Golf Question, Getting Fitted for Clubs !

[frayne]

Just curious as to what the golfers of the forum think about the benefits of getting fitted for clubs. A little background, 65 years old been playing since I was about 15 years old. When playing regularly I shoot in the low to mid eighties, nineties when I don't, have had two holes in one and play with a group at least once a week and hit the range three times a week as much to stay loose as to work on any particular aspect of my game. I have never been fitted for clubs.

The other day at the driving range got into a discussion as to the benefit of being fitted. A comment was made that as we grow older and the body and swing changes, clubs that you were fitted for today may not be appropriate for your body/swing in the future. I have always played good quality club, Callaway, Adams, Pings, etc. Another comment was made that most places that fit you are usually pushing one or two brands they are trying to sell, and it is more about the sale than the fitting.

I have a number of friends that play fitted clubs and as far as I can tell their game is no better or worse than when they played off the shelf clubs.
If I were a younger lad starting out and having a consistent and repeatable swing I think I could see a much better benefit but really wonder being 65 years old if it would be worth the expense ? Just curious what other golfers here think ? Thanks in advance for any comments.

 

[Big_Hitter]

aren't fitted clubs about a hundred bucks a pop?

agree with you I don't see much difference but a LOT of people do - I had a fitted set of g2 clones once upon a time, stopped using them when i got my 2004 callaway irons

maybe a fitted driver, fitted wedge(s) and a fitted putter since those clubs are used more than most?

maybe you could go hit off a plate instead and see if you need fitted - pretty much every shop has a plate and some tape

 

[braumeister]

DW got custom made clubs about ten years ago. A guy who worked in the pro shop at a local course did it and made the clubs in a shop in his basement. He was recommended by several friends and she gave it a try. Cost somewhere around $500 as I recall. She was very happy with them and felt they took a stroke or two off.

 

[Big_Hitter]

DW got custom made clubs about ten years ago. A guy who worked in the pro shop at a local course did it and made the clubs in a shop in his basement. He was recommended by several friends and she gave it a try. Cost somewhere around $500 as I recall. She was very happy with them and felt they took a stroke or two off.

my best advice to lower scores is to practice chipping and putting 30 minutes a day

hitting it 280 down the middle every time is fun but that 5 foot putt counts just as much as a 280 yard drive

 

[eytonxav]

I think if you have good repeatable swing, with not much need for mechanical corrections, it can be a benefit, especially as you age and your swing speed slows down. I also think if you can find a good independent club fitter vs going to one of the big box golf shops the results will be better. This site may have some good info for you to look at:
Fit2Score | Golf Club Fitting Dallas Fort Worth

 

[Big_Hitter]

I think if you have good repeatable swing, with not much need for mechanical corrections, it can be a benefit, especially as you age and your swing speed slows down. I also think if you can find a good independent club fitter vs going to one of the big box golf shops the results will be better. This site may have some good info for you to look at:
Fit2Score | Golf Club Fitting Dallas Fort Worth

that guy seems legit

man I remember when there was nothing out by trinity mills!

I'd love to have a fitted set of mizuno irons and tm woods (says the guy who is too cheap to get fitted)

I play a rocketballz driver and tm 18 degree rescue - love both of those clubs

 

[Samething]

I have found having the proper shaft flex is important. I went from stiff flex to regular in my driver after a fitting and it was a positive change.

 

[Winemaker]

I'm 6'5" and 1" added to my clubs made a world of difference.

 

[FIRE'd@51]

I would do two simple things before considering getting fitted. Check the lie of your irons. Unless they are significantly off, they are probably OK. As you get older and your swing speed slows down, you might find that a more flexible shaft and a bit more loft (one to two degrees) on your driver will help. Your pro should have demo drivers that you can try out to see if you hit the ball better and a bit further.

 

[zinger1457]

As mentioned above the lie angle of your irons is important, especially with the lofted clubs like your wedges. It's easy enough to check your current irons, put some tape across the bottom edge of the irons and hit some balls on the range off of something thin and hard. Club fitters usually use a hard piece of plastic. You should see a mark on the tape near the center of the sole, if it's toward the toe then the club is too flat, toward the heel too upright. Club repair shops will bend them for you for about $5 a club.

If you're ever in the Phoenix area stop by the Ping facility. They will fit you for free and give you a print out of your specs.

 

[Life_is_Good]

I'm 6'5" and 1" added to my clubs made a world of difference.

I'm a shorter guy, 5' 5", and off the shelf clubs are always too long. I think they take about 2" off the shaft length.

 

[zinger1457]

Another thing about club length, the new drivers are too long for most people IMO. It's more of a marketing gimmick, they keep adding 1/2-1" to the driver so they can claim the driver gives you more distance. The problem is it makes it more difficult to control. I think most would be better off cutting 1-2" off the shaft end, that's what I do and find I'm much more consistent with little loss in distance.

 

[Dawg52]

I just ordered a set of Ping G irons. Years ago I was fitted to some degree by my pro. He determined I needed the black dot but he didn't put a lot of effort into it. Ping has an online chart of how to do it and I verified that black was still my color code. I have gone to lighter shafts in recent years and from stiff to regular flex. I ordered similar shafts to my last set(TaylorMade irons) True Temper XP95. I feel confident that these will suit me. Rarely do I buy new woods as you can buy good stuff in mint condition at a fraction of the cost. If you screw up....just list it on Ebay.

If you are a high level player(scratch or so) I'm sure getting fit can help. Those players are trying to get it dialed in to the nth degree. Or maybe someone just starting out and has no clue what so ever what they need.

 

[golfnut]

Just curious as to what the golfers of the forum think about the benefits of getting fitted for clubs. A little background, 65 years old been playing since I was about 15 years old. When playing regularly I shoot in the low to mid eighties, nineties when I don't, have had two holes in one and play with a group at least once a week and hit the range three times a week as much to stay loose as to work on any particular aspect of my game. I have never been fitted for clubs.

The other day at the driving range got into a discussion as to the benefit of being fitted. A comment was made that as we grow older and the body and swing changes, clubs that you were fitted for today may not be appropriate for your body/swing in the future. I have always played good quality club, Callaway, Adams, Pings, etc. Another comment was made that most places that fit you are usually pushing one or two brands they are trying to sell, and it is more about the sale than the fitting.

I have a number of friends that play fitted clubs and as far as I can tell their game is no better or worse than when they played off the shelf clubs.
If I were a younger lad starting out and having a consistent and repeatable swing I think I could see a much better benefit but really wonder being 65 years old if it would be worth the expense ? Just curious what other golfers here think ? Thanks in advance for any comments.

I am a 14 hccper (will shoot anywhere from low 80s to mid 90s). Couple of comments:

- the comment about practicing chips/putts is an excellent one. I try to get out 2 or 3 times a week. My chipping is usually very good and my putting is still mediocre. I am seriously considering getting a putter fitting/lesson.

- Tape up or put talc powder on faces of irons to see where contact is made.

- What are your tendencies? - pulls/hooks or pushes/slices.

- A few yrs. back I went with r flex in my woods and saw quite improvement in dispersion. Distance has gone down over the last 5 years. A good drive today is around 240.

- Work on your weaknesses. For me, I plan on working on shots 125 yds and in. Need to improve getting on green in prox.

Like probably many golfers, I can hit my woods and long irons poorly but still score in mid 80s when my chipping/pitching game is on. My buddies always make comments on this. I call it winning ugly.

 

[RockyMtn]

Lie, loft, length and shaft are extremely important when selecting golf clubs. I would definitely get fitted if you are contemplating making any significant investment on clubs. Get on a trackman, hitting board, etc with a professional club fitter.

I ended up with 2 1/2 degree upright on my irons and now hit them significantly higher without loss of distance.

 

[frayne]

I am a 14 hccper (will shoot anywhere from low 80s to mid 90s). Couple of comments:

- the comment about practicing chips/putts is an excellent one. I try to get out 2 or 3 times a week. My chipping is usually very good and my putting is still mediocre. I am seriously considering getting a putter fitting/lesson.

- Tape up or put talc powder on faces of irons to see where contact is made.

- What are your tendencies? - pulls/hooks or pushes/slices.

- A few yrs. back I went with r flex in my woods and saw quite improvement in dispersion. Distance has gone down over the last 5 years. A good drive today is around 240.

- Work on your weaknesses. For me, I plan on working on shots 125 yds and in. Need to improve getting on green in prox.

Like probably many golfers, I can hit my woods and long irons poorly but still score in mid 80s when my chipping/pitching game is on. My buddies always make comments on this. I call it winning ugly.

Agree 100% about working on the short game. My drives average 210-230 depending on roll and I hit a pretty straight ball. I'm usually up and around the greens in regulation. Getting up and down is critical to scoring and three putts will stink up any score card. I'm 5'9"-185 pounds and have always played off the rack clubs. Since getting older I've traded in the long irons for hybrids and senior flex shafts which have helped. It really isn't about the money to get fitted, just question if I would see a step change type improvement in my game.

 

[Big_Hitter]

^ I think it would if you need to have your heads bent but I'd hit off a plate first.

If you only need a degree or two adjustment they can just bend the heads of non-forged irons. Maybe try that and see if it works?

 

[Music Lover]

Another thing about club length, the new drivers are too long for most people IMO. It's more of a marketing gimmick, they keep adding 1/2-1" to the driver so they can claim the driver gives you more distance. The problem is it makes it more difficult to control. I think most would be better off cutting 1-2" off the shaft end, that's what I do and find I'm much more consistent with little loss in distance.

Most amateurs would be better off hitting a 3-wood off the tee than a driver. I use a 4-wood (cheap $30 knock-off bought from a friend)...my drives only go 210 - 220, but most of them land in the fairway. It took me far too long to realize that 210 in the fairway 80% - 85% of the time beats 240 50% of the time.

I had a club fitting...not sure how in-depth it was. I hit a few shots with tape on the bottom and face of the club and was told that they were fine for my swing.

 

[golfnut]

A fitting story. My brother went to Club Champion for a driver fitting. I went along. Anyhoo, after hitting numerous head/shafts combos (to the point of exhaustion), they recommended at Titleist driver with a Oban shaft. The price was in x/s of $650! My brother declined and bought the same driver/same shaft directly thru Titleist for around $450 (still a sh^tload of money, in my cheap opinion).

The end result of this story is - he drives no better than he did with his old driver but his wallet is $550 lighter (I think the fitting was around $100).
My brother is also around a 14 hccper and he drives it about the same as me.

The max I have spent on a driver is approx. $125.

 

[NoiseBoy]

I like the idea of taking your existing clubs to the range with some tape and a marker. Warm up and then pick your favorite iron to mark up with some tape and then put some ink on the rubber tee and hit some shots and then see where you're hitting the ball at on the iron. As others have pointed out, you may find that your clubs need adjusting (or you would benefit from new, fitted clubs.) Or maybe not.

Here's my tip for cutting strokes from your game; buy a GPS yardage tool. I played in a scramble last year and a guy in our foursome had one. More than 1/2 the time the yardage that he was giving us led me to take one more club than what I would've normally played by gauging the distance from the markers on the course. Now I know why I consistently come up short of the green!

 

[exnavynuke]

A fitting story. My brother went to Club Champion for a driver fitting. I went along. Anyhoo, after hitting numerous head/shafts combos (to the point of exhaustion), they recommended at Titleist driver with a Oban shaft. The price was in x/s of $650! My brother declined and bought the same driver/same shaft directly thru Titleist for around $450 (still a sh^tload of money, in my cheap opinion).

The end result of this story is - he drives no better than he did with his old driver but his wallet is $550 lighter (I think the fitting was around $100).
My brother is also around a 14 hccper and he drives it about the same as me.

The max I have spent on a driver is approx. $125.

I did ~3 hours at the PGA Superstore trying out drivers last year. At the end of the day, the driver that worked the best for me was the only one they had in (floor model) and I bought that for under $200. Added about 25 yards onto my drives and my consistency went up with the driver (misses didn't miss as badly).

This year I'm planning on going and doing the same for the rest of my clubs. Trying to alternate between stiff shaft and flex shafts the last half of last year was fairly annoying and I'd love to see similar improvements in the rest of my game.

 

[zinger1457]

Here's my tip for cutting strokes from your game; buy a GPS yardage tool. I played in a scramble last year and a guy in our foursome had one. More than 1/2 the time the yardage that he was giving us led me to take one more club than what I would've normally played by gauging the distance from the markers on the course. Now I know why I consistently come up short of the green!

A GPS will definitely help but I like the laser rangefinder for it's accuracy, especially with wedge shots. GPS's can be off a little plus there's also a fudge factor when figuring out the pin placement. I was playing yesterday and my partner was using her GPS and it showed 128 for a middle pin placement, I checked with my laser and it was 121 yards, that's almost a club difference.

 

[Pilot2013]

I'm a shorter guy, 5' 5", and off the shelf clubs are always too long. I think they take about 2" off the shaft length.

When they remove that, doesn't it change the shaft dynamics? Just curious.

 

[HadEnuff]

I got interested in this very question a few years back and came across this guy. Here's the link:

Tom Wishon Golf Technology

Even if you don't go this route, he has a lot of interesting information, and a ton of knowledge. I had to travel some to find a club maker who had been certified, but I did. It was fun, and I love my Wishons.
good luck, have fun, hit 'em straight.

 

[Big_Hitter]

When they remove that, doesn't it change the shaft dynamics? Just curious.

it flattens the lie angle, like lengthening the clubs increases the lie angle