Golf Set: Buy Through Club Champion or Try Building Yourself?

[Sillysavage25]

Hey everyone, 

I just had a question. Is it better to buy a golf set after getting fitted through Club Champion or save the money with using the recommended fitting data by Club Champion getting the shafts through another source like ebay then taking it somewhere else to build the clubs? I know I could just buy the shafts from ebay for much cheaper and then get it built at golf galaxy but then the specs get all whacked with swing weight etc. What are your personal honest opinion on this? 

[dennyjones]

How much are you willing to spend?   I bought from CC and although I'm extremely happy with my clubs, I'd find an alternative.   My example...I was fitted at the CC near Detroit (great experience) but last year I stopped at Miles of Golf in Ann Arbor asking if they could come close to replacing a club If I ever needed one replaced (I don't).   They said they could get the club and the upcharge for the custom shaft would only be about $20.   I paid significantly more.

[Sillysavage25]

Honestly, I don't want to spend an arm and a leg. Is it possible if I bought the heads and shafts for a cheaper price from an outside source then bring it to Club Champion for them to build? 

[txgolfer45]

I bought through CC but we placed an order through Ping for the specs we came up with.  Ping is assembling the clubs.

[dennyjones]

@Sillysavage25, have you been fitted yet?   Give them a price range you are willing to spend.   They can meet your budget.

[iacas]

Any qualified club fitter can build clubs and verify lofts, lies, etc.

[Adam C]

5 hours ago, iacas said:

Any qualified club fitter can build clubs and verify lofts, lies, etc.

No they can't. Club fitters may also be club builders, but that is a pretty big assumption. There are far more fitters out there than actual club builders who know what they are doing. Also don't assume that a club fitter knows how to properly measure a club's lie/loft, etc.

From my understanding, CC does not even build clubs in individual store locations. They build them all in Chicago and then ship them out from there.

[dennyjones]

15 minutes ago, Adam C said:

From my understanding, CC does not even build clubs in individual store locations. They build them all in Chicago and then ship them out from there.

This was my experience

[Sandy Divot]

I know a couple local fitters, along with a Titleist fitter that I trust. They all use some sort of radar, but they also do their fittings outside. I trust number, but I also like to see how the ball flies. I don't think I would really like an inside fitting, and I know I wouldn't like how much CC costs. That is purely my opinion, and I'm sure a lot of guys have the exact opposite opinion.

[iacas]

52 minutes ago, Adam C said:

Club fitters may also be club builders

That’s what I meant. Club builders. Any club builder can assemble and verify stuff. You pay a lot to buy via CC.

[Adam C]

20 hours ago, Sillysavage25 said:

Hey everyone, 

I just had a question. Is it better to buy a golf set after getting fitted through Club Champion or save the money with using the recommended fitting data by Club Champion getting the shafts through another source like ebay then taking it somewhere else to build the clubs? I know I could just buy the shafts from ebay for much cheaper and then get it built at golf galaxy but then the specs get all whacked with swing weight etc. What are your personal honest opinion on this? 

Feel free to send me what they spec out for you. I have never personally done a CC fitting as I have some issues with their entire fitting belief, however I have seen enough fitting results and heard feedback to have a good understanding of how they work. Specifically on the upselling of shafts. Seems like a whole lot of people end up "needing" premium shafts that aren't even offered by the OEMs. Interested to see what they come up with for you.

[jmanbooyaa]

Do amateurs, weekend golfers high capers or whatever really need or will benefit from such a shaft? It seems the manufacturers would place shafts on the clubs that most golfers can handle and get solid results. 
 

I could be wrong. Don’t really know. Interested to hear some comments. 

[luchnia]

38 minutes ago, jmanbooyaa said:

Do amateurs, weekend golfers high capers or whatever really need or will benefit from such a shaft? It seems the manufacturers would place shafts on the clubs that most golfers can handle and get solid results. 
 

I could be wrong. Don’t really know. Interested to hear some comments. 

To me this is a great question. If a weekend warrior wants to be fitted does he or she really need the super high-end stuff? Would not decent middle-of-the road equipment provide them good service?

I went to one fitter to look at what I was doing with my driver because I was too wild with it and the first thing he asked me was how much do I want to spend, which I really appreciated. I told him the amount and he worked toward providing me a solution that would fit my budget. You can't beat that because he does not mislead you.

I went out to the range and warmed up, then he came out and watched me swing some and we talked a bit. Next he went inside and did some shaft changing on some drivers and brought out three drivers and said hit each one these some. One of them was on the money for me at my stage of learning.

He only charged me for the equipment and gave me a discount on top of that. From my opinion he did a good job for the amount of money I was spending. He also said I could come back later as my game improved and he would re-evaluate and trade-up if I wanted.  

[trombettista_vecchio]

I use the Force to choose equipment and specs. Then I order from TGW.

Works as good as anything else. I decided that I wanted my G700 4-PW  ½" long and 2º flat (orange dot) to get the aid of a little extra length with those extra strong lofts.  I got the GW standard length (35½") and only 1º flat (red dot).  Seems to work out fine.  I had to lengthen the SM7s to get them up to 35½" to match the GW. 1º flat with them, too.

How can one play for decades and not instinctively know how to fit him/herself?  Bobby Jones didn't need launch monitors. 

 

[iacas]

5 minutes ago, trombettista_vecchio said:

Works as good as anything else.

Hmmmm.

[trombettista_vecchio]

5 minutes ago, iacas said:

Hmmmm.

Our man iacas seems skeptical!

[iacas]

Just now, trombettista_vecchio said:

Our man iacas seems skeptical!

I'm not skeptical. That implies that I have some doubt about what you said. I don't. I'm certain of how I feel about what you said.

[trombettista_vecchio]

1 minute ago, iacas said:

I'm not skeptical. That implies that I have some doubt about what you said. I don't. I'm certain of how I feel about what you said.

Fair enough.  I got fitted for Kenneth Smith clubs many years ago.  I don't know if you remember them, but they were top shelf. 

Most irons now, in addition to being two clubs stronger in loft relative to the club number, are also 1º upright relative to length.   I just order clubs that I know will feel familiar.  If there's enough length to handle the strength of the loft, I just go 1º flat after reading the standard specs.  If there isn't, as is often the case today, I go a half-inch long and two degrees flat.

Shafts? Senior flex is too torquey and I hit too high and spray.  Stiff flex and I hit low and lose carry. Regular was fine with Aldila NV Pro 105s, and now it's fine with AeroTech SteelFiber i95s.

I don't wear a glove so only wrap type grips are OK. I've tried a couple of extra wraps but standard size works best.

It's not rocket science.  Launch monitors are for other people. I'm happy with what I do.  I'm sure others have benefited from the new ways.  I don't disparage fitters.