Is it worth it? Depends on your starting place and what you are trying to achieve. I'm a lefty. We have far less options than right-handed players, which proves its commercial rather than a requirement. I enjoy experimenting and enjoy using tech to dial in. However, I wouldn't pay $500 for an aftermarket shaft as a 10hc social golfer..the benefits aren't enough.
The real key here is the "quality of the fitting". My personal experience is that the average consumer does not have access to top level fitting and also does not want to pay $150 - $500 in order to gain 10 yards in distance. What I find is that they land up trusting the guys in the stores where they buy the club to "fit" them using the standard shafts (OEM shafts are mostly inferior to branded). The guy in the store is often someone who has been given an overview of some numbers he is able to get out of Trackman/GC4 and then using a few indicators say which of the standard shafts you should go for. They have limited understanding of the full scope of what can be done with a shaft to manipulate all aspects of the swing, flight, shape, spin, launch etc. As a qualified fitter myself, I get really frustrated when I get someone who insists they know what shaft I should be hitting and then explains why it is the right one. So does fitting work? I am not sure that this video does full justice to the process. You have compared 2 options most consumers will not try or have access to. The other variable is the average golf consumer out there swings the driver between 88 and 96mph. Offer them something that will decrease their dispersion and they'll tell you to get lost. They want nothing other than distance and will even be prepared to hit it 20 - 30y offline if you can offer them an increase from 200 to 220y with a driver. Someone of your ability who is able to control the club to a high extent as well as having around 110mph clubhead speed will not see the incremental distance gains you might get from a good fitting. You should expect to see a marked improvement in all aspects of your results. This includes small gains in ball speed, improved spin, better launch/spin combination, lower dispersion rates and even more importantly comfort and confidence. All of that might only translate to 5 - 8y more in distance but perhaps improving dispersion by 20y as well as consistency in flight, shape etc. all ultimately leading to a lower score and that's what you are looking for. This is NOT a one size fits all.
Thanks for the great video and perfect timing to help reassure me that the $$ I just dropped on a fitted driver will be worth it. My first real fitting and it was a great experience. The shaft makes all the difference in the world. Ending up with the Qi10 and the Ventus Black 6-S. Can't wait to take it to the course.
It's all dependent on the adapter the head uses... the taylormade adapter will yes change where the puring is, but other brands such as callaways won't be affected
Yes I was fitted for a driver and the one chosen as the best by the fitter ended up exactly the same distance as my current driver but the dispersion was all over the place. My driver was always straight and in the fairway. The fitter said there was nothing better than mine but yet it wasn’t fitted for me I picked it up from a demo day tried it and bought it there and then!
Just had a titleist fitting, with a titliest rep, and was shocked at the results. played a TSR2 with a 55g stiff which I thought suited me, more forgiving heading lighter shaft to swing faster. Tried every combination with premium shafts, ended u fitted for a tsr3 with a stock 75g 1k black which is a stock shaft. I feel like I can't miss and gained 25yards.
Good video, but I would question whether the Oban setup is an off the rack comparison. Not the standard TM length and not one you would see in the store
Fittings are great is nothing every changes in your golf swing and if your a pro who has the same swing every time, but if anything changes in your golf swing the fitting is worthless. I do enjoy your video’s.
Lesson learned Alex, "getting fitted produces better results!" Since I don't get fitted, I have to rely on 70 years of personal golfing experience which tells me that I need shafts in the 50 gram weight range, with a regular flex, will give me the best results. Well Done Alex!
The video certainly highlights the extremes. However comparing the Oban Revenge 04 flex to a TR x flex is not a comparison many would make. The TR would have been closer to the Oban White. The revenge is one of the softest to flex shafts Oban make. It would have been interesting in the results if the two shafts were much more like for like.
Getting fitted is worth it for sure, however I fully believe if you had access to all the shafts and a launch monitor yourself you could do it yourself as 90% is based on feel
Rory McIlroy uses a 44" shaft in his driver so 1.5" shorter but out drives most in the PGA. Im 6ft i use a 44.5" CHS speed is 105mph without chasing knocking the skin off 115mph but that ball has 30-40 dispersion. Either by SIM2 ( event prize won ) or my (Epic speed event win too! ; ) both driver weigh 430 grams so 8grams of lead tape forward under side shaft to cente get D4 swing weight, slight draw baise. Stiff shaft now torqued to 3.5. Flex has no international standard! Flex USA ,UK and Japan can be out by 1-2 flexs! Japanese stiff can be UK A flex! Bazare. So vibration and torque ( gauged readings). My stock is 245yards carry 265-275 yards. Chased 290 yards. Grip too has a part to play i use jumbo so that takes my flex back 1/2 too. Plus play 75gram shafts. My spin dropped 500-750 rpm ( and shot height) From 55gram to 65gram then ending at 75 gram. 75gram give me 15yards more! A 2 piece ball 70 compression with 75gram equals a 55gram with 3 piece. 85compression) All tensi blue stiff shafts. ( i pick them up on eBay for £50! rub mark free too : )
I have a very different relationship with golf than ya’ll. I’m purely a recreational player. I do it for the walk and camaraderie. Mulligans, breakfast balls, lie improvements, hand wedges, lift/clean/place from anywhere, pick-ups…anything to keep the game moving. If I want a better score…I’ll cheat. If I’m done after 13-14 holes, I’ll head in. I leave the expensive custom crap to the truly obsessed. 😂😂😂
I’ve got a driver that’s 12 years old cobra AMP original , I went for a driver fitting 2 years ago and nothing could beat it I got told to stick with what I got, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it
Unless you get a tour fitting it's going to be hit and miss how good your experience is. Having had multiple fittings my tour fit followed by my club professional fitting were best by far, standard club fittings just aren't detailed enough
I got fitted for my current driver they gave me a shorter shaft and it was at least 10 yards shorter than a full length driver and not any more consistent.
I play Ping irons right off the shelf and at 72 years young with a 14 hdcp i don't see the purpose of being fitted maybe if I was your age it would appeal to me !! Cheers from Canada East Coast Halifax Nova Scotia.
1st, you’d have to hit 50-100 each to get a good average and alternating two. 5 each at a time for example. Also, the conditions cannot vary. 3rd, fitting is a snap shot in your life’s swing. You may swing perfectly today and slightly off tomorrow. Finally, the driver is hit maybe 14 times per round, whereas your putter is hit almost double. The driver just advances the ball when needed. The other shots (clubs) are far more important. A 260 yard drive down the middle is preferred over a 280 yard one ending in the rough. Men pay too much emphasis on length rather than accuracy😂
Wrong. 280 yards in the rough gives you a chance to have a higher loft club in your hands for the approach shot over the 260 yard shot in the middle. It’s proven over and over again that the longer you get off the tee, the easier it is to shoot a lower score.
How much does it normally cost to get fitted? Like, hoe many pennies shouldn't save up to get fitted and go with the driver they suggest? I would think they would pressure you to get the most expensive driver. Im pretty new, so I apologize for the dumb questions.
"Miles of golf" in ypsilanti Mi is where I go to get fitted. A driver fitting is 50.00 and they put that towards the price of the club if you buy from them. Also , they don't suggest anything. They let you hit many different drivers and help you zero in on what's best for you!
@@jeffurbanski5627 That's pretty cool that they put the $50 towards the club. Doesn't sound awful. What driver did you end up going with? Those cobras with the carbon look amazing.
@@DasViking I haven’t been fitted for driver yet, but just recently got fitted for fairway woods and got the Cobra dark speed 5 and 7 woods….Nice clubs!
Nothing off the shelf in this video. Fitted driver vs non fitted custom driver. These two custom shafts couldn’t have been any more different. Results were just about what I expected.
When I bought a driver 2 years ago I was just replacing an older broken driver and got “fit” for the driver in a golf shop. A lot of internet research got me to the ballpark where I thought I knew what I needed. Tested the 2 or 3 stock/stock adjacent shaft options for several driver brands, ended up with the taylormade stealth plus 9deg and actually the stock Hzrdus smoke red 60 Stiff shaft it was a big jump over my old head so I didn’t look further. Fast forward 2 years and my swing speed is up, my mechanics are better but I’ve been struggling for consistency with driver for a while even though it was always the best club in my bag. Went to a full fitting centre not just a shop as I wanted to do some real in depth shaft testing this time. My driver swing speed is around 112-116mph depending on the day. I tested all sorts of shafts in different weights, flexes, lengths and swing weights for about an hour. I actually discovered that a correctly fitted shaft didn’t improve dispersion as dramatically as I hoped, mostly as I don’t play as much as I’d like and i can still make bad swings but it did make a huge improvement to my swing timing, I’m now hitting significantly more shots dead in the middle of the face, I can hit the slight draw I want and my average carry distance is 30-40 yards more with 280-290 carry a regularity now not a once per session rarity. Overall also a bit straighter, with a better launch angle, higher club head speed and a big ball speed jump. I ended up stepping down to a softer flex shaft, something I think a lot of players with faster swing speeds are scared to do. Took me 3 swings and the feel was nearly there, 10 swings and I knew it was the right way to go. 3 weeks later and I’ve never hit driver this well in my life. I’d never have considered going for a softer shaft if it wasn’t for a super detailed and very in depth fitting process that showed me that was the right option for me. Might have saved my season already, in February. Hopefully improved driving will mean I can break 80 this year Stock shafts are ok, but if you get fit for the right upgraded shaft it really makes a huge difference, in my opinion absolutely worth the price difference. I’ve had good and bad fittings in the meanwhile, my advice is to know that even if you pay for the session, you don’t have to buy anything, in a bad session knowing what doesn’t work is as valuable as knowing what does and have an open mind about what you might need, good fitters know way more than us, even equipment nerds like me. In my opinion price upgraded shafts do make a difference but you need to to find the right one, for example I hate the Ventus shafts, which are the usual go-to upgrade shafts, they don’t work for me but there are plenty of other options, KBS, Tour AD, Paderson Kinetixx, TPT, etc. They all have different feels and they all won’t fit every swing. Going with the TPT 18hi has worked wonders for me
I think Oban may be a little disappointed in you classing them as a stock shaft. Yet to see that anywhere that offers this brand as stock and maybe a stock Ventus would have offered a better comparison from all angles.
Club fitting is pretty much a con I think. It seems to be sold to amateurs as if it will make them play better. But the truth is not that they hit the ball badly because they have ill-fitted clubs - it’s because they don’t strike it properly. Unless you are a decent plus figure handicap playing regularly, I don’t think you’d notice any difference between fitted and non-fitted clubs. You also need to account for the confidence (placebo) effect. You were swinging faster with a club you are more consent with. A blind test would have shown zero difference.
Alex not a fair test mate, firstly the shaft is not off the shelf and secondly it a fair bit shorter, it makes the club head lighter and swing weight wrong. Surely you could have got a std shaft from someone.
Personally I feel that 1 inch differences in the shaft is a big deal. It wasn’t a fair comparison. I know the shafts have different design characteristics but that one inch is conceivably 2-4 MPH clubhead speed. Thats 12-15 yards of carry depending on quality of strike. That alone is huge.
*What are your thoughts?! 💭 Is it worth it in your opinion?*
Is it worth it?
Depends on your starting place and what you are trying to achieve.
I'm a lefty. We have far less options than right-handed players, which proves its commercial rather than a requirement.
I enjoy experimenting and enjoy using tech to dial in. However, I wouldn't pay $500 for an aftermarket shaft as a 10hc social golfer..the benefits aren't enough.
The real key here is the "quality of the fitting". My personal experience is that the average consumer does not have access to top level fitting and also does not want to pay $150 - $500 in order to gain 10 yards in distance. What I find is that they land up trusting the guys in the stores where they buy the club to "fit" them using the standard shafts (OEM shafts are mostly inferior to branded). The guy in the store is often someone who has been given an overview of some numbers he is able to get out of Trackman/GC4 and then using a few indicators say which of the standard shafts you should go for. They have limited understanding of the full scope of what can be done with a shaft to manipulate all aspects of the swing, flight, shape, spin, launch etc.
As a qualified fitter myself, I get really frustrated when I get someone who insists they know what shaft I should be hitting and then explains why it is the right one.
So does fitting work? I am not sure that this video does full justice to the process. You have compared 2 options most consumers will not try or have access to. The other variable is the average golf consumer out there swings the driver between 88 and 96mph. Offer them something that will decrease their dispersion and they'll tell you to get lost. They want nothing other than distance and will even be prepared to hit it 20 - 30y offline if you can offer them an increase from 200 to 220y with a driver.
Someone of your ability who is able to control the club to a high extent as well as having around 110mph clubhead speed will not see the incremental distance gains you might get from a good fitting. You should expect to see a marked improvement in all aspects of your results. This includes small gains in ball speed, improved spin, better launch/spin combination, lower dispersion rates and even more importantly comfort and confidence. All of that might only translate to 5 - 8y more in distance but perhaps improving dispersion by 20y as well as consistency in flight, shape etc. all ultimately leading to a lower score and that's what you are looking for.
This is NOT a one size fits all.
Thanks for the great video and perfect timing to help reassure me that the $$ I just dropped on a fitted driver will be worth it. My first real fitting and it was a great experience. The shaft makes all the difference in the world. Ending up with the Qi10 and the Ventus Black 6-S. Can't wait to take it to the course.
Puring the shaft seems like a good idea but if you adjust the club head after the puring and lift sleeve does it matter?
It's all dependent on the adapter the head uses... the taylormade adapter will yes change where the puring is, but other brands such as callaways won't be affected
@@JacobWhiteGolf thanks! I have Cobra and Ping woods and hybrids so I didn’t know. Titleist has the same setup as Callaway I believe.
Yes I was fitted for a driver and the one chosen as the best by the fitter ended up exactly the same distance as my current driver but the dispersion was all over the place. My driver was always straight and in the fairway. The fitter said there was nothing better than mine but yet it wasn’t fitted for me I picked it up from a demo day tried it and bought it there and then!
Just had a titleist fitting, with a titliest rep, and was shocked at the results. played a TSR2 with a 55g stiff which I thought suited me, more forgiving heading lighter shaft to swing faster. Tried every combination with premium shafts, ended u fitted for a tsr3 with a stock 75g 1k black which is a stock shaft. I feel like I can't miss and gained 25yards.
Great video Alex, I have been fitted with clubs and my game improved...definitely worth it
Good video, but I would question whether the Oban setup is an off the rack comparison. Not the standard TM length and not one you would see in the store
Interesting to see how your driver compares with one using a ‘stock’ shaft from TaylorMade
Fittings are great is nothing every changes in your golf swing and if your a pro who has the same swing every time, but if anything changes in your golf swing the fitting is worthless. I do enjoy your video’s.
Right on!! Great to hear your enjoying the videos. Thank you for the support
just ordered a used qi10 with a ventus velocore blue 6....praying it works for me lol pretty much got the shaft free with it
Lesson learned Alex, "getting fitted produces better results!" Since I don't get fitted, I have to rely on 70 years of personal golfing experience which tells me that I need shafts in the 50 gram weight range, with a regular flex, will give me the best results. Well Done Alex!
Yes, I've had a fitting where they were just interested in selling a club and sold Me the totally wrong club for my swing
Will ther be a difference? Over a day? Over a week? Over a season? Over a career?
The video certainly highlights the extremes. However comparing the Oban Revenge 04 flex to a TR x flex is not a comparison many would make. The TR would have been closer to the Oban White. The revenge is one of the softest to flex shafts Oban make. It would have been interesting in the results if the two shafts were much more like for like.
Hey bro, I would love to see a 18 hole match with you and James Robertson. It would get a lot of views and be very entertaining.
What head is your driver. Length difference hurt speed and and launch
Getting fitted is worth it for sure, however I fully believe if you had access to all the shafts and a launch monitor yourself you could do it yourself as 90% is based on feel
Alex, what is the length of your driver?
44.5inches 🙌🏼
Rory McIlroy uses a 44" shaft in his driver so 1.5" shorter but out drives most in the PGA. Im 6ft i use a 44.5" CHS speed is 105mph without chasing knocking the skin off 115mph but that ball has 30-40 dispersion. Either by SIM2 ( event prize won ) or my (Epic speed event win too! ; ) both driver weigh 430 grams so 8grams of lead tape forward under side shaft to cente get D4 swing weight, slight draw baise. Stiff shaft now torqued to 3.5. Flex has no international standard! Flex USA ,UK and Japan can be out by 1-2 flexs! Japanese stiff can be UK A flex! Bazare. So vibration and torque ( gauged readings). My stock is 245yards carry 265-275 yards. Chased 290 yards. Grip too has a part to play i use jumbo so that takes my flex back 1/2 too. Plus play 75gram shafts. My spin dropped 500-750 rpm ( and shot height) From 55gram to 65gram then ending at 75 gram. 75gram give me 15yards more! A 2 piece ball 70 compression with 75gram equals a 55gram with 3 piece. 85compression) All tensi blue stiff shafts. ( i pick them up on eBay for £50! rub mark free too : )
I have a very different relationship with golf than ya’ll. I’m purely a recreational player. I do it for the walk and camaraderie. Mulligans, breakfast balls, lie improvements, hand wedges, lift/clean/place from anywhere, pick-ups…anything to keep the game moving. If I want a better score…I’ll cheat. If I’m done after 13-14 holes, I’ll head in. I leave the expensive custom crap to the truly obsessed. 😂😂😂
I’ve got a driver that’s 12 years old cobra AMP original , I went for a driver fitting 2 years ago and nothing could beat it I got told to stick with what I got, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it
Now that my hc has dropped to 10 I find that I use my driver less...
His fitted Ventus TR Red shaft costs more than the Oban though so why say the Oban is really expensive?
Unless you get a tour fitting it's going to be hit and miss how good your experience is. Having had multiple fittings my tour fit followed by my club professional fitting were best by far, standard club fittings just aren't detailed enough
I like this comment. Totally dependant on how good your fitting is
Most fittings are usually ‘about!! what you need’ . I’ve heard many time: this is what you need but we don’t have it to try!
I got fitted for my current driver they gave me a shorter shaft and it was at least 10 yards shorter than a full length driver and not any more consistent.
I play Ping irons right off the shelf and at 72 years young with a 14 hdcp i don't see the purpose of being fitted maybe if I was your age it would appeal to me !! Cheers from Canada East Coast Halifax Nova Scotia.
Thank you gramp!! Great to hear what your gaming
1st, you’d have to hit 50-100 each to get a good average and alternating two. 5 each at a time for example. Also, the conditions cannot vary. 3rd, fitting is a snap shot in your life’s swing. You may swing perfectly today and slightly off tomorrow. Finally, the driver is hit maybe 14 times per round, whereas your putter is hit almost double. The driver just advances the ball when needed. The other shots (clubs) are far more important. A 260 yard drive down the middle is preferred over a 280 yard one ending in the rough. Men pay too much emphasis on length rather than accuracy😂
Wrong. 280 yards in the rough gives you a chance to have a higher loft club in your hands for the approach shot over the 260 yard shot in the middle. It’s proven over and over again that the longer you get off the tee, the easier it is to shoot a lower score.
When was the last time the number 1 putter on Tour won a tournament? Now look at #1 in total driving.
How much does it normally cost to get fitted? Like, hoe many pennies shouldn't save up to get fitted and go with the driver they suggest?
I would think they would pressure you to get the most expensive driver.
Im pretty new, so I apologize for the dumb questions.
I would say it can change depending on location but £30 - £150 would be the ball park
"Miles of golf" in ypsilanti Mi is where I go to get fitted. A driver fitting is 50.00 and they put that towards the price of the club if you buy from them. Also , they don't suggest anything. They let you hit many different drivers and help you zero in on what's best for you!
@@jeffurbanski5627 That's pretty cool that they put the $50 towards the club. Doesn't sound awful.
What driver did you end up going with? Those cobras with the carbon look amazing.
@@HowGoodGolf Thanks brother.
@@DasViking I haven’t been fitted for driver yet, but just recently got fitted for fairway woods and got the Cobra dark speed 5 and 7 woods….Nice clubs!
Nothing off the shelf in this video. Fitted driver vs non fitted custom driver. These two custom shafts couldn’t have been any more different. Results were just about what I expected.
Comparing your fitted shaft to one that is 1 inch shorter is Apples to Bananas.
Naturally, the longer shaft is going to produce more speed.
Fitting is vitally important
When I bought a driver 2 years ago I was just replacing an older broken driver and got “fit” for the driver in a golf shop. A lot of internet research got me to the ballpark where I thought I knew what I needed. Tested the 2 or 3 stock/stock adjacent shaft options for several driver brands, ended up with the taylormade stealth plus 9deg and actually the stock Hzrdus smoke red 60 Stiff shaft it was a big jump over my old head so I didn’t look further. Fast forward 2 years and my swing speed is up, my mechanics are better but I’ve been struggling for consistency with driver for a while even though it was always the best club in my bag. Went to a full fitting centre not just a shop as I wanted to do some real in depth shaft testing this time. My driver swing speed is around 112-116mph depending on the day. I tested all sorts of shafts in different weights, flexes, lengths and swing weights for about an hour. I actually discovered that a correctly fitted shaft didn’t improve dispersion as dramatically as I hoped, mostly as I don’t play as much as I’d like and i can still make bad swings but it did make a huge improvement to my swing timing, I’m now hitting significantly more shots dead in the middle of the face, I can hit the slight draw I want and my average carry distance is 30-40 yards more with 280-290 carry a regularity now not a once per session rarity. Overall also a bit straighter, with a better launch angle, higher club head speed and a big ball speed jump. I ended up stepping down to a softer flex shaft, something I think a lot of players with faster swing speeds are scared to do. Took me 3 swings and the feel was nearly there, 10 swings and I knew it was the right way to go. 3 weeks later and I’ve never hit driver this well in my life. I’d never have considered going for a softer shaft if it wasn’t for a super detailed and very in depth fitting process that showed me that was the right option for me. Might have saved my season already, in February. Hopefully improved driving will mean I can break 80 this year
Stock shafts are ok, but if you get fit for the right upgraded shaft it really makes a huge difference, in my opinion absolutely worth the price difference. I’ve had good and bad fittings in the meanwhile, my advice is to know that even if you pay for the session, you don’t have to buy anything, in a bad session knowing what doesn’t work is as valuable as knowing what does and have an open mind about what you might need, good fitters know way more than us, even equipment nerds like me. In my opinion price upgraded shafts do make a difference but you need to to find the right one, for example I hate the Ventus shafts, which are the usual go-to upgrade shafts, they don’t work for me but there are plenty of other options, KBS, Tour AD, Paderson Kinetixx, TPT, etc. They all have different feels and they all won’t fit every swing. Going with the TPT 18hi has worked wonders for me
I think Oban may be a little disappointed in you classing them as a stock shaft. Yet to see that anywhere that offers this brand as stock and maybe a stock Ventus would have offered a better comparison from all angles.
It’s a good point! Maybe one to re-test!
Club fitting is pretty much a con I think. It seems to be sold to amateurs as if it will make them play better. But the truth is not that they hit the ball badly because they have ill-fitted clubs - it’s because they don’t strike it properly.
Unless you are a decent plus figure handicap playing regularly, I don’t think you’d notice any difference between fitted and non-fitted clubs.
You also need to account for the confidence (placebo) effect. You were swinging faster with a club you are more consent with. A blind test would have shown zero difference.
i would 100% get fitted if i was more consistent hitting my driver.
Oban make the worst shafts in golf history easy comparison bar for the fitted shaft
The idea is we are looking at a Non fitted shaft VS FITTED 🙌🏼🙌🏼
WHY ARE THE SHAFTS DIFFERENT LENGTHS?? BOGUS COMPARISON
Doesn’t matter for average weekend golfers
Alex not a fair test mate, firstly the shaft is not off the shelf and secondly it a fair bit shorter, it makes the club head lighter and swing weight wrong. Surely you could have got a std shaft from someone.
Sup alex
Hi Micheal!!!
FITTING MIN $100, FITTED SHAFT $25-$350 = 8 YRDS...........NO THANK YOU......
Personally I feel that 1 inch differences in the shaft is a big deal. It wasn’t a fair comparison. I know the shafts have different design characteristics but that one inch is conceivably 2-4 MPH clubhead speed. Thats 12-15 yards of carry depending on quality of strike. That alone is huge.