Store salespeople.. Do they really have any idea what they're talking about?

[firstcut]

For the past two years (my return to golf) every store "Pro" I've talked to about drivers has told me the same thing. "Get a 10*- 10.5* R shaft driver for your swing speed and game". (85-95 Swing speed and push/slice) I've been through 5 drivers and multiple simulators over the past two years. It's one of the things that has kept me form spending the time/money to get fitted..

A new golf friend gets me onto a simulator for an hour recently and we walk out with a 9* S shaft driver... Almost opposite of what I've been told for the past two years... and I'm crushing it. We tested multiple heads/shafts and so far this combination is really right for *me*.

It's really got me wondering about all the people I've met and the club advice I've gotten in stores over the past few years. For drivers, it's mostly been wrong. On the other hand all I hear about is how getting fitted is the right thing to do..

How hard is it to find a good fitter anyway?

[JaY_B]

Some will know a lot, some will know very little. Simple as that really, just be careful what advice you listen to.

[$2 Nassau]

I think a lot of them at the big chain retail stores just ask you your swing speed and then match up the loft/shaft that way. In my experience anyway.

[golf_junkie27]

In my experience, you're not going to find a reputable fitter inside a chain store. Moreover, all of the stores I've been to do not fit you like a certified fitter. They give you multiple drivers and start trying to justify the price of a club with performance. It's just backwards.

I see that you're in Cali. Have you tried Max Out Golf Labs? I'm not sure if there is one in San Fran but you can call them and see if they have an affiliate near you. Their fitting is incredible.

[allin]

Generally swing speed and shaft tend to be correlated, but not always, that is the whole purpose of being fitted, your tempo, angle of attack etc, may be stiff with an average swing speed, Nicklaus in his prime played with a stiff flex not the x stiff most long hitters use. It is to bad the fitter didn't really do their job. If there weren't more variables than swing speed and height no one would need a fitting.

[obsessedgolfer]

The people at my golf shop have no clue what they are talking about either, i am a junior golfer and have a swing speed of 85, for some reason the guy who works there told me to buy an ht 13.5 lofted burner driver in senior flex. With the 13.5 drvier i was hitting a moon ball every time afte a week of playing with it, luckily the guy was nice enough to exchange it for a 10.5 regular flex burner.

[jmoc]

Find a Mom and Pop type place. In Wichita, there is a shop, "ProLink", he trades and sells used clubs, does fittings and repair work, adjust lies and loft, that sort of thing. That's what your looking for. The Golf Warehouse is located here and the guy that runs the place is straight from "Bushwood CC", must be the Judge's long lost relative or something, a real @#%$. The other day he talking about how he can't crush his drives 330 anymore because he has "the Gout". I nearly busted a gut. Sometimes you'll find a guy (or gal) that cares, but for the most part, they are just there for the sale. Like you I swing around 90, but I hit 13.5 and 16 degree drivers with senior shafts. If my friends hit them, they would be lucky to get it 100 yards, that is if it ever came down. I had a friend that hit 7 and 8 degree drivers higher that I did 11 degrees. Look for a small shop, good luck..... jmoc

[joshtpa]

I have found that Edwin Watts here in FL has some very knowledgable people over all. They are a fairly large chain. As for the other ones. Some are good and some are bad. The Dicks near me has one guy that is extremely good. But the rest of them are weak at best.

[kafka01]

I´m pretty sure that getting a S-flex and 9 instead of 10 does NOT fix your slice over the medium/long term since a stiffer shaft increases the slice.

I got fitted on a driver recently and i went with 10° stiff - since my 9.5° stiff was just a bit to low for my liking - and i got a SS around 105 with a carry of 260 (on optimal shots) - just to put it in perspective.

But in principal - no they dont really have a clue - most of them are just salespeople who do it by the book and nothing else so you have to figure it out for yourself.

[ripsid]

I think most of the guys at the golfgalaxy near me are A$$ O's.. .although there is 1 or 2 guys that seem to know what they're talking about. The "PGA Staff Pro" there was a very good guy who had knowledge and advice while we were talking. He said to me "I have to stop myself, I'd like to just get you up on the sim/monitor and let's see.." he basically implied he wanted to just talk swing and check things out, because even though I'm not the greatest golfer or anything we had a great discussion about Hogan's swing etc. The other guys at the place are A#$# O's.. I hope they can play because they come off like you're an idiot! to everyone. Don't get it..

The golfsmith near me, well I think they know... but I'mnot sure. They're older guys who are retired and catching 18 holes of cash probably. Nicer guys, easy to talk too but I don't know how much I trust all of ther knowledge.

Other than that... i don't have squat.. mom and pop place I new of is now belly up :( new the owner.

Pete

[dragonflyin]

Ditto with previous statements that big-box golf shops lack the proper employees to guide customers. Even more frustrating at my local golf galaxy is that everyone there tries to push the Callaway HX Hot as the best mid-range balls. Coincidentally, there is a giant Callaway ball display… I wonder if the bosses tell them which balls are the most profitable to sell, therefore which balls to recommend…

What I usually do is talk to the Club Fitters that change out shafts and grips at these types of places. They're usually not a part of the floor sales crew, and will give honest and constructive feedback.

[TigerCurtis333]

I've never come across a store salesperson that didn't know what he's talking about, but really all I've gotten has been what you can read on the website and what people have told him.

[Stacey_E]

It's really easy to criticize and as Homer Simpson says "it's fun too". But honestly the best I've seen in most golf stores is a salesperson that is just knowledgable about his product. I think a lot of golfers, especially on this forum are more well informed about products than they used to be. Thanks to the internet forums, club company websites, etc. we have a plethora of information to educate ourselves with. What a really good clubfitter can do is give an optimistic set of eyes.

If we could check our egos and be brutally honest about our swing characteristics, ball flights, clubhead speeds, scoring and ball striking tendencies we as golfers could get ourselves in the ball park on fitting. But some people understandably would rather just play golf than study golf fitting as well. And that helps keep the fitters in business, so thats great too!

But from my experience with retail sales, the club in stock is the one that fits you. I think ma and pa stores are the way to go.

[firstcut]

Thanks all.. I don't feel like quite the putz.. As mentioned, "What's in stock fits". I need to get better at fitting myself if I can't find someone I trust.

As for the 9* S not holding up.. I sincerely hope you and the guys in the store are wrong..