DIY fit evaluation?

[immts007]

Is there good way to get a rough idea of how well your clubs fit you? Shaft length, loft, lie, flex etc?

I'm not sure I trust some professionals I've talked to. I've got stiff shafts on all my clubs (my irons were given to me by my brother) and I've asked if I should maybe have a regular flex. I've been told "no you are a big strong guy, the stiff is right for you". Well, I am big, I guess. 6'2" 225lb. But I don't hit the ball very far, even when I feel like I've hit it well. A well struck 7 iron for me only goes 130/140 yards max.

Anyway, any advice or tips would be appreciated. I don't want to go to a professional club fitter, because the only ones I know of around here charge quite a bit of money just for consultation.

[Everardo]

It's kinda like cutting your own hair, yes you can do it yourself but you generally get better results with a professional :)

[immts007]

It's kinda like cutting your own hair, yes you can do it yourself but you generally get better results with a professional :)

I've seen some things online about height and wrist to floor, etc... but is there an easy way to determine if my clubs are +1, 3° upright, etc.???

I just don't want to spend $100 on a consultation until I'm actually ready to buy new clubs..

[iacas]

I just don't want to spend $100 on a consultation until I'm actually ready to buy new clubs..

So don't. Why worry about being bit now unless you're going to try to self-modify your existing clubs.

Static fittings (the things you can do online) can only go so far. Dynamic fittings (some guy watching you swing, taking measurements, asking you questions) is always better/best.

[immts007]

So don't. Why worry about being bit now unless you're going to try to self-modify your existing clubs.

I guess I'd just really like to know if I'm playing with clubs that are even close to being right for me. If they are not - it gives me an excuse for poor play

If they are close, I could stop questioning whether the clubs are wrong for me, and just work harder. Really, I'd just like to know. Maybe I'll will go in for a consultation. I assume that you would get hard copy of the data you would need for fitting new clubs at some point in the future? EDIT: Can you just take a club into any proshop and have them tell you what the loft and lie (and bounce?) of your set is?

[Surefire]

Really, I'd just like to know. Maybe I'll will go in for a consultation. I assume that you would get hard copy of the data you would need for fitting new clubs at some point in the future?

You probably would, but if you are not getting clubs now it may not be a good idea.

It would be like being measured by a tailor for a suit then taking the measurements back months or years in the future to get the suit.

[goblue107501]

I guess I'd just really like to know if I'm playing with clubs that are even close to being right for me. If they are not - it gives me an excuse for poor play

Most any private clubmaker should have the equipment to tell you what the loft/lie/length are. Some proshops may have that equipment, but some may not. Never hurts to ask.

One other thing to do, if you know anyone at a local golf course see if they have a lie board and impact tape that you can use. That would be a quick way just to see if your clubs are too flat/upright or short/long. Probably not an exact science, but it should give you an idea if you clubs are way off.

[iacas]

If they are close, I could stop questioning whether the clubs are wrong for me, and just work harder.

Look at your divots. There's your "lie board" right there. Are they even and flat, and a clubwidth wide the whole way, or does the toe or heel dig in more than the other?

Get fit (and measured) when you get your next set of clubs. Worrying about it before then is silly. If your handicap is what you say it is, quite honestly, what's likely to be a subtle tweak to your clubs won't matter much at this point.

[hamletsdead]

I frankly don't see why you would try to self-fit off of standard length-lie until you have first tried the standard and determined that it is problematic for you.
I learned golf with clubs that were 1/2" longer than standard, and I played enough rounds with them to figure out how to hit them long and (reasonably) straight, so that now, to me, standard length clubs feel too short. I'm sure I could learn to adjust my swing to play with them if I had to, but I don't want to make that swing correction.

Maybe the best thing for you would be to go to demo day at your local course or see if Golfsmith will let you take out a couple of their demo irons of different lengths-lies to see how they feel to you. If it feels comfortable and it goes where you want it to, then you found your match. I think trial and error is a lot better than looking at raw statistics and trying to determine whether your clubs should be 1/2", or 3/4", or 1" longer, and whether you should go 1 degree up or 2 degrees flat. You can't reasonably self-diagnose in a vacuum, and if you haven't hit clubs of different lengths and lies, you really aren't going to know how you will hit them -- the trip from the imagined perfect club to the reality of the course is not a straight line (it's probably a fade; or maybe a draw; it's a toss up).

[rjfan91]

Is there good way to get a rough idea of how well your clubs fit you? Shaft length, loft, lie, flex etc?

I'm onboard with everyone else regarding sucking it up and seeing a pro. It works for me and my plumbing issues.

One thing you can do is put some scotch tape on the bottom. Next, find a square of plexiglass or one of those plastic cutting boards and take a couple swings off of that. Look at the tape. I am curious as to how you plan to fix whatever you find.... Gonna lock em in the ol' vice and break out the mallet?

[immts007]

Thanks guys. I talked with the pros at one of my local courses today and they said they would be happy to evaluate the fit of my clubs for free even if I'm not going to buy new ones.

I just want to KNOW how well my current club suit me. If I find out the are really a bad fit, I might make it a higher priority to buy a new set and start saving now. If I find out they are pretty close to ok, I might just work harder or take some lessons.

I just want to keep getting better. I feel pretty good about the fact that if I put it on a graph over the two years I've been playing, I'm consistently shaving strokes off my game. The first time I bothered to keep a real score: no mulligans, taking penalties, no improved lies - I shot a 130. My goal this season was to break 100. I did that, and now, for the past 2 months consistently in the 95 range with a low of 91.

I like information. All I wondered was if there was an easy DIY way to evaluate how well my current set of clubs suits me.

[jonanthans]

I started playing 4 years ago, and started with a used set of DCIs'
that I purchased from ebay. I picked up the game pretty quickly, but I knew something didnt feel right about the clubs to me, because although I felt like I made good contact, I had to fight the ball to get it to go where I wanted it to, and was rarely on target. I finally went and got fitted, cost me $60, and found my setup is 3 degrees upright. My wife was with me, and on the spot surprised me with an early present in the form of the phrase "Early X-Mas present, pick out any set you want, get fitted and get everything you need". After I was able to calm down a bit, I picked out a set of Ping S59 blades, ordered them with the custom fit (green dot, 3* upright), and waited for them to come in. Within a month I had cut 6 strokes off my round. It's a HUGE difference when you are playing with sticks that are in sync with your swing, instead of working against it.

In my opinion, if a player plays more than 3 rounds a month, then he/she should get custom fitted, you will be amazed how much difference it can make, most notably in your accuracy.

Also, you can take the irons you currently have, and have them re-fitted for you, you may be so impressed with them that you decide to play them for a good while longer, which could end up saving you money.

just my .02

[mikelaw]

Is there good way to get a rough idea of how well your clubs fit you? Shaft length, loft, lie, flex etc?

For me results gave me most of what I needed to know as well as tendencies and the driving range mat marks on my soles too. Green mat marks towards the toe mean you need to adjust them more upright, the heel marks mean adjust them flatter. Pushing your irons generally you should go upright, pulling go back flatter....

Lofts, generally speaking of course...tendencies. I hit huge HIGH power fades so I went a bit stronger on lofts. Get out there and play more and youll start realizing what needs to be tweaked.

[NI4NI]

These reply posts have hit it on the head - best bet is to wait until you've committed to new sticks, and then get it done when it's most likely to get the fit $'s credited to the equipment. This is the ONLY way to get the custom fit necessary.

FWIW - I paid $35 at a local golf store for a one-hour Irons dynamic fitting, and got both a hardcopy and softcopy of the results. Very short $ IMHO.

If not, then:

1. Follow the above advice of hitting a demo day at a local store / club.
2. See what various friends are playing, and DIY based on how their sticks compare when you hit them (lie, length, angle,...)
3. Review on-line stick builder websites, and try to follow all the measurements and tips (pinemeadow golf has a custom fitting wizard).
4. Forget about it until you are ready to invest in the process, and get new clubs.