fitting to last years model?

[clearwaterms]

I have received the approval to get a new set of irons this year.  I am currently using a custom built clone like version of Callaway's 2008 Big Bertha Irons.  The clubs have been a fine companion for 3-4 years but I think I have cut my teeth enough and learned my swing so that I am ready to make the investment in a name brand set.

On courses that I am comfortable with I generally shoot in the 44-46 a side range, with my biggest struggle being off the tee and long approach shots.  When the driver is working I have shot as low as 42 on my favorite par 36 nine hole course and my favorite full distance 18, I shot an 81 over the summer last year.  On those same courses on a normal day I am closer to 44-46 and 88-90.  So I think my handicap is somewhere in the 17-19 range.

My plan is to narrow down my selection to 1-2 manufacturers, find a demo day and schedule a fitting for each brand.  Then after that purchase the set that makes the most sense.

Thus far in my evaluation, I have liked the Ping G15 and the Titleist AP1.  I like the feel of clubs with TT Gold shafts (the lite and standard seem to be the same) and my club head speed puts me squarely in the S300 range.

I have not hit too many clubs at a range to see ball flight, just into a net at golf stores.  So I am basing this on address, balance of the club (how it feels in the backswing) and feel at impact.

If I finally decide on the Ping, is it possible to get a set of Ping G20's made to order even with the Ping G25's on the way out?

I won't be ordering anything until closer to spring (march time frame)

Thank you

[Kujan]

You can still get fit for G15/20. Let the fitter determine your dot color and if you're not "black" then you'll do a custom order and Ping will ship them. I just did this very same thing.

[cooke119]

I'm a blue dot (G15s), had the clubs in under two weeks.

[clearwaterms]

so I went to a golf store yesterday (Puetz in Bellevue, WA) and explained that I was considering new Ping irons, and they actually had the i20/g25 in left handed (which the stores in my area didn't have)

The store was slow so the salesman let me take as much time as I wanted in the fitting station.  The fitting station didn't have any form of measurement system so I am basing this totally off of feel.

I first hit the i20 with the CFS in stiff and I really liked the club, when you hit the ball off the middle of the face you really felt it, I hit a few off the toe, but I was impressed with the quality of the contact, etc.

After hitting about 35-40 balls in total I could tell you that the toe was marked up quite a bit more than heel so I will need to get fitted and get something upright.

Then I hit the G25 with the DG S300 (the shaft that I have been fitted for previously).

So far I really like the i20.  I am still going to wait until the weather breaks in Chicago and hit some balls outside so I can see ball flight, but right now I am really thinking the i20 /w either the CFS in stiff or the DG S300 would be the #1 right now.

[Kujan]

You are saying closer to the toe on the tape located on the bottom of the club? That would mean you need them bent upright. I was making contact slightly toward the heel and got flatter G20s in "red" dot.

[clearwaterms]

yes, sorry upright - I always get those confused.  The sales person gave me a "guess" that I was looking at 2 deg up and probably 1/2~1" over stock length.

He obviously said they would do a full fitting when I ordered them.

I got fit last year for Mizuno clubs, and based on that fitting, and comparing it to a ping chart, I would be a +1/2" green dot.  I was hitting a black dot iron.  Being a lefty the selection is a little more limited.  They had a green dot G25, but the sales person had stepped away and since I wasn't planning on ordering anything that day I didn't want to keep taking him away from other customers.

[clearwaterms]

also one other thing, these were demo clubs, so we didn't tape them.  The mat surface they had was abrasive, so after a while I was polishing the club a little bit and you could see that the material left on the club was focused towards the toe quite a bit.

The i20 felt VERY VERY nice.

[dsc123]

Originally Posted by clearwaterms

The i20 felt VERY VERY nice.

I'm with you on that one.  About to buy a set myself.