Why aren't you getting fit?

[flopdarock]

im a big fan of a 'PROPER' fitting and professional lessons

[cocky_watchman]

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.

No idea where I'd find someone who could do all that for me. just don't think it's neccessary for a 14 hanidacpper like myself. Iknow I can improve by practicing my putting and using the shoe box drill. Maybe when I get down to single figures I'll attempt to find this amazing fitting experience. Dont get me wrong, it would be great to know that my clubs where theoretically ideal for my swing.

just dont think Im consistent enough for it to work like that at the moment. And I dont think it's that easy to get it done.

[AbsoluteZero]

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've actually read that proper fitting is LESS important for someone who can shoot par because those players obviously have the skill it takes to adjust to the clubs. The article stated that it's more important for the mid to high handicappers because they may have the wrong lie that is pushing or pulling their ball, the wrong shaft (too stiff or flexible), the wrong weight, etc. Bottom line was that the worse you are, the more you need for your equipment to "get out of your way".

There's obviously NO substitute for sound fundamentals and a good swing, and I don't personally believe in clubs that are made to fix swing problems (huge offset on a driver), but I watched my father in law (who has a good swing) get older and still play with clubs that were too heavy and stiff for him. As his swing speed decreased he could no longer get the ball in the air. He needs something with Graphite or at least Regular flex shafts that is lighter, but he's still used to buying stiff shaft clubs off the rack. I think I've finally convinced him to go get fit for the right set for his swing, as he's watched his distance suffer drastically and his scores increase.

[iWALK18]

Purely economics for me. I just can't afford nice new clubs that come with a fitting. I buy online to save some money.

[juanrjackson]

Let me ask a question...

If you get fitted & then take lessons & change you swing. Do you have to get fitted again?

[lhshurdl3r]

Speaking of fitting... if you had a 45.5" shaft... wanted to cut it down an inch... how much stiffer would it make it? would it affect the launch angle (high, low, med?)?

shaft is a 45.5" Callaway Fit-On X by Fujikura, R-Flex, 65g, D5 swing weight, Low kickpoint.

Thanks!

[Doctorfro]

Well, it depends on what kind of fitting are you going to do. Measurements? Indoor launch monitor? Outdoor with Trackman? A retailer who does fitting or a fitter who has no allegiance and will fit you into the best equipment or adjust your current equipment? Getting some professional help can be good. It just depends on who your professionals are.

[Big Padrigo]

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.

He was pleased with the deal I got on the clubs as he couldn't offer me any trade-in on my old clubs.

I think he's a great teaching pro. He is totally flexible as long as he isn't too booked. He will spend as much time with you as you need. I remember spending 1 1/2 hours in the practise bunker with him a month ago. Anyways the point I wanted to make is that the best person to fit you is one that knows your swing, you can have confidence in their recommendations as they have seen your swing over time.

[TN94z]

Purely economics for me. I just can't afford nice new clubs that come with a fitting. I buy online to save some money.

You don't necessarily have to buy new clubs to get fitted. They can fit you to your clubs in many cases if your clubs can be bent, right?

[srjorion]

I'm a believer in getting fitted because it actually helped my game. You have to find someone you have confidence in. My recommendation is to ask your pro if you work with one for a recommendation on a person who can properly fit you with the right clubs. You also have to put in the time to hit demo clubs to really find the one that you have the most confidence in.

Let me ask a question...

Excellent question, and yes, there's a good chance you would have to get fitted again. I had a very similar situation happen to me. Just over a year ago I decided to purchase new clubs. I wanted to take lessons and get fitted. I started with my pro and asked him what he thought I should do. His advice was to take some lessons, get the big swing changes out of the way, then get fitted before proceeding.

In the beginning I had a very upright swing. If I had been fitted then they would have adjusted my lie to fit that swing. Once I corrected this with a couple of lessons my swing resulted in a standard lie. If I had tried to get fitted first I would have had to have my clubs readjusted, and the shafts probably wouldn't have been right for my swing which would have created even more heartache.

[Stacey_E]

I do believe that fitting would help the beginner the most. But even the Titleist website mentions in their fitting model something about....if the strikes are too inconsistent, go with what you think is best....or something to that effect. For the beginner it seems that head design, shaft length & flex and loft are more important than lie angles. Even the best fitters I’ve seen will get you in the ballpark with your lies and tell you to play them a while. Sometimes you’ll find you need a different lie from standard within the same set of irons.

JMHO the most overlooked part of fitting a bag, especially with beginners, is set makeup. I firmly believe that. Equally important is fitting the putter. We take so many strokes with the putter that it boggles my mind why more people don’t get their putters fitted. If you want to dip your toe in the fitting pool, get your putter fitted. You will see immediate results in your score.

But to be perfectly honest I’m guilty of not getting fit for most of my clubs.

[IcemanYVR]

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.

I agree 100%. There is no point in being fitted if you don't have a reasonably repeatable golf swing and can't return the clubface to it's original positing the majority of the time. I get a chuckle when a 15-20 handicapper tells me all about their custom fit clubs, then tops one down the fairway.

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.

Well said... both parts

You don't necessarily have to buy new clubs to get fitted. They can fit you to your clubs in many cases if your clubs can be bent, right?

It can very difficult to bend cast clubs, and is often not recommended. Forged clubs can safely be bent 2˚ lie/loft without any problems.

I've been fit for clubs, but I waited until I was a 5 handicap or so. My driver was fit with the Titleist Launch Monitor on a range under the guidance of my club professional and the Titleist techs. I have never regretted it for a second, and my driving distance increased by about 10-12%, as well the accuracy. It cost $75 for the fitting, but to me, it was worth every penny.

[Zeph]

1: I don't have confidence in local retailers.
2: I want to get my swing in order first, fitted clubs may help, but it won't magically fix my swing. If I have a bad habit and this comes to play when I swing to test different clubs, how am I going to believe it's really something I need?
3: It's expensive.
4: Limited local options.
5: I believe there are so many coincidences in golf equipment, I could probably play well with any set if I got some time to work on them.

[st0wgolf08]

I didn't have time to look through all previous posts, but I've always played off the rack clubs and I have the following concerns about fitting:

How much does a good fitting cost?
Does that cost include new shafts, length lie and loft changes?
If I make a swing change, does everything I just got fit for, go down the drain?
I probably will think of more and post later, but please respond as I would like to hear someones answers to my questions.
Thanks

[HarrowGolfer]

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.

My 2 cents. I think if you are good, you can score well with anything. Whether it's top of the line fitted clubs or 15 year old models you dig out of your garage. If you are average or below average fitted clubs may help shave a few strokes.

I compare it to the NFL combine. A player can have off the chart stats and times, built like Adonis but on the field they don't perform ( Tony Mandarich, Brian Bosworth). Or he has less than stellar times, might be a little undersized but once on the field he can play (Chris Spielman,Tedy Bruschi). My point.....either your a player or your not

[Zeph]

If I make a swing change, does everything I just got fit for, go down the drain?

This is a very good point. The selection is based on a couple of shots, if you make the smallest change in your swing, or even a big one, wouldn't that render the fitting useless? If you are Tiger Woods and can change the clubs from day to day and your swing doesn't change that much at a time, I see the point of fitting, but for an amateur that hasn't enabled a consistent swing yet, I don't find it necessary.

[IcemanYVR]

How much does a good fitting cost?

A fitting can be free to around $100. It depends on the fitter and location. Some places will charge for the fitting, and then apply the cost to the clubs if you purchase them. With a company like Mizuno or Titleist, it includes lofts, lies, lenth, and depending on the shaft, there may be a surcharge.

My 2 cents. I think if you are good, you can score well with anything. Whether it's top of the line fitted clubs or 15 year old models you dig out of your garage. If you are average or below average fitted clubs may help shave a few strokes.

I agree to a point and I will use today as an example. I consider myself a pretty good golfer, and I was hitting some MP-33's on the range. I didn't feel comfortable at address, but I could still hit them. My normal specs for Mizuno irons are 1" over, and 2˚up and when hitting irons that are correctly fit for me, I'm much more comfortable, and likely to score better.

[Zeph]

What I would find interesting is to have 3-4 identical sets with different lie and loft and play around with all of them over a year to see if there was any difference.