How do you trust a fitter?

[deattle]

My experience with golf fitters over the years have been mixed. However the one constant is that they seem to be very close to car salesman. I’m not classifying them all in that vane, just going by my experience. They bring you in and have you test drive various models, mostly pushing the more expensive clubs. They are swayed by incentives or relationships they have with vendors to push their brand. 
 

When club fitting is such an important step in your golf journey, it’s concerning to think that it can be filled with such salesmanship. So my question or topic is, how do you trust this process?

[RickyBobby_PR]

Read reviews on the fitter, talk to them before you schedule a fitting to see what their approach is, etc, just like interviewing  a potential instructor.

Talk to friends and other golfers about their experiences and what fitters they recommend.

In today’s age it’s not hard to find information on a fitter and to contact them. 

[hckymeyer]

I agree with everything above!  I would add that part of that relationship and developing trust is on you as well.  You need to start with being honest and open with what you are looking for up front.  I would start any fitting with an open discussion of what you want to accomplish or hope to get out of a fitting.  This is also a great time to give a budget if you have one as well.  

 

[cnosil]

2 hours ago, deattle said:

My experience with golf fitters over the years have been mixed. However the one constant is that they seem to be very close to car salesman. I’m not classifying them all in that vane, just going by my experience. They bring you in and have you test drive various models, mostly pushing the more expensive clubs. They are swayed by incentives or relationships they have with vendors to push their brand. 
 

When club fitting is such an important step in your golf journey, it’s concerning to think that it can be filled with such salesmanship. So my question or topic is, how do you trust this process?

No different than any salesman in a golf store; they are often given incentives and perks to sell specific clubs from vendors.  

As others have already mentioned,  read reviews, talk to the fitter in advance,  and communicate goals and budget.   It is in your best interest to become an educated player and not just go by what the fitter says.   Why were some of your experiences better than others.  What made the good ones good for you?   

For me, a good fitting is based on continuous communication.  

 

[Guest-0]

So when I've used a fitter they are always transparent with the data and you don't need to be an Aerospace engineer to understand the numbers you are looking for so I guess my question would be how could a fitter scam you??? I guess if they knew how to hack a GC Quad or something but as a whole I don't see it happening or they would be labeled a hack real quick

[deattle]

1 hour ago, Marlin Dave said:

So when I've used a fitter they are always transparent with the data and you don't need to be an Aerospace engineer to understand the numbers you are looking for so I guess my question would be how could a fitter scam you??? I guess if they knew how to hack a GC Quad or something but as a whole I don't see it happening or they would be labeled a hack real quick

I went to a fitter for the first time, I have been using the same irons for years (Cleveland Launchers) but my game has drastically improved and I was looking for an upgrade. The fitter discussed my history and what I was looking for. I took a baseline with my current clubs. After that they said my best option was the TaylorMade Stealth or Callaway Paradym. At this time I was not as well versed on clubs (maybe that was my fault). To give them credit there was a marked improvement over my previous irons so the numbers were improved. However after the purchase I did some research and my skill level, my swing speeds, and my requests (I did not need distance irons) I tried Mizuno JPX 921 Forged, PXG Gen 5 0311, and Srixon ZX5 all of them had better feel, sound, spin, and lower dispersion than the ones offered. I never mentioned any need for improved distance so I don’t know why they gave me distance irons other than they were both fairly new models with a ton of marketing. 

[Guest-0]

3 hours ago, deattle said:

I went to a fitter for the first time, I have been using the same irons for years (Cleveland Launchers) but my game has drastically improved and I was looking for an upgrade. The fitter discussed my history and what I was looking for. I took a baseline with my current clubs. After that they said my best option was the TaylorMade Stealth or Callaway Paradym. At this time I was not as well versed on clubs (maybe that was my fault). To give them credit there was a marked improvement over my previous irons so the numbers were improved. However after the purchase I did some research and my skill level, my swing speeds, and my requests (I did not need distance irons) I tried Mizuno JPX 921 Forged, PXG Gen 5 0311, and Srixon ZX5 all of them had better feel, sound, spin, and lower dispersion than the ones offered. I never mentioned any need for improved distance so I don’t know why they gave me distance irons other than they were both fairly new models with a ton of marketing. 

The JPX the Srixon ZX5 and the PXG are all distance irons. You would be hard pressed to find any cavity back irons today that are not strong lofted "player distance" irons its just a broad term it they use for marketing. They had to do something as the latest and greatest were getting no gains as they had maxed the tech out so they all started tweaking loft so really the only traditional stuff left are like blades and such where a 7 iron is 35° instead of 29 or 30 so not sure why you feel slighted those are both decent sets that were the step up from what you were using???? 

[Guest-0]

4 hours ago, deattle said:

I went to a fitter for the first time, I have been using the same irons for years (Cleveland Launchers) but my game has drastically improved and I was looking for an upgrade. The fitter discussed my history and what I was looking for. I took a baseline with my current clubs. After that they said my best option was the TaylorMade Stealth or Callaway Paradym. At this time I was not as well versed on clubs (maybe that was my fault). To give them credit there was a marked improvement over my previous irons so the numbers were improved. However after the purchase I did some research and my skill level, my swing speeds, and my requests (I did not need distance irons) I tried Mizuno JPX 921 Forged, PXG Gen 5 0311, and Srixon ZX5 all of them had better feel, sound, spin, and lower dispersion than the ones offered. I never mentioned any need for improved distance so I don’t know why they gave me distance irons other than they were both fairly new models with a ton of marketing. 

 

[deattle]

2 hours ago, Marlin Dave said:

The JPX the Srixon ZX5 and the PXG are all distance irons. You would be hard pressed to find any cavity back irons today that are not strong lofted "player distance" irons its just a broad term it they use for marketing. They had to do something as the latest and greatest were getting no gains as they had maxed the tech out so they all started tweaking loft so really the only traditional stuff left are like blades and such where a 7 iron is 35° instead of 29 or 30 so not sure why you feel slighted those are both decent sets that were the step up from what you were using???? 

I agree with the difference between distance and player distance are murky at best. You put JPX Hot Metal specs, I said forged, I went with JPX forged which was stock 31 degree for a seven but I modified it to 32 degrees. So you’re talking about the distance irons I was sold being a whole club hotter than what was best for me and even a couple degrees of loft, for something like a seven iron you’re talking about a difference of 1000 spin rate. At the time my club head speed with a 7 iron was right around 89 to 90, I did not need the hot setup. None of this I knew at the time but I do know, that’s why my original question. How do you know your fitter has your best performance in mind?

[GolfSpy_APH]

12 hours ago, deattle said:

My experience with golf fitters over the years have been mixed. However the one constant is that they seem to be very close to car salesman. I’m not classifying them all in that vane, just going by my experience. They bring you in and have you test drive various models, mostly pushing the more expensive clubs. They are swayed by incentives or relationships they have with vendors to push their brand. 
 

When club fitting is such an important step in your golf journey, it’s concerning to think that it can be filled with such salesmanship. So my question or topic is, how do you trust this process?

Going to the store ahead of time and asking questions as well as being open in terms of communication helps a lot. Tell them what you are looking for and what you want to achieve. Their answer should be very telling and give you a good idea. 

Outside of that going to a fitter who you have had other friends go to helps, as others have said there are reviews online which are good.

While some are good maybe avoid big box stores. They can be a more quick in quick out situation.

[Guest-0]

1 hour ago, deattle said:

I agree with the difference between distance and player distance are murky at best. You put JPX Hot Metal specs, I said forged, I went with JPX forged which was stock 31 degree for a seven but I modified it to 32 degrees. So you’re talking about the distance irons I was sold being a whole club hotter than what was best for me and even a couple degrees of loft, for something like a seven iron you’re talking about a difference of 1000 spin rate. At the time my club head speed with a 7 iron was right around 89 to 90, I did not need the hot setup. None of this I knew at the time but I do know, that’s why my original question. How do you know your fitter has your best performance in mind?

Well again the JPX Forged are 31° which is a hot loft. All of these irons are between 29 and 31° which is 4 to 5° hotter than traditional so I do understand your question but I don't think you were misled in any way you obviously hit the irons the fitter suggested right??? Generally with a fitting they will ask you about your current gamers and have you hit a few to see if the shaft you are using is where they want to start. They will then put usually a demo 7 iron head on a comparable shaft and have you hit 7 to 10 shots and ask you your opinion on feel and sound and look over the numbers with you. You will usually repeat this with five or six of the new offerings depending on where you want to be. You make your choice and hopefully everyone wins. Now with that being said I've also heard of "fittings" at big box stores where some kid has you hit a couple and then tries to sell you something that is physically not there. If that was the case and I missed that part you are correct in him not being trustworthy. What was the issue you were having with the TM irons??? I do know someone looking for a set of TM game improvements

[Guest-0]

3 minutes ago, Marlin Dave said:

Well again the JPX Forged are 31° which is a hot loft. All of these irons are between 29 and 31° which is 4 to 5° hotter than traditional so I do understand your question but I don't think you were misled in any way you obviously hit the irons the fitter suggested right??? Generally with a fitting they will ask you about your current gamers and have you hit a few to see if the shaft you are using is where they want to start. They will then put usually a demo 7 iron head on a comparable shaft and have you hit 7 to 10 shots and ask you your opinion on feel and sound and look over the numbers with you. You will usually repeat this with five or six of the new offerings depending on where you want to be. You make your choice and hopefully everyone wins. Now with that being said I've also heard of "fittings" at big box stores where some kid has you hit a couple and then tries to sell you something that is physically not there. If that was the case and I missed that part you are correct in him not being trustworthy. What was the issue you were having with the TM irons??? I do know someone looking for a set of TM game improvements

I went back to read the original question and it sounds like maybe it was one of those deals where you never hit the clubs they just sold you something that you never hit??? Did they charge you for this service and call it a fitting??? Also when I put the JPX hot metal it was just a graphic the lofts are the same between the players distance and the Game Improvement  hot metal and Forged. Also am I reading correctly that you have read that because of your swing speed and such you have determined you have the wrong clubs?? I'm not sure how that one could figure that out or did you go out and play with them and didn't like them,?? I'm curious as my buddy is looking for a set of Stealth and he loved them and only had his for like five rounds and they were stolen out of his car. He is an 8 hdcp and swore he would be a 6 by summers end I feel. Bad for him he was excited about the clubs so I know a guy who would gladly take those off your hands!!! So back to the question I have had very good luck with fitters that run small independent golf shops and I've heard good things about the fittings at PGS SS a fitting will cost between 100 and 150 bucks usually and most shops will apply that towards the purchase of clubs should you choose to buy

 

[GolfSpy_APH]

Also if it makes sense do a prefit like webfit from Ping. Helps give a better understanding!

[golfgame]

20 hours ago, deattle said:

My experience with golf fitters over the years have been mixed. However the one constant is that they seem to be very close to car salesman. I’m not classifying them all in that vane, just going by my experience. They bring you in and have you test drive various models, mostly pushing the more expensive clubs. They are swayed by incentives or relationships they have with vendors to push their brand. 
 

When club fitting is such an important step in your golf journey, it’s concerning to think that it can be filled with such salesmanship. So my question or topic is, how do you trust this process?

Last year I traveled to Sycamore, IL to get a fitting with Sub 70. They don't have the car salesman syndrome seeing that they only have one brand.  They do however have 13 head variations in their irons to offer.  There was absolutely no effort made to put me into anything over my ability to play.  They make a great product that I can highly recommend, being a DTC  company they offer great service and product at a reduced price.  I might add that I am 84 yrs old and the 699 version 2 irons are working very well for me.  They have several fitting locations around the country.

https://www.golfsub70.co

[archship]

My recommendation would be to go to several free fittings, get your numbers, and choose from there. No pressure if the fittings are free, and then you can also have time to look for better deals on the brands that serve you best. 

[Josh Parker]

20 hours ago, deattle said:

My experience with golf fitters over the years have been mixed. However the one constant is that they seem to be very close to car salesman. I’m not classifying them all in that vane, just going by my experience. They bring you in and have you test drive various models, mostly pushing the more expensive clubs. They are swayed by incentives or relationships they have with vendors to push their brand. 
 

When club fitting is such an important step in your golf journey, it’s concerning to think that it can be filled with such salesmanship. So my question or topic is, how do you trust this process?

Open and honest communication.  

*what you can afford, expectations, feedback on how clubs feel, etc.

[Middler]

Fitters. Choose very carefully and don’t expect significant if any changes in your scoring. Companies like Club Champion who claim you’ll “lower your scores instantly” are mostly false, and their guarantee is a waste of time too.

I’ve had a couple free fittings, and 5 paid fittings. 2 of the fitters, 1 Club Champion and 1 Titleist were used car salesman, a waste of time and money. Of the other 3, 2 were decent (Titleist & Mizuno) and 1 was outstanding (True Spec).

I am sure there are some great fitters at Club Champion, but there are some/many just following a script with no real insights into what makes a fitting worth it. Their recommendation might be no better than throwing darts…

Edited February 26 by Middler

[Erin B]

20 hours ago, deattle said:

My experience with golf fitters over the years have been mixed. However the one constant is that they seem to be very close to car salesman. I’m not classifying them all in that vane, just going by my experience. They bring you in and have you test drive various models, mostly pushing the more expensive clubs. They are swayed by incentives or relationships they have with vendors to push their brand. 
 

When club fitting is such an important step in your golf journey, it’s concerning to think that it can be filled with such salesmanship. So my question or topic is, how do you trust this process?

I’ve had similar experiences. I have a buddy who’s also a pro who helps me. I do get fitted once a year to keep my numbers. But some fitters really try hard to sell you something. I don’t pay particular attention to that part of the fitting. I will buy something based off feel, but because I’m always in front of what I need, I can pick and choose what I want, or take my data to DTC companies and have a discussion about their products, the products the fitter advocates, and what a pro says. From there I make my decisions. 

[Medfloat]

After asking around and doing some research on fitters, I trust the fitter one swing at a time.  Keep in mind I educate myself as much as possible on what the numbers from the machine mean before going so I can tell if the fitter is just a salesman or if they have my best results in mind.

[blackhawk1539]

Having been through it twice I’ve had a bit of both worlds.

Bad: When I got fitted for a driver, every head didn’t feel right nor did the results turn out good. Everything had insane spin rate, and sky high launch. Causing a slice. It was at a Golf Galaxy and all the guy did was keep the same Ventus red shaft, then just adjusted the loft and weight in the club. One point I was had a 9 loft, adjusted down 3 and still had like a 24 degree launch angle. Come to find out the it was mainly the shaft as that’s a high launch shaft. Never once did he try different shafts. I basically paid $70 for a floor Associate to hand me basic drivers. I Left thinking I’d just wait to buy a driver. Ended up getting a good deal on a stealth 2+ with a motore X shaft. I basically bought a driver on my own with what I felt would work. The driver is fine, but just that.

Good: I recently got fitted for irons, by a highly reputable local golf facility. I was skeptical at first just because he used the Mizuno shaft analyzer and I magically ended up getting fitted for mizuno irons. The JPX Forged to be exact. The second best iron was the MP 245s. But I liked the feel of the p770s. I left with my results. I decided just so I could be comfortable with getting the JPX I’d go to a golf store and just try all three again. While the feel of the 770s was super buttery, the consistency truly was better with the JPX. Also I think they have more feel. The 770s felt flush even on bad shots. The JPX let me know how I hit it. I ended up ordering them through Golf Galaxy and got rewards (so not where I got fitted). All in all I was extremely impressed with the process even in just the hour I had to get fitted. I’ve always played exclusively TM driver through putter. so to switch was a big break for me.

I know golfec, Trufit and club champion are also great places. I just know, especially club champion, is big in up-selling shafts. That’s where they make most of their money. Even if you decide on a premium shaft go order elsewhere. That’s why they have the “$50 fitting (w/purchase)”.

Fitting is always a risk, but when done correctly, I firmly believe every player needs to get fitted low through high Handicap.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[paul6057]

I have never seen any site that has reviews of club fitters, so I don't know how you would go about doing that. I've always felt that getting fittings at an establishment that has a stronger reputation for "golf" gives me comfort that they're hiring and training proper fitters. I also think understanding the situation around the fitting important, as I have clubs here that offer "fitting" services but they're on a range hitting range balls. That's completely useless!

 

I think "caveat emptor" comes in along the way too. If you're going to shell out $1,000+ on golf clubs, you owe it to yourself to do a bit of market research beforehand. Get a sense of what kind of clubs you're interested in, or what you think your game needs. You're the one that obviously understands your needs best, rather than a fitter that has never seen you hit balls before. If you go into a fitting completely blind, then you seriously risk having buyers remorse if you only do that research after the fact. To that extent, you might also want to try two fittings, and don't be forced or pressured into shelling out money on a purchase if you're not 100% confident.

 

As Marlin said above, the numbers should be there for you to see for yourself, and compare against each other. You might be steered towards an expensive shaft upgrade or similar, but again, if the numbers show it's better, then you have a personal choice as to whether it's worth the money. It's not like the fitter can fake the numbers.

[JAXON DE VILLAIN]

To paraphrase from Mark Crossfield, the best fitting is somewhat a combination of helping you decide what driver/iron/wedge/etc will give you the desired outcome, and a lesson.  Any Tom, Dick or Mary can hand you 10 drivers, take some data and tell you that driver X is the one you need.  But the best fitters will look at your swing and make suggestions of what you could do (maybe in combination with a new piece of equipment) to get your desired result.

[Cfhandyman]

21 hours ago, deattle said:

My experience with golf fitters over the years have been mixed. However the one constant is that they seem to be very close to car salesman. I’m not classifying them all in that vane, just going by my experience. They bring you in and have you test drive various models, mostly pushing the more expensive clubs. They are swayed by incentives or relationships they have with vendors to push their brand. 
 

When club fitting is such an important step in your golf journey, it’s concerning to think that it can be filled with such salesmanship. So my question or topic is, how do you trust this process?

Do your homework and ideally go to a reputable brand agnostic fitter, rather than the closest big box store. Sometimes, it’s worth that 1-3 hour drive. What are your goals and expectations. The other key component is communication with your fitter.  It’s very important and ask lots of questions. You never want to leave a fitting with unanswered questions.  I’m fortunate in that I’ve gone to one of the very best in the business, Tour Experience Golf (TXG) and I’ve gotten to know Ian and his staff very well and trust their advice. But at the end of the day, it’s a recommendation and how comfortable you feel about it and their advice. To help others, see the link below. 

 

[Stiggy]

I had my pga pro who I was doing lessons with fit me for my irons after a lesson one week, worked out very well Ken at juniper hill 

[mellowe4]

I have been fitted. My scores are not better. Bad swing trumps good fitte

[No3Putts]

Find a brand agnostic fitter and you should be fine.  The fitter I use has access to all the brands but doesn't represent them.  On my last fitting, we went through several brands/set ups and once we had the right configuration, he gave me my fitting sheet.  Told me what he could order them for, but suggested I check around to see if I could find a better price.  Told me that, once I had the clubs (regardless of where I got them) to bring them to him and he would check them to be sure everything was correct.  Even told me that he would install the grips as I have larger hands that need extra wraps.  All part of my fitting fee.  

[Mauchan]

Love this topic, it's a pet peeve of mine.  I have had way too many bad experiences where they really are just trying to sell you a club.  Can't fault them for that though, it's their job!  Live and learn.  

The internet is your friend here.  Have a goal in mind and research the clubs prior to the fitting.  Have an idea of what the clubs will do, shafts too, to meet the goal in mind.  Know your numbers.  Find someone local that has been in business for a while if you can, steer away from the big box stores and retail chains.  Do not rush, and after you find something you like, that meets the goals, look around, deals are always found.  

[Hacker60521]

I’ve had two “real” fittings and then a couple of demo day fittings.  My first fitting was at Club Champion which to @deattle point was a really uncomfortable sales pitch. He told me all about their technology, how the fit clubs using science, blah, blah, blah. Didn’t ask about my game, what I was trying to achieve, etc. Tried to sell me on clubs that were super pricey. I don’t recommend Club Champion to anyone. Next fitting was TrueSpec. Great experience starting with my game, goals, etc then we actually talked price range before the fitting. So he picked items within my range. Great session. At the end he couldn’t find a driver that was better for me than my current one, and didn’t even try to sell me on anything. Ended up with new irons and wedges along with a free driver fitting for next time.

The Callaway demo day fittings were a joke. Never showed me the data, just shoved a club or two in my hands, then said I needed their latest and greatest. Not a surprise but I was hoping for something a bit more helpful. 

[gingerbeast87]

Treat it like finding a good plumber, word of mouth and customer reviews.

[Otter]

Referrals from other golfers is a must. They must have access to multiple brands