Clubs or Lessons?

[LBlack14]

Clubs I say and live by, it can't be the swing.....EVER!!!

[alomar123]

Wilson staffs di7 is a really good iron so I dont know why you need new ones.

[srjorion]

  j_moo said:

Since everyone is saying lessons. When is a good time to get new fitted clubs?

If you are taking lessons, ask the pro you are working with. They should be able to tell you when your swing is fundamentally sound so that your fitted clubs will remain in the proper specs for you.

I did this a couple of years ago. I wanted to get fitted but knew my swing wasn't the best. I found a pro and told him my goal was to get my swing in shape to get fitted. After three lessons he said to pull the trigger. Worked great for me.

[j_moo]

  srjorion said:

If you are taking lessons, ask the pro you are working with. They should be able to tell you when your swing is fundamentally sound so that your fitted clubs will remain in the proper specs for you.

Good advice. And if I'm not taking lessons? Take some lessons

Are you still taking lessons from the pro? You must trust him quite a bit to make an investment based on his opinion.

[Shanks A Million]

I have a better question.

Let's say you want to run the 100 meters. You keep running it in 15 seconds, and you're starting to feel like something is holding you back. So, now you go to a forum, and ask what you should do, buy new running shoes, or go to a trainer?

Well, everyone agrees, the trainer is the way to go, so you go see him. He works with you, and you get better, but still can't break 14 seconds. Finally, one day, you look down at your feet. Your shoes are 3 sizes too big, and you can barely keep them on your feet. You have had to make all sorts of adjustments to your gait to even be able to run with these things on your feet, and now you need to relearn how to walk, let alone run!

Would you ever expect to be able to run full speed with shoes that didn't fit? Probably not. Well, why would you ever expect to develop a consistent swing with clubs that don't fit? I made the mistake of playing for several years without being fitted, and I paid dearly for it. I developed all sorts of swing flaws to compensate for irons that were 4° too flat for me.

So, lessons are certainly a good idea, but having clubs that fit is absolutely imperative. Ideally, you go to an instructor, and have him fit you, but if you're 2° off, and your clubs are too short, you can't hope to play solid.

[srjorion]

  j_moo said:

Are you still taking lessons from the pro? You must trust him quite a bit to make an investment based on his opinion.

I'm not taking lessons from him anymore only because I moved. I did trust him quite a bit, and took three more lessons with him after getting fitted to continue tweaking my swing after getting the new clubs. Brought my handicap down seven strokes, and would probably be more if I hadn't moved and had been able to play more golf.

[sean_miller]

  Shanks A Million said:

I developed all sorts of swing flaws to compensate for irons that were 4° too flat for me.

Bingo. Hopefully an instructor would make a suggestion if the student's equipment is ill fitting, but there might be a conflict of interest there - if the lessons are taken at a proshop. It's a slippery slope.

That's why forged rocks - I'd trust an instructor and an impact board, if the only cost involved is for adjusting loft and lies.

[srjorion]

  Shanks A Million said:

So, lessons are certainly a good idea, but having clubs that fit is absolutely imperative.

Your analogy isn't quite up to par (pun intended

). I'm not a runner, but I'm assuming that different running techniques don't change the type of shoe you would wear running. Different swings in golf result in different club specs. I'll give you a specific example: ME! Before I started taking lessons I had a very upright swing. I had standard clubs, and the toe of my clubs would dig into the ground more than the heel. I demoed some clubs on one of those strike plates that show lie settings and it confirmed that my swing was more upright than standard. Fitted clubs would equal having clubs bent to a more upright loft. Fast forward to the period after I took lessons. After three lessons and being cleared by my pro I went to get fitted. My swing was much better and had flattened out. The fitting resulted in standard clubs with a standard lie being my perfect fit. If I had gotten fitted first and then taken lessons the end result would have been that my swing would have changed after the lessons to where the clubs were no longer properly fitted. I would have had to either had them adjusted if able or go buy new clubs. SRJ

[Shanks A Million]

  srjorion said:

Your analogy isn't quite up to par (pun intended

A fitter will know this, though. A good fitter will be sure to watch and make recommendations. Like I said, it's best to do them in tandem.

[j_moo]

  Shanks A Million said:

A fitter will know this, though. A good fitter will be sure to watch and make recommendations. Like I said, it's best to do them in tandem.

I asked the same question to a few fitters and their responses were their job is to focus on the club. They can only fit the swing you have and suggested getting fitted before or after swing changes.

If all that ever gets changed from a fitting is lie angle, usually that's an easy and cheap fix. However, if it's a shaft change, it could cost close to a new set. IMHO, it's a chicken and egg question. Since we're always looking to get better, and so does technology, which do you nail down first?

[LBlack14]

  alomar123 said:

Wilson staffs di7 is a really good iron so I dont know why you need new ones.

+1..........

[redsox98]

Thanks for everybody's opinions I really appreciate the advice. And I agree with the last post. I went today and really worked on my swing and am going back tomorrow to get some more balls and am going to go ahead and hit the pad again. I feel like I am over the ball more and am anxious to see what has happened.

[etlreams]

I second what 3 out of 4 people who have responded recommended..... get lessons. Get yourself a fundamentally sound swing. Now, of course, fundamentally sounded is pretty subjective. I've seen some scratch golfers with some funky looking swings. I'd say get atleast one lesson. Have the pro advise you on what it will take to make you a better ball striker, and let them advise you on if you should get fitted now or if you are going to have to make some major swing changes that will end up altering any fitting specs.

[grn.eyed.bandit]

here is my dillema...hopefully some of you more experienced golfers can point me in the right direction.

there was a mizuno club fitting at a local range yesterday, so i decided to go and check it out, as i've been eyeing the mx-200 irons for a while now. anyways, i was so embarassed because i could not hit a good shot for the life of me, needless to say they were having a difficult time fitting me. in the end, they told me i needed to shorten the length by a half inch and flatten the lie by 2 degrees (yeah, i'm 5'4"...)

right now, i play a standard set of '08 TM burner xd irons. only thing is, i notice the toe sticks way up at address, even if i choke down by an inch.

so what do you guys think would be more beneficial? get lessons and continue with my ill-fitting irons, or get the proper fitted irons and get tips here and there by other people until i can afford proper lessons?

thanks a bunch.

[motteler621]

  grn.eyed.bandit said:

here is my dillema...hopefully some of you more experienced golfers can point me in the right direction.

Well I think you need both, so just manage your money right. Get the irons first and then the lessons or vice versa. Actually i just saw you have burner irons, those are good so just get those fitted for yourself if you can.

[Tomassi]

Get your current irons fit to the specs they gave you, will only cost $50 or so for some place to chop them down and bend them. the only problem is if they can't save your grips which would cost you.

See how your hitting the irons once fitted and then decide if you need lessons. My moto is, don't spend money on equipment before you take lessons. No matter what the manufactures say, you can't get better using newer stuff, it's just all marketing. New clubs can't fix swing issues but a golf pro can.

[grn.eyed.bandit]

yeah, i thought about getting my current irons fit properly, so i took them to the local golftown and they told me that since they are a cast iron, they cannot be bent, only forged irons can. he said i would have had to special order them made that way directly from taylormade when i bought them new.

is there any truth to this...or is this his way of getting me to buy new?

[RedBaronaz]

I was told the same thing about my irons at Golf Galaxy and also would like to know if it's true.