Club fitting

**Leek** · October 17, 2007

I have struggled to control the clubface for years. I never knew when I would hook or pull the ball, and didn't really know why. Often when afraid of the left ball, I would hit a push or sometimes a slice, especially with the driver.

I recently decided to get new irons, so I went to my local professional and scheduled a fitting session. We started with my irons, then moved to test clubs.

I brought a selection of clubs from my main set, backups and another set. He had me hit balls on a lie board with various clubs from my sets first. Every single one was 2 degrees too upright, but I was hitting reasonably straight shots! Then he started testing different lie angles until we found the one that soled properly at impact. He commented I was blocking and quitting my pivot with my irons to keep them straight, and every time I actually completed the pivot and swung left with my irons, the ball would go left.

To clear up any misconceptions, I had been fit several years ago by a manufacturer "tech " rep at a demo day. It might have been right at the time, or I may have suffered from letting a saleperson fit me instead of a professional.

Aha! I realized that if I swung that way with the driver it would go right! Then I got new irons properly fit, and what do you know- I only need one swing and it hits the ball farther and straighter!

I cannot imagine how much I restricted my ability to improve through improperly fit clubs!

**jorgesgolf** · October 17, 2007

A quick question: How much did this fitting cost (if you don't mind me asking)? How long did it take? Did you have any expectations about what was going to happen and did you shop around at all?

Jorgesgolf

**Jaybone** · October 17, 2007

A quick question: How much did this fitting cost (if you don't mind me asking)? How long did it take? Did you have any expectations about what was going to happen and did you shop around at all?

I just had the same type of fitting 2 weeks ago. It would have cost me $30 if I didn't buy the clubs from them. My club pro spent just over an hour with me,after the fitting he gave me a mini fine tuning of my swing. I didn't really know what to expect,but was happy with my the outcome. I ended up having them order me a set,it cost me more however in this case I really wanted to support my local,hometown guy.

**Leek** · October 17, 2007

A quick question: How much did this fitting cost (if you don't mind me asking)? How long did it take? Did you have any expectations about what was going to happen and did you shop around at all?

I did call around. The range is huge. A local clubfitter quoted me $30. Hotstix in Phoenix is $400. I considered finding a local clubfitter so I could shop for the irons myself. In the end, my club pro did it for free. I asked him how much I owed, and he responded, "It's on me. I hope you will buy clubs from me." I did buy a set of Srixons from him after that, AND when I found my own set of TourStage, he wrote out my specs, called a club repair guy he trusts and sent me there. I paid the clubmaker myself and he even gave me a discount because of the call from my pro. Now to be perfectly honest, he charges $4 per club for loft and lie adjustment and he only charged me $3 per club, so the discount was a whopping $8.00, but it was a very nice gesture.

As far as the Srixons, they did cost me about $100 more than I could have purchased them from a dealer in the south. The club pro did charge me less than Golfsmith, Golf Galaxy or Edwin Watts would have charged. Those places are very expensive.

**jorgesgolf** · October 17, 2007

That sounds like a good deal. I'm a little surprised that one could get a fitting for as little as $30, but I also imagine that in addition to the price, there is also variability in what the fitting entails. Leek, did you also find that different places did their fittings differently and some provided say, multiple iron configurations (different shafts from which to try), whereas others just did a loft and lie test and sent you on your way (Hotstix not counting of course b/c that it really top of the line)?

I also did a driver "fitting" at a Golfsmith recently and was not impressed. First, I believe that I cannot effectively replicate my driver swing when I am inside hitting into a net (not their fault). They did analyze my swing on a launch monitor and measured backspin, swing speed and shot dispersion, which is good. However, they had me try a number of off the shelf drivers with stock shafts and only varied the flex of the shaft. When I asked about other shafts, they said that the manufacturer tested these specific shafts for this clubhead (in this case TaylorMade 460) and so changing the shaft may result in the club not performing optimally. So I ended up with a driver I think I need to return b/c the shaft flex is incorrect and my shot dispersion was nothing like what they had calculated on the computer. When I went to talk to them about it, they said I could go through another fitting, but I said "Why would I want to do that? You fit me incorrectly the first time, what's to stop it from happening again?"

Jorgesgolf

**hamletsdead** · September 18, 2008

I've never been fitted before, but today I was talking with a friend of mine who had all his clubs made by a clubfitter, and he was raving about how this guys spent a whole morning with him at the range watching him hit various clubs and different types of shafts, then did the same thing with a launch monitor at his shop and then built him a custom set of clubs -- driver, fairway woods, hybrids, and irons -- with what he judged to be optimal loft and lie. And the loft spacing was exactly what this guy said it was, because he made the clubs and measured it himself.

AND it didn't cost more than a new set of high-end Callaways. Of course, his clubs don't have a snazzy name brand on them, but who cares what kind of clubs you use? Only the same guys who obsess over their neighbor's new car and how much it cost.

I just got new irons a couple weeks ago and now I'm convinced I should go have this guy check the loft and lie, and adjust it if necessary.

**socalsharky** · September 18, 2008

A few days ago, I had a woods and irons fitting done at an outdoor range. The fee was $85 for the session, which lasted about two hours. I started out hitting my own clubs, and then moved into hitting 6-irons of pretty much every game improvement set out there. After that, I hit drivers and fairway woods. There was no pressure to buy. However, I had done a lot of prior research regarding prices, and this facility had the same prices on all of the popular stuff as Roger Dunn, tgw, and Golfsmith. I ended up buying a set of Taylormade Burner Plus irons with the 3/4 hybrids. I love the clubs, and knowing that I hit pretty much every club out there will eliminate any second guessing for the foreseeable future.

In short, I highly recommend getting a clubfitting done at an outdoor range.

**hamletsdead** · September 19, 2008

The clubfitter I spoke to today told me that as far as cost goes, his entire service to build a set of fitted clubs -- including all consultation time and adjustment sessions -- runs from $70 - $120 per club, depending primarily on shaft selection. One caveat, of course -- if you want to put $300 graphite shafts in your woods, then those clubs are going to price out a bit higher. But it seems to me that $120 per club is quite reasonable given the multiple test sessions and swing videos and range trips and loft/lie adjustment and shaft consultation and tweaking etcetera that appears to be involved in the process -- that's about what you pay per club for a new Callaway iron, and unless you get your set custom made you're stuck buying a full 3-PW set, which includes a 3-iron and PW that you probably won't end up using (and maybe a 4-iron as well). All in all, going to a clubmaker seems like a smart move, especially if he's going to special fit you with KZG clubheads on a shaft that has been selected for you based on how you hit that particular shaft rather than your own "guesstimate" that the flighted rifle 5.5 shafts would work best for you.

**erwintrace08** · September 19, 2008

Anybody here try Hotstix in Phoenix? I've never been to AZ, but my neighbor down the street said he got his clubs fitted there.

If it's $400, anyone know "if the juice is worth the squeeze?" Sounds pricey vs. that $30 quite.

Thanks,
e

**socalsharky** · September 19, 2008

Anybody here try Hotstix in Phoenix? I've never been to AZ, but my neighbor down the street said he got his clubs fitted there.

Hotstix has their mobile fitting trailer set up every day at Tijeras Creek in Rancho Santa Margarita. They're not too busy from what I see. When they first set it up, the guy offerered me a free fitting, during the first week. I didn't have time to make it over there though. Drop by, and I'll bet they will cut you a deal.

**erwintrace08** · September 20, 2008

Thanks. I didn't even realize that was Hotstix when I went to the range last Saturday AM. I live right down Antonio.

That back 9 is pretty challenging.

Erwin

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