Golfsmith Fitting vs. Golf Galaxy Fitting

[SweetSpot]

I used to work at golfsmith. My manager was having me fit people before I was even certified, hopefully not all golfsmiths do that..I think there are some good fitters at both but having worked there I've seen fitments done that weren't done well.

[PirateJim]

I elected not to vote for either.  I've never tried Golf Galaxy; to the best of my knowledge there isn't one near by to me.  I have done a fitting with Golfsmith and was very disappointed with it.  However, I certainly can't condemn ALL fittings done by the numerous Golfsmith stores because one yokel wasn't a decent fitter.  That's the thing, and it will be for any of those stores I believe, there may be good fitters with good intentions and there may be poor fitters bent on selling whatever is handy and in stock today both working in the same store.

My suggestion would be to ask around and see who other people think is a good fitter.  You're looking for a person, not a chain of stores.  If possible, ask your local pro(s), they will likely have a much better idea about who in the area is decent.  You may find that the best fitters in your area only do fittings for a few brands of clubs because those are the ones they are trained to fit for!  I've got a bag full of Titleist clubs, not so much because I'm a Titleist fanboy, but because there is a Titleist Advanced Fitting Center about 20 miles up the road with an excellent fitter.

If you're dead set on a particular brand of clubs, go to their web site and look up fitters.  I believe most brands have various "levels" of fitters.  Having had the benefit of a good fitting in the past I would definitely make a pretty long trip to get to a good one, including spending the night along the way if necessary.

[Valleygolfer]

I have a question. I am not sure if I want to pay for a full driver fitting. I have a strong idea of my swing. I have around a 107 mph swing speed with my driver. I have about a 7 degree launch angle. I tend to miss with. Snap hook or a really low drive. I need a driver with a high loft and a shaft that launches the ball with a spin of 2700 rpm. Drives go about 240-260 currently. Any suggestions on a good shaft for my swing speed and the need to get the ball up? I am think of getting the SLDR 430 cc driver with a custom shaft. I am also 5'9 and thing of ordering the shaft at 44". Please help. L

This is off topic but go to any demo day and they will fit you for any shaft available at no cost.

[Lihu]

When I got the Biocell fitting, it was about 45minutes. They fitted me for the PX6.0 shaft, because there were only two choices that made sense.

The Golfsmith fitting that is one level up $99 is done at Golftec.

The people at Golfsmith are not consistently knowledgeable, so you need to work with them a bit.

[quebb]

You also failed to mention the money you have to shell out for a fitting, which is not included in the purchase price.

[Lihu]

You also failed to mention the money you have to shell out for a fitting, which is not included in the purchase price.

You are correct, if your club cost <$249 or if you decide not to purchase from them, the "mini" fitting is $29. This time they just let me use the hitting bay for the basic fitting because there were only two choices with the club I was using.

There are vendors like PING and Bridgestone that come to various courses around my area and on occasion (fairly often) offer free fittings. One of the vendors (I forgot which one), even offered cigars to golfers while they got fit at my local driving range.

[BallMarker]

Seems to me you shouldn't get "fitted" until your swing is "right".
Otherwise, your swing dynamics will change as you become better, or worse, and next thing you know your fitted clubs don't match with your game anymore.
I think getting fitted is a little overrated. I know some people who are big on getting custom fitted clubs, but with little, if any, improvement in their game.

.

I know....little off topic.

[Lihu]

Seems to me you shouldn't get "fitted" until your swing is "right".

Otherwise, your swing dynamics will change as you become better, or worse, and next thing you know your fitted clubs don't match with your game anymore.

I think getting fitted is a little overrated. I know some people who are big on getting custom fitted clubs, but with little, if any, improvement in their game.

.

I know....little off topic.

Not really off topic, and yes, I no longer fit the club I got fitted for 2 months ago. I'm back to my Ping G15 with the X100 steel shaft. It's become my old faithful. Bad swing=shorter balls AND good swing= longer balls. Not as punished with slices and hooks.

[hacker101]

No vote, I don't shop at either one.

I went to both GS's in my area neither one had anyone that wanted to help and when I did bring up a fitting they did not seem to care one way or the other.

I even had one guy tell me, I will fit you right now no charge just buy the clubs and suggested I only really look at TM (they were the best) no real need to look at others but could try as many as I wanted just to compare, but he was going to fit me for TM.

Not saying there are not some good fitters at the other stores, I am sure there are just not in my area.

I only go to RD and only see a couple of the guys there, Lihu meet one of them and seemed to really like the guy?

[Lihu]

No vote, I don't shop at either one.

I went to both GS's in my area neither one had anyone that wanted to help and when I did bring up a fitting they did not seem to care one way or the other.

I even had one guy tell me, I will fit you right now no charge just buy the clubs and suggested I only really look at TM (they were the best) no real need to look at others but could try as many as I wanted just to compare, but he was going to fit me for TM.

Not saying there are not some good fitters at the other stores, I am sure there are just not in my area.

I only go to RD and only see a couple of the guys there, Lihu meet one of them and seemed to really like the guy?

This is true, but RD is a different type of store than GS. They are more of a specialty shop. The clubmaker at GS is also very well liked in the community. He is very knowledgeable and knows clubmaking to an art form.

I also agree that the fitters at RD are very impressive. They are setup very nicely in the Santa Ana store. I plan to go back once my swing is >2 keys on the course.

[RH31]

I've never chosen the fitting option, but have hit balls and bought clubs at Golfsmith. I like their 30 day playability policy on new clubs.

They charge $49 for a basic(45minute???) fitting session. The $49 goes towards the purchase price of the club you buy. They told me

if they couldn't find a Driver I could hit, they wouldn't charge me the $49.

I didn't opt for the fitting, but just hit a bunch of different drivers. The guy there was very patient and adjusted clubs multiple times for me. If I were to get fitted at Golfsmith, he'd be the guy I would chose. He's been doing it for 20 years.

I ended up buying a Demo driver with a shaft that worked well for me. I have a 10 day playability policy with this used club. I get 90%

store credit if returned in within 10 days.

I take my own club in and hit it while I'm testing a new club to get an accurate feel for any variation in distance.

[ggemp]

golfnutt:

All of the fitters working in Golf Galaxy are employed by Golf Galaxy. The specialty fitters attend a one week course to become a "certified" Taylormade / Calaway / Ping / Titelist fitter. Occasionally some one from one of these companies will come out and spend time in the stores when a new club launches. Other than that the fittings are being conducted by Golf Galaxy employees. The ones that I have encountered working in a Golf Galaxy are extremely knowledgeable and love the game. I am sure not everyone is professional and can create negative experiences.

Just wanted to share my insight after working in one of the superstores.

[sinned123]

I wanted PINGS, I did my research, read reviews, all of that stuff we do before we commit to buy. I set up an appt. at Golf Galaxy(Golfsmith told me I had to wait 2 weeks because they had no openings.(WTF ????).. I go to Golf Galaxy, spend over 45 min.'s between the G25's and G30's...graphite/steel shafts...OK...I make my choice !!! lets go !! I settle for the graphite G25's in a orange dot 11/2 upright....We start doing the paper work, and as I reminded him BEFORE the fitting that I wanted to trade in my 3 yr old MIZUNO's. Well...this is where it all unravaled. He wouldn't talk trade in UNTIL my PINGS were bought(2 weeks wait), so once I received my clubs(4-UW) then and only then would Golf Galaxy would discuss trade in. I didn't like that. I thought that was a little "hinky"....imagine buying a new car, paying for it up front in full, waiting a couple of weeks, then discussing what the shop is going to give you for a trade in. I asked around, my friends who I trust, and went to a no name mom and pop golf shop who i would've passed by w/o a second thought. My buddy who hawks golf balls(500-750-1000 at a time) dealt with this shop many time. You've seen those barrels of 2nd chance balls..(I haven't paid for a golf ball in many moons ! Well this old timer(I'm 55, he wasn't THAT much older then me) fit me, in an outside range, to a set of G25's (blue dot 1" upright)125.00 less then Golf Galaxy, let me pay a 200.00 deposit, got me my clubs in 5 business days, took my trade ins for the PGA book price...I couldn't be happier. OH...!!! IF PING brings the price down on the G25's in Sept. The old timer will give me store credit for something else...he mentioned that PING will bring down the cost because of the G30's that are out...GG never mentioned that little tidbit. AS with Golf Smith...the 'fitter' wanted to sell me some lesson block(52 lessons) ..I asked him How bad do I suck at golf that I need 52 lessons ????...no thanks... Sinn

[caniac6]

Good thing you did not buy at GG. Orange dot is 2.25 flat.

[Valleygolfer]

I wanted PINGS, I did my research, read reviews, all of that stuff we do before we commit to buy. I set up an appt. at Golf Galaxy(Golfsmith told me I had to wait 2 weeks because they had no openings.(WTF ????).. I go to Golf Galaxy, spend over 45 min.'s between the G25's and G30's...graphite/steel shafts...OK...I make my choice !!! lets go !! I settle for the graphite G25's in a orange dot 11/2 upright....We start doing the paper work, and as I reminded him BEFORE the fitting that I wanted to trade in my 3 yr old MIZUNO's. Well...this is where it all unravaled. He wouldn't talk trade in UNTIL my PINGS were bought(2 weeks wait), so once I received my clubs(4-UW) then and only then would Golf Galaxy would discuss trade in. I didn't like that. I thought that was a little "hinky"....imagine buying a new car, paying for it up front in full, waiting a couple of weeks, then discussing what the shop is going to give you for a trade in. I asked around, my friends who I trust, and went to a no name mom and pop golf shop who i would've passed by w/o a second thought. My buddy who hawks golf balls(500-750-1000 at a time) dealt with this shop many time. You've seen those barrels of 2nd chance balls..(I haven't paid for a golf ball in many moons ! Well this old timer(I'm 55, he wasn't THAT much older then me) fit me, in an outside range, to a set of G25's (blue dot 1" upright)125.00 less then Golf Galaxy, let me pay a 200.00 deposit, got me my clubs in 5 business days, took my trade ins for the PGA book price...I couldn't be happier. OH...!!! IF PING brings the price down on the G25's in Sept. The old timer will give me store credit for something else...he mentioned that PING will bring down the cost because of the G30's that are out...GG never mentioned that little tidbit. AS with Golf Smith...the 'fitter' wanted to sell me some lesson block(52 lessons) ..I asked him How bad do I suck at golf that I need 52 lessons ????...no thanks... Sinn

Good thing you didn't get the orange dot because those are 2.5 degrees flat.

[sinned123]

I liked hitting outside and seeing the shape of the shot....in GG I was hitting my G25 7 iron 172....in real life, outdoor with a little breeze I was itting the same G25(blue dot) 155....more like it ...it's the fitter, not the shop. Sinn

[Lihu]

I wanted PINGS, I did my research, read reviews, all of that stuff we do before we commit to buy. I set up an appt. at Golf Galaxy(Golfsmith told me I had to wait 2 weeks because they had no openings.(WTF ????).. I go to Golf Galaxy, spend over 45 min.'s between the G25's and G30's...graphite/steel shafts...OK...I make my choice !!! lets go !! I settle for the graphite G25's in a orange dot 11/2 upright....We start doing the paper work, and as I reminded him BEFORE the fitting that I wanted to trade in my 3 yr old MIZUNO's. Well...this is where it all unravaled. He wouldn't talk trade in UNTIL my PINGS were bought(2 weeks wait), so once I received my clubs(4-UW) then and only then would Golf Galaxy would discuss trade in. I didn't like that. I thought that was a little "hinky"....imagine buying a new car, paying for it up front in full, waiting a couple of weeks, then discussing what the shop is going to give you for a trade in.

I asked around, my friends who I trust, and went to a no name mom and pop golf shop who i would've passed by w/o a second thought.

My buddy who hawks golf balls(500-750-1000 at a time) dealt with this shop many time. You've seen those barrels of 2nd chance balls..(I haven't paid for a golf ball in many moons !

Well this old timer(I'm 55, he wasn't THAT much older then me) fit me, in an outside range, to a set of G25's (blue dot 1" upright)125.00 less then Golf Galaxy, let me pay a 200.00 deposit, got me my clubs in 5 business days, took my trade ins for the PGA book price...I couldn't be happier.

OH...!!! IF PING brings the price down on the G25's in Sept. The old timer will give me store credit for something else...he mentioned that PING will bring down the cost because of the G30's that are out...GG never mentioned that little tidbit.

AS with Golf Smith...the 'fitter' wanted to sell me some lesson block(52 lessons) ..I asked him How bad do I suck at golf that I need 52 lessons ????...no thanks...

Sinn

Wow, we 15.1 handicaps must really have bad swings.

[sinned123]

My suggestion would be to ask around and see who other people think is a good fitter.  You're looking for a person, not a chain of stores.  If possible, ask your local pro(s), they will likely have a much better idea about who in the area is decent....

BEST ADVICE ONE CAN GIVE !!!