the OEM fitters during a fitting at our course. I may have a pretty good idea of where it’s going to end up.  But without fail there is always one component or one issue that comes up thst I didn’t pick up on.  And this is with me having being certified with just about every major OEM.  
 

As the saying goes.  These guys are good! 

[Shapotomous]

@Golfspy_CG2  Rob....you got to experience Ian at TXG and quite a few of the manufacturer fitters first hand.  I am interested in your view of how their approach compares.

[Golfspy_CG2]

6 hours ago, Shapotomous said:

@Golfspy_CG2  Rob....you got to experience Ian at TXG and quite a few of the manufacturer fitters first hand.  I am interested in your view of how their approach compares.

That’s a really good question. And one I will give some thought to before just blurting out thoughts.  
 

It might be interesting reading. And you know when I put it all down and look back on each of them, I would expect to find a lot of similarities but also some unique differences.