While I agree that hitting off of grass is more realistic than hitting off of a matt, using range balls for a fitting changes how it will perform on the course.
Sir as an expert fitter / Master PGA professional. I take all of my clients through stock options (all of them) and only talk about After market if the client asks about them - great video
I have been fitted three times by the OEM club fitters for three sets of irons, one driver and a putter. Each two of the iron fittings I was the same specs, outside of the shaft selection, stiff and standard lie and length. With the third club fitting, the same, except I could go 1 degree flat, but also could just go standard on lie. That fitter also fitted for the OEM driver and OEM putter. The driver and putter fittings were the most impactful fittings I have ever had, on my game. Trackman launch monitor was used on that third fitting.
I work at 2ndSwing, we ranked third behind a brand fitting on site ( Titleist, Taylormade, etc) and TXG. We offer all brands for the most part, we are non biased and it’s free it with purchase of clubs. I used to shop at galaxy, had a bad “fitting” experience and then went to 2ndSwing, loved the atmosphere, had so much to choose from in my budget and eventually led me to working there. If you are in the north east, Minnesota or Scottsdale I highly recommend stopping in and getting fit.
Not surprised about your Golf Galaxy experience, they are the absolute bottom tier in the golf industry. Most of their fitters don't know much and still think hand to floor is a good way to fit people. If you don't mind me asking, who did that ranking because brand fittings are never really on any top ranking list due to the insane limitations on their selection to be able to properly fit you.
One of the reasons I didn’t want to get fitted is because I thought that the fitter would say your a beginner so lets put you in Maverik OS irons. Lol. I knew my game would get better so I didn’t want to get locked into beginner clubs and not leave any room for improvement. I also after a year of golfing got lessons and my swing got even better. A part of me is glad I didn’t’ get fitted and spent the money on lessons. Maybe when I get better and have proper form I will invest in getting fitted.
I have a bad taste in my mouth r.e. club fitting. I have been fitted twice, and both didn’t take. I got fitted for a driver at Golf Galaxy, and irons at a TaylorMade demo days. I don’t know if I had a bad fitter, he made a mistake or my swing isn’t consistent enough (maybe on that day), but I tried both clubs for more than a full season and gave up on ‘em. I now believe I can adjust my swing to fit the clubs, rather than fitting my clubs to match my swing. I am now happy with my off-the-rack mix in my bag. Just my experience with club fitting …
I think there is always a learning curve with any new clubs although it sounds like you have them more than a fair chance. In this case I think you just try and figure out what you did not like about those clubs and apply that going forward.
I went to a local fitter for a set of irons. I bought the irons from them. He took the price of the fitting off the price of the clubs. I probobly could have found those clubs for less but not much less. All in all Very satisfied and very comfortable over the ball now.
I'm fitting in a strore by a Mizuno Fitting Day. 1 hour iron fitting for free👍 Yes, indoor...with TracMan. With the Mizuno DNA-System. What can i say!?🤔... Testing diffrent heads(MP's,JPX), shafts(DG,PX,KBS,Nippon)... Result for me, my shots and feeling...yes...on point👌 On the course on gras🥰 So i switched 3 years ago, from my Mizuno MP32 blade with DG R300 (standard, no fitted) to the MP 18 MB P-8 and SC 7-4, 1/2 inch longer, 1° flat with a Nippon Modus 3 105stiff. I'm happy😇...yes, a fitting for every iron make sense(loft/lie) for the gaps, but i'm happy with the resuls...
Thanks for sharing the knowledge, finding your concise vids very helpful in the last weeks. I'd agree on a fitting at least to figure what's specs work for you. I had this done some yrs ago by the chap who was at least at that time kitting up Lee Westwood, totally knew his stuff and did a great job. He was able to work with my existing heads and reshaft, change lie and it worked like magic honestly.
@@EFGMC definitely agree. I couldn't get the ultimate setup to his prescription but I had the irons reworked, new hybrid and the 3 wood reshafted. And I've been teeing the 3 wood, not used the driver for years. But now I want my driver sorted finally and well the local guys didn't seems so excited about reshafting it for me. I'm an engineer, and I have a prescription with SW, CPM, etc etc listed nicely so with a bit of good research and some effort I will try and bring it to spec.
I know this video is a year old, but I found it just at the right time as I am about to decide where I will go for a fitting. Great video, thank you sir!
The best way to go if you can afford it will always be the premium fitter (i.e Club Champion, TXG, TrueSpec, etc.) 2 Things: 1) The biggest thing to note about a Big Box or a Demo Day is the build tolerances. Club head manufacturers have very, very loose build tolerances as they very strictly followed to the industry standard which are not good standards. Industry standard on length is +/- half an inch, loft is +/- 2 degrees, lie angle is +/- 1 degree, and finally they don't actually swing weight your clubs. So let's say you play +1/2 inch from "standard," they could be built to their standard length or +1 and it would be completely fine and they won't fix it. This also means you can have a 5 and 6 iron that are the same loft. I got Ping i210s from a Big Box and the swing weight and lofts were all off. I received a mix of power and regular spec lofts it turns out and the swing weight ranged from a C9 - D9. The premium fittings often do the builds themselves and have much stricter build tolerances. 2) Indoor fittings are way better and more accurate than an outdoor fitting at a range. All the indoor fittings can control all the conditions and the numbers you are getting are true, especially if you are using Trackman or GC Quad (NOT GC2, cannot read club data accurately).
I’ve paid for a fitting twice and I insist on it. I tell the fitter that it removes my perceived obligation to buy a club and it removes his obligation to try and sell me something. That being said, after gleaning knowledge from this channel, online articles and the TXG channel, I took my “fitted” Rogue SZ and through a systematic process fitted myself by changing to a 45 gram shaft, changing from stiff to regular, changing weights from 12gr forward, 3 gr back to 18gr back , 8 gr forward to keep a SW of D2. More consistent, slightly longer and more comfortable.
I agree on the sole weights. When there are 2 with one towards the face and one toward the back, moving the heavy one to the front will open the face and moving it towards the back will close the face. In addition, obtaining more weights of varying sizes can allow you to alter the percentage difference and/or total weight of the two. Makes it easy to alter directional tendencies of the club. I have Callaway fairway where I did thay so both fairways and the driver all hit the ball straight without any adjustments to my swing from club to club.
The fitter I'm going to charges for the fitting and doesn't put it towards purchase. I'm fine with it as a way for compensating the fitter purely for their time and knowledge. It takes some of the pressure off both sides of the process.
I scheduled an appointment with the highest rated fitter in my area. He didn't have a lot of shafts for my Ping driver. I ended up hitting my own stock shaft better than any others he had. All in all, a wasted $175 and half a day, including the drive.
Went to demo day and was fitted for their clubs (Callaway), I didn't buy that day but took the spec's with me for later. Went to big box store and got a fitting from them. Even though they fitted me to the same irons the length and lie were significantly different from what the demo fitting was. The demo day fitting was about 40 minutes and the box store fitting was almost 2 hours. Long story short I did buy the clubs using the spec's from the big box store....the price of the fitting went toward the cost of the irons. I am not disappointed with the clubs as they perform very well.
Great video. It’s been my experience that big box fitters can be hit or miss. Hopefully you get someone that is knowledgeable but that also isn’t a guarantee of a successful fit. I’ve found that they will try and sell you a set makeup that they have in stock so they can move inventory more than anything. A custom order doesn’t help them. A custom or boutique fitting is probably a better experience but exotic shafts can really ratchet up the price of whatever you are looking to get. I did experience good results after being fit a few times throughout my golfing life but your swing is usually evolving in one way or another. You can either get stronger and more flexible or you can also do the opposite which would affect what would be best for you over time. At the end of the day if you put a good swing on any club you will get good results. A poor swing on the most perfectly fit club will still yield a bad result. One final factor is actually you as the person being fit. Sometimes we try to over swing to maybe impress the fitter or sometimes people get nervous when there is someone watching them swing intently and you don’t represent your true stock swing which can also yield an incorrect recommendation. Some of that fitting money would be better spent on lessons lol.
My first fitting was hit a few 7 irons off a lie board then adjust ALL my clubs to the same lie angle. I then went to a real fitting; tested every single club on trackman. Adjusted lie and loft for flight and gapping. Best $130 I ever spent.
I'm very interested in getting fit, but I want them to dial my new sticks in to my swing. I don't care about the shaft, head, or brand. I care about the data. For me I think that's the most important part, however I do understand that certain heads just aren't appealing and don't invoke confidence. I think that's the final piece when deciding between multiple heads. At the same time just because it looks great to you doesn't mean it will perform. This is where the fitter needs to step in and steer you to what works. For me personally I've been measured but not fit. My measurements indicate standard lie and length. My swing may indicate something else this is why I want to be fit and to dial in distances and trajectory based on the multitude of shaft options available.
The best way I think to look at a fitting is not as a way to pinpoint an exact head, exact shaft, grip, etc. It's a chance to figure out what kind of equipment is going to work better for you or worse. Difference sole widths, offset, oversized heads, shaft weights, bend profile. All these things can be narrowed down with a fitting and that is really the value in it. Remember, no such thing as a perfect golf club, it's about minimizing variables so you could put together any number of setups and get equally good performance out of them.
I think fittings are more important for the woods than irons, at least for a higher handicapped player such as myself. Like my off the rack irons just fine but finding that fairway first is the best way to lower my score anyway. Popped into a PXG store just to check it out and they squeezed me in for a one club fitting, ended up with an 0211 5 wood with a stock Diamana shaft, reg flex, and I absolutely love it and might have not ordered the right shaft if I shopped online.
As long as your iron lie angles are right, agreed that wood fitting are more important. Wrong iron lie angles will make you hit it very crooked and inconsistently. The adjustable lie angles on woods with detachable heads makes adjusting them easy. Usually a little experimentation will get tht right.
@@bobpegram8042 definitely but a lot of us hackers buy off the shelf. I totally agree that fitting is the best way to go. Never been fitted for irons, but since I have plenty of clubs my wife would think a fitting at this point would be silly.
@@kevinwood1722 - All you need to experiment with faieway wood (or driver) lie angles is an adjustment wrench that usually comes with a wood that has an adjustable hosel. You try the various settings yourself. It will become apparent in a hurry which lie angle makes you deliver the sole of the club flat on the ground (rather than heel up oir toe up). You don't need a fitter for that.
Independent clubmakers are USUALLY the best. They have to be good or they go out of business. However, an independent clubmaker usually can't offer every brand. He doesn't generate enough business to support all brands. My guess is that you are in that position. He can support several brands and will have plenty of models from each to have a club model with the features that will work well for you, along with the custom fitting for your size, build, strength, swing characteristics, etc.. Unlike a club fitting day, a golf course store, or even some big box stores, a custom clubmaker will will have more options for length, weight, shaft flexes, weights, and bend points, lie angles, etc. Some custom clubfitters will charge for the fitting, but reduce price of clubs by that amount if you buy there. I used to work for a top 100 rated fitter. I later worked for a big box golf store and was surprised by the varying levels of knowledge of the some of the people who were doing fittings at the big box store. Unfortunately sometimes the need for sufficient floor staff over-rode the necessary level of skill in fitting that should have been the standard. A few would ask me very basic questions they should have already known.
I bought a titleist ts3 8.5 degree head. With no shaft or weight cartridge. I put in a request to be fit for weight and shaft to see if the club can be made to beat my 910D3 which is my current gamer. I cannot simply swap the heads as my ts3 head is lighter and I cannot feel the head at all as I swing. The session price will be deducted if I buy a shaft from them.
Overall I loved the fitting I had at a True Spec location. The one negative I had was in the irons I was fitted into a PX LZ 6.5 125g shaft, which was great. I know they order those shafts separate from the clubs so they get the clubs in with stock, say S300 shafts. They keep those shafts where they can sell them and make more money. Even if club manufacturer has that shaft as a stock option, they will still order them separately. I even asked for the stock shafts that they came in so I could sell them and when the clubs arrived, nope not in there. I ended up not fighting it, so I guess I am the sucker in this case.
I always tell them at the time of ordering that I would like the original shafts and have never had a problem in getting them. You paid for them and you OWN them.
Like another commenter asked, as a beginner, shouldn't I have a more consistent swing before I consider a fitting? Or, just get a stock fitting using that Ping chart while swinging my current clubs? Informative video, and any further advice would be appreciated.
I would get the basic fitting specs for sure either way. Length, lie, grip size are all things you want right regardless of ability. Lie angle can change in some cases with better swing but length and grip size will be the same regardless of ability.
I second this reply! Definitely get a basic fitting, but spend money on lessons before you get fit for an spend money on a set that you plan on playing for a while! Good luck out there! 😊
Every time I go to a Dick's their monitor is broken or so out of date, it's not even worth the time. I watch videos on fitting, hit clubs here and there and piece a set together myself, and have the lie angle set. Hogan pTx pro irons and wedges. Titleist fairway woods. Ping hybrid. Just changed from Ping G400 to Hogan driver. TaylorMade Tour Response ball.
Hi A.J. just love your content! Keep up the good work. Is there any king of cheating in big retail stores fitting? I'm asking you because I saw with my very eyes, nobody told me! I was watching a gentleman start a fitting session to buy a new driver. He started hitting his own driver. Ball was spraying all over the place, right, left, high, low.. averaging 180 yards. Then, the fitter gave him a high expensive brand name, I will not mentioned the brand name, and in the very first swing the gentleman hit a nice draw, 210 yd down the middle, and again and again, with the same spraying-ball swing. Just like magic! Obviously, he bought the expensive driver immediately and the salesman made his profit. Is it possible to press some button and the simulator start giving you good shots? Thanks
You can manipulate the course conditions, change the temp or the altitude and cheat the results. You can also change the type of ball being used in the equation though I have never played around with that to see if it could straighten out a wild dispersion. Might need to check into that and make a video depending on what I find out. All that said, I hate to just assume that the fitter did something questionable. Maybe the customer's driver was just way off for them so they might have seen that kind of improvement. 😅
I have been fitted at Club Champion and the result was one of my worst golfing seasons ever, less distance and worse accuracy but I don't want to scare you away from the fitting. I got my fitting in January last year and the 90 day perfect fit guarantee expired before the golf season got started. If you want to save some money you should state before the fitting that you are on a budget and they will use less expensive shafts. Also after the fitting tell them you want to think about it before you commit to buying. Give yourself some time to figure out if it's worth the investment. Good Luck.
@@larryjonak3617 Thanks for the advice. I will definitely do what you've suggested. I've been "taken" before with shaft snakes and don't want to go through that again. How long did it take to get your clubs done after your fitting? Need the most help with my 3W and 2 Hybrids, but and doing a fitting with the driver also.
@@bryanduchane2371 It took two weeks. They said they couldn't beat my current 3W but I am still playing the 2 hybrids they fitted. I got the Mavrik 3 and 5 hybrid with Fujikura Vista Pro shafts. Part of their thing is to have the shafts pured. I don't know if you can decline the puring or not but it does add some $$$. Personally I don't think it makes any difference.
@@larryjonak3617 I've looked into the puring and believe it is BS. I hope to go and find out what shafts match my swing technique and if they will sell me those what's at a respectable price things will be fine. If not, I'll purchase my own shares that are similar or exact to what they recommend. Do you suggest taking a notebook to write down the shaft recommendations or do they give you something with that after your finished? This location just opened recently in Myrtle Beach and hope they are wanting to get as many referral clients as they can because they are new to the market. Looking forward to it, but will be cautiously optimistic!!!
I also was fitted at CC (luckily only for a wedge) about 3 years ago before I knew anything about the process. They charged me about 2x retail (I later realized). They also convinced me to "pure" the shaft (which seems to be BS). What I didnt realize was a) you shouldn't feel pressured to buy that day b) they will price match to your local store (they will claim they build it better). My recommendation is to get the fitting, write down all the information, then go price it at your local golf store. If CC will match, then you can decide whether or not to go with them.
Transparent pricing is also important e.g knowing you pay 150$ but spending minumum of xxx$ will make the ftting free is good to know. Got burned on this once, wont happen again.
GOLFTEC is AMAZING with their fittings. They have a LOT of options ranging in price and a lot of grip options. Their head choices are great as well so if you’re on a lower budget, you can tell them that and they will fit around your budget. However, since it’s premium stuff, don’t really expect to spend below 1k, but having a budget of 2k is reasonable and they can work around that.
Jack, I've also had good experiences with Golftec. To be fair, over the years I've also had good luck with Club Champion - specific fitter in each case. In the latter case the fitter sent me away without anything new as the numbers weren't appreciably different than what I already had. I appreciated the honesty (and ended up buying a year later when I found something that WAS better).
@@1andygray the difference with my fitting was I had a bunch of beginner clubs and I must have spent at least $500 on shafts alone. Grips are another $100. I just got tired of it and bought new clubs (I LOVE THEM!!!!) They are a Cobra driver and 3 wood, Ping Irons and Vokey Wedges. All I can say is take your time and realize when you need new clubs like I did.
Another great video but I have a thought/question. WHEN DO YOU GET FITTED IF AT ALL? Players that have a terrible swing may get fitted for a certain flex shaft (Regular) but after lessons and practice, find new speed through a new swing and be better suited for a stiff or firm flex. Should one get lessons first, or get fitted first, or does it not matter?
I personally think of a fitting as measuring someone for length, lie, shaft flex, grip size, set make up. These things should be done regardless of level and they usually don't change much other than flex possibly. The more elaborate "fittings" where you are looking at numerous heads and shafts combination, really are less fittings and more demoing. If you are paying for a fitting or planning on spending more on higher end equipment, I think you want a certain level of consistency to justify the cost. Otherwise the basic static measurement type fitting will be plenty for most golfers.
If I tell the fitter that I am looking to buy Mizuno irons for new clubs, will they honor that, or will they tell me to try different brands anyway? I like Mizuno for looks and feel. So if I'm set on Mizuno, how does the fitter react to that?
I would like to know what kind of fitting your every day golfer should get, once a month golfer, avid golfer, weekly league golfer, vs aspiring pro golfer? As a beginner golfer when should I look into fitting? Should I need to be able to show some amount of consistency from certain distances before considering a fitting?
I would want to have a basic fit of your current clubs. Most important being length, shaft flex, grip size, etc. once you get more consistent I would look at another fitting.
I have 2 friends that are 3 and 5 handicaps. Both buy their clubs used on EBay. Neither have ever been fitted and neither are interested in being fitted. I am a bogey golfer, I also have always bought used clubs. I play about a dozen times a year. We all use a little common sense when buying clubs. Getting fitted and buying new sets of clubs is a waste for the average golfer.
Got a high end fitting, the highest. It was an expensive disaster. I'll take some blame. I scheduled in April when my game was not yet in shape. I am very old, Ifelt fitted to my age, rather than my strikes and ball speeds. I am a very good wedge player but they said my wedges didn't fit me. They shortened my driver shaft ( I later learned the do this for everyone over 70). 8 clubs for 4500 bucks. I put a different shaft in the driver and it works fine. I maintain two bags, one at my club and one "road bag". After one year of the fitted irons, they are neither in my home or road bags. My index went up 5 shots before I ditched the expensive iron and the custom wedges. I have a club pro fitting horror story, too. Guess next trick is to try the Superstore, but Im in no hurry. The irons I'm playing are from the year 2000' regrooved andI can hit them where I'm aiming. I will never go near a boutique upscale fitter again.
I’m looking to reshaft my clubs from metal to graphite but I know how to determine the length of each club. Can you tell how I can achieve this for each club
Golf retailers like PGA Tour Superstore or Golf Galaxy should be able to get you close. Of course you can also figure out all those things yourself just using some of my videos.
As an amateur club builder, is there a good way for me to fit my irons without all the shaft/head options + Trackman of a professional fitter? I do have a VoiceCaddie s300i launch monitor. I'm a 4 hcp, so should I just go get fit by a professional? Thx.
Similar shape heads will perform similar assuming they have the same lofts. Once you find a head style you like, the brand is of little consequence. Most important spec with any shaft is weight so if you can get that dialed in, that is 80% of the equation.
Got a different question I think my irons are too upright and may need them 1-2 degrees flatter. I tend to hook them. Can cavity back irons be adjusted?
I'm interested in the tokomos 101t but since they are direct to consumer and can't demo them nor have a fitter bend them, would getting a general fit be the best option??
Wish i would have seen these videos before. Last year i stupidly went to golf galaxy i wanted a new driver and a new putter. I told him what my previous driver was he only had me test the taylormade sim 2 max nothing else. He didnt try different shafts or lengths or lofts had me hit about 5 balls then immediately said yup thats the club for you. So stupidly i trusted him but then he came back and said he didnt have the sim 2 max head but try just the sim 2 should be the same that threw me for a bit but i figured he is the professional. So i paid $530 for the driver and another 300 for the putter which again he had me hit a couple putts then immediately said yup thats the one for you. Now admittedly i shouldnt have been so blindly trusting but i thought thats what im paying this guy for it says he is a pga professional. So all told im in for well over $1k and they are the absolute worst clubs ive ever had. I took a 250 dollar loss on the driver and cant even give away the damn putter. Ill never go to get fitted again. But thank you for this so that others dont run into the same problems i have.
Unfortunately you can't expect any fitting to be great on it's own. The only way to ensure a successful fitting in my opinion is to do your homework beforehand and take the lead during the fitting so that you can try the combinations you want and not just what they want.
Hello AJ, I removed the brass weight on my g400 hybrids 4,5 and 6. It is much lighter to swing the club but I am not sure if it changes my ball flight. If I reinstall the brass wt. that came with the hybrids, what is the likely outcome?
This will really be golfer dependent. Swing weight changes influence everyone differently. I would just go to the driving range and hit 5-10 balls without the weight and then with. See if you notice any changes in ball flight, distance, consistency. From that you can decide if you want the weight in or not. Also remember you can buy different weight amounts for the hybrid if you want something in-between.
I must have the worst Dick's in the nation for golf. They have two bays with launch monitors, and there is never anyone working in the golf department. The launch monitors & computers are turned off, so you can't even just help yourself. I once spent 30 minutes trying to find someone that could tell me where the grip tape was. The website said they had 5 in stock, but it wasn't on the shelf (and no shelf tag for it) and someone finally told me they had none. I asked why the website showed it in stock and they just scoffed and said the website is always wrong. The nearest Golf Galaxy is over 2 hours away. Our local Roger Dunn is better - BUT - they just won't do a real fitting. I went there and asked them how their fittings work, and his response was "They're free, so it's first come, first served. Is there something you want to hit?" It wasn't a fitting - he would just let me demo whatever I asked him for. He provided no feedback or recommendations at all, unless I asked him a question. In addition, their launch monitors give you no information on the clubhead - not even clubhead speed. You get only ball information. So, it can be difficult to know whether it is the club/shaft or my swing causing the difference in performance. They were just order takers, not fitment specialists.
Have not heard any reviews of them. Plenty of bad stories from some fitting companies but I have not heard anything good or bad about them. Maybe someone else here can share their experience??
@@EFGMC closing the loop here. I had an excellent experience with their fitter Kevin Kraft. He listened to the history of my playing, and was also open to letting me try an older second hand club which turned out to be the right fit for me! Wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to others.
They tried to steer me into used irons when I made it clear at the beginning I was interested in new. Used clubs is where they make their money, which is fine if that's what you want, but I was of a certain age and was treating myself. I based my decision on online reviews and a baseline established by a driver fitting with a reputable local shop. No complaints, it doesn't need to be that complicated for your average golfer. I was also rushed at 2nd swing despite making a purchase, "You only have an hour". Glad I knew what I wanted.
Practicality comes into play. I hit 7 different 7 irons half a dozen times each with several different shafts per club. And I was gassed. If you did that with every iron, it would take a couple weeks. BTW, the wedges were fitted separately, just using the sand wedge. With a smaller swing, I could still do that after the iron fitting.
Good evening, I play a TSI2, with a Tensei Blue 55 stiff with SFW in the shaft. I am considering an aftermarket shaft. I swing at 98 mph. I would like a shaft that I am able to better feel the shaft head load. Any suggestions?
The Blue profile is usually the one that people can feel the most "load" with. You might want to try dropping a flex to see if that gives you the feel you're looking for.
@@roberthammer2446 Maybe. I can't say. You would need to try them and see how they feel to you. Again though I would look at dropping a flex. Another option would be to add a little weight to the head. This acts to soften the shaft a bit and increases the load feel.
Great information. I was planning to go to Club Champion to get a fitting for some new irons - I assume that is considered a high end boutique fitting. Although after listening to this I am leaning now toward Carl's Golfland. I do not want to spend/waste money on some high end shaft I do not need. I just want to try a short list of clubs and maybe a few shafts and know my price going in which I can get off their web site. Right now I am in the middle of sort of rebuilding my swing from the ground up. Somewhat closer to a single plane but not exactly. My question is, do I really need to have my swing dialed in to get a proper fitting? Or is it based more on my height, arm length, basic stance (i.e. distance from the ball) etc. I am a senior golfer and looking for a game improvement type club so not sure it that makes a difference as well. Your advice would be appreciated. Love you channel and send a lot of people here - just saying.
Fitters will offer suggestions and equipment for *your swing*... if you don't have your swing figured out yet, then the fitting will not be good (unless you end up using the swing you just happen to be using on the day you were fitted. Figure out your swing, get used to it, then get fitted. Sometimes a lesson goes farther than a fitting.
I can offer you my experience. I was down to about a 7 HCP. Had back/hip issues and stopped playing for over a year, then got my second hip replacement (53 years old) in May 2021…started swinging again after 6 weeks and 3 months out from surgery was trying to decide whether to get fitted at that point, or wait until I’ve grooved a swing…decided to go and see what happened. This was late July 2021. COVID was a big factor as supply chain issues were indicating over 6 months in some cases to get clubs, and I wanted them for the spring 2022. My swing wasn’t great and went to Club Champion…going by the Trackman numbers, they fitted me for T200 irons ($185/head) and LA Golf Tour AXS 85R shafts ($170/club shaft upcharge with “puring”). I figured my swing would adapt and they would feel great since I’m paying so much for them…I was totally wrong. Got them in late August 2021 and played all fall with them…couldn’t hit consistently…lots of thin shots, no consistent ball striking (usually a strong point for me)…rehabbed and worked over the winter to get stronger…started up again in the late winter/early spring and still couldn’t hit them at all with any consistency or confidence…went to my local Golf Galaxy and just tried different shaft combos on my own…turns out the Project X LZ 6.0 shaft was absolutely perfect with T100S heads for me. I ordered just the 9, PW, and GW to test them out on the real course with grass…They are absolutely brilliant…feel like an extension of my body and I actually giggled after going out with them 3 times…So, now I’m in the process of replacing all my irons and shafts with the new makeup…moral of the story, if the clubs don’t feel comfortable, don’t just go by the data or get fitted until you have a comfortable swing that you want to use…My mistake is costing me thousands of dollars…hopefully someone out there is looking for T200 irons with LA Golf shafts in them, because they will be up for sale soon…great clubs, just not fit for me….
@@petegalindez9961 Wow Pete what a bummer man. That is exactly the sort of thing I was hoping to avoid. As it ends up I pinched a nerve in my neck back in March so I was not able to go in for a fitting as I had planned - I guess it was a blessing in disguise eh? I am just now getting back into hitting again and really only short game stuff for a few more months. Still that is some good information so I plan to get my swing dialed in before I do go for a fitting. To he honest just thinking about the fitting process gives me anxiety. I have read and heard so many negative things about the process like how they will try to up-sell customers and people paying double the list price. I have already done a ton of research and have a short list of the irons and hybrids I want to try and am not interested in anything other than stock shafts, but do want to try steel versus graphite and senior versus standard flex since I have not bought clubs in years and am a senior golfer now with a slower club head speed. I went to Dick's Sporting Goods the other day just to get hands on with the clubs I want to try and they do club fittings too and for only $30. Yes I know they are not true pro fitters, but they don't carry a ton of shafts other than stock so I can avoid that hassle and they can do a basic fitting for lie and length. Plus they have a launch monitor and I know my way around the data having my own GC3. In the end it might be a less stressful experience so I am seriously considering it since the price is right. If it does not go well I only lose $30 and I am sure I will learn something about the process either way. Money well spent IMO. Anyway Pete, thanks for taking the time to post this reply, it was very informative and I truly appreciate it. I hope you have recovered from your surgeries and are enjoying some more golf now. Also, good luck selling those clubs. I have sold some old clubs on eBay so you might want to consider that as an option. Take care man.
@@Alan_Edwards Good luck to you and your pinched nerve….I’m still dealing with back issues after the two hip replacements…getting old sucks…but, on the good side, I paid for a full bag fitting, so went back for another session to fit driver/3 wood. I’m ecstatic about my driver. I didn’t get a super expensive shaft in it…I think it was $100 for the Badazz shaft…I guess they figured they got enough out of me with the LA Golf shafts they shafted me for on my irons (9 shafts)…I guess now I know why they are called shafts! LOL…I’ve now been watching all the vidz I can about building clubs and starting to do my own…I’ll build sets for my sons to start (one is lefty and one is righty), and then I’ll be doing my own for now on. I have pretty much all the tools you need to do it, so why not. My best advice, if possible, is go to a Golf Galaxy or Dicks (Dicks owns GG now), or another one like it where you can just hit in a bay free…hit a bunch of different irons you’ve researched AND see if you can get them to put the shafts in them you think work for you….I did that over a 3-4 week period without having to pay a dime. Then, you’ll get a sense of what you like and what you don’t. And in the meantime, you’ll be building up your stamina for hitting balls…Then, when you have your list narrowed to the couple/few you like, if you haven’t figured out exactly what you like by then without paying, do the fitting and see how the numbers look. Since you own a GC3, you know what to look for…ball speed, spin, apex, landing angle, etc., scatter pattern…it’s not rocket science…ALSO, at least what I noticed at my local Golf Galaxy. You used to be able to hit clubs free and see all the data. Now, they turn all that off except for distance. BUT, you can rent out the hitting bay on an hourly rate. I’d probably do that my next time…then you don’t have to deal with the stress of someone watching you, suggesting things, etc…takes out that element….I wouldn’t be afraid to buy from a big box store. As AJ points out, when you go to these exclusive golf fitting places like Club Champion, they charge you retail plus for a club, but you only get the head (the retail price includes a shaft and grip that you’ll never get), and then they charge you another full charge for a shaft, and another full charge for each grip, and then try to push “puring” each shaft on your for another $35 per shaft…AND, the price of the fitting doesn’t go towards your purchase…I really don’t see any upside to these stores at all. I’ve hit enough shafts over the past 6 months to know that for every fancy $100+ shaft out there, there is a standard option or mild upcharge shaft available to get with just about any club you want…or you can at least get the set with whatever shafts/grips they come with, buy shafts separately, take them to a fitter, and for much less money have them put them together…
I put nippon modus 120 s shafts in my irons. Thought these would of been a good fit going from my unfitted regular shafts but the flight is so low on them, I can’t get them up. Should I weaken the lofts 2 degrees. Will this help enough just to get me by til I can get a proper fitting in the future. Thanks in advance.
A low kick point shaft will tend to hit the ball higher. Stiff shafts will hit the ball lower than regular shafts, other things being equal (since they don't bend as much). If the loft adjustment still isn't enough look at very tip active shafts. They are available in both graphite and steel.
@@bobpegram8042 Be aware that those low bend point shafts can lead some golfers to hit low on the face and create new issues. Make sure you pay attention to face impact position whenever making shaft changes.
I would watch this first. Video I did a year ago on this topic. Kind of depends on your point of view and how much weight you add back if any. ua-cam.com/video/Juw6aCNlgDE/v-deo.html
@@jcjoo I haven't done it so I can't say for sure. Do I feel like you could get the same knowledge from this channel and messing around with some thrift store clubs, for sure. I don't see any value in a club building certification. That is just a made up thing. It's like a club fitting certification. Either you know what you are doing or not.
i ended up going to a store (3hr drive) and Rep day at a local course, some things to note 2 different monitors were used, indoors my clubhead speed was 94mph on the course 74mph. i had a lot of trouble hitting indoors it felt so restricted. Outdoors was rushed as the reps were packing up, my friend ended up buying from the rep day and it took nearly seven weeks to get his clubs. My specs are standard so i just ordered from a large store and had my clubs in a week. Note i wish we the consumer could play a few holes on those rep days with different clubs. After a while hitting balls with the reps on the practice fairway i tend to lose focus with the boredom. There is room for improvement in the trying and purchasing of clubs but in the end manufacturers get their money so they don't much.
While I agree that hitting off of grass is more realistic than hitting off of a matt, using range balls for a fitting changes how it will perform on the course.
Sir as an expert fitter / Master PGA professional. I take all of my clients through stock options (all of them) and only talk about After market if the client asks about them - great video
I like it, and am thankful for the good honest fitters out there! Keep it up.
I have been fitted three times by the OEM club fitters for three sets of irons, one driver and a putter. Each two of the iron fittings I was the same specs, outside of the shaft selection, stiff and standard lie and length. With the third club fitting, the same, except I could go 1 degree flat, but also could just go standard on lie. That fitter also fitted for the OEM driver and OEM putter. The driver and putter fittings were the most impactful fittings I have ever had, on my game. Trackman launch monitor was used on that third fitting.
I work at 2ndSwing, we ranked third behind a brand fitting on site ( Titleist, Taylormade, etc) and TXG. We offer all brands for the most part, we are non biased and it’s free it with purchase of clubs. I used to shop at galaxy, had a bad “fitting” experience and then went to 2ndSwing, loved the atmosphere, had so much to choose from in my budget and eventually led me to working there. If you are in the north east, Minnesota or Scottsdale I highly recommend stopping in and getting fit.
I had a bad experience at Club Champion and definitely comping to 2nd swing from WI. Cause my local shop pushes a certain brand so they get more money
Not surprised about your Golf Galaxy experience, they are the absolute bottom tier in the golf industry. Most of their fitters don't know much and still think hand to floor is a good way to fit people. If you don't mind me asking, who did that ranking because brand fittings are never really on any top ranking list due to the insane limitations on their selection to be able to properly fit you.
One of the reasons I didn’t want to get fitted is because I thought that the fitter would say your a beginner so lets put you in Maverik OS irons. Lol. I knew my game would get better so I didn’t want to get locked into beginner clubs and not leave any room for improvement. I also after a year of golfing got lessons and my swing got even better. A part of me is glad I didn’t’ get fitted and spent the money on lessons. Maybe when I get better and have proper form I will invest in getting fitted.
I have a bad taste in my mouth r.e. club fitting. I have been fitted twice, and both didn’t take. I got fitted for a driver at Golf Galaxy, and irons at a TaylorMade demo days. I don’t know if I had a bad fitter, he made a mistake or my swing isn’t consistent enough (maybe on that day), but I tried both clubs for more than a full season and gave up on ‘em.
I now believe I can adjust my swing to fit the clubs, rather than fitting my clubs to match my swing.
I am now happy with my off-the-rack mix in my bag. Just my experience with club fitting …
I think there is always a learning curve with any new clubs although it sounds like you have them more than a fair chance. In this case I think you just try and figure out what you did not like about those clubs and apply that going forward.
I went to a local fitter for a set of irons. I bought the irons from them. He took the price of the fitting off the price of the clubs. I probobly could have found those clubs for less but not much less. All in all Very satisfied and very comfortable over the ball now.
Good fitters can be hard to find. If you have a good, trustworthy one, hold on to him.
I'm fitting in a strore by a Mizuno Fitting Day.
1 hour iron fitting for free👍
Yes, indoor...with TracMan.
With the Mizuno DNA-System.
What can i say!?🤔...
Testing diffrent heads(MP's,JPX), shafts(DG,PX,KBS,Nippon)...
Result for me, my shots and feeling...yes...on point👌
On the course on gras🥰
So i switched 3 years ago, from my Mizuno MP32 blade with DG R300 (standard, no fitted) to the MP 18 MB P-8 and SC 7-4,
1/2 inch longer, 1° flat with a Nippon Modus 3 105stiff.
I'm happy😇...yes, a fitting for every iron make sense(loft/lie) for the gaps, but i'm happy with the resuls...
I have noticed that GG will not use the Mizuno DNA-System in their fitting sessions.
Thanks for sharing the knowledge, finding your concise vids very helpful in the last weeks. I'd agree on a fitting at least to figure what's specs work for you. I had this done some yrs ago by the chap who was at least at that time kitting up Lee Westwood, totally knew his stuff and did a great job. He was able to work with my existing heads and reshaft, change lie and it worked like magic honestly.
Finding a good builder/fitter is rare these days. Glad you found him, but also good to learn this stuff yourself.
@@EFGMC definitely agree. I couldn't get the ultimate setup to his prescription but I had the irons reworked, new hybrid and the 3 wood reshafted. And I've been teeing the 3 wood, not used the driver for years. But now I want my driver sorted finally and well the local guys didn't seems so excited about reshafting it for me. I'm an engineer, and I have a prescription with SW, CPM, etc etc listed nicely so with a bit of good research and some effort I will try and bring it to spec.
I know this video is a year old, but I found it just at the right time as I am about to decide where I will go for a fitting. Great video, thank you sir!
⁰⁰⁰⁰⁰⁰⁰p 0709@1101 p
The best way to go if you can afford it will always be the premium fitter (i.e Club Champion, TXG, TrueSpec, etc.)
2 Things:
1) The biggest thing to note about a Big Box or a Demo Day is the build tolerances. Club head manufacturers have very, very loose build tolerances as they very strictly followed to the industry standard which are not good standards. Industry standard on length is +/- half an inch, loft is +/- 2 degrees, lie angle is +/- 1 degree, and finally they don't actually swing weight your clubs. So let's say you play +1/2 inch from "standard," they could be built to their standard length or +1 and it would be completely fine and they won't fix it. This also means you can have a 5 and 6 iron that are the same loft. I got Ping i210s from a Big Box and the swing weight and lofts were all off. I received a mix of power and regular spec lofts it turns out and the swing weight ranged from a C9 - D9. The premium fittings often do the builds themselves and have much stricter build tolerances.
2) Indoor fittings are way better and more accurate than an outdoor fitting at a range. All the indoor fittings can control all the conditions and the numbers you are getting are true, especially if you are using Trackman or GC Quad (NOT GC2, cannot read club data accurately).
I agree with manufacturer tolerances being loose in some cases.
I’ve paid for a fitting twice and I insist on it. I tell the fitter that it removes my perceived obligation to buy a club and it removes his obligation to try and sell me something.
That being said, after gleaning knowledge from this channel, online articles and the TXG channel, I took my “fitted” Rogue SZ and through a systematic process fitted myself by changing to a 45 gram shaft, changing from stiff to regular, changing weights from 12gr forward, 3 gr back to 18gr back , 8 gr forward to keep a SW of D2.
More consistent, slightly longer and more comfortable.
I agree on the sole weights. When there are 2 with one towards the face and one toward the back, moving the heavy one to the front will open the face and moving it towards the back will close the face. In addition, obtaining more weights of varying sizes can allow you to alter the percentage difference and/or total weight of the two. Makes it easy to alter directional tendencies of the club. I have Callaway fairway where I did thay so both fairways and the driver all hit the ball straight without any adjustments to my swing from club to club.
The fitter I'm going to charges for the fitting and doesn't put it towards purchase. I'm fine with it as a way for compensating the fitter purely for their time and knowledge. It takes some of the pressure off both sides of the process.
One other thing to consider: indoor fittings you can usually use your preferred ball while outdoor fittings are limited to range balls
Had not thought of that!
A good fitter with ask you to bring the balls you normal play during a round and fit your clubs to the ball.
I scheduled an appointment with the highest rated fitter in my area. He didn't have a lot of shafts for my Ping driver. I ended up hitting my own stock shaft better than any others he had. All in all, a wasted $175 and half a day, including the drive.
Went to demo day and was fitted for their clubs (Callaway), I didn't buy that day but took the spec's with me for later. Went to big box store and got a fitting from them. Even though they fitted me to the same irons the length and lie were significantly different from what the demo fitting was. The demo day fitting was about 40 minutes and the box store fitting was almost 2 hours. Long story short I did buy the clubs using the spec's from the big box store....the price of the fitting went toward the cost of the irons. I am not disappointed with the clubs as they perform very well.
Never great to hear that something like lie and loft were so different between the two fittings.
Great video. It’s been my experience that big box fitters can be hit or miss. Hopefully you get someone that is knowledgeable but that also isn’t a guarantee of a successful fit. I’ve found that they will try and sell you a set makeup that they have in stock so they can move inventory more than anything. A custom order doesn’t help them.
A custom or boutique fitting is probably a better experience but exotic shafts can really ratchet up the price of whatever you are looking to get.
I did experience good results after being fit a few times throughout my golfing life but your swing is usually evolving in one way or another. You can either get stronger and more flexible or you can also do the opposite which would affect what would be best for you over time.
At the end of the day if you put a good swing on any club you will get good results. A poor swing on the most perfectly fit club will still yield a bad result.
One final factor is actually you as the person being fit. Sometimes we try to over swing to maybe impress the fitter or sometimes people get nervous when there is someone watching them swing intently and you don’t represent your true stock swing which can also yield an incorrect recommendation.
Some of that fitting money would be better spent on lessons lol.
Totally agree with all of this!
My first fitting was hit a few 7 irons off a lie board then adjust ALL my clubs to the same lie angle. I then went to a real fitting; tested every single club on trackman. Adjusted lie and loft for flight and gapping. Best $130 I ever spent.
That's the kind of fitting story I like to hear.
I'm very interested in getting fit, but I want them to dial my new sticks in to my swing. I don't care about the shaft, head, or brand. I care about the data. For me I think that's the most important part, however I do understand that certain heads just aren't appealing and don't invoke confidence. I think that's the final piece when deciding between multiple heads. At the same time just because it looks great to you doesn't mean it will perform. This is where the fitter needs to step in and steer you to what works. For me personally I've been measured but not fit. My measurements indicate standard lie and length. My swing may indicate something else this is why I want to be fit and to dial in distances and trajectory based on the multitude of shaft options available.
The best way I think to look at a fitting is not as a way to pinpoint an exact head, exact shaft, grip, etc. It's a chance to figure out what kind of equipment is going to work better for you or worse. Difference sole widths, offset, oversized heads, shaft weights, bend profile. All these things can be narrowed down with a fitting and that is really the value in it. Remember, no such thing as a perfect golf club, it's about minimizing variables so you could put together any number of setups and get equally good performance out of them.
I think fittings are more important for the woods than irons, at least for a higher handicapped player such as myself. Like my off the rack irons just fine but finding that fairway first is the best way to lower my score anyway. Popped into a PXG store just to check it out and they squeezed me in for a one club fitting, ended up with an 0211 5 wood with a stock Diamana shaft, reg flex, and I absolutely love it and might have not ordered the right shaft if I shopped online.
Fairway woods are for sure some of the harder clubs to get right. 5 wood is easier than 3 wood but can still be tricky.
As long as your iron lie angles are right, agreed that wood fitting are more important. Wrong iron lie angles will make you hit it very crooked and inconsistently. The adjustable lie angles on woods with detachable heads makes adjusting them easy. Usually a little experimentation will get tht right.
@@bobpegram8042 definitely but a lot of us hackers buy off the shelf. I totally agree that fitting is the best way to go. Never been fitted for irons, but since I have plenty of clubs my wife would think a fitting at this point would be silly.
@@kevinwood1722 - All you need to experiment with faieway wood (or driver) lie angles is an adjustment wrench that usually comes with a wood that has an adjustable hosel. You try the various settings yourself. It will become apparent in a hurry which lie angle makes you deliver the sole of the club flat on the ground (rather than heel up oir toe up). You don't need a fitter for that.
@@bobpegram8042 just seen another video on what you said and never thought too much about it until now, was really focused on getting the right shaft
Independent clubmakers are USUALLY the best. They have to be good or they go out of business. However, an independent clubmaker usually can't offer every brand. He doesn't generate enough business to support all brands. My guess is that you are in that position. He can support several brands and will have plenty of models from each to have a club model with the features that will work well for you, along with the custom fitting for your size, build, strength, swing characteristics, etc.. Unlike a club fitting day, a golf course store, or even some big box stores, a custom clubmaker will will have more options for length, weight, shaft flexes, weights, and bend points, lie angles, etc. Some custom clubfitters will charge for the fitting, but reduce price of clubs by that amount if you buy there. I used to work for a top 100 rated fitter. I later worked for a big box golf store and was surprised by the varying levels of knowledge of the some of the people who were doing fittings at the big box store. Unfortunately sometimes the need for sufficient floor staff over-rode the necessary level of skill in fitting that should have been the standard. A few would ask me very basic questions they should have already known.
Yes. Support local club builders and fitters.
I bought a titleist ts3 8.5 degree head. With no shaft or weight cartridge. I put in a request to be fit for weight and shaft to see if the club can be made to beat my 910D3 which is my current gamer. I cannot simply swap the heads as my ts3 head is lighter and I cannot feel the head at all as I swing. The session price will be deducted if I buy a shaft from them.
PGA Superstore, GolfTec, Club Champion or Golf Galaxy? Which one has the best reputation with golf fitting experience?
Overall I loved the fitting I had at a True Spec location. The one negative I had was in the irons I was fitted into a PX LZ 6.5 125g shaft, which was great. I know they order those shafts separate from the clubs so they get the clubs in with stock, say S300 shafts. They keep those shafts where they can sell them and make more money. Even if club manufacturer has that shaft as a stock option, they will still order them separately.
I even asked for the stock shafts that they came in so I could sell them and when the clubs arrived, nope not in there. I ended up not fighting it, so I guess I am the sucker in this case.
Yep. That is one of many questionable "policies" at these types of fitters.
I always tell them at the time of ordering that I would like the original shafts and have never had a problem in getting them. You paid for them and you OWN them.
Like another commenter asked, as a beginner, shouldn't I have a more consistent swing before I consider a fitting? Or, just get a stock fitting using that Ping chart while swinging my current clubs? Informative video, and any further advice would be appreciated.
I would get the basic fitting specs for sure either way. Length, lie, grip size are all things you want right regardless of ability. Lie angle can change in some cases with better swing but length and grip size will be the same regardless of ability.
I second this reply! Definitely get a basic fitting, but spend money on lessons before you get fit for an spend money on a set that you plan on playing for a while! Good luck out there! 😊
Every time I go to a Dick's their monitor is broken or so out of date, it's not even worth the time.
I watch videos on fitting, hit clubs here and there and piece a set together myself, and have the lie angle set.
Hogan pTx pro irons and wedges. Titleist fairway woods. Ping hybrid. Just changed from Ping G400 to Hogan driver. TaylorMade Tour Response ball.
That is really the best way to do it. Real golf course will always be best for figuring this stuff out.
Hi A.J. just love your content! Keep up the good work.
Is there any king of cheating in big retail stores fitting? I'm asking you because I saw with my very eyes, nobody told me! I was watching a gentleman start a fitting session to buy a new driver. He started hitting his own driver. Ball was spraying all over the place, right, left, high, low.. averaging 180 yards.
Then, the fitter gave him a high expensive brand name, I will not mentioned the brand name, and in the very first swing the gentleman hit a nice draw, 210 yd down the middle, and again and again, with the same spraying-ball swing. Just like magic!
Obviously, he bought the expensive driver immediately and the salesman made his profit.
Is it possible to press some button and the simulator start giving you good shots? Thanks
You can manipulate the course conditions, change the temp or the altitude and cheat the results. You can also change the type of ball being used in the equation though I have never played around with that to see if it could straighten out a wild dispersion. Might need to check into that and make a video depending on what I find out.
All that said, I hate to just assume that the fitter did something questionable. Maybe the customer's driver was just way off for them so they might have seen that kind of improvement. 😅
Great info. Thanks AJ!
Got an appointment the coming Monday at Club Champion for a long game fitting. I hope it's all that I've heard it is as it is expensive!!!
I have been fitted at Club Champion and the result was one of my worst golfing seasons ever, less distance and worse accuracy but I don't want to scare you away from the fitting. I got my fitting in January last year and the 90 day perfect fit guarantee expired before the golf season got started.
If you want to save some money you should state before the fitting that you are on a budget and they will use less expensive shafts. Also after the fitting tell them you want to think about it before you commit to buying. Give yourself some time to figure out if it's worth the investment. Good Luck.
@@larryjonak3617 Thanks for the advice. I will definitely do what you've suggested. I've been "taken" before with shaft snakes and don't want to go through that again. How long did it take to get your clubs done after your fitting? Need the most help with my 3W and 2 Hybrids, but and doing a fitting with the driver also.
@@bryanduchane2371 It took two weeks. They said they couldn't beat my current 3W but I am still playing the 2 hybrids they fitted. I got the Mavrik 3 and 5 hybrid with Fujikura Vista Pro shafts. Part of their thing is to have the shafts pured. I don't know if you can decline the puring or not but it does add some $$$. Personally I don't think it makes any difference.
@@larryjonak3617 I've looked into the puring and believe it is BS. I hope to go and find out what shafts match my swing technique and if they will sell me those what's at a respectable price things will be fine. If not, I'll purchase my own shares that are similar or exact to what they recommend. Do you suggest taking a notebook to write down the shaft recommendations or do they give you something with that after your finished?
This location just opened recently in Myrtle Beach and hope they are wanting to get as many referral clients as they can because they are new to the market. Looking forward to it, but will be cautiously optimistic!!!
I also was fitted at CC (luckily only for a wedge) about 3 years ago before I knew anything about the process. They charged me about 2x retail (I later realized). They also convinced me to "pure" the shaft (which seems to be BS). What I didnt realize was a) you shouldn't feel pressured to buy that day b) they will price match to your local store (they will claim they build it better). My recommendation is to get the fitting, write down all the information, then go price it at your local golf store. If CC will match, then you can decide whether or not to go with them.
Transparent pricing is also important e.g knowing you pay 150$ but spending minumum of xxx$ will make the ftting free is good to know. Got burned on this once, wont happen again.
I wasjuat asking some questions on your last post about this. Please let me know and thank you.
Thank for your informative video.
GOLFTEC is AMAZING with their fittings. They have a LOT of options ranging in price and a lot of grip options. Their head choices are great as well so if you’re on a lower budget, you can tell them that and they will fit around your budget. However, since it’s premium stuff, don’t really expect to spend below 1k, but having a budget of 2k is reasonable and they can work around that.
Jack, I've also had good experiences with Golftec. To be fair, over the years I've also had good luck with Club Champion - specific fitter in each case. In the latter case the fitter sent me away without anything new as the numbers weren't appreciably different than what I already had. I appreciated the honesty (and ended up buying a year later when I found something that WAS better).
@@1andygray the difference with my fitting was I had a bunch of beginner clubs and I must have spent at least $500 on shafts alone. Grips are another $100. I just got tired of it and bought new clubs (I LOVE THEM!!!!) They are a Cobra driver and 3 wood, Ping Irons and Vokey Wedges. All I can say is take your time and realize when you need new clubs like I did.
Another great video but I have a thought/question. WHEN DO YOU GET FITTED IF AT ALL? Players that have a terrible swing may get fitted for a certain flex shaft (Regular) but after lessons and practice, find new speed through a new swing and be better suited for a stiff or firm flex. Should one get lessons first, or get fitted first, or does it not matter?
I personally think of a fitting as measuring someone for length, lie, shaft flex, grip size, set make up. These things should be done regardless of level and they usually don't change much other than flex possibly.
The more elaborate "fittings" where you are looking at numerous heads and shafts combination, really are less fittings and more demoing.
If you are paying for a fitting or planning on spending more on higher end equipment, I think you want a certain level of consistency to justify the cost. Otherwise the basic static measurement type fitting will be plenty for most golfers.
If I tell the fitter that I am looking to buy Mizuno irons for new clubs, will they honor that, or will they tell me to try different brands anyway? I like Mizuno for looks and feel. So if I'm set on Mizuno, how does the fitter react to that?
I would like to know what kind of fitting your every day golfer should get, once a month golfer, avid golfer, weekly league golfer, vs aspiring pro golfer? As a beginner golfer when should I look into fitting? Should I need to be able to show some amount of consistency from certain distances before considering a fitting?
I would want to have a basic fit of your current clubs. Most important being length, shaft flex, grip size, etc. once you get more consistent I would look at another fitting.
I have 2 friends that are 3 and 5 handicaps. Both buy their clubs used on EBay. Neither have ever been fitted and neither are interested in being fitted. I am a bogey golfer, I also have always bought used clubs. I play about a dozen times a year. We all use a little common sense when buying clubs. Getting fitted and buying new sets of clubs is a waste for the average golfer.
Got a high end fitting, the highest. It was an expensive disaster. I'll take some blame. I scheduled in April when my game was not yet in shape. I am very old, Ifelt fitted to my age, rather than my strikes and ball speeds. I am a very good wedge player but they said my wedges didn't fit me. They shortened my driver shaft ( I later learned the do this for everyone over 70). 8 clubs for 4500 bucks. I put a different shaft in the driver and it works fine. I maintain two bags, one at my club and one "road bag". After one year of the fitted irons, they are neither in my home or road bags. My index went up 5 shots before I ditched the expensive iron and the custom wedges. I have a club pro fitting horror story, too. Guess next trick is to try the Superstore, but Im in no hurry. The irons I'm playing are from the year 2000' regrooved andI can hit them where I'm aiming. I will never go near a boutique upscale fitter again.
I’m looking to reshaft my clubs from metal to graphite but I know how to determine the length of each club. Can you tell how I can achieve this for each club
Is there a recommendation of fitting so I can just get specs? I.E length , lie, and shaft flex
Golf retailers like PGA Tour Superstore or Golf Galaxy should be able to get you close. Of course you can also figure out all those things yourself just using some of my videos.
As an amateur club builder, is there a good way for me to fit my irons without all the shaft/head options + Trackman of a professional fitter? I do have a VoiceCaddie s300i launch monitor. I'm a 4 hcp, so should I just go get fit by a professional? Thx.
Similar shape heads will perform similar assuming they have the same lofts. Once you find a head style you like, the brand is of little consequence. Most important spec with any shaft is weight so if you can get that dialed in, that is 80% of the equation.
What can you do about fittings when not available or buying used driver?
Start with this. Help make whatever driver you have better.
ua-cam.com/video/l_zxOHmbLlQ/v-deo.html
Got a different question I think my irons are too upright and may need them 1-2 degrees flatter. I tend to hook them. Can cavity back irons be adjusted?
Usually can get a couple degrees depending on brand. What are they?
I'm interested in the tokomos 101t but since they are direct to consumer and can't demo them nor have a fitter bend them, would getting a general fit be the best option??
Yes, you can take a general fitting and apply the same specs. Just make sure you know what the lie angle on the test club is vs the Takomo stock lie.
Wish i would have seen these videos before. Last year i stupidly went to golf galaxy i wanted a new driver and a new putter. I told him what my previous driver was he only had me test the taylormade sim 2 max nothing else. He didnt try different shafts or lengths or lofts had me hit about 5 balls then immediately said yup thats the club for you. So stupidly i trusted him but then he came back and said he didnt have the sim 2 max head but try just the sim 2 should be the same that threw me for a bit but i figured he is the professional. So i paid $530 for the driver and another 300 for the putter which again he had me hit a couple putts then immediately said yup thats the one for you. Now admittedly i shouldnt have been so blindly trusting but i thought thats what im paying this guy for it says he is a pga professional. So all told im in for well over $1k and they are the absolute worst clubs ive ever had. I took a 250 dollar loss on the driver and cant even give away the damn putter. Ill never go to get fitted again. But thank you for this so that others dont run into the same problems i have.
Unfortunately you can't expect any fitting to be great on it's own. The only way to ensure a successful fitting in my opinion is to do your homework beforehand and take the lead during the fitting so that you can try the combinations you want and not just what they want.
Hello AJ, I removed the brass weight on my g400 hybrids 4,5 and 6. It is much lighter to swing the club but I am not sure if it changes my ball flight. If I reinstall the brass wt. that came with the hybrids, what is the likely outcome?
This will really be golfer dependent. Swing weight changes influence everyone differently. I would just go to the driving range and hit 5-10 balls without the weight and then with. See if you notice any changes in ball flight, distance, consistency. From that you can decide if you want the weight in or not. Also remember you can buy different weight amounts for the hybrid if you want something in-between.
I must have the worst Dick's in the nation for golf. They have two bays with launch monitors, and there is never anyone working in the golf department. The launch monitors & computers are turned off, so you can't even just help yourself. I once spent 30 minutes trying to find someone that could tell me where the grip tape was. The website said they had 5 in stock, but it wasn't on the shelf (and no shelf tag for it) and someone finally told me they had none. I asked why the website showed it in stock and they just scoffed and said the website is always wrong. The nearest Golf Galaxy is over 2 hours away.
Our local Roger Dunn is better - BUT - they just won't do a real fitting. I went there and asked them how their fittings work, and his response was "They're free, so it's first come, first served. Is there something you want to hit?" It wasn't a fitting - he would just let me demo whatever I asked him for. He provided no feedback or recommendations at all, unless I asked him a question. In addition, their launch monitors give you no information on the clubhead - not even clubhead speed. You get only ball information. So, it can be difficult to know whether it is the club/shaft or my swing causing the difference in performance. They were just order takers, not fitment specialists.
Why is a iron fitting more than the others, they usually only fit one club?
Any thoughts on 2nd Swing Golf fittings?
Have not heard any reviews of them. Plenty of bad stories from some fitting companies but I have not heard anything good or bad about them. Maybe someone else here can share their experience??
@@EFGMC closing the loop here. I had an excellent experience with their fitter Kevin Kraft. He listened to the history of my playing, and was also open to letting me try an older second hand club which turned out to be the right fit for me! Wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to others.
They tried to steer me into used irons when I made it clear at the beginning I was interested in new. Used clubs is where they make their money, which is fine if that's what you want, but I was of a certain age and was treating myself. I based my decision on online reviews and a baseline established by a driver fitting with a reputable local shop. No complaints, it doesn't need to be that complicated for your average golfer. I was also rushed at 2nd swing despite making a purchase, "You only have an hour". Glad I knew what I wanted.
The issue I have, is fittings seem to be with just the 7iron, but then how do you sort out the gapping between the clubs?
Practicality comes into play. I hit 7 different 7 irons half a dozen times each with several different shafts per club. And I was gassed. If you did that with every iron, it would take a couple weeks.
BTW, the wedges were fitted separately, just using the sand wedge. With a smaller swing, I could still do that after the iron fitting.
Good evening,
I play a TSI2, with a Tensei Blue 55 stiff with SFW in the shaft.
I am considering an aftermarket shaft.
I swing at 98 mph.
I would like a shaft that I am able to better feel the shaft head load.
Any suggestions?
The Blue profile is usually the one that people can feel the most "load" with. You might want to try dropping a flex to see if that gives you the feel you're looking for.
@@EFGMC what about another brand of shaft?
Graphite design or fujkura?
@@roberthammer2446 Maybe. I can't say. You would need to try them and see how they feel to you. Again though I would look at dropping a flex. Another option would be to add a little weight to the head. This acts to soften the shaft a bit and increases the load feel.
@@EFGMC great idea
Great information. I was planning to go to Club Champion to get a fitting for some new irons - I assume that is considered a high end boutique fitting. Although after listening to this I am leaning now toward Carl's Golfland. I do not want to spend/waste money on some high end shaft I do not need. I just want to try a short list of clubs and maybe a few shafts and know my price going in which I can get off their web site.
Right now I am in the middle of sort of rebuilding my swing from the ground up. Somewhat closer to a single plane but not exactly. My question is, do I really need to have my swing dialed in to get a proper fitting? Or is it based more on my height, arm length, basic stance (i.e. distance from the ball) etc. I am a senior golfer and looking for a game improvement type club so not sure it that makes a difference as well. Your advice would be appreciated. Love you channel and send a lot of people here - just saying.
Fitters will offer suggestions and equipment for *your swing*... if you don't have your swing figured out yet, then the fitting will not be good (unless you end up using the swing you just happen to be using on the day you were fitted.
Figure out your swing, get used to it, then get fitted. Sometimes a lesson goes farther than a fitting.
@@glenngibson1444 Yeah that it my thinking too. Thanks for the input man.
I can offer you my experience. I was down to about a 7 HCP. Had back/hip issues and stopped playing for over a year, then got my second hip replacement (53 years old) in May 2021…started swinging again after 6 weeks and 3 months out from surgery was trying to decide whether to get fitted at that point, or wait until I’ve grooved a swing…decided to go and see what happened. This was late July 2021. COVID was a big factor as supply chain issues were indicating over 6 months in some cases to get clubs, and I wanted them for the spring 2022. My swing wasn’t great and went to Club Champion…going by the Trackman numbers, they fitted me for T200 irons ($185/head) and LA Golf Tour AXS 85R shafts ($170/club shaft upcharge with “puring”). I figured my swing would adapt and they would feel great since I’m paying so much for them…I was totally wrong. Got them in late August 2021 and played all fall with them…couldn’t hit consistently…lots of thin shots, no consistent ball striking (usually a strong point for me)…rehabbed and worked over the winter to get stronger…started up again in the late winter/early spring and still couldn’t hit them at all with any consistency or confidence…went to my local Golf Galaxy and just tried different shaft combos on my own…turns out the Project X LZ 6.0 shaft was absolutely perfect with T100S heads for me. I ordered just the 9, PW, and GW to test them out on the real course with grass…They are absolutely brilliant…feel like an extension of my body and I actually giggled after going out with them 3 times…So, now I’m in the process of replacing all my irons and shafts with the new makeup…moral of the story, if the clubs don’t feel comfortable, don’t just go by the data or get fitted until you have a comfortable swing that you want to use…My mistake is costing me thousands of dollars…hopefully someone out there is looking for T200 irons with LA Golf shafts in them, because they will be up for sale soon…great clubs, just not fit for me….
@@petegalindez9961 Wow Pete what a bummer man. That is exactly the sort of thing I was hoping to avoid. As it ends up I pinched a nerve in my neck back in March so I was not able to go in for a fitting as I had planned - I guess it was a blessing in disguise eh? I am just now getting back into hitting again and really only short game stuff for a few more months. Still that is some good information so I plan to get my swing dialed in before I do go for a fitting. To he honest just thinking about the fitting process gives me anxiety. I have read and heard so many negative things about the process like how they will try to up-sell customers and people paying double the list price. I have already done a ton of research and have a short list of the irons and hybrids I want to try and am not interested in anything other than stock shafts, but do want to try steel versus graphite and senior versus standard flex since I have not bought clubs in years and am a senior golfer now with a slower club head speed. I went to Dick's Sporting Goods the other day just to get hands on with the clubs I want to try and they do club fittings too and for only $30. Yes I know they are not true pro fitters, but they don't carry a ton of shafts other than stock so I can avoid that hassle and they can do a basic fitting for lie and length. Plus they have a launch monitor and I know my way around the data having my own GC3. In the end it might be a less stressful experience so I am seriously considering it since the price is right. If it does not go well I only lose $30 and I am sure I will learn something about the process either way. Money well spent IMO.
Anyway Pete, thanks for taking the time to post this reply, it was very informative and I truly appreciate it. I hope you have recovered from your surgeries and are enjoying some more golf now. Also, good luck selling those clubs. I have sold some old clubs on eBay so you might want to consider that as an option. Take care man.
@@Alan_Edwards Good luck to you and your pinched nerve….I’m still dealing with back issues after the two hip replacements…getting old sucks…but, on the good side, I paid for a full bag fitting, so went back for another session to fit driver/3 wood. I’m ecstatic about my driver. I didn’t get a super expensive shaft in it…I think it was $100 for the Badazz shaft…I guess they figured they got enough out of me with the LA Golf shafts they shafted me for on my irons (9 shafts)…I guess now I know why they are called shafts! LOL…I’ve now been watching all the vidz I can about building clubs and starting to do my own…I’ll build sets for my sons to start (one is lefty and one is righty), and then I’ll be doing my own for now on. I have pretty much all the tools you need to do it, so why not. My best advice, if possible, is go to a Golf Galaxy or Dicks (Dicks owns GG now), or another one like it where you can just hit in a bay free…hit a bunch of different irons you’ve researched AND see if you can get them to put the shafts in them you think work for you….I did that over a 3-4 week period without having to pay a dime. Then, you’ll get a sense of what you like and what you don’t. And in the meantime, you’ll be building up your stamina for hitting balls…Then, when you have your list narrowed to the couple/few you like, if you haven’t figured out exactly what you like by then without paying, do the fitting and see how the numbers look. Since you own a GC3, you know what to look for…ball speed, spin, apex, landing angle, etc., scatter pattern…it’s not rocket science…ALSO, at least what I noticed at my local Golf Galaxy. You used to be able to hit clubs free and see all the data. Now, they turn all that off except for distance. BUT, you can rent out the hitting bay on an hourly rate. I’d probably do that my next time…then you don’t have to deal with the stress of someone watching you, suggesting things, etc…takes out that element….I wouldn’t be afraid to buy from a big box store. As AJ points out, when you go to these exclusive golf fitting places like Club Champion, they charge you retail plus for a club, but you only get the head (the retail price includes a shaft and grip that you’ll never get), and then they charge you another full charge for a shaft, and another full charge for each grip, and then try to push “puring” each shaft on your for another $35 per shaft…AND, the price of the fitting doesn’t go towards your purchase…I really don’t see any upside to these stores at all. I’ve hit enough shafts over the past 6 months to know that for every fancy $100+ shaft out there, there is a standard option or mild upcharge shaft available to get with just about any club you want…or you can at least get the set with whatever shafts/grips they come with, buy shafts separately, take them to a fitter, and for much less money have them put them together…
I put nippon modus 120 s shafts in my irons. Thought these would of been a good fit going from my unfitted regular shafts but the flight is so low on them, I can’t get them up. Should I weaken the lofts 2 degrees. Will this help enough just to get me by til I can get a proper fitting in the future. Thanks in advance.
Changing lofts will always make a bigger difference than any shaft change. Shafts can fine tune things at best.
@@EFGMC okay for now I will weaken the lofts 2 degrees. See if that helps a little bit.
A low kick point shaft will tend to hit the ball higher. Stiff shafts will hit the ball lower than regular shafts, other things being equal (since they don't bend as much). If the loft adjustment still isn't enough look at very tip active shafts. They are available in both graphite and steel.
@@bobpegram8042 Be aware that those low bend point shafts can lead some golfers to hit low on the face and create new issues. Make sure you pay attention to face impact position whenever making shaft changes.
@@EFGMC OK. Point well taken.
if I cut my driver reg flex shaft 1.5 inches, will I notice the change in stiffness? Will this make it too stiff?
I would watch this first. Video I did a year ago on this topic. Kind of depends on your point of view and how much weight you add back if any.
ua-cam.com/video/Juw6aCNlgDE/v-deo.html
@@EFGMC thank you... Do you have an opinion on Mitchell Golf School from Michigan? They have a week certification class to repair clubs.
@@jcjoo I haven't done it so I can't say for sure. Do I feel like you could get the same knowledge from this channel and messing around with some thrift store clubs, for sure.
I don't see any value in a club building certification. That is just a made up thing. It's like a club fitting certification. Either you know what you are doing or not.
@@EFGMC Thank you
i ended up going to a store (3hr drive) and Rep day at a local course, some things to note 2 different monitors were used, indoors my clubhead speed was 94mph on the course 74mph. i had a lot of trouble hitting indoors it felt so restricted. Outdoors was rushed as the reps were packing up, my friend ended up buying from the rep day and it took nearly seven weeks to get his clubs.
My specs are standard so i just ordered from a large store and had my clubs in a week. Note i wish we the consumer could play a few holes on those rep days with different clubs.
After a while hitting balls with the reps on the practice fairway i tend to lose focus with the boredom. There is room for improvement in the trying and purchasing of clubs but in the end manufacturers get their money so they don't much.
I have the same issue when hitting indoors. Feel like you need to shorten everything so you don't hit a wall.