Anyone else not happy with custom fitted clubs

[slaskey099]

Once upon a time about 25 months ago, i got some crazy notion in my head that i was losing distance with my driver (G400 LST) due to a stiff shaft ( Xtorsion Copper )   I felt like i had to put too much effort into the swing to get decent distance - resulting in the occasional overswing over the top face wide open high stinky.    So went to small local golf shop in Columbus - good guys  listened to me - had me hit 10-15 drives on the LM with my current set-up to get warmed up.   Next  had me go putt for 5 minutes to settle down and then 10 shots with the radar turned on.   The recommended i look at a regular flex shaft that could get my spin up a couple hundred revs.    
Here comes the problem  -  I'm a lefty and i'm playing a low spin head  and its in covidish era, and there are supply chain issues so - would up using a mizuno head ST-Z  that they could easily fit different shafts into   
So - since the xtorsion was in limited supply, the closest to it being a tensei orange pro - we started there  10 shots in tensei orange pro stiff to grab a new base-line - was actually similar to the ping+  xtorsion 
Next up Regular Flex Shafts  Hzrdus Red,  Tensei Orange (non pro), Aldila Ascent Red    NO GOOD  all over the place Ball Speed was up over 5mph  but spin and more importantly Side Spin were up a bunch.    
Last Chance - out comes a Black and Blue Evenflow Riptide CB Regular flex  and VOILA!!!!  we have gold  -   higher launch, higher ball speed, easier to swing, and side spin was down significantly but still higher that the stiffy  but way easier to swing and get the distance   SOLD  Out the Door for $70 with a ping adapter installed

3 months later - the Xtorsion is back in the club   I play a pretty tight course regularly and finding the fairway is a huge premium  -  

SO  MORAL OF THE STORY -  GET FIT OUTSIDE  SOMEWHERE WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE BALL LAND AND HOW IT BEHAVES    preferably somewhere where they can mark out an approximate fairway 

That said  I got fit into a Scotty Newport at PGATSS and it has performed as advertised - putts per round have dropped from 34 to 30 - mind you it took a month dedicated to getting it dialled in but it is a game changer -  previous was a stroke lab 2-ball 

 

[No3Putts]

I've never used any of the larger fitting centers, we have a local green grass fitter that does most of the college/university teams and a number of professionals that live in the area, so the comparisons may not be apples to apples. On my last set of irons and wedges, we went through clubs from all the major manufacturers, as well as some that are less well known.  Not only heads, but shafts, grips, etc. to get the right fit. Once the clubs came in, he double checked everything for specs and then had me hit balls for a few minutes to see if the Trackman numbers matched up to what we had seen in the fitting.  He told me to play 4-5 rounds with them and then give him a call to let him know if everything was as we thought it would be.  While I had just bought a new driver, he even had me hit a few balls to be sure the settings were right and when he looked at my fairway wood (an original Steelhead III 4+), asked if I knew what I had and said he wasn't going to touch that one.  Overall great experience and I plan to go back to him this fall when I'm ready to look for a new set of irons.

[TylorJudd]

On 4/29/2023 at 6:50 PM, Docdent said:

Anyone else here not happy with your custom fitted clubs?  About a year ago I went to club champion and got fitted for new irons.   I feel that the fitter pushed me to a certain brand (ping G425) and after the fitting was very pushy. Almost like a used car salesperson. 

 

When the clubs came in they were easy to hit. So, I sold my current irons. After a short period of time I realized the new irons were 1-2 clubs shorter. 

I went back to a different club champion (closer to my home) and the fitter reviewed everything. I was fitted at 2 degrees upright. But, the irons club champion built had different lie angles for each club. Some were 4 degrees upright and other 4 degrees flat. He fixed that. But, that still didn't fix my problem. 

Not a full set of irons, I have had a custom vokey wedge come in with what feels like a different lie angle. Your situation sounds bananas. I'm sorry to hear about this though

[Golf Dawg]

When I lived in the Chicagoland area, golf options abounded. We had at least two CC’s. In 12/18, I signed up for the CC free fitting.

When I mentioned it to Mason, Todd Sones’ top assistant, he said he could fit me to Mizuno’s (approved fitter). I knew Mizuno was known for their irons, so I wasn’t bothered with lack of options.

The process was seamless and quick. He knew my swing and tendencies, the Mizuno pre-fit doo dad gave him the base specs. We tried three different shafts and determined the best specs (+2, Project X LZ Sr graphite shafts) on my HM 919s.

The only pain point was the club cost (no charge for fitting), but I didn’t have to hit hundreds of balls - and knew that what we arrived at was “custom fitted” for my game - WELL worth the investment!

I love the Mizunos! They are my last set of irons. Mason also fitted my wife to her specific HM 921s Fli Hi 7 and her T-20 wedge.

I agree that custom fittings are worth it, if only for the knowledge and “feels.” Shame about CC. But that could happen anywhere. 

[Jimmybagofdounuts]

Loft is the issue. I'm 55. My pitching wedge was 50 degrees [we called them 10 irons back then]. Now I see Callaway paradigm's pw is 41 degrees. NINE DEGREES LESS...And that's how the new club category approach or gap wedge was created. What I did is I read Ralph Matlby and Tom Wishon books on fittings [they are the masters of golf clubs] and did my own fitting, old school style. Those guys did not have any launch monitors back then and built clubs for the best of the best of the best. 

[billybogey]

Would say it is Irons Clubee not the Iron Club nor Brand. As am an Old Hacker who does strive to be good & go "Ah Ching", "Ah Ching" against some of the Younger Dudes I play with.

Did not think that I would get old this Fast. Played a lot Sports growing up; not maturing though. That is other peoples opinion; often voiced!!

But do the new Irons is taking me a long time to hit where I'm happy with shot.

Next time I'll be smarter & buy Clubs that do require an aggressive hit, yet; still give me a chance to laff all the way to "The Bank of Billy"!!

[Tea Time]

I got fitted for the first time in 20 years last November.  Local shop, the pro knew what he was doing.  I didn't even know the Cobra Radspeed irons existed walking in there but that's what I ended up with.  He put in a stiffer shaft than the 6.0 rifles I have used for 20 years.  I hated the clubs the first two rounds using them.  Starting swinging better, gaining confidence in them, and now really like them.  My handicap was hulking up but once I started swinging with conviction again its dropped to 5.4.  

When your swing is struggling all clubs seem to suck.  When you're firing down the line, all clubs seem to work.

[billybogey]

Would say it is Irons Clubee not the Iron Club nor Brand. As am an Old Hacker who does strive to be good & go "Ah Ching", "Ah Ching" against some of the Younger Dudes I play with.

Did not think that I would get old this Fast. Played a lot Sports growing up; not maturing though. That is other peoples opinion; often voiced!!

But the new Irons is taking me a long time to hit where I'm happy with shot.

Next time I'll be smarter & buy Clubs that do not require an aggressive hit, yet; still give me a chance to laff all the way to "The Bank of Billy"!!

[10Hockey]

The key to getting fitted is to go to at least 3 different places ( ie 2nd Swing, Club Champion, PXG , PGA Superstore  etc ) If you do that you will get feedback from a few sources to validate shaft, lie angle, etc...   As you move through the process you will be more educated with the information provided by the previous fitter.  It takes more time but it's worth it if you are going to spend $1500 on a new set of irons .  Have them print off the information from your fitting .  I have no problem telling them I am going to go to another fitting before I make my decision.  Read up on the shafts they recommend too. 

[jnz12]

On 4/29/2023 at 9:50 PM, Docdent said:

Anyone else here not happy with your custom fitted clubs?  About a year ago I went to club champion and got fitted for new irons.   I feel that the fitter pushed me to a certain brand (ping G425) and after the fitting was very pushy. Almost like a used car salesperson. 

 

When the clubs came in they were easy to hit. So, I sold my current irons. After a short period of time I realized the new irons were 1-2 clubs shorter. 

I went back to a different club champion (closer to my home) and the fitter reviewed everything. I was fitted at 2 degrees upright. But, the irons club champion built had different lie angles for each club. Some were 4 degrees upright and other 4 degrees flat. He fixed that. But, that still didn't fix my problem. 

As a former CC fitter, I will say it is unfortunate you had that experience. I am in no means defending the company but I just wanted to give my experience working there. It seems to me that it could have just been a poor experience with a specific employee or location. In my training and time there, we were never told to push a given brand and were also told to find the best solution possible and if you were hitting your gamers better than the clubs you were fit for, the sale is secondary. Also, fitters are supposed to check loft and lie on any orders when they come into the studio from the build shop so that lie issue should have been corrected before they even got into your hands. Unfortunately there are some employees that don't do what they should at most jobs and it seems you may have run into that with your experience. My suggestion for anyone, regardless if it's CC or GolfTec or PGA Superstore, if you talk to someone who had a positive fitting experience, don't just ask where they were fit, ask specifically who fit them. You can request specific fitters to ensure your experience is the same as the person who was satisfied with their fit. 

[Play18]

Getting custom-fitted clubs is a personal experience, and you genuinely need to know, like, and trust the fitter to optimize your goals.  If you work with a reputable fitter, they will resolve the problem before, during, and after the fitting.  I've done fittings with professional fitters, manufacturers, and teachers to gain enough knowledge about the process and confidence about my swing needs and what products I like.  

[Stanrock22]

Club champion fitting gone bad. I went to CC to get a full bag fitting for retirement. The end result was 3 different heads and 3 different shafts for the Driver, 3 Wood and Hybrid. All upgrade shafts as well. Never got to the irons because we were out of time. The  3 wood was a good fit. I couldn't hit the other 2 and when I tried to get them to change the shafts or heads. I would be charged extra for that. Plus they offered to give me money back on them if I traded them back. However, I would only be given credit for the heads. The shafts were on me. Awful.

[dctr71]

Got fit for a driver but felt they were pushing a certain product. Took my driver to the range and it was 15 to 20 yards shorter and not as straight. Haven't hit that many bad shots in a long time. Didn't want to let me hit last year's Cobra. Going back for a refitting and won't let them talk me into anything.

[KB13]

I have done 5 total fittings in my life- Driver fit at a CC, then an iron, driver, and putter fitting at a top rated Club Fitter in my State. 

The CC fitting I came out with a PXG and a Fuji Speeder - but I didn't feel comfortable with it, wasn't super consistent and I sold it within the year - I had the choice to not buy the club of course, but I felt like I was there, I needed a driver, and it was the best I could do. 

The other fittings, 3 out of the 4 were great - the only one that I came out with a club I also got rid of within the year was a center shafted putter - Again, the caveat to that was I had gone through about 3 putters in 2 years, and was struggling bad on the greens. I was desperate, and went with it. So it certainly feels like a waste of money, but I am as much to blame for the situation. 

 

[mackdaddy]

On 4/29/2023 at 9:50 PM, Docdent said:

Anyone else here not happy with your custom fitted clubs?  About a year ago I went to club champion and got fitted for new irons.   I feel that the fitter pushed me to a certain brand (ping G425) and after the fitting was very pushy. Almost like a used car salesperson. 

 

When the clubs came in they were easy to hit. So, I sold my current irons. After a short period of time I realized the new irons were 1-2 clubs shorter. 

I went back to a different club champion (closer to my home) and the fitter reviewed everything. I was fitted at 2 degrees upright. But, the irons club champion built had different lie angles for each club. Some were 4 degrees upright and other 4 degrees flat. He fixed that. But, that still didn't fix my problem. 

I had a similar issue with Club Champion.  I went thru a full bag fitting in Fairfax Virginia during Covid.

First of all I would never do a whole bag fitting in a day again.  I hit to many balls for irons and driver so the hybrids and fairways got small time and the putter was rushed while the wedges just got new shafts in my current wedges no real fitting involved.  

When they came I struggled for a few months before giving up and going for an iron fitting at a different place.  After the fitting the fitter notice I was fit to 2 degrees upright but my irons were 2 degrees flat.  My fairways were never right for me they sliced 30 to 40 yards.  Driver was good.  The putter was great for my friend and he bought it for what I paid.  The wedges ballooned and lost over ten yards.  

I played the same clubs for 20 years after my previous fitting.  (two different sets of the same irons)  Over the last year I have fitted to new irons, driver and hybrids.  I self fitted my wedges and went back to my old 3 wood and putter.

I bought several wedges from different companies based on MGS testing and a few I had used in the past.  I picked three brands plus set pitching wedge.

I fitted for irons at PXG because I played gen 3 irons and my clubs pro needed a favor and offered to get me a new set of Gen 6 irons as payment.  The irons are the black version and they are sexy looking and amazing feeling.  Our member guest had titlist doing outdoor fittings for free and I got Tsr 3 driver and Tsi 2 hybrids.  I love both.  My 20 year old custom putter looked like it's age but played like a dream come true so I recently saw Paige Spiranac's new putter in a video and decided to get mine rehabed to look as good as it plays.  I did lots of research and sent it to East Coast Custom Putters to get it in Rainbow PVD finish with so custom work as well.  Waiting to get it back but it will now look like the show piece and putt like a magic wand.

[mackdaddy]

I forgot to say this part.  I feel that knowing the brand you want and getting fit by them vs CC they manufacturers fitter will work with every aspect of the club to get it like you need where CC just checks shaft then heads with little consideration for the brands specific adjustments.

[Stevenhp]

I feel bad for those of you have not gotten the clubs the way you were fitted. I read all the posts and the one topic that hasn’t been mentioned is life style changes ie age, injuries and flexibility. I myself was fitted for irons I think 6 years ago indoors at a stand alone store. The fitter and I discussed what my ball flight was and what I wanted to achieve. When all was said and done I ordered a set of irons. The first couple of years were just fine. Year three until now my iron play has gotten progressively worse. Before I go out and replace them, I’ve been taking lessons and contact has improved, but ball flight is not what I’d like. This comes to my current situation and that I have aged and I’m not as flexible as I once was. I am active (skiing,biking,hiking,kayaking and exercising) but I feel the change. My next move is discussing whether I need to replace the irons or maybe change shafts. Also I would like to replace my two wedges.

[Shon89]

I’m sorry for a bad experience for you with a fitting. That is an expensive investment for such a dissatisfaction in performance. 
I myself just recently went to a local Club Champions and I have to say it was one of the most satisfied purchases I have made in golf clubs ever. I can honestly say that I love my new irons. I can from a set of Cobra King forge Tec irons into a set of Srixon ZX5 MK2 irons and I’m in love they them. It has transformed my game. But my son had a similar experience at a local PGA superstore with an iron fitting. I was with him and they did not give him the level of fitting that I got.
Golf is to expensive for bad experience like this. sorry you had a bed experience, but I still highly recommend a quality club fitting. 


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[MikeL Pittsburgh]

I have been fitted four times. Despite the Ping and Mizuno guidance, both times I was fitted with clubs of standard length and lie - and being only 5'5" this surprised me. When I was fit my third time for PXG clubs I got the same result. Driving home from the fitting I was reflecting on this when it struck me - hell I had been playing standard lie and length clubs my whole life so my swing was adapted to them (rather than the other way around). The one time I ordered clubs online I followed the standard practice of measuring the length between my wrist and floor and ordered them 1/2" shorter. I hated those clubs. My last fitting was for a PXG driver and it was the best I have had - mostly because the fitter corrected a swing error I had acquired. 

I have always had a reservation about fittings - despite having them - which is I do not doubt that the fitting was appropriate for my swing that day, but what about my swing tomorrow? In retrospect, I suggest it is advisable to not get fit early in the season but to wait till it your swing has "settled in" after laying off for the winter. Other than that - I guess I have always tried to fix my swing rather than accept it and get clubs that hide the problems of my swing since I intend to fix those problems. Does that work? Hell no, but it is at least a plan!!

[Usmcgyrene]

On 4/30/2023 at 8:04 AM, RickyBobby_PR said:

There’s more to distance than loft on the club. Dynamic loft, launch, spin, face to path relationship, are going to be what influences the ball.

 

Probably not the reason for his issues unless it’s causing an issue with dynamic loft. Considering the op said the clubs felt fine it’s a good indication it’s not a shaft issue since shafts two roles are weight and feel.

 

[Wmac67]

Never been disappointed with a fitting but the challenge is to first find out about your swing mechanics.  I had some issues years ago as the irons I bought were too short and the lie angle was creating swing adjustments that weren't good.  A decent pro should be able to see if your current clubs are within range.  Then you should see if there are some swing changes that should be made that may be casuing you to think old equipment is the problem.  Everyone is different and most of us aren't pros but if a pro can fix some glaring swing issues it will make the fitting that more effective.  Thing is new technology is only good for small incremental improvements.  I hit my 20 year old driver in a round last year and the distance was comparable with my much newer driver.  Also, have to pay attention to lofts these days.  a traditional players 7 iron used to be around 34 degrees, new ones are as low as 28 degrees now I believe on some models.  This can be good and bad, if they hold the green then good, if the descent angle is too low and they are bouncing off the green then not so good.  My 2 cents.

[ctg44]

On 4/30/2023 at 9:56 PM, Subdiver1 said:

I was reading this and thought back to the reason I got my first fitting, quite a few years back; I was experiencing about 1 - 1.5 club length drop in distance and couldn't figure out what was going on (MP-52s with S300 shafts).   I stopped in at a PGA Superstore while I was on travel and was bouncing around and asked to hit a couple of clubs.  The rep asked me what I was looking for and we talked for a bit and when I started hitting balls my spin rate was around 9000.  Shaft change was one part of the fix, but that alone brought my distance, and spin rate, back into the normal range and led to me getting a full bag fitting at CC a while later.  BLUF: hight spin was killing my distance and just a shaft change fixed both, for me; so why would that not be a factor here?  Anyway, interesting conversation going on her. 

This was my first thought when I read about the OP's issues.  I have been very happy overall with my Mizuno irons that I was fitted into by Club Champion, but then again, my fitter had previously been on one tour truck before getting married and is back out on another tour truck after he got divorced (we've know him forever), so he's really good.

 

All that said, I am getting the itch to grab a set of Callaway Apex TCBs, especially since the new Apex CBs are coming out.  I have been VERY impressed by my son's set, even if the shafts are a little too stiff (Nippon Modus 130X) and short (only +1/2" and I need +1").

[ctg44]

On 5/1/2023 at 9:23 AM, RickyBobby_PR said:

When you consider it’s $250 for the top of the bag and $175 for irons and $125 for putter if you did them separately $350  full bag non putter and $400 for full bag including putter those are a good price. You are spending over roughly 5 hours with a fitter. Most good fitters charge $100+/hour. 

This is a key point.  Add in the 3 Trackman sessions and free loft / lie adjustments for life, and the value gets better. My fitter spent another 3.5 hours at least with me over the Trackman sessions and tweaked my clubs a couple of times so far.  He's awesome and is now back working on a tour truck (as he had before he managed a Club Champion), but even at the total amount I paid (about $1,900), it was a solid value compared to buying my 4-PW as configured (Nippon 1150gh Tour shafts, 2* up on the irons, 1" longer, and specific swing weight adjustments) and my Vokey 50 / 55 (56 bent down 1*) 60 SM9 wedges (stock shafts, but 3/4" longer and some loft / lie tweaks).

[N_Young]

I think it really depends on the fitting experience too. I find when you get fit and you're either hitting into a simulator bay or off mats, you don't get the same turf interaction and most realistic feel.  

 

The issue it that a true green grass fitting is very expensive and not everyone has that available to them.

[Woody83]

I have never had a fitting.  I sure hope I can in the near future.  

[Paul Hedrick]

I cannot say I am not happy with the fitting I had, but  I have I to wonder if I could have done better.  What I mean is, I decided on a club that I wanted, went to my local pro, tried them, and had them fitted to me.  Yes, I did see an improvement, but part of me wonders if I would have been better off going for a fitting and let the fitter come up with a recommendation.

Edited August 14, 2023 by Paul Hedrick

[RickP13]

I have been fitted twice about a year and a half apart for drivers with disastrous results.  In both cases (different big name establishments) I went through a series of different heads and shafts until I settled on what they told me was the best fit for me. (TaylorMade and Cobra).  The two clubs were completely different 9.5 and 10.5 loft and a stiff and regular flex shaft.  The results from one fitting (Cobra) supplied me with a computer printout of all the numbers for all the clubs I hit and the chosen driver numbers showed I was hitting the driver 235 yards and tightly grouped. When I got on the course, I was barely hitting it 200 yards.  I want to a driving range with Top Tracer and found that I was hitting my 5 wood consistently 10 to 15 yards further than the driver. I was able to return the Cobra for a store credit and a hefty restocking fee.  I have not carried a driver in 2 years and will not buy one until someone promises a full money back guarantee or fits me on an actual driving range then allows me to use a demo of that set up with during an actual round.  I think I am ready for a new set of irons but have no faith in the system.  If I go to a club pro, selection is limited.  If I go to big name shop, the expertise is in question.  How can you evaluate the expertise of a fitter?

[Josh Parker]

I just did a fitting at CC and it was great!  Ended up figuring out the set up that worked best was one I could order from the manufacturer.  Pricing thru CC was fairly high.

A lot of unknowns, but have you had loft/lie checked somewhere other than CC?  

[RickyBobby_PR]

3 hours ago, RickP13 said:

9.5 and 10.5 loft and a stiff and regular flex shaft.

Unfortunately you don’t know if those were the actual loft you were hitting or if what you received were the exact same loft as the demo heads. Manufacturer tolerances are upwards of 1.5° +/- of the stated lifts.

Ignore the flex on the shafts because there are no standards for flex in the industry so in reality they could have been similar flex. Weight and the profile of the shaft are more important to pay attention to.

3 hours ago, RickP13 said:

The results from one fitting (Cobra) supplied me with a computer printout of all the numbers for all the clubs I hit and the chosen driver numbers showed I was hitting the driver 235 yards and tightly grouped. When I got on the course, I was barely hitting it 200 yards. 

When looking at distance you need to look at carry distance rather than total. Monitors tend to over estimate total for certain numbers, but it’s all a guess by the monitor and it could even be tweaked to play firm and allow for more roll out.

Some people don’t swing the same in a fitting as they do on the course and end up with a bad fit because their golf course swing is different than how they were swinging at the fitting. Some swing harder or faster, some don’t like being watched and so on

3 hours ago, RickP13 said:

If I go to a club pro, selection is limited.  If I go to big name shop, the expertise is in question.  How can you evaluate the expertise of a fitter?

As mentioned above if you liked the setup on the course you will more than likely end up with a driver loft different than what you are demoing.

[XJGabriell]

I enjoyed my club fitting experience (full bag fitting minus the putter) and the clubs in general but felt like once my clubs were delivered to me, there was no follow up to check and see if the rest of the set actually fit properly and gapping worked out well. I'm still using the set and find they work well but do feel like the post purchase experience was lacking.