Got a Custom Fitting, Want Some Input

[roejye]

So I won a full bag fitting and $1500 to spend on gear. I'm currently using Cleveland 588 mts with the stock tractionlite shaft at +¼" and 1° flat and getting okay results on course. I was fitted into the Nippon zelos, we only tried regular length. I tried out many different heads with this shaft, pretty much every mainstream manufacturer's game improvement line. No matter what head we tried we couldn't get optimal launch and spin conditions. I'm fully prepared to go to a hybrid 6 iron if needed as 6 iron is the worst of my irons. My issue is that I was seeing misses I haven't seen on the course- tops, s(redacted)s, etc. I'm not too worried about the s(redacted)s as I know I'm not a tour pro and I was very much in my head at the fitting. I was having trouble hitting down, I don't know if I would have taken a divot if I was on the course, which hasn't been a problem on course this year. The amount of tops were my biggest concern, I haven't had any tops since I switched to the +¼". 

As it is a full bag fitting I'm going back and we'll look at some things with irons again. I want to try the +¼" zelos and possibly the 950 gh, and possibly the tt elevate vss, I don't want to spend too much time on irons, because I want to look at other stuff too, specifically putter, and possibly the top of the bag. 

Not looking for recommendations on equipment other than possibly shaft length, and my strategy.

[pganapathy]

A couple of things come to mind.  Firstly, do a comparison with your present clubs so that you can be fit for a set which is better than what you are currently using.  The criterion for that depend on what you want.  Distance, dispersion, accuracy, shot shape, ball flight etc.  Then you should definitely try the clubs out in outdoor conditions that you would normally play in.  A mat can change your strike characteristics, especially if you are aware of it and potentially change your swing.  Third, are you looking at changing everything in your bag or do you only want to augment it with a few changes

[ChetlovesMer]

5 hours ago, roejye said:

I was fitted into the Nippon zelos, we only tried regular length. I tried out many different heads with this shaft, pretty much every mainstream manufacturer's game improvement line. No matter what head we tried we couldn't get optimal launch and spin conditions.

I guess my questions would be:

1. How do you define optimal launch and spin conditions? 
2. If you couldn't get what you want, why were you fitted into those shafts? 

I'd also suggest that chasing spin numbers during an iron fitting is often an exercise in futility. I really think that sometimes golfers get too concerned with iron spin during a fitting. I've talked to guys who've said things like: "These clubs give me 200 more rpm per club." Remember, loft and strike will affect spin numbers with irons more than any other factors. Not only that, but most people will have very different spin numbers off a mat than they will off grass. So, if you are trying to optimize spin, I'm not going to say its a complete waste of time, but its a waste of time. 

As others have said, its always a good idea to bring along your current clubs to a fitting. You can then compare your current irons to the ones you are considering. 

Finally, if there aren't any irons that you hit better than your current irons... perhaps just stick with what you have. 

[billchao]

3 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

If you couldn't get what you want, why were you fitted into those shafts?

@roejye I’m a little confused, too. How were you fitted into those shafts if you couldn’t find a head to match?

[roejye]

I think I wasn't clear in my op. I did hit my current irons at the fitting to get a baseline. Then we tried out a few different shafts that were in my budget and that the fitter thought would fit my game, of those the zelos came out as the best. Should I have maybe tried a little harder to find a different shaft? Maybe. I probably should have spoken up though when I was topping a lot of shots. 

Thinking back now, I also paid too much attention to optimal launch/flight conditions, and didn't pay enough attention to the end result of the shots. I'm probably over thinking it, the 6 iron is the point where my iron play drops off dramatically, I should probably look at a hybrid/hybrid iron like the halo xl there.

[ChetlovesMer]

9 hours ago, roejye said:

I think I wasn't clear in my op. I did hit my current irons at the fitting to get a baseline. Then we tried out a few different shafts that were in my budget and that the fitter thought would fit my game, of those the zelos came out as the best. Should I have maybe tried a little harder to find a different shaft? Maybe. I probably should have spoken up though when I was topping a lot of shots. 

Thinking back now, I also paid too much attention to optimal launch/flight conditions, and didn't pay enough attention to the end result of the shots. I'm probably over thinking it, the 6 iron is the point where my iron play drops off dramatically, I should probably look at a hybrid/hybrid iron like the halo xl there.

A couple of points for you to ponder.

• First, remember it's math not magic. The shaft can help the feel of the iron a bit, but it's not going to turn a top into a flush. Tweaking length, loft and lie can help tame a slice or a hook or help off center hits. But only help and only tame it a bit. You are still going to get out what you put in. 
• I don't ever remember being fit for shaft first and head second. I'm not saying it can't be done the other way around, but I've always settled on a head and then find the shaft that feels the best and perhaps helps me find the center more often. 
• Combo sets are great. I have 4-7 in game improvement irons, and 8-GW in more of a players iron. Then I also have 4, 5, and 6 in very hybrid-ish irons; They are Tour Edge E521 Iron-woods. When I'm not feeling great about my game I like to pull out some of the game improvement style irons and slip in some of the iron woods. Although, I've been feeling good about my game lately so right now the iron-woods are all in the closet. I also have up to 3 true-hybrids I might carry at any time. I have a 3 wood and of course a driver. So, the top of my bag can vary a great deal depending on how I'm swinging, how confident I feel, course conditions, even wind conditions. It's just my opinion, but set make-up is the most under-rated part of a fitting. It's great if you can get your swing-coach involved to help you make decisions on what to stick in the bag. It doesn't make sense to carry a 3-iron if don't feel like you can hit it successfully at least 80% of the time. 
• Don't let anyone tell you gapping is making sure you have regular steps in loft. Gapping is not loft. I say again, gapping is not loft. Gapping is HOW FAR YOU HIT EACH CLUB NO MATTER WHAT THE LOFT IS. You may have 2 clubs that technically have the same loft, but if you hit one 10 or 15 yards farther, that's part of the gapping decision. The same may be true if you have 2 or even 3 clubs that have nice 4 degree gaps in loft; If you hit them all the same distance that's not good gapping. 
• Lastly, is there a hole on your home course where you seem to always have the same shot? I used to play city-league and most of my other rounds on this course that the 15th hole required 155 yard shot nearly every time. When I got fitted I made damned sure I had a 155 yard club in my bag. I didn't want to get to that hole 2 or 3 times a week and be between clubs. The same could be true for any distance. Are you always 110 out? Make sure you get fit for a 110 club. Is there a 205 par-3 where you play. Make sure you have a 205 club. 

Good luck. Enjoy the fitting. New clubs are awesome and getting fit should be fun and educational. 

Keep us posted on how it comes out.

[mohearn]

11 hours ago, roejye said:

I think I wasn't clear in my op. I did hit my current irons at the fitting to get a baseline. Then we tried out a few different shafts that were in my budget and that the fitter thought would fit my game, of those the zelos came out as the best. Should I have maybe tried a little harder to find a different shaft? Maybe. I probably should have spoken up though when I was topping a lot of shots. 

The fitter didn't notice you were topping shots?  I'm still trying to understand, (I plan on going through the fitting process at some point.)  You tried a few different shafts, hit the zelos the best, but still not good? And they're too short, maybe?

Is a fitting session "one and done" so to speak, or can you call up the fitter and figure this out? if I were a reputable fitter, for sure I'd want to make this right, somehow?

[roejye]

On 5/13/2022 at 9:28 AM, mohearn said:

Is a fitting session "one and done" so to speak, or can you call up the fitter and figure this out? if I were a reputable fitter, for sure I'd want to make this right, somehow?

It's definitely not one and done, I'll be going back next week, it is club champion, so depending on who you ask it may or may not be reputable. I'm confident that they'll try their best to get something that works for me. The problem is, I'm just not consistent.

[TourSpoon]

On 5/12/2022 at 10:35 PM, roejye said:

Thinking back now, I also paid too much attention to optimal launch/flight conditions, and didn't pay enough attention to the end result of the shots. I'm probably over thinking it, the 6 iron is the point where my iron play drops off dramatically, I should probably look at a hybrid/hybrid iron like the halo xl there.

The guy fitting you is the only one who should be thinking during your fitting. It sounds like you have a little analysis paralysis going on and it is making you a little crazy. Your fitter should be looking at the ball flight, spin, and landing angles for the irons you are hitting. Honestly, after a few decent swings, the guy should have a clue about what profile you need and then work to find what works best for you. 

Don't get bogged down with 1/4" and minute adjustments until you get something that works and you feel good about. My suggestion is to go in and keep an open mind. If you don't like what they recommend, go get what you want and figure it out. 

[roejye]

So I went back for another part of my fitting. I didn't have a good swing in my first session, and I let some minutae get into my head. So I came here for some advice. I want to thank everyone for their advice on the last thread. I especially want to call out something @TourSpoon said "The only person that should be thinking is the fitter," I went into this session with that in mind. 

After the warm-up, I hit the shaft and iron combination that we decided on zelos shaft with Cleveland launcher xl head. With the better swing and mindset, the results were much better. I was making good contact, getting good results. It felt good too, the zelos felt solid despite being so light. They were easy to swing, definitely a good club for those off days. Then we moved on to driver, which I'll swing back to.

After driver we went to putters. I found out that my swing, which I thought was straight back and through, actually had a slight arc and the face balanced putter I am using is not the best fit. Technically I need something with 30-45° of toe hang. I ended up going with an Odyssey eleven tour lined with stock shaft and grip. I rolled it quite well and had good pace control.

Now I'll circle back to drivers. This is where we kind of screwed up. We paid attention solely to performance and not budget. I got fit into a Diamana pd, $400 through them, and kinda surprisingly, looking online not too overpriced, I've seen it as low as $300 but usually around the $360. It felt sooooo good though. Plan A is to go back and try some more budget friendly shafts with the same profile, plan B is to try and sell off some old gear to offset the cost and save up.

I guess my question this time is what shafts have the same profile as a Diamana pd, for ideally a quarter of the price, but more likely half the price.