PXG Black Ops Irons - 2024 Forum Review

[Shrek74]

In case you want a quick first look.

https://mygolfspy.com/news-opinion/black-ops-is-pxgs-first-game-improvement-iron/

[Mr. Mushball]

Congratulations testers!  

It will be fun to watch two side by side DTC irons tests as they progress.  Have fun out there!

[FallenSaber]

Intro up! Thanks for all the support spies! Should be a fun one!

[Irish-Assassin]

Congrats testers, can’t wait to see the testing results on these irons. 

[FallenSaber]

Can you guess what I'm about to do!

[Josh Parker]

55 minutes ago, FallenSaber said:

Can you guess what I'm about to do!

Can't wait to hear how it went at an actual location vs an alternative spot.  

[GolfSpy SAM]

Really thrilled with our group of Black Ops testers!  Can't wait to see what you all think once you get these in-hand!

[Patrick Dawes]

I think the black ops win the looks contest they just look mean.

For any testers that have done their fittings did you have a good range of shaft choices?

[USMCSnyper]

I think the black ops win the looks contest they just look mean.
For any testers that have done their fittings did you have a good range of shaft choices?

I updated my intro to include my fitting experience. The shaft choices were very good. No concerns from me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[FallenSaber]

 

3 hours ago, Patrick Dawes said:

I think the black ops win the looks contest they just look mean.

For any testers that have done their fittings did you have a good range of shaft choices?

There was a pretty solid range of shafts to try. I tried 4 different steel shafts and one graphite. The graphite only lasted 2 swings before the fitter quickly said it wouldn't work.

(photo credit: PXG San Diego)

I had my fitting earlier today so I'll be providing my review of the fitting process soon!

Edited August 8 by FallenSaber

[3Putt4Double]

1 hour ago, FallenSaber said:

 

There was a pretty solid range of shafts to try. I tried 4 different steel shafts and one graphite. The graphite only lasted 2 swings before the fitter quickly said it wouldn't work.

(photo credit: PXG San Diego)

I had my fitting earlier today so I'll be providing my review of the fitting process soon!

Damn.. That's all I can say at this point.. Did not expect that many shafts

[3Putt4Double]

 

Stay tuned for the fitting

[Lefty11]

5 hours ago, 3Putt4Double said:

 

Stay tuned for the fitting

I’m looking forward to it as I’m in the market for some new irons!

Edited August 8 by Lefty11

[USMCSnyper]

Quick info on my builds. All standard L/L/L (surprising). KBS TGI 80 Stiff (very surprising). They will be here Monday!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[FallenSaber]

PXG San Diego & Black Ops Fitting

Quick note: There is a lot of information I will be providing that comes directly from PXG. However, the photos are all original.

This will be a more indepth post but a summary of my fitting can be found here: Main Post

On August 7th, I had my fitting at PXG San Diego! It's one of the newest PXG locations which opened on July 29th. It is a rather nice retail space on Miramar Blvd, across from the MCAS Miramar. Which I believe is a perfect location for a company so focused on honoring members of the U.S. armed forces and first responders.

This is what PXG has to say about their new facility:  "The new 4,650-square-foot retail store is equipped with two state-of-the-art club fitting bays powered by TrackMan® technology and a 220-square-foot practice putting green. The store also presents an expansive retail showroom featuring PXG’s latest apparel and accessories and a relaxing customer lounge perfect for watching the latest golf tournaments."

The store itself is open, simple, and appealing. The main area has the apparel, a small putting green with 3 holes where you can test out any of their putters, bags, hats, balls, gloves, and a display of their latest clubs. It's well layed out and has a bit of a higher end feel and modern displays which is expected of PXG.

PXG Statements

PXG believes in the quality of their fitting process and lays out exactly what someone should expect when you arrive for your fitting. What should you expect for a PXG fitting? Let's dive in!

First, PXG provides that their fitting is a 6 staged process:

1. ARRIVE - Bring your current clubs you’d like to work on, golf shoes and glove. Please arrive 10 minutes before your fitting so you have enough time to stretch and warm up.
2. PRE-FITTING EVALUATION - When you arrive at your fitting, your fitter will spend time listening to your preferences and learning about your game. Together you will discuss your playing history, as well as your personal goals. Your fitter will seek to understand your skill level and will take time to introduce PXG and our products.
3. ESTABLISH YOUR BASELINE - Your fitting experience will begin with your existing clubs if you brought them. We'll establish your baseline performance and find areas in need of improvement.
4. Dial-In Club Heads, Shafts, Lie Angles, Swing Weights, and more. On to the fun part … seeing your game improve! Your fitter will select the PXG clubheads and shafts that best suit your game. Emphasis will be placed on improving your total club-by-club performance, ball flight, mis-hits, and consistency. We look at your common misses to determine the best set up for you. We will efficiently manage the number of swings you make to ensure you can deliver your best swings throughout the fitting experience. However, if at any point you feel fatigued, take a break. This is your session, your fitter is not in a hurry and you are in control.
5. ANALYZE YOUR SESSION DATA - Your fitter will show you the data from your session, explaining the numbers in as much detail as you need and/or want. Based on the numbers and, more importantly, your input, your fitter will recommend the set they believe will best support your performance and enjoyment of the game. Place your order or take some time to decide, the choice is yours!
6.  Let Our Club Builders Go To Work - The components you’ve selected are painstakingly assembled by hand in our facility by master builders with years of experience. Your custom clubs will be built to the tightest tolerances so that the club specifications determined in your golf club fitting end up in your bag. Custom touches you’ve specified are also incorporated during your build.

Outside of the 6 step process, PXG claims that their fitting process is:

• A Relaxed, No Pressure Atmosphere - We’ve seen it all. Duffs, chunks, thins, tops and the dreaded shanks. Golf is personal, and no matter your performance goal, PXG Master Fitters are equipped with the experience and technology to ensure you achieve your desired results while enjoying every moment of your fitting experience.
• Top Fitting Tech - PXG’s Master Fitters guide players through the performance-enhancing technology of PXG clubs in private fitting bays equipped with top-of-the-line TrackMan™ launch monitor technology to assess your natural swing tendencies.
• A DATA DRIVEN APPROACH - During your fitting, PXG Master Fitters assess the many data points around your swing dynamics, finely tuning each club to deliver improved performance with every swing.
• The Most Versatile Clubs in The Industry - Combine PXG’s game-changing golf club technology with a premium shaft matrix, and the best club fitters in the business, and you’ll find that better golf is just a swing away.
• Get 1-on-1 time with a PXG Master Fitter. Our Master Fitters are among the best in the business. They are highly experienced product and fitting experts who are extensively trained in our specialized fitting process.

The Fitting

PXG was very responsive when it came to scheduling and confirming the fitting appointment. I received an email with multiple options followed by a call to confirm my selection and some general questions. During the call, they asked to confirm my date and time, asked me to bring my bag and arrive at least 15 minutes before my scheduled time to warm up, asked about where I typically play, what I was interested in, and what I wanted to get out of the fitting. This was the day before the fitting.

Now it's the day of the fitting. I make sure to have my bag in my car before I leave for work and get to PXG San Diego 20 minutes before my fitting time. I wanted to get there early to take a look around and warm up as instructed the day before. I walk in with my clubs and I'm greeted within a minute. They take my clubs, set them near the putting green and inform me that it'll be about 20 minutes til I can get into the bay and warm up. I look at their board and see that they have fittings booked every hour for both bays. Not a problem but I'm a bit disappointed that I don't get my warm-up time that I was told over the phone to expect and that PXG claims will happen on their website.  So I take a look around at their apparel, hit a few putts with the Battle Ready II Apache and whoa do I want that putter! That thing was AWESOME! But we're not here to go over my few putts so on to the fitting.

Right at 2, I get into my fitting in bay 1. Met with a digital screen and some motivational quotes such as "You've never played like this before." Well, I hit terribly. I'm frankly not a fan of indoor fittings. I've only done two fittings, both with PXG (Gen6 Challenge and Black Ops irons), both indoors and man do the lights and atmosphere shine down on you. I felt like the pressure was on to perform well and I surely did not. But on went the fitting. I started with a brief warm up. The fitter wasn't present for my warmup. Then when the fitter came around we got started. Maybe 4 or 5 minutes after I entered. I was able to snap a few photos and hit some shots before the fitting officially began.

I'm a novice when it comes to fittings. I had read that pretty much all fittings are based on the 7 iron. So I decided I'd warm up with my 7 iron and I went through the entire fitting with the 7 iron. We went through 4 different steel shafts and 1 graphite. The graphite only lasted about 2 or 3 swings before the fitter pulled it. I felt like I was between everything. My swing speed was averaging 75 to 78 so between a regular and a stiff shaft. My height and distance between finger and floor had me between 37" and 37.5". My hand size had me between a standard and a midsized. As far as shafts went, we narrowed it down to a KBS 95 vs the Tru Temper 115. My current XCOR2s have the KBS Tour 120 Stiff shafts. The Tru Temper Dynamic Gold MID 115 Regular was the winner based on the feedback of the fitter. I hit about 47 total shots during my fitting and the fitting lasted less than 35 minutes though it was scheduled for 1 hour. Towards the end, I inquired about trying a midsized grip. I was handed a midsized and the recommendation was that if it did not feel 1000% better then I should stick with standard. I expressed interest in hitting with a midsized grip, however, did not and went with the fitter's recommendation to stay with standard.

Here's a shot of some of my stats from the fitting. Certainly not my best showing and I believe that came through. I think I got into my head a bit too much to try to perform and failed myself.

Overall, I believe the fitting was fair but missed on some of the steps laid out by PXG. There could be a few reasons for this. I was to be fitted into the Black Ops regards of how the fitting went so some of the conversations around my game that might have occurred, did not because there was only one way it could go. 

I would have like to have seen the fitting go through some of the stages that their website claims one should expect, however, at the end of the day, the most important aspect of a fitting is if it improves your game and gives you the best clubs for your game. Hopefully, this will be true over the next couple of weeks.

Edited August 16 by FallenSaber

[Coulter]

1 hour ago, FallenSaber said:

PXG San Diego & Black Ops Fitting

Quick note: There is a lot of information I will be providing that comes directly from PXG. However, the photos are all original.

On August 7th, I had my fitting at PXG San Diego! It's one of the newest PXG locations which opened on July 29th. It is a rather nice retail space on Miramar Blvd, across from the MCAS Miramar. Which I believe is a perfect location for a company so focused on honoring members of the U.S. armed forces and first responders.

This is what PXG has to say about their new facility:  "The new 4,650-square-foot retail store is equipped with two state-of-the-art club fitting bays powered by TrackMan® technology and a 220-square-foot practice putting green. The store also presents an expansive retail showroom featuring PXG’s latest apparel and accessories and a relaxing customer lounge perfect for watching the latest golf tournaments."

The store itself is open, simple, and appealing. The main area has the apparel, a small putting green with 3 holes where you can test out any of their putters, bags, hats, balls, gloves, and a display of their latest clubs. It's well layed out and has a bit of a higher end feel and modern displays which is expected of PXG.

PXG Statements

This is a test and part of the test is to gauge if PXG lives up to their claims regarding the performance of their clubs and the quality of their fitting process. For this portion, I will obviously focus on the claims that surround their fittings.

So what does PXG claim, let's dive in!

First, PXG provides that their fitting is a 6 staged process:

1. ARRIVE - Bring your current clubs you’d like to work on, golf shoes and glove. Please arrive 10 minutes before your fitting so you have enough time to stretch and warm up.
2. PRE-FITTING EVALUATION - When you arrive at your fitting, your fitter will spend time listening to your preferences and learning about your game. Together you will discuss your playing history, as well as your personal goals. Your fitter will seek to understand your skill level and will take time to introduce PXG and our products.
3. ESTABLISH YOUR BASELINE - Your fitting experience will begin with your existing clubs if you brought them. We'll establish your baseline performance and find areas in need of improvement.
4. Dial-In Club Heads, Shafts, Lie Angles, Swing Weights, and more. On to the fun part … seeing your game improve! Your fitter will select the PXG clubheads and shafts that best suit your game. Emphasis will be placed on improving your total club-by-club performance, ball flight, mis-hits, and consistency. We look at your common misses to determine the best set up for you. We will efficiently manage the number of swings you make to ensure you can deliver your best swings throughout the fitting experience. However, if at any point you feel fatigued, take a break. This is your session, your fitter is not in a hurry and you are in control.
5. ANALYZE YOUR SESSION DATA - Your fitter will show you the data from your session, explaining the numbers in as much detail as you need and/or want. Based on the numbers and, more importantly, your input, your fitter will recommend the set they believe will best support your performance and enjoyment of the game. Place your order or take some time to decide, the choice is yours!
6.  Let Our Club Builders Go To Work - The components you’ve selected are painstakingly assembled by hand in our facility by master builders with years of experience. Your custom clubs will be built to the tightest tolerances so that the club specifications determined in your golf club fitting end up in your bag. Custom touches you’ve specified are also incorporated during your build.

Outside of the 6 step process, PXG claims that their fitting process is:

• A Relaxed, No Pressure Atmosphere - We’ve seen it all. Duffs, chunks, thins, tops and the dreaded shanks. Golf is personal, and no matter your performance goal, PXG Master Fitters are equipped with the experience and technology to ensure you achieve your desired results while enjoying every moment of your fitting experience.
• Top Fitting Tech - PXG’s Master Fitters guide players through the performance-enhancing technology of PXG clubs in private fitting bays equipped with top-of-the-line TrackMan™ launch monitor technology to assess your natural swing tendencies.
• A DATA DRIVEN APPROACH - During your fitting, PXG Master Fitters assess the many data points around your swing dynamics, finely tuning each club to deliver improved performance with every swing.
• The Most Versatile Clubs in The Industry - Combine PXG’s game-changing golf club technology with a premium shaft matrix, and the best club fitters in the business, and you’ll find that better golf is just a swing away.
• Get 1-on-1 time with a PXG Master Fitter. Our Master Fitters are among the best in the business. They are highly experienced product and fitting experts who are extensively trained in our specialized fitting process.

The Fitting

PXG was very responsive when it came to scheduling and confirming the fitting appointment. I received an email with multiple options followed by a call to confirm my selection and some general questions. During the call, they asked to confirm my date and time, asked me to bring my bag and arrive at least 15 minutes before my scheduled time to warm up, asked about where I typically play, what I was interested in, and what I wanted to get out of the fitting. This was the day before the fitting.

Now it's the day of the fitting. I make sure to have my bag in my car before I leave for work and get to PXG San Diego 20 minutes before my fitting time. I wanted to get there early to take a look around and warm up as instructed the day before. I walk in with my clubs and I'm greeted within a minute. They take my clubs, set them near the putting green and inform me that it'll be about 20 minutes til I can get into the bay and warm up. I look at their board and see that they have fittings booked every hour for both bays. Not a problem but I'm a bit disappointed that I don't get my warm-up time that I was told over the phone to expect and that PXG claims will happen on their website.  So I take a look around at their apparel, hit a few putts with the Battle Ready II Apache and whoa do I want that putter! That thing was AWESOME! But we're not here to go over my few putts so on to the fitting.

Right at 2, I get into my fitting in bay 1. Met with a digital screen and some motivational quotes such as "You've never played like this before." Well, I hit terribly. I'm frankly not a fan of indoor fittings. I've only done two fittings, both with PXG (Gen6 Challenge and Black Ops irons), both indoors and man do the lights and atmosphere shine down on you. I felt like the pressure was on to perform well and I surely did not. But on went the fitting. I started with a brief warm up. The fitter wasn't present for my warmup. Then when the fitter came around we got started. Maybe 4 or 5 minutes after I entered. I was able to snap a few photos and hit some shots before the fitting officially began.

I'm a novice when it comes to fittings. I had read that pretty much all fittings are based on the 7 iron. So I decided I'd warm up with my 7 iron and I went through the entire fitting with the 7 iron. We went through 4 different steel shafts and 1 graphite. The graphite only lasted about 2 or 3 swings before the fitter pulled it. I felt like I was between everything. My swing speed was averaging 75 to 78 so between a regular and a stiff shaft. My height and distance between finger and floor had me between 37" and 37.5". My hand size had me between a standard and a midsized. As far as shafts went, we narrowed it down to a KBS 95 vs the Tru Temper 115. My current XCOR2s have the KBS Tour 120 Stiff shafts. The Tru Temper Dynamic Gold MID 115 Regular was the winner based on the feedback of the fitter. I hit about 47 total shots during my fitting and the fitting lasted less than 35 minutes though it was scheduled for 1 hour. Towards the end, I inquired about trying a midsized grip. I was handed a midsized and the recommendation was that if it did not feel 1000% better then I should stick with standard. I expressed interest in hitting with a midsized grip, however, did not and went with the fitter's recommendation to stay with standard.

Here's a shot of some of my stats from the fitting. Certainly not my best showing and I believe that came through. I think I got into my head a bit too much to try to perform and failed myself. I believe the fitting was fair but not quite the standard that PXG presents.

Grading

PXG claims that their fittings are a 6 step process. Step 1 includes arriving 10 minutes before your fitting to stretch and warm up. I arrived 20 minutes early and was not alloted this time before my fitting to stretch and warm up. I'd say my fitting was a 0 for this step. Step 2 is pre-fitting evaluation. My fitter didnt spend any time with me before the fitting to assess what I was looking for or where I thought i could improve. Unfortunately, this is another 0 since there was no engagement from the fitter. Step 3 is to establish a baseline with my current clubs and my fitter wasn't in the bay as I warmed up with my club. Again, I feel PXG San Diego missed the mark and gets a 0. Step 4 is to dial in your clubs. I feel like this might be where they shined. We went through a few shafts, between stiff and regular, steel and graphite. I do believe we settled on something that might be best for me so I'll give a 10 out of 10 here. Step 5, analyze the data. My fitter barely analyzed the data with me. He provided some feedback, said that I had some of my highest smash factors with the 115 shaft, some of the higher ball speeds and overall better numbers. However, he never went over the differences or showed me the data. I snapped a photo of my data when he walked away. I probably could have asked for a better understanding but this was my first ever iron fitting and I truly wanted to approach this as a novice. For this, I'll give them a 4 out of 10.

I know that the TrackMan provided a ton of data and I believe more could have been explain about why one shaft was better than the other. That data was not provoded. He did show me that I was hitting near center and that my biggest issue was just not closing the face of the club. He explained that he felt like the dhaft he was fitting me in would give me the best chance to improve and that it was on me to get the face to not be so open which I completely agreed with. Step 6 is essentially to let the club builders build. I believe the fitter did his best to fit me in the shaft he thought was best and with the lie that he believed would work. He missed the mark when I expressed interest in testing out a midsized grip. I felt like a midsized grip might be good for me and I've never used a midsized grip before. I was provided a midsized grip for a few seconds and told if it didn't feel 1000% better then I should stick with standard. So we stuck with standard. We ended 25 minutes early for a 1 hour session. Taking 5 minutes to try midsized grips would have given them a 10 out of 10. The miss here drops it to an 8. Overall, my PXG fitting did not live up to the PXG claims.

The Final Score

Based on their 6 stage process, giving each stage 10 points, my fitting only gets a 22. While a 22 out of 60 would classify as a failing mark, I believe that is because there is an incredibly high standard for PXG and I believe that this is likely an isolated issue with a new retail location that has only been open for less than 2 weeks. I know the other testers have had very different experiences and I wish I could grade my experience higher. At the end of the day, the most important aspect of a fitting is if it improves your game and gives you the best clubs for your game. Unfortunately, only time will tell.

Man that’s tough.. hopefully like you said this is an isolated incident but sorry you had such a bad experience.. great write up by the way! 

[Lefty11]

@FallenSaber 

I’m sorry to hear that your fitting experience wasn’t ideal. I hope the irons work well for you!

[Rob17452]

Nice report on your fitting experience.  It's a shame PXG didn't meet their pre-stated goals with your goals.

[Shrek74]

12 hours ago, USMCSnyper said:

Quick info on my builds. All standard L/L/L (surprising). KBS TGI 80 Stiff (very surprising). They will be here Monday!

Why surprising? Because you're coming from some KBS midweight boards?

[Shrek74]

6 hours ago, FallenSaber said:

PXG San Diego & Black Ops Fitting

Quick note: There is a lot of information I will be providing that comes directly from PXG. However, the photos are all original.

On August 7th, I had my fitting at PXG San Diego! It's one of the newest PXG locations which opened on July 29th. It is a rather nice retail space on Miramar Blvd, across from the MCAS Miramar. Which I believe is a perfect location for a company so focused on honoring members of the U.S. armed forces and first responders.

This is what PXG has to say about their new facility:  "The new 4,650-square-foot retail store is equipped with two state-of-the-art club fitting bays powered by TrackMan® technology and a 220-square-foot practice putting green. The store also presents an expansive retail showroom featuring PXG’s latest apparel and accessories and a relaxing customer lounge perfect for watching the latest golf tournaments."

The store itself is open, simple, and appealing. The main area has the apparel, a small putting green with 3 holes where you can test out any of their putters, bags, hats, balls, gloves, and a display of their latest clubs. It's well layed out and has a bit of a higher end feel and modern displays which is expected of PXG.

PXG Statements

This is a test and part of the test is to gauge if PXG lives up to their claims regarding the performance of their clubs and the quality of their fitting process. For this portion, I will obviously focus on the claims that surround their fittings.

So what does PXG claim, let's dive in!

First, PXG provides that their fitting is a 6 staged process:

1. ARRIVE - Bring your current clubs you’d like to work on, golf shoes and glove. Please arrive 10 minutes before your fitting so you have enough time to stretch and warm up.
2. PRE-FITTING EVALUATION - When you arrive at your fitting, your fitter will spend time listening to your preferences and learning about your game. Together you will discuss your playing history, as well as your personal goals. Your fitter will seek to understand your skill level and will take time to introduce PXG and our products.
3. ESTABLISH YOUR BASELINE - Your fitting experience will begin with your existing clubs if you brought them. We'll establish your baseline performance and find areas in need of improvement.
4. Dial-In Club Heads, Shafts, Lie Angles, Swing Weights, and more. On to the fun part … seeing your game improve! Your fitter will select the PXG clubheads and shafts that best suit your game. Emphasis will be placed on improving your total club-by-club performance, ball flight, mis-hits, and consistency. We look at your common misses to determine the best set up for you. We will efficiently manage the number of swings you make to ensure you can deliver your best swings throughout the fitting experience. However, if at any point you feel fatigued, take a break. This is your session, your fitter is not in a hurry and you are in control.
5. ANALYZE YOUR SESSION DATA - Your fitter will show you the data from your session, explaining the numbers in as much detail as you need and/or want. Based on the numbers and, more importantly, your input, your fitter will recommend the set they believe will best support your performance and enjoyment of the game. Place your order or take some time to decide, the choice is yours!
6.  Let Our Club Builders Go To Work - The components you’ve selected are painstakingly assembled by hand in our facility by master builders with years of experience. Your custom clubs will be built to the tightest tolerances so that the club specifications determined in your golf club fitting end up in your bag. Custom touches you’ve specified are also incorporated during your build.

Outside of the 6 step process, PXG claims that their fitting process is:

• A Relaxed, No Pressure Atmosphere - We’ve seen it all. Duffs, chunks, thins, tops and the dreaded shanks. Golf is personal, and no matter your performance goal, PXG Master Fitters are equipped with the experience and technology to ensure you achieve your desired results while enjoying every moment of your fitting experience.
• Top Fitting Tech - PXG’s Master Fitters guide players through the performance-enhancing technology of PXG clubs in private fitting bays equipped with top-of-the-line TrackMan™ launch monitor technology to assess your natural swing tendencies.
• A DATA DRIVEN APPROACH - During your fitting, PXG Master Fitters assess the many data points around your swing dynamics, finely tuning each club to deliver improved performance with every swing.
• The Most Versatile Clubs in The Industry - Combine PXG’s game-changing golf club technology with a premium shaft matrix, and the best club fitters in the business, and you’ll find that better golf is just a swing away.
• Get 1-on-1 time with a PXG Master Fitter. Our Master Fitters are among the best in the business. They are highly experienced product and fitting experts who are extensively trained in our specialized fitting process.

The Fitting

PXG was very responsive when it came to scheduling and confirming the fitting appointment. I received an email with multiple options followed by a call to confirm my selection and some general questions. During the call, they asked to confirm my date and time, asked me to bring my bag and arrive at least 15 minutes before my scheduled time to warm up, asked about where I typically play, what I was interested in, and what I wanted to get out of the fitting. This was the day before the fitting.

Now it's the day of the fitting. I make sure to have my bag in my car before I leave for work and get to PXG San Diego 20 minutes before my fitting time. I wanted to get there early to take a look around and warm up as instructed the day before. I walk in with my clubs and I'm greeted within a minute. They take my clubs, set them near the putting green and inform me that it'll be about 20 minutes til I can get into the bay and warm up. I look at their board and see that they have fittings booked every hour for both bays. Not a problem but I'm a bit disappointed that I don't get my warm-up time that I was told over the phone to expect and that PXG claims will happen on their website.  So I take a look around at their apparel, hit a few putts with the Battle Ready II Apache and whoa do I want that putter! That thing was AWESOME! But we're not here to go over my few putts so on to the fitting.

Right at 2, I get into my fitting in bay 1. Met with a digital screen and some motivational quotes such as "You've never played like this before." Well, I hit terribly. I'm frankly not a fan of indoor fittings. I've only done two fittings, both with PXG (Gen6 Challenge and Black Ops irons), both indoors and man do the lights and atmosphere shine down on you. I felt like the pressure was on to perform well and I surely did not. But on went the fitting. I started with a brief warm up. The fitter wasn't present for my warmup. Then when the fitter came around we got started. Maybe 4 or 5 minutes after I entered. I was able to snap a few photos and hit some shots before the fitting officially began.

I'm a novice when it comes to fittings. I had read that pretty much all fittings are based on the 7 iron. So I decided I'd warm up with my 7 iron and I went through the entire fitting with the 7 iron. We went through 4 different steel shafts and 1 graphite. The graphite only lasted about 2 or 3 swings before the fitter pulled it. I felt like I was between everything. My swing speed was averaging 75 to 78 so between a regular and a stiff shaft. My height and distance between finger and floor had me between 37" and 37.5". My hand size had me between a standard and a midsized. As far as shafts went, we narrowed it down to a KBS 95 vs the Tru Temper 115. My current XCOR2s have the KBS Tour 120 Stiff shafts. The Tru Temper Dynamic Gold MID 115 Regular was the winner based on the feedback of the fitter. I hit about 47 total shots during my fitting and the fitting lasted less than 35 minutes though it was scheduled for 1 hour. Towards the end, I inquired about trying a midsized grip. I was handed a midsized and the recommendation was that if it did not feel 1000% better then I should stick with standard. I expressed interest in hitting with a midsized grip, however, did not and went with the fitter's recommendation to stay with standard.

Here's a shot of some of my stats from the fitting. Certainly not my best showing and I believe that came through. I think I got into my head a bit too much to try to perform and failed myself. I believe the fitting was fair but not quite the standard that PXG presents.

Grading

PXG claims that their fittings are a 6 step process. Step 1 includes arriving 10 minutes before your fitting to stretch and warm up. I arrived 20 minutes early and was not alloted this time before my fitting to stretch and warm up. I'd say my fitting was a 0 for this step. Step 2 is pre-fitting evaluation. My fitter didnt spend any time with me before the fitting to assess what I was looking for or where I thought i could improve. Unfortunately, this is another 0 since there was no engagement from the fitter. Step 3 is to establish a baseline with my current clubs and my fitter wasn't in the bay as I warmed up with my club. Again, I feel PXG San Diego missed the mark and gets a 0. Step 4 is to dial in your clubs. I feel like this might be where they shined. We went through a few shafts, between stiff and regular, steel and graphite. I do believe we settled on something that might be best for me so I'll give a 10 out of 10 here. Step 5, analyze the data. My fitter barely analyzed the data with me. He provided some feedback, said that I had some of my highest smash factors with the 115 shaft, some of the higher ball speeds and overall better numbers. However, he never went over the differences or showed me the data. I snapped a photo of my data when he walked away. I probably could have asked for a better understanding but this was my first ever iron fitting and I truly wanted to approach this as a novice. For this, I'll give them a 4 out of 10.

I know that the TrackMan provided a ton of data and I believe more could have been explain about why one shaft was better than the other. That data was not provoded. He did show me that I was hitting near center and that my biggest issue was just not closing the face of the club. He explained that he felt like the dhaft he was fitting me in would give me the best chance to improve and that it was on me to get the face to not be so open which I completely agreed with. Step 6 is essentially to let the club builders build. I believe the fitter did his best to fit me in the shaft he thought was best and with the lie that he believed would work. He missed the mark when I expressed interest in testing out a midsized grip. I felt like a midsized grip might be good for me and I've never used a midsized grip before. I was provided a midsized grip for a few seconds and told if it didn't feel 1000% better then I should stick with standard. So we stuck with standard. We ended 25 minutes early for a 1 hour session. Taking 5 minutes to try midsized grips would have given them a 10 out of 10. The miss here drops it to an 8. Overall, my PXG fitting did not live up to the PXG claims.

The Final Score

Based on their 6 stage process, giving each stage 10 points, my fitting only gets a 22. While a 22 out of 60 would classify as a failing mark, I believe that is because there is an incredibly high standard for PXG and I believe that this is likely an isolated issue with a new retail location that has only been open for less than 2 weeks. I know the other testers have had very different experiences and I wish I could grade my experience higher. At the end of the day, the most important aspect of a fitting is if it improves your game and gives you the best clubs for your game. Unfortunately, only time will tell.

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. This seems to be a very rare occurrence from everything I hear and have experienced with PXG. Maybe it's some new fitters with it being a new store and they're just being run into the ground with full days like you mentioned on their board. Regardless, it stinks you had to go through a tough fitting. Hopefully the clubs themselves make up for it.

[FallenSaber]

6 hours ago, Coulter said:

Man that’s tough.. hopefully like you said this is an isolated incident but sorry you had such a bad experience.. great write up by the way! 

 

1 hour ago, Shrek74 said:

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. This seems to be a very rare occurrence from everything I hear and have experienced with PXG. Maybe it's some new fitters with it being a new store and they're just being run into the ground with full days like you mentioned on their board. Regardless, it stinks you had to go through a tough fitting. Hopefully the clubs themselves make up for it.

I'm not sure I'd say it was a bad fitting or experience. It wasn't ideal and I believe there were some misses when it came to what PXG states online. But there could have been some challenges that resulted in this. When it came to going through the shafts, I believe the fitter was thorough. I wasn't performing well so that certainly didn't help matters. I couldn't get the face to close to save my life. I was also to be fitted in the Black Ops regardless of how things went. I do believe we landed on the right shaft for me. I might have been too harsh in my original post but I was trying to focus on what PXG claimed the process would be like vs what I experienced. For instance, what PXG states is there second stage, the pre-fitting evaluation might not have happened because I was there specifically for the Black Ops irons. The fitter could have still inquired about my current game and where I felt these irons could help me or build some rapport incase I want to come back and get fitted for a putter or their woods. My bag is full of PXG so I'm clearly a fan and buying their clubs. I also would have liked to have gone through the third stage where the fitter would have established a baseline from my current clubs. Maybe explain why my current clubs were not a good fit for my swing. I could make some assumptions such as the shafts are too heavy and stiff but I already kind of knew that.

Edited August 9 by FallenSaber

[USMCSnyper]

Why surprising? Because you're coming from some KBS midweight boards?

Surprising because I am usually .5 inches shorter in my irons. That, and the fact that PXG standard lengths are longer than most, I was expecting to be down .75 to an inch in length. My current shafts are 105 weight c-taper-lite regular. I was expecting to be in a similar type shaft, but that not the case at all. The KBS is a stiff and felt robust.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[3Putt4Double]

49 minutes ago, FallenSaber said:

 

I'm not sure I'd say it was a bad fitting or experience. It wasn't ideal and I believe there were some misses when it came to what PXG states online. But there could have been some challenges that resulted in this. When it came to going through the shafts, I believe the fitter was thorough. I wasn't performing well so that certainly didn't help matters. I couldn't get the face to close to save my life. I was also to be fitted in the Black Ops regardless of how things went. I do believe we landed on the right shaft for me. I might have been too harsh in my original post but I was trying to focus on what PXG claimed the process would be like vs what I experienced. For instance, what PXG states is there second stage, the pre-fitting evaluation might not have happened because I was there specifically for the Black Ops irons. The fitter could have still inquired about my current game and where I felt these irons could help me or build some rapport incase I want to come back and get fitted for a putter or their woods. My bag is full of PXG so I'm clearly a fan and buying their clubs. I also would have liked to have gone through the third stage where the fitter would have established a baseline from my current clubs. Maybe explain why my current clubs were not a good fit for my swing. I could make some assumptions such as the shafts are too heavy and stiff but I already kind of knew that.

Personally, I think ur doing a great using ur words and platform to explain the thin line between a bad fitting vs a fitting that didn't meet ur expectations! Not an easy thing to do but I think u nailed it!

[Golfspy_CG2]

1 hour ago, FallenSaber said:

 

I'm not sure I'd say it was a bad fitting or experience. It wasn't ideal and I believe there were some misses when it came to what PXG states online. But there could have been some challenges that resulted in this. When it came to going through the shafts, I believe the fitter was thorough. I wasn't performing well so that certainly didn't help matters. I couldn't get the face to close to save my life. I was also to be fitted in the Black Ops regardless of how things went. I do believe we landed on the right shaft for me. I might have been too harsh in my original post but I was trying to focus on what PXG claimed the process would be like vs what I experienced. For instance, what PXG states is there second stage, the pre-fitting evaluation might not have happened because I was there specifically for the Black Ops irons. The fitter could have still inquired about my current game and where I felt these irons could help me or build some rapport incase I want to come back and get fitted for a putter or their woods. My bag is full of PXG so I'm clearly a fan and buying their clubs. I also would have liked to have gone through the third stage where the fitter would have established a baseline from my current clubs. Maybe explain why my current clubs were not a good fit for my swing. I could make some assumptions such as the shafts are too heavy and stiff but I already kind of knew that.

So I read your original post and this follow up.  A couple observations if you don't mind.  

As for the fitter not doing a "pre fitting evaluation"  didn't you say they called you and spent some time on the phone going over a lot of things that I would consider pre fitting evaluation.   That is not normal, when I had a PXG fitting a few years ago, I only got a call to confirm and an email asking if I was RH and a couple basic questions.   

As for the length of the fitting, you the head was already established so knowing it was gong to be black ops that took about 10 to 15 minutes of saved time right there.   So it really shouldn't have taken more than  5 or 6 shafts to get you in the correct one.   

Also my warmup period began when my hour started, I know what you said on their page.  and I think as someone else eluded to, most times they have an empty bay that you could have hit it prior to your fitting, but being brand new they are probably booked to the gills. 

Lastly on the grip, in all honesty if you are having trouble closing the face of the head, a mid size grip is definitely not what you need.  I have larger hands and often times I am fit for a midsize.  But it's well known that it is slightly harder to close the club face with a midsize grip than a standard one.  That may be why he was trying to steer you away from him.

One last question, and I don't mean to be devils advocate here, but it sounds like you could have asked more questions to about why this/why that.  A good fitting is a two way conversation.   

I hope you take this as just an outside observation from someone who has done many fittings myself over the years and been fit by some great and yes rarely a not so great fitter.

Looking forward to hearing how the clubs perform for you.  The fitting review  wasvwell written and detailed.  I'm sure your full review will knock it out of the park. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Willie T]

Great reads this far on the fitting process for these irons.  Keep the info coming testers! 

[Lefty11]

I can’t wait for you to finally have these in your hands. Hit them straight and long!

[3Putt4Double]

25 minutes ago, Lefty11 said:

I can’t wait for you to finally have these in your hands. Hit them straight and long!

This forum has done wonders for my golf game!! I went from a lousy D grade golfer to a lousy D grade golfer who gets to test stuff and has goals! Gonna be as good as @Javs one day

[3Putt4Double]

Fitting is posted.. Going to give y'all some reading material for in the morning!

 

[Josh Parker]

8 hours ago, 3Putt4Double said:

Fitting is posted.. Going to give y'all some reading material for in the morning!

 

Looking forward to seeing how this fitting changes your game!  

[3Putt4Double]

Just now, Josh Parker said:

Looking forward to seeing how this fitting changes your game!  

Me too bud.. I've gotten so comfy with a 5 hybrid that I'll hit it on a 130 soft swing or a 190 full bc irons just didn't feel right most the time.. They felt much better at the fitting! Shafts and the right head really do make a world of difference