I'm a terrible golfer. Should I get fitted?

[okayestgolfer]

Hey everyone.  I tried to search for an answer here, but was unable to find what I was looking for. 

So, I'm a really bad golfer.  Like, really bad.  I imagine I'd be better at open heart surgery than I am at trying to shoot a low score in golf.  I am not a surgeon.

I play an executive course here locally in Las Vegas.  Par 58.  My best score is 83.  I'm bad, y'all. I can hit some good shots, but have no real understanding of how or why it happened. 

Anyway, my question is, is it worth it for me to get fitted, or would I just be wasting time and money?  I've been looking at reviews for super game improvement irons, and the research tends to direct me back to Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo Irons.  They seem to come highly recommended for people who suck at golf.  So my dilemma is, just go buy these clubs, or should I do a fitting?  It seems like there would at least need to be some sort of swing consistency for a fitting to be accurate, but I have no idea. 

I appreciate any feedback! 

 

[GrumpyGolf]

You should go for a fitting.  What is good for one player or group of players may not be right for you.  I bought my first set of clubs sight unseen from a box and never really got better but at least I could play and a score of 90 was considered a banner day for me.  Then I got fitted, it was like flipping a switch.  I still was not going to challenge for a spot on the tour, but I found my walks from tee to green were more direct and included far side trips for seek and destroy missions in the long stuff.  IF you are going to invest even a modest amount in the game, make it more fun per dollar spent.

[RickyBobby_PR]

Thoughts form an instructor. Also not the only person I’ve read or talk to that says this.

As a golf instructor for the last 20+ years, I would not teach a person with clubs that did not fit them. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t give them lessons. They would just use one of my fitting clubs while they were taking the lessons. If they came to my driving range to practice they were always welcome to use the same club.

All the golf lessons in the world will not prove to be fruitful without having your clubs fit to you. And any good instructor will ensure you are at least using a club that fits you during the lesson.
 

https://kzgperformancecenter.com/lesson-club-fitting/

[tony@CIC]

This thread reminds me of a discussion I had with my instructor on a fitting day many years ago when I first started golf. I had a  really, really bad slice, and thought trying different drivers  at their fitting day would steer me to a driver that would at the very least minimize my slice. Nope, nada no success. He reaffirmed that a new driver would not cure my swing faults and would just be a waste of money. A better use of the $$ would be lessons.

So to begin formulating an answer to your question: It depends. What are your misses, Have you had lessons, do you practice, when and where did you get your clubs - old hand me downs, or off the rack - big box store, etc.,  etc., Basically we need to know more.  

[RickyBobby_PR]

Not having clubs fit to your swing will in the long run lead to developing more bad habits because you are forcing a swing to make the clubs work. 
 

Clubs in of themselves won’t fox swing flaws. Fixing the swing is what will fox that, but I’d you have tools in your hand that don’t allow your swing to work you will continue to compensate.

Many also don’t realize that the specs they are fit for while having a bad swing won’t change much once their swing improves so one will unlikely outgrow their clubs

[GolfSpy TCB]

yes.

[mynerds]

Fellow terrible golfer here! I'm with @Riverboat here and in the "it depends" camp.

I did a fitting at Golf Galaxy that I wrote about in a different thread and honestly did not have a great time. The short is that I think the fitting process benefits from a consistent swing, even if it's a bad one. I really appreciated the forum recommendations to ask to try no-upcharge shafts, and to know a few club heads that you might be interested in prior to the fitting. I also think it's important for folks like us to prioritize dispersion over distance (e.g. I'll take short, consistent hits over longer shots that are all over the place).

The fitting did benefit me in that I now know I prefer the feeling of a lighter graphite shaft over a heavy steel. This helped me when browsing used clubs and helped me find my new (used) 3W. It also forced me to be my own advocate during the process (e.g. I was fitted with a 75g Regular flex graphite shaft for Stealth Irons, which is not in fact a no-upcharge option despite asking for that). It was VERY discouraging to hit shanks for 45 minutes though. Go in with realistic expectations though and I think it can be a positive experience.

I was born and raised in Vegas and cut my teeth at the Las Vegas Golf Center / former Callaway Golf Center / former TaylorMade Golf Experience back when it had water features and grass tee boxes. Loved watching the planes land at McCarren while there. If I make my way back home in the near future, I'll happily stink up a course with you

[cnosil]

I like the summary this article provides on the topic:

https://pluggedingolf.com/do-new-golfers-need-fitted-golf-clubs/
 

getting fit does not mean you have to go to an expensive fitting place like true spec or CC, but you need to find someone that can get you clubs that can help you get the ball into the air. Those clubs can be 10 years old bought from the used club rack.   

[GrumpyGolf]

8 minutes ago, cnosil said:

I like the summary this article provides on the topic:

https://pluggedingolf.com/do-new-golfers-need-fitted-golf-clubs/
 

getting fit does not mean you have to go to an expensive fitting place like true spec or CC, but you need to find someone that can get you clubs that can help you get the ball into the air. Those clubs can be 10 years old bought from the used club rack.   

My first set of "fitted" clubs were a used set of Hogan Edge irons that the guy fitting me adjusted the lie angle for me at no charge when I bought the clubs. As I said before, I wasn't challenging for Q-school or anything, but I was more confident and hit better shots than I did with my clubs before that.

[GaDawg]

On 5/12/2022 at 12:41 PM, okayestgolfer said:

Hey everyone.  I tried to search for an answer here, but was unable to find what I was looking for. 

So, I'm a really bad golfer.  Like, really bad.  I imagine I'd be better at open heart surgery than I am at trying to shoot a low score in golf.  I am not a surgeon.

I play an executive course here locally in Las Vegas.  Par 58.  My best score is 83.  I'm bad, y'all. I can hit some good shots, but have no real understanding of how or why it happened. 

Anyway, my question is, is it worth it for me to get fitted, or would I just be wasting time and money?  I've been looking at reviews for super game improvement irons, and the research tends to direct me back to Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo Irons.  They seem to come highly recommended for people who suck at golf.  So my dilemma is, just go buy these clubs, or should I do a fitting?  It seems like there would at least need to be some sort of swing consistency for a fitting to be accurate, but I have no idea. 

I appreciate any feedback! 

 

Just because you shot a 83 on a par 58 executive course does not mean that you are ready for a fitting yet. When I first started golfing 44 years ago, I could not break 75 on a 9 hole, par 36 course. Personally, I feel that you should spend time hitting balls on the range and take some lessons. After taking lessons and learning the fundamentals of the swing, then possibly get fitted for clubs.

[RickyBobby_PR]

17 minutes ago, GaDawg said:

Just because you shot a 83 on a par 58 executive course does not mean that you are ready for a fitting yet. When I first started golfing 44 years ago, I could not break 75 on a 9 hole, par 36 course. Personally, I feel that you should spend time hitting balls on the range and take some lessons. After taking lessons and learning the fundamentals of the swing, then possibly get fitted for clubs.

Except if you have clubs that aren’t a compliment to your swing those lessons aren’t really that beneficial. Taking lessons and getting fit at the same time is probably the best way to do it. A competent fitter will be able to identify what the golfer needs by watching their swing and delivery and if they are taking lessons incorporate that into what’s being fit. 
 

I’m actually surprised more instructors don’t ask their students if they’ve been fit for their clubs and just take the money and give them lessons. The linked sticks above talks about that 

[Kansas King]

I think there is some good advice here. I think fittings for new golfers depends on budget and needs. If budget is not a concern, spend a few extra Benjamins and get fit well. However, if you're not willing to or can't spend an extra $300+ on a fitting, then the free fittings offered in a golf shop will be just fine. There is nothing wrong with getting fit on a SkyTrak launch monitor for free. Average golf shops may not have every shaft/head combo to try for fitting but that won't necessarily be important if you're extremely inconsistent. A basic, no cost, golf shop fitting will generally get you close enough on the length, lie angle, and shaft. Paying money for a fitting from somewhere like Club Champion can be great, but the free golf shop fitting that gets the length, lie, and flex correct will get you a very good set of clubs. 

An interesting thing with club fitting is that you're fitting is unlikely to significantly change over the years if you're physique stays about the same. You may have slight changes in lie angle requirements and length if you make drastic swing changes but if you get fitted for a stiff shaft today, you'll likely still be fitted into a similar shaft a few years down the road. So there is nothing wrong with spending the money for a good fitting if you want to as it's not necessarily a waste.

Used clubs a slightly different story. I highly recommend buying used clubs in a golf shop where you can hit them if possible if you don't know what you want or need. Used clubs a little dicey because many online and eBay sellers will advertise them with "standard" length and lie angles but reality is generally very different. 

[drb1956]

Uh, maybe you could start with a Swing Evaluation at Golftec? Before spending money on clubs, get your swing checked. Might just be one little thing that is causing you to not be the player you want to be. It might lead to much needed lessons, or just a tweak. I went from mid 90's to 110-120, and it was all because I was swaying off the ball in both directions. Stopped swaying, scores dropped, made a couple of other tweaks. None of my playing partners could see what my problem was, but Golftec showed me with video. Still a high handicap, but its because of stupid stuff I do like duffing chips, over shoot greens, occasional 3 putts, but making progress in those areas. Arthritis is not helping either. Get an evaluation first, then clubs, when you know your swing is solid!

[Middler]

The age old debate…

You need at least one lesson, and a free fitting at Golf Galaxy or wherever can’t hurt. If you’re intent on improving and money isn’t an issue, nothing wrong with getting fit and taking lessons too. But unless you’re physically well outside the norm, really tall, short, disproportionate arm length or something, the odds of a fitting alone making a big difference in your results are slim at best. You don’t have to be an accomplished player to benefit from a fitting, but a poor player is in need of lessons more likely than a fitting if you have to settle for one or the other. If you start with a lesson (my recommendation) - any decent pro who gives you a lesson should recognize if your clubs are so poorly fit you need a significant change. Ask!

The other caveat with fittings is there are more unqualified fitters than good ones. The worst fitting I ever had was at Club Champion (total waste of $450) but I had a stellar paid fitting at another outfit. I don’t name them here because it was the fitter himself that was exceptional - I can’t vouch for all their fitters. Choosing a fitter is not unlike other professions, doctors, brokers, etc. there are good, bad and average in every line of work.

[Pandaman]

My thoughts...

As others have said, you do need to make sure the clubs you are using are the right size for you.  Any half decent club pro can do that and, within reason, make any adjustments.

That, along with lessons would give you the best value.

[CarlH]

I would not opt for a fitting from Club Champion to True Spec that's going to cost you $300+ just for the fitting over the cost of the clubs but I would strongly suggest a fitting from a pro shop, box store, or demo day to ensure that the clubs you are buying are of the proper length, lie, and shaft for you.  Getting fit by your club pro is a great way to 1) ensure that you have clubs that are going to work for you and 2) make the initial contact with someone who can get your swing in condition to utilize those clubs.  Best to you!

[Middler]

For those of you advocating for a fitting for the OP, probably only fair you tell him what kind of improvement in scoring he might expect - best case if he's of average size? Obviously worst case the fitting makes no difference at all, entirely possible.

[RickyBobby_PR]

1 hour ago, Middler said:

For those of you advocating for a fitting for the OP, probably only fair you tell him what kind of improvement in scoring he might expect - best case if he's of average size? Obviously worst case the fitting makes no difference at all, entirely possible.

There no guarantee that a fitting improves one’s score. That’s on the golfer to execute all shots from tee to green wit the fewest amount of mistakes and miss hits

Fittings ensure the golfer is using the best equipment for their swing. It allows the golfer to use the clubs and not fight them to get the desired ball flight.

Fittings don’t improve swing mechanics or course management. Score is more than just the club or ball one uses