Why aren't you getting fit?

[AbsoluteZero]

I'm absolutely amazed at how many people will buy clubs off the rack. I can't imagine buying something that wasn't fit for my game.

I've been fit before and the driver I ended up with was significantly different than what I would have purchased off the rack. The driver made an immediate impact in my game. Also, I found out that I should be playing with irons that are at least 1 deg upright. After bending the irons I had at the time my standard miss, which was a slight push right, was gone.

It seems as though I'm in the vast minority though. I read once that 92 percent of all clubs sold are off the rack and have no fitting or custom aspect to them at all.

So why would you buy anything that wasn't fit for your game?

[cocky_watchman]

I'm gonna be controversial here and probably get slated, but here goes.

I think fitting is over rated.

It depends so much on the skill of the person fitting for a start-you get one piece of advice, got the same shop the next week and someone else tells you something different.

I am 5 11 average, athletic build. Ive always played regular standard off the shelf clubs. My swing has developed with them. I thought Id better get fitted, so I went to the store and the guy basically said yeah regualr everything is fine. he just got me to swing on a board and looked at the marks on the club sole-I didn't have a lot of confidence.

My other experience was when I recently bought a new driver. I tested 4 drivers on the Launch monitor and the guy told me the Cleveland Launcher was the best vlub for me. He also said my driver swing was 97mph (not sure I believe him). Maybe the testoerone was pumping in the net and I was trying to impress. I tend to hit my driver 250-270 including roll. Anyway, he said I definitely would get better results with a stiff driver. I explained how I didn't agree because I come a little over the top and sometimes fade or push fade it-obviously its gonna be even harder to square the club with a stiffer shaft. He didn't agree with my concerns and insisted I get a red (tour trajectory) stiff fujikara shaft.

I was kind giving it the macho and couldnt wait to tell my pal that I have a fast swing and now have a stiff shaft-but I still had my doubts.

Anyway, upon hitting at the range i realised was right-I could not hit the ball anything other than a very low slice. I changed the shaft for a regular red-I wish I had the gold standard launch-I have that with my other cleveland and its better for me. But still it gives me variety if I need a lower shot with a little fade.

I had a lesson and discussed this with my pro and he agreed-regular shaft for me.

Just shows, fitting or advice hasd to be good to be worth anything. I tend to do my own research. Its not brain surgery. Ok I can't play golf that well-but i know a heck of a lot about it through reading, and being generally obsessed with.

[elchene]

I would definitely get fit for my next set. However, it's pretty expensive to get fit and I buy most my clubs off of eBay anyway. In addition, because I'm still in high school, I'm still growing and my swing is still changing. I don't want to shell out the money now for something that won't fit me two years from now.

[goblue107501]

I think a lot of it comes down to availability. I would love to get fitted for a driver, but it is just not feasable. I live in a pretty big area (metro area around 200,000 pop) and to the best of my knowledge there is only one place in town that has a launch monitor. The cost to use it is around $75 and it is indoor only. I am in tune with my game, and hitting into a net and seeing results on a computer just won't do it for me. I need to see ball flight and see what I am capable of with a club. Plus, there is a very limited selection of demo clubs to hit. I could hit everything in the store and still not find something that fits me. For me to use outdoor facilities with bags and bags of demo clubs, I would have to drive three hours minimum, one way. It's not like every manufacture comes through town with a semi and will fit anyone that show up at the local range.

When I got fitted for irons it was pretty much a lie board and head tape. I am pretty standard so that was an easy process. The only thing left was to decide on a shaft. So I spent many hours on the range at different times testing the shafts that were available. I did it all myself based on feel and what I saw from ball flight.

I think most people don't even know that fitting exists or how it can help them. That is why they buy off the rack. If they can't break 100, they probably figure that all the fitting in the world won't help them anyway, so why bother. I agree, people should do it, but in many areas it is just not available.

[TN94z]

I can tell you one reason is lazy workers in my golf stores. I went into a golf store here in my hometown and was buying a new driver. I asked the guys about getting fitted. They proceeded to measure my arm length and the distance from the floor to some spot on my arm. They told me I was average and that the clubs off the shelf were good enough for me. They basically told me that I needed to get good before getting fitted.

I then proceeded to let these guys know that I knew about the game and that I wasn't a newbie to golf. I explained to them my thoughts on getting fitted and they tried to argue that an "average" player didn't need to get fitted. I quickly let them know that this reasoning was ridiculous and I left the store. I went to another store (hole in the wall) and went through the same process, but this guy explained how important it was to get fitted at any level. Needless to say, I bought a brand new driver from him. I then went back to the other store and let them know what the smaller store said and they just laughed. Then I showed them how much money I spent and the othe store, and then I laughed!! They are now out of business.

Long story short, I am sure they had the "know how" to fit me to the clubs, but it seemed like they just did not want to do it. I am sure this is not the only store that has done this, but that was my personal experience.


Also, at my local golf shop, if you buy the driver from him, he fits you on the launch monitor for free.

[cigarnut81]

I just want to share with you guys that it is nearly impossible to get "FIT" in a golf store! The guys at your local "insert big box store here" are not qualified to bag groceries much less fit your swing with the perfect compliment of golf clubs to help your game. Since this thread is open I will post a few links for all those people that want to get properly fit they just do not know where to start. Best of luck and you will not be dissapointed with any of the guys on these locators.

http://www.twgolftech.com/locator.php

http://clubfitter.org/html/certified...r_locator.html

[chriskzoo]

I can tell you one reason is lazy workers in my golf stores. I went into a golf store here in my hometown and was buying a new driver. I asked the guys about getting fitted. They proceeded to measure my arm length and the distance from the floor to some spot on my arm. They told me I was average and that the clubs off the shelf were good enough for me. They basically told me that I needed to get good before getting fitted.

Reason: I've broken par with off the rack clubs before and I'm 5'10 and have about as "average" a build as you can get.

I can understand if you're short or tall (I know it's not just height), but when it came down to it, getting fit would mean I would have to buy clubs at retail price, plus the cost of a good fitting ($70 or so) and I could get some standard clubs with S300's (which I've always played) off ebay for over $300 less. I figure with the savings, if I really want to in a couple years, I can get things reshafted and "properly" fit.

[AbsoluteZero]

I can tell you one reason is lazy workers in my golf stores. I went into a golf store here in my hometown and was buying a new driver. I asked the guys about getting fitted. They proceeded to measure my arm length and the distance from the floor to some spot on my arm. They told me I was average and that the clubs off the shelf were good enough for me. They basically told me that I needed to get good before getting fitted.

I think you are right. A major factor is the store lack of concern for fitting the right club to the player, and the fact that many stores don't have the proper fitting equipment. They want your money more than they want for you to be happy with the right set of clubs (not all stores are like this, but many, maybe even most, are)

Just using measurements is a HUGE problem in fitting. Taking measurements is only a starting point for proper fitting. No two people have the exact same measurements AND swing, so how could just measurements be adequate. Measurements rely on averages, but the average is just a mid point of a sample of all players of that size. Also, the idea of fitting being too expensive really surprises me. First, most fitting that I've seen costs money, but that money is often put towards the purchase of equipment. Second, many places will fit you for free. Third, how can you justify spending even 20 bucks on equipment that may not be right for you? That seems like paying a dollar to save a nickle. The one, and only, valid reason (in my opinion of course) for not getting at least some level of basic fitting, is the lack of fitting in the area. I live in a relatively small town (under 200,000) and there aren't any good fitting facilities within 60 min of my house. So I can understand that as a barrier. Lucky for me, I travel quite a bit and have been to many cities that have fantastic fitting facilities that range in quality and cost. However, even if you live in a very small town there are things you can do on your own to check your lie angle of your irons. Also, even small shops are getting launch and swing speed monitors and some have spin monitors as well. So even this excuse is rapidly disappearing. I guess the bottom line for me is if spending the same amount of money could improve your game, why not take the time and energy to do so.

[cigarnut81]

Fitting is much more than loft/lie/length/and shaft! Through a fitting you can get anything you want. I needed a club last year that carried atleast 207 and did not roll out to more than 220 so I went to a club fitter and he built me a club that went 207 on the fly and rolled out to no more than 217. That is custom fitting boys. All these distances were verified by a Trackman. I hope all you guys get a true custom fitting someday so you can realize the difference it can and will make in your game. It is true that custom fitting can not make up for the worst flaws in the golf swing but it can certainly give you the tools to learn how to play better. Every person that is against custom fitting has never experienced a true fitting! It can improve your game no matter how good you are. And there is no such thing as "standard" in the golf industry. Each company has their own "standard" and there is very little chance that you actually fit into their "standard". It is true that a clubmaker will charge you a little more for your clubs. Does your mechanic fix your car with no labor charges on the bill? They are providing a skilled service to you and they do deserve compensation for that. Another thing about your local clubmaker is that the customer service department speaks your language and is always willing to help.

[kafka01]

I read once that 92 percent of all clubs sold are off the rack and have no fitting or custom aspect to them at all.

Look at a hcp distribution for golfers. Even if marketing wants to make you belive, that as a 20hcp you get an advantage from playing fitted clubs, the ball contact in general is so inconsistent that it doesnt matter for most of the golfers.

[kgeorge78]

I agree that fitting is overratted.

I've been fit for G5, G10s, Mizuno MP52s and Nike Split Cavity.

I've never made an adjustment to the lenght, or lie.

I have adjusted some lofts though. I weakened my PW to eliminate my GW, and Im in the process or changing my loft on my SW and LW to 54 and 58 to keep both my 5W and 3i.

And I don't need a launch monitor to tell me what Driver to buy. I need to get a few large buckets of balls, 5 -6 drivers I like and bomb away.

[cocky_watchman]

Well fitting at American Golf Discount near to me involves swing an Mizuno mx-25 6 iron with a sticker on the sole onto a 'board'. You hit maybe 7 balls into the net and the guy checks where you are contacting the board eg too near toe, too near heel etc. He even asked me, before I started, to hit down a little bit more than usual, to make sure i hit the board and made a good mark! Just a fairly pointless exercise I'd say-the guy was clueless. Having said that, my experience of being checked on the launch monitor at 'The Golf Show' last year, was just as poor. The guy, again American Golf it must be said, was very dubious. Half way through hitting the 3 woods I was testing he informs me "this is all set up for Drivers, so won't be that accurate"!!!! So I quickly changed to testing the same model in drivers. I suspect the guy had a fairly basic grasp of what he was doing. he said every shot was great-I know they weren't! One was right off the heel and he claimed it was 250 straight down the middle-doubtful!

I've had lessons off maybe 6 different pros at various times in my golf 'ahem, career'. Half of them have been excellent, the others less so. I even qualified to play in a pro am once and the professional (who won the event with a 67) gave me some peculiar advice on the range afterwards. I was only 14 at the time and he told me to grip the club differently during the round on the 3rd hole-he was insistent. Needless to say I absolutely hacked round and lost all confidence, it spoiled what was a very special day for me at the time. His name was Mark Sludds, not a nice man in my opinion-I later discovered he was a European PGA tour pro and had missed 15 out of 15 cuts that season, haha.

Anyway, the point Im making is a heck of a lot of advice and fitting is very variable and in many cases a load of rubbish. You need to go to a specialist centre or get someone who knows what they are doing to benefit-where I'd find one I have no idea. Laziness is definitely a factor, the person has to really want to help you. Quite often pros/assistants or whatever just see you as an inconvenience. I often feel that some pros just see you as a bit of a waste of time if you aren't a low handicap. I'm reading minds here but they seem to think it's not that important to you or you don't practice or whatever-I just don't always get a good vibe. I think they should realise that it might just be that we find the game hard-doesn't mean we dont practice or it doesn't mean a lot to us.

[Grndslmhttr3]

Well, here are my reasons:
•Being 17 (16 when I got my clubs) I don't have a tremendous flow of cash, so I have to go with a cheaper set.
•I'm somewhere around 5' 11" - 6', so standard clubs really work just fine.
•I'm very comfortable with the clubs I use.

Maybe when I can get more money towards golf, I'll get fit clubs. Will it improve my game? It quite possibly will, but is it something that's been digging away at me? Hell no.

[Big Padrigo]

Yesterday I bought my first set of properly fitting irons, Ping I-10s. I was having a lesson with my pro a couple of weeks and asked him to fit me. I have regular lessons with my pro and so he knows my swing and I trust him to advise me. We tried different clubs, different shafts, different lies, the lot. Also to start I wanted to see if my clubs were the correct fit, I wasn't looking to purchase new clubs. This means that the pro was able to be honest and independent with what he felt was the best fit for me.

To be honest I visit Golfsmith regularly and while they're friendly I'm not sure I would trust them to fit me. In the end I did buy my clubs from Golfsmith as I got $300 in trade-ins towards my new clubs. I actually felt guilty when I told my pro this morning that I had bought the clubs he recommended. Fortunately he understands that the trade-in these big stores can do mean that its hard not to purchase through them.

[cocky_watchman]

If I was your pro I'd be fuming-after he gave you all that help you took his advice and bought it cheaper elsewhere!!!! I think you need to book some lessons off him!!!

Your pro sounds like the kind of guy you really need. Someone whos prepared to go through different shafts, lies and lofts is very valuable. Now that sort of fitting would be worth trying.

I normally get try these, and these. Tape on bottom, buy your oiwn balls. How did they go? Are you gonna buy them? Now?

A good relationship with a pro must be very good for your game. Never been able to afford one I'm afraid-just a few lessons here and there every couple of years-that's all for me so far. when I join a club I intend to have a relationship with the pro-THAT DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT-GOLF RELATIONSHIP HAHA

[AbsoluteZero]

If I was your pro I'd be fuming-after he gave you all that help you took his advice and bought it cheaper elsewhere!!!! I think you need to book some lessons off him!!!

Depends. If you were paying for the time he spent on the fitting as lessons, then who cares where you bought them. However, it is kind of crappy if he spent a ton of time with you for free and you bought somewhere else. Then again, you may have a really good relationship and take enough lessons that this didn't matter.

[golf_junkie27]

I don't think fitting is overrated, at all. First, there are two types of fitting: static and dynamic. Being told that you play to equipment that is standard length and lie does not involve much. Being told that you swing the driver, X amount of speed, is something you can find out by yourself. You really don't need a fitter.

Second, and most important, is a dynamic fitting. A good fitter can tell you the differences in frequency in shafts. Based upon your swing speed, launch angle, ball speed, etc, he can make a suggestion on loft and shaft type. Low kick, mid kick, high kick, what type of torque and can actually lock in your shaft to a certain frequency; a frequency based upon how you swing a club. It's much more complex than just regular, stiff, xstiff as all those flexes fall into a certain frequency range.

As an example, I just recently switched iron shafts. When I went to another fitter, he mentioned that my PX 6.0 had a frequency rating of 331 (5I). That's almost an extra stiff flex. The shafts I have now have a frequency of 304 (5I) and he worked the remaining set in increments of 4. The result is a much higher ball flight with my low irons and am actually feeling the clubhead go through the ball. Simply put, I'm able to bend the shaft. My shafts are still stiff flex but not nearly as stiff as what they once were.

I'm a huge proponent of getting fitted. If you don't do it, you're doing yourself a disservice by at least not getting your current equipment, checked. Like I said earlier, there is a range of frequency in each flex, don't you want to know that the frequency, as well of weight of the clubs, are suited for your swing?

[play4him]

I never been fitted myself. I've been playing for over 35 years, and have always played with off the rack clubs. It never has seemed to be a problem for me to play with these type of clubs. I still shoot around par or under, so I don't see the need to be fitted.

I'm amazed at how many people get into their swing speed, launch angle, shaft torque, and all the other details. I couldn't tell you any of that info about me. I guess I just go out and play the game.

Maybe if it was my job, I would be more inclined to that type of detail. But that's the beauty of God's creation. We're all different and unique. :)