Questions about fitted clubs

[jmanbooyaa]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmanbooyaa

What?

Most hackers I see, (sorry, new golfers) don't have a consistent enough swing or setup to get a good fitting for anything more than length when they start. Personally I think they're wasting their money, but it's their money.  If someone is absolutely convinced that off the rack clubs with standard lofts, lies and an R or S shaft aren't good enough, they'll never be satisfied. I think I just figured out who the Golf Diges Hot List is aimed at..

I don't mind being called a hacker you have to start somewhere to improve. My concern is that I will be talked into crap I don't really need that's why I was asking because I am to new to golf to know what half the crap they are talking about has to do with anything. I am finding out that you get what you pay for and golf equipment is very addicting. I am 6'2 and have no idea if standard length clubs are ok and was measured for grips and was told I was a mid size border line over size grip so I had mids put on my clubs(i am a sucker I guess) and still am not sure if that is correct. Just don't want to be taken advantage of because I am new to a sport.

[BDMplayer910]

Originally Posted by jmanbooyaa

Maybe I was to general. I have only been playing for a few months(August 2010). I bought a set of X-20's and now am on this site sitting idle due to snow and was just curious how to weed out the bull of someone who just wants your money. I go to Golfsmith and am thinking of trying out Golftec for a few lessons and I think they offer a free club fitting and don't want to fall into well a money scheme of sorts if that makes sense. New to golf and listen to those who should know and hope they do right by me can be a long shot and expensive. Thanks for the response.

Welcome to the game! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do and hate it less than I do as well!

Take some lessons, once you get a grasp on how you tend to swing and such is important, and Golftec has some really great instructors. If they give you a club-fitting, that's great. But I would personally recommend taking a few lessons before you are fitted. A lesson will never do you harm, but rushing into customizing can. If you are that new, you will most likely have a different swing very often. Once you get down the basics and are able to swing consistently and to your level of satisfaction (some of us are never satisfied!). Get fit once you know you are really into the game. I find that with people who just picked up the game, a custom fit set of clubs will not make a difference, as your swing will be different quite often.

Take it slow, no need to rush into a fitting. Take lessons and learn the ropes, good luck! Glad to see you picked up the most frustrating and irritating yet so beautifully exhilarating game on earth!

[jmanbooyaa]

Thanks. I am really enjoying the sport so far and find it very frustrating. No plans for new clubs for the foreseeable future(maybe a new putter, new wedge, or hybrid). Was just curious about what to look for or be aware of.

[WUTiger]

Quote:

... I should have stated make sure you are fitted by either a PGA certified professional or a renowned club fitter. When I was fit for a driver in November, I felt as if I knew more than the gentleman fitting me, however, that being said this is my personal opinion ...

Know what you mean. In shops where I found I knew a lot more about club-fitting and design than the staff, I generally make a polite but quick exit.

GG is a large organization, and possibly not all their shops have the experienced staff of the ones I visit.

You have experience working in a pro shop, so I appreciate your comments.

[Stretch]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Most hackers I see, (sorry, new golfers) don't have a consistent enough swing or setup to get a good fitting for anything more than length when they start. Personally I think they're wasting their money, but it's their money.  If someone is absolutely convinced that off the rack clubs with standard lofts, lies and an R or S shaft aren't good enough, they'll never be satisfied. I think I just figured out who the Golf Diges Hot List is aimed at..

Not sure I agree with this. The rule of thumb I've heard is that the amount of improvement golfers can expect from getting properly fitted is inversely proportional to their handicap, so it's actually most important for those who are just starting out. The analogy is often made with a shoe store that carries 100 different styles, but only in size 9-1/2. Who would think that was a satisfactory offering?

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by Stretch

Quote:

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Most hackers I see, (sorry, new golfers) don't have a consistent enough swing or setup to get a good fitting for anything more than length when they start. Personally I think they're wasting their money, but it's their money.  If someone is absolutely convinced that off the rack clubs with standard lofts, lies and an R or S shaft aren't good enough, they'll never be satisfied. I think I just figured out who the Golf Diges Hot List is aimed at..

Not sure I agree with this. The rule of thumb I've heard is that the amount of improvement golfers can expect from getting properly fitted is inversely proportional to their handicap, so it's actually most important for those who are just starting out. The analogy is often made with a shoe store that carries 100 different styles, but only in size 9-1/2. Who would think that was a satisfactory offering?

It may depend on how "new" the new golfer is. I agree with getting a static fitting, but other than that, what is a brand new golfer getting fitted for? Swing speed? Swing type (digger, slider, flat or upright swing) or static measurements? I suggest getting something used, forged, with R shafts, and with a slightly rounded sole and leading edge. Forged irons can be adjusted for a changing swing. A new golfer getting fit in a box store is likely getting something designed to get the most distance and height possible with a generallyh weak and flawed swing. The type of swing that many golfers never seem to shake.

Continuing with shoe analogies, a brand new golfer getting custum fitted golf clubs is like buying perfect fitting winter boots for a toddler on the first cold day of autumn. Pretty soon they'll outgrow them and there's probably going to be a bigger pair under the tree at Christmas. But maybe I'm biased since, like the OP, I'm 6' 2", yet I've always used standard loft and lie clubs.

[TourSpoon]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stretch

Quote:

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Most hackers I see, (sorry, new golfers) don't have a consistent enough swing or setup to get a good fitting for anything more than length when they start. Personally I think they're wasting their money, but it's their money.  If someone is absolutely convinced that off the rack clubs with standard lofts, lies and an R or S shaft aren't good enough, they'll never be satisfied. I think I just figured out who the Golf Diges Hot List is aimed at..

Not sure I agree with this. The rule of thumb I've heard is that the amount of improvement golfers can expect from getting properly fitted is inversely proportional to their handicap, so it's actually most important for those who are just starting out. The analogy is often made with a shoe store that carries 100 different styles, but only in size 9-1/2. Who would think that was a satisfactory offering?

It may depend on how "new" the new golfer is. I agree with getting a static fitting, but other than that, what is a brand new golfer getting fitted for? Swing speed? Swing type (digger, slider, flat or upright swing) or static measurements? I suggest getting something used, forged, with R shafts, and with a slightly rounded sole and leading edge. Forged irons can be adjusted for a changing swing. A new golfer getting fit in a box store is likely getting something designed to get the most distance and height possible with a generallyh weak and flawed swing. The type of swing that many golfers never seem to shake.

Continuing with shoe analogies, a brand new golfer getting custum fitted golf clubs is like buying perfect fitting winter boots for a toddler on the first cold day of autumn. Pretty soon they'll outgrow them and there's probably going to be a bigger pair under the tree at Christmas. But maybe I'm biased since, like the OP, I'm 6' 2", yet I've always used standard loft and lie clubs.

Sean, you should be charging for this custom fitting...oh well, another customer gets a free one.

I still maintain that you have to have some kind of game to see real improvement from the "Uber Fitting" that you hear so much about.  For the guy starting out, getting "fit" for the basics such as general shaft flex, grip size, length, and lie will suffice and it shouldn't cost you an arm and a leg.  Oh, the biggest fitting piece should be forgiveness vs a players club so the beginner actually has a chance to have some fun learning the game.  Beyond that, you don't need some guy telling a 30 capper that the Tour Palooza V7 in a senior flex with a reinforced butt tipped one inch with mid torque and a low kickpoint are needed to get the best dispersion rate from the 12.25 degree Gorilla Bomber head.  The point is, go learn the game with something that you can learn with and then as you progress and get a swing start tailoring your equipment to your game.  Good luck!

[jmanbooyaa]

Club flex, length, and grip size make sense to have fitted correctly. Why not as a new golfer get all the help you can with the basic clubs. After being on this site for a bit and reading some posts I did end up going to Golfsmith a few weeks ago to have my swing speed measured and to hit a few different drivers(TM driver head had cracked and was getting a new one) I hit at a very low swing speed of avg. 86mph. Went from a stiff flex TM Burner to a Cleveland DST Launcher regular flex and had my grip size measured with mid size grips. 2 minor things but when I was in SC I played 3 times(weather was awful) and was hitting more fairways with my drives.

[Stretch]

Don't stress about your swing speed, it is actually right on the average for male golfers. The bad news is your new driver probably* doesn't have enough loft for you. Anyone swinging under 90mph, even with a slightly upward angle of attack, needs at least 13 degrees of loft to maximize their total distance. This is due partly to the initial launch angle and partly to the fact that higher-lofted clubs impart more backspin -- which is your friend as a "slower" swinger. Backspin creates aerodynamic lift, which keeps the golf ball in the air longer, which should be your priority. * Unless you got the 12 degree head. The OEMs know that men won't buy drivers with high numbers stamped on them for ego reasons. So they often deliberately "err" on the side of more loft. I have a 10.5 degree G15 head, for example, that has a true loft of 12.6 degrees. Your DST is also far too long for you if it's off the rack. Any possible distance to be gained from playing a 46" shaft is far outweighed for an average golfer by the yards you're giving up on off-center hits, let alone missed fairways etc. Consider this, a swing robot hitting the same head and shaft at 90 mph generates all of 0.8 mph more ballspeed with a 46" driver than with a 42" driver. This is good for a massive 1.3 yards extra carry. By comparison, a normal golfer will lose about five yards of distance for every 1/4" by which he misses the precise sweet spot of his driver face. Most higher handicappers will hit a shorter driver both further and much straighter, which is a nice twofer. Here endeth the sermon. I learned these simple things by getting properly fitted myself and would recommend the same to anyone else interested in getting the most out of their particular game. :-)

[jmanbooyaa]

Thanks for the info Stretch. I have got the DST in 10.5 as that is what the salesman recommended. I hit a few clubs that day kinda wish I went with the Macgregor driver. Golfsmith was offering a free fairway wood or hybrid with driver purchase. But never the less I chose the Cleveland DST to match my DST 5 wood. Don't suppose my height has anything to due with what you said about the club being too long for me? I'm 6'2. Anyway thanks for the info always nice to receive solid information. I plan on playing the entire season with the driver, wood and iron set up I have. If I add another wedge putter or hybrid its because i am obsessive and bored and truely believe they will help me. Ha ha

[Stretch]

As far as height goes, the rough measurement is wrist-to-floor. Stand up straight, feet shoulder width apart, arms hanging loosely at your side and have someone mark the position of the first crease between your hand and the inside of your arm against a door frame or whatever. If it's over 42" then congrats you're a T-Rex and go ahead and play the DST at 46". If it's less than 40" -- and you're not a really, really good ball striker -- then think hard about going to get your driver cut down (from the butt end) to 44.5" or less.

[lumpuckeroo]

Originally Posted by ronaldkuntoro

I just don't trust Golf Store to do fitting for me.   I would rather find a Custom clubmaker in my area to do fitting for me.   Then he can go building a set of iron for me.

Just make sure you are fitted for:

1. Golf shaft Flex and model

2. Iron length

3. Lie Angle

Those 3 are the most important for iron fitting.

I would agree, I've been "fitted" by some of the major golf store franchises and don't feel they are nearly as complete as a custom clubmaker.

[tweaky]

You guys ever heard of Tom Wishon?  His credentials are so good even Titleist wanted him for their R&D; team.  look into his books for good, factual, info on fitting.  i have a copy of his Common Sense Clubfitting that is a great read for anyone.  need a copy?