So I was fitted today...

[tehdeuce]

I was fitted today and was able to see my shot pattern on a variety of clubs. An extremely common feature of my shot pattern was to hit the ball a bit toward the heel side of the club. We shortened the club about 1/4 to 1/2 and this helped with my hits. The fitter also figured me to need 2* flatter in my irons. I'm 5'9 with 33.5 wrist to floor.

My iron swing speed was measured between 80-95mph. I hit about 96, 97 a few times. When I swung nice and easy, I would be around 81-86. He fitted me in stiff shafts for my irons.

My driver was also measured into the 100's. Stiff flex here as well. On a 10.5 degree G10 I was hitting the ball 270-290, but lots and lots of spin. Moved me the 9* and I was not getting over 240, but at this point I was a bit tired and not making very good contact.

The fitter, who is a scratch golfer, told me that i struggled with my release of the hands, and thus caused me to lead with the heel of the club, thus heel hits.

What can I do to change my pattern to making better contact? I am sure lessons will help me with my overall fundamentals, but my swing felt pretty good, just the same old problem - open club face with weak release causing these heel hits.

Does anyone have any thoughts or tips or comments?

Thanks,

B

PS, the clubs I hit the best and felt best using were the Mizuno MP-57

[wrx_junki]

Hmm I am about 5' 9" but my wrist to floor is around 35". I've been playing standard Ben Hogans and Ping Eye 2 red dot. Wonder if I'll benefit from a fitting.

[m11]

im also 5'9'' and the irons that i just ordered are 3* flat

[odstore]

Have someone hold a club with the grip about 4 inches from your hands at address and hit a few balls. See if that doesn't keep your hands close to your body and keep you from heeling shots.

[Cheez-It]

would fitting ur clubs make that huge of a difference? I have looked into it, but am unsure.

[m11]

would fitting ur clubs make that huge of a difference? I have looked into it, but am unsure.

If you give Tiger Woods a set of discount clubs and what he has...the difference would only be a few strokes.

The difference for an amateur can be much more apparent. Specifically, you need to be sure you are fitted for the proper shafts and club lengths and lies. Also, golfers actually hit different brands of clubs better than others. I'd certainly recommend getting fitted.

[tehdeuce]

I'd say it was well worth getting the fitting. Even if you have a decent idea about what you *should* be hitting, you still still learn a lot about your swing and different clubs. The person who fit me, who happens to be a scratch golfer, was able to give me some swing tips as well.

I think it was constructive, not perfect, but golf never is....

[$2 Nassau]

That's great. Glad you had it done. This is my 5th year playing golf and I just got fitted about a month ago. Why I waited so long I have no idea.

6'4" tall, crouching over constantly to hit my irons, never again!!

[gills]

That's great. Glad you had it done. This is my 5th year playing golf and I just got fitted about a month ago. Why I waited so long I have no idea.

how much longer are your clubs now?

[jonanator]

I have some clubs that I have played for a few years, sorta beat up now, but it is just the appearance I think, the playability is the same. Would it still be worth it to go for a fitting? or shall I just get a fitting next time I guy clubs (in maybe a year or 2). Also, what if I buy used clubs? Is the fitting process still the same?(other than buying new shafts instead of ordering shafts with the new clubs)

[$2 Nassau]

how much longer are your clubs now?

+1/2" and a lie angle of 2 degrees upright. huge difference.

[gills]

+1/2" and a lie angle of 2 degrees upright. huge difference.

ok, I'm 6' 1" and my wrist to floor is 36". When I went to my 3 day golf school last year they said that i would benefit from a 1/2" longer club after measuring me. But, I just had clubs made for me at golfsmith and he said that i didn't measure for a 1/2" longer. He said i was almost on the border for 1/4".

I'm confused to say the least. I told him to make them 1/2" longer anyway, so i picked them up yesterday and played a round on a par 60 course and I never hit my irons better. Amazing (snake eyes 675XC irons, GP DD2 midsize grips, TT DG superlite S300 shafts, ). Here's the catch, after the round, just to check that the clubs were longer than my old, I compared them and to my surprise they are the same length?! My old set was a standard complete Wilson prostaff club set and surely they aren't sold in longer lengths. So now, I don't whether to go back and complain or to keep them the way that they are. I think i need to go there and compare them against more clubs. What do you think?

[$2 Nassau]

ok, I'm 6' 1" and my wrist to floor is 36". When I went to my 3 day golf school last year they said that i would benefit from a 1/2" longer club after measuring me. But, I just had clubs made for me at golfsmith and he said that i didn't measure for a 1/2" longer. He said i was almost on the border for 1/4".

Hmmmm. Well, before you complain...I just went to the Wilson website and browsed their current sets or irons and looked at the specs. Just looking at the 5-iron, which these days is typically 37.75" as being "standard." The key word being "typically" because different manafacturers have their own definition of "standard" but from what I've seen 37.75 is very common.

Wilson sets were mostly 38.25" for their 5-irons, so there's your 1/2" (and you can usually be 100% sure the extra 1/2" runs throughout the set). One set of their "Distance" irons had 38.75" 5-iron! So it seems that Wilson likes to build longer clubs then most manufacturers. This doesn't guarantee the Wilson set you had was 1/2" longer, but there's a good chance. You may be hitting the new clubs better because you have the right clubheads, shaft and grips for your game. what about lie angle? Did you have that adjusted as well, or is it standard? EDIT: After they built those snake eyes for you, did they give a print out of the specs? Sometimes they just say what the length of the 5iron or 6 iron is.

[gills]

Hmmmm. Well, before you complain...I just went to the Wilson website and browsed their current sets or irons and looked at the specs. Just looking at the 5-iron, which these days is typically 37.75" as being "standard." The key word being "typically" because different manafacturers have their own definition of "standard" but from what I've seen 37.75 is very common.

Ok, if my old clubs were actually +1/2" i'm going to laugh and feel like an idiot! Where are you finding those specifications on Wilson's site? I know they have specs on the irons of the "Wilson staff" section of the site (i.e.-Ci7, Di7, Pi7 irons), but if you go to the regular wilson section where there are the complete club sets they don't have jack. And that's the problem, i had the Wilson prostaff set (3 year old version) shown here:

http://www.wilson.com/wilson/golf/pr...=1217289359585 But, now looking at the specs on the Ci7, Di7, Pi7, and Fi5, the lengths of the 5 iron on each set is different! you weren't kidding. Where on the club head portion of the club is the measurement taken from for measuring the entire length of the club? I need to investigate this further now. As for the lie angle, we kept them at standard and no, i did not get a print out of the specs. I would like that though, thanks for bringing it up. I have a gut feeling that my old clubs were +1/2" out of the box. Oddly enough, when i address the ball with my new clubs they seem longer?? It's probably the steel shafts compared to the crappy graphite shafts i've been playing with. There's no reason why he wouldn't cut the shafts the way i wanted unless he was a few clubs in when making them and realized that he flubbed up but thought maybe that I wouldn't realize. Anyway, i need to find out how the measure whole clubs. Thanks for your help

[Avid Golfer]

I was fitted today and was able to see my shot pattern on a variety of clubs. An extremely common feature of my shot pattern was to hit the ball a bit toward the heel side of the club.

Did the fitter tell you he was a scratch golfer, or have you actually played with the person and seen him shoot scores of a scratch golfer?

The reason I ask is I've never heard a scratch golfer (or anyone remotely close to scratch) associate hand action with heel hits (the notion is ludicrous IMO). If you're hitting shots toward the heel of the club I would suspect that your balance and/or posture are at fault. If your posture changes and your weight moves toward your toes, and the ball, then the heel of the club will arrive closer to the ball then it otherwise would have been.

[tehdeuce]

Touche, he said he was a scratch golfer, but I have never seen him play, personally. Although I've seen him place at state tournaments, etc.

[montru]

Where would be the best place to find a certified club fitter?
I live in southwest Florida and have been thinking about getting a fitting but wouldn't know where to look for one, there are a couple of guys in my neighborhood who say they could do it but they work out of their garages!

How much should I expect to pay for a fitting?

Mike