Does it Help to Get Fitted for Clubs If I Can't Break 90?

[Breaking Bad Golf]

On 1/5/2024 at 8:39 AM, DaveP043 said:

In my opinion, players are happy to be hoodwinked, they actively participate in the process.  Many (most?) people would rather spend $500 (an example) on equipment as a one-time cost, expecting a major impact on their game, as compared to spending $500 on lessons and practice, which actually CAN have a major impact.  People like the promise of instant improvement, and don't often like the reality that actual improvement takes actual work.

Now that makes sense. Spend your money on your swing first cause those shinny new clubs even fit perfectly are not going to change your swing at all

On 3/6/2024 at 10:19 PM, pganapathy said:

The one constant I have found is that overall a fitting benefits a high handicapper far more than a low handicapper.  Most low handicappers are talented enough that they could use different clubs and adjust to it within a round.  It isn't ideal but their score wouldn't change a great deal, unlike a higher handicapper.  On the other hand, fitting a high handicapper means they can actually get a decent result regularly.  Of course in OP's case, if the player only uses the clubs once a month and doesn't care about score, then a static fitting for an off the rack shelf is best.  Length, shaft flex and lie if possible.

Club manufacturers love people like you, who actually think it's something other than the swing

[billchao]

1 hour ago, Breaking Bad Golf said:

So some have posted that even high handicappers need fitted, what happens if they improve their swing through lessons or practice. So their swing changed so they need to get fitted again? 

That's kind of a tricky question to answer. For starters, I wouldn't say a high handicap player needs to get fit for clubs. It can help, especially in extreme cases. For example, I've always had a fairly high swing speed compared to your average recreational golfer, even when I first started. My first set of clubs really didn't work for me because they were a collection of random clubs someone bought at a garage sale for me plus some others people had lying around the house that they gave to me. So, in my particular case, it would have helped to have fitted clubs in a minor way. Would it have made the difference between shooting 110 and 100? I doubt it.

But to answer your question, not necessarily. Some things stick with you as your natural tendency, even as you improve. Using myself as an example again, I tend to deloft my clubs quite a bit at impact, which leads to launching the ball lower and with less spin than optimal. That actually hasn't changed as my swing improved. The last set of clubs I bought (I never buy clubs without a fitting anymore) were almost five years ago. It was only last year I started seeing signs that I was launching my driver too high. My irons are still fine.

[ChetlovesMer]

On 3/6/2024 at 10:19 PM, pganapathy said:

The one constant I have found is that overall a fitting benefits a high handicapper far more than a low handicapper.  Most low handicappers are talented enough that they could use different clubs and adjust to it within a round. 

This sounds like a direct quote from True Spec Golf. 

I think it is possible that several things can be true all at once:

1. Fitting is important at every level.
2. Fitting companies have wildly overstated the benefits of a fitting and generally only talk about extreme cases where the golfer had very ill fitted clubs to begin with. 
3. Ture Spec Golf and companies like them have gone to great lengths to convince us that a fitting is critical to improving... Incidentally True Spec Golf and Golf Magazine are owned by the same parent company. So any information about golfers getting fit shown in Golf Magazine has to be taken with a grain of salt. BTW - A similar relationship exists between Golf Digest and GOLFTEC. 
4. The golf industry benefits from people being fit for clubs. Ideally because golfers play better and enjoy the sport more. But also directly because ... see point 3 above. 
5. Often at least when buying new clubs the fitting is either free or reimbursed during the club purchase ... so in all seriousness, why not get fit?
6. A really good fitting can be fun and you will likely also learn something. For example during my recent driver fitting I learned that a launch angle of about 17 degrees seems to be optimum for me gaining the most total distance. 
7. I'm going to suggest that getting a driver fitting is probably the most important. Two reasons; first, there's the most variables with a driver which can be tweaked to improve its performance in your hands. Second, hitting the driver better will provide you with fewer penalties and more scoring opportunities. So, if you are only going to be fit for only one club, get fit for the driver. 
8. If you are going to be fit for only 2 clubs. The second club should be the putter. A properly fit putter can help a lot with aiming it and also with distance control. Which only leaves read. But, if you can't aim your putter or control your distance it becomes way more difficult to learn to read greens. 

I like to say that I do suggest getting fit for all of your clubs. Especially if you are buying brand new clubs. as mentioned in point 5 it is often free anyway. Does anyone disagree with my above list? I'd be interested to hear your feedback. 

[pganapathy]

On 3/15/2024 at 4:05 AM, Breaking Bad Golf said:

Club manufacturers love people like you, who actually think it's something other than the swing

 

20 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

This sounds like a direct quote from True Spec Golf. 

I think it is possible that several things can be true all at once:

1. Fitting is important at every level.
2. Fitting companies have wildly overstated the benefits of a fitting and generally only talk about extreme cases where the golfer had very ill fitted clubs to begin with. 
3. Ture Spec Golf and companies like them have gone to great lengths to convince us that a fitting is critical to improving... Incidentally True Spec Golf and Golf Magazine are owned by the same parent company. So any information about golfers getting fit shown in Golf Magazine has to be taken with a grain of salt. BTW - A similar relationship exists between Golf Digest and GOLFTEC. 
4. The golf industry benefits from people being fit for clubs. Ideally because golfers play better and enjoy the sport more. But also directly because ... see point 3 above. 
5. Often at least when buying new clubs the fitting is either free or reimbursed during the club purchase ... so in all seriousness, why not get fit?
6. A really good fitting can be fun and you will likely also learn something. For example during my recent driver fitting I learned that a launch angle of about 17 degrees seems to be optimum for me gaining the most total distance. 
7. I'm going to suggest that getting a driver fitting is probably the most important. Two reasons; first, there's the most variables with a driver which can be tweaked to improve its performance in your hands. Second, hitting the driver better will provide you with fewer penalties and more scoring opportunities. So, if you are only going to be fit for only one club, get fit for the driver. 
8. If you are going to be fit for only 2 clubs. The second club should be the putter. A properly fit putter can help a lot with aiming it and also with distance control. Which only leaves read. But, if you can't aim your putter or control your distance it becomes way more difficult to learn to read greens. 

I like to say that I do suggest getting fit for all of your clubs. Especially if you are buying brand new clubs. as mentioned in point 5 it is often free anyway. Does anyone disagree with my above list? I'd be interested to hear your feedback. 

I once played a tournament round with a low single digit handicapper who used to win a lot of club tournaments with a self taught swing.  He had a fitted set of clubs and landed up having forgotten to bring his clubs.  He then borrowed a set from a friend who lived close by.  Specs were totally wrong for him.  First couple of holes he struggled but once he understood the swing speed and tempo necessary he improved.  I was chatting with him and he said to me that he understood how the shaft loaded up and was able to play reasonably well.  He may have shot low double digit or possibly high single digit.  He didn't win because he was so much above his handicap and some other low handicappers won gross.  But the thing I noticed was he could adjust his swing to suit the clubs.  Didn't quite get his normal distance and perfect shot shape, but reasonably close.  Try the same thing with a high handicapper and he will struggle.

 

Yes, fitting can be over-rated for some people and companies might be making too much out of selling it a fix for all golfing problems, but there is definitely value in a fitting

[GolfLug]

On 3/14/2024 at 6:21 PM, Breaking Bad Golf said:

So some have posted that even high handicappers need fitted, what happens if they improve their swing through lessons or practice. So their swing changed so they need to get fitted again? 

I'm not sure if they need to spend $4300 at True Spec with spined and pured ultra optimized high end shaftsbut I think hard to argue that some 110 shooter swinging their cousin's x stiff blades shouldn't get GI/SGI sticks from Dicks or GG where some reasonably experienced fitter would set them right enough. Right length, and generally softer flex is low hanging fruit IMO.Easier to get the three shots they are going to hit well accidentally over 18 holes up in the air right?

They are more likely to stick with golf if they hit a few good shots a round rather than getting totally demoralized where they can't get even one shot worth writing home about. 

I would even argue they're much more likely to get lessons if they get at least a basic fitting.

Edited March 16 by GolfLug

[ChetlovesMer]

On 3/16/2024 at 6:05 AM, pganapathy said:

 

I once played a tournament round with a low single digit handicapper who used to win a lot of club tournaments with a self taught swing.  He had a fitted set of clubs and landed up having forgotten to bring his clubs.  He then borrowed a set from a friend who lived close by.  Specs were totally wrong for him.  First couple of holes he struggled but once he understood the swing speed and tempo necessary he improved.  I was chatting with him and he said to me that he understood how the shaft loaded up and was able to play reasonably well.  He may have shot low double digit or possibly high single digit.  He didn't win because he was so much above his handicap and some other low handicappers won gross.  But the thing I noticed was he could adjust his swing to suit the clubs.  Didn't quite get his normal distance and perfect shot shape, but reasonably close.  Try the same thing with a high handicapper and he will struggle.

 

Yes, fitting can be over-rated for some people and companies might be making too much out of selling it a fix for all golfing problems, but there is definitely value in a fitting

I think I agree with your final statement that fittings are often over-rated. I also agree that there is a value in fitting. ... especially since the fitting is often free when purchasing clubs. But I'm not sure what the story you told is supposed to mean or prove. Allow me to illustrate my confusion by also telling a story. 

My father was a terrible golfer. He loved the game, but he was lousy at it. He played off 36 hcp. (Technically it should have been higher, but that was as high as our weekend league would allow.) Anyhow, my Pops would shoot between 105 and 115 pretty much every round at our home course. We also played together in an annual "Hickory Clubs Tournament" for several years in a row. BTW - If you get a chance, play in hickory tournaments. They are a blast. ... Anyway, with hickory clubs which were provided to us when we'd show up, I would shoot several strokes higher than my handicap (which was around 12 at the time.) My dad would shoot the exact same score. He'd be between 105 and 115. So, what's my point? 

So, your "low single digit handicapper who used to win a lot of club tournaments" played with clubs in which the "specs were totally wrong for him" and shot "so much above his handicap". My 36 handicap lousy golfer, would shoot his exact same score using a lump of metal, pinned to a wooden stick. So, who needed fitted clubs more? The low single digit, or the guy who can't break 90? 

So, as to who should be fitted for clubs? My suggestion is everyone. Again its often free anyway.

As to who benefits more a low handicap or a high handicap? I don't know. Both of our stories are one-offs and don't prove anything. I might suggest that a really good golfer will appreciate the difference a fitting can make more than a total hack. Because as you said, your low-single-digit guy understands shaft loading and what not. Everyone, however, should have clubs that are properly fit to their game. I will say in my dad's case no amount of club fitting was going to get him to break 90. The only way he could have broken 90 would have been by taking lessons or getting a pencil with an eraser. Neither of which did he ever do. 

Anyway, good conversation. My clubs are fit for me... as I'm sure yours are. But I did shoot one of the best rounds I've ever played at TPC Sawgrass back about 12 years ago with a set of rentals. ... So, there's that. 

In summary. IMO - Everyone should be fit for their clubs if their budget allows. If you have to choose between being fit for your clubs and finding a great swing coach, always choose the swing coach. ... Again, IMO. Lastly, play hickory tournaments and dress up in period clothing. It's a blast. 👍😁👍👍

My dad and I at the last Hickory Tournament we ever played.