Getting Fitted

[aidanmcg33]

Hi im getting fitted for new clubs today. Any tips for getting the most out of the process, i think im hittin clubs at a big screen that shows where my ball goes.

[Double Bogey]

Stay open minded... if the pro tells you that you need a senior shaft, you more than likely need a senior shaft. (this is just an example) Check your ego at the door, and remember that these people are professionals, you are not. Enjoy the process you can learn a ton. I loved being fitted, and it gives me confidence that I have the right clubs. Also it kept me from having buyers remorse.

[Big Lex]

If it's not too late to post...

Hit some balls before you go into the session. Hit enough balls that you are warmed up and can swing pretty much full speed from the beginning of the fitting session.

Don't worry about how you hit it in your warm up; don't try new things or try to fix your swing or do anything special, but definitely get your body loose.

[i-Guy]

If it's not too late to post...

Good suggestion but you can do this at the store. Simply ask to warm up and hit some irons shots off the mat (not tee) until you feel warm. Also I would suggest that you do not go into this NOT committed to making a purchase today. I would go through the process and learn. Then I would walk away and think about what you have learned and do some research into what clubs you might be interested in. Then I would return and go through the same process but hitting the clubs you are interested in. One more thing to consider is how did your swing feel today? If you did not feel like you were swinging well then again walk away and come back another day to try again... Patience is a virtue!!! Good Luck...

[aidanmcg33]

Well im home now from my fitting session. Unfortunately was away before i got to read any of those posts. Went to range this morning and hit 100 balls. (TOO MANY). But it was a good experience. Started out hitting a 5 iron and wasnt going great. Changed to driver and that was a disaster though it always is huge turning drives way off to the right. Settled down and took out my 8 iron and started thinking about swinging cleanly and hitting the ball nice and crisply. Worked on my swing a bit and started hitting a lot straighter and cleaner. Then went to my 5 and 4 irons and went through the same process and left with me hitting the ball nice and cleanly and had good confidence in my swing.
[Chapter 2] lol.
Went into shop and as my 6 iron was broken, the tests were done mainly around the 5 iron. Started out with my club and then wento onto mizuno 23. Looked forward to hitting this as id heard a lot of good things on the forum about them but wasnt that fussed. The hit cobra fp and liked them better. Also hitted them a lot straighter and more consistent. Then tried out benross muscle backs and didnt like them even though i got my third best shot score of the day with them of 80.9. Then tried wilson fs and didnt like these at all but got highest shot score of 86.1 with it. Also tried some sort of srixon and was swinging a lot faster with it but didnt like it either. In the end the consistency of the the cobra clubs did it for me, wasnt hitting them quite as far but accuracy was a lot better and shots were appearing better on the screen too.
And at the end of all that im now waiting on my Cobra FP Steel Shaft (stiff) and Benross Z7 bag. Good experience and have a better confidence in the clubs ive purchased now. Will just have to wait and see what they are like on the course.

[aidanmcg33]

Oh and i also have a ping g5 3 wood on its way too, so my round of golf in 2 weeks from now should be interesting.

[Diggitydog]

Buying clubs is definitely a fun time!

[SubPar]

I am scheduled to have a professional fitting done beginning this week. I have maintained a single digit handicap for a couple of years, but my bag is a mixed bunch of off-the-rack clubs that are not technically tweaked to work together as a group, nor are the swing weights, loft and kick-points customized for my swing speed and form. Having spent a long time thinking about it, talking to people who have had it done and studying the process, I think I have a pretty good idea what to expect. Across the board I may gain 15-20 yards off the tee and shave 3 strokes off an average round. That seems to be the result most people have seen.

What you did was not "club fitting" in the strictest sense. It sounds like you did the swing analysis done at golf shops where they come up with a shaft that is generally right for your swing speed and then sell you some clubs that feel good to you. At your handicap that is fine. Anything more technical would be a waste of money.

Once you get down to a 10 handicap or less a serious professional "fitting" would be beneficial. Such a fitting takes 2.5 - 3+ hours hitting 10 to 15 balls on a lunch monitor with every club… preferably one supervised by a specialist who is not necessarily selling you a set of clubs. Depending on the results, I may keep the club heads I have and just re-shaft them, or I may go to a different head design.

The shaft lengths, grip size, lie angles, launch angle, swing speed and spin rates are analyzed and the shafts and heads are individually tailored to your numbers, setting the flex, swing weight and loft appropriately for each club. And, very importantly, seeing that the characteristics of every club are in balance across the set. Off-the-rack shaft specs are so broad that, for example, a 6i that is a little to the plus side of the spec paired with a 5i that is a little to the minus end, gives you two clubs that play very much the same. If you take exactly the same swing with each club they should feel the same to you and the results should be consistently different.

I am speaking now from the perspective of having done months of research. I’ll be sure to post the results after I have had the work done.

The Wedge Guy says:

I’ve seen actual random testing of clubs purchased that reveals many things:

An “R” shaft can range from soft ladies to strong “Stiff”, even within what are supposed to be the same make and model; irons that have variance of up to two full flexes within a given set (this is much more common with graphite shafted irons that with steel); loft and lie angles that are off by as much as 2-3 degrees, almost a full club !

The only way to know what shaft you should really be playing, and what shaft you are getting, is to be professionally fitted and have your clubs built specifically for you by a qualified clubmaker who can show you right there what you really have.
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SubPar

[Kellfire]

Aidan, where did you go in the end? I'm going to get fitted sometime around the New Year and would like to know where you went.

[geezer]

I'll second that request. Share the love!

[MyGolfster]

What is your height? Make sure the lie angles are not too flat. You will probably prefer them a little on the upright side.

Why? 3 reasons:
1. When you swing, the shaft will bow causing the lie angle to be more flat at impact than at address.
2. Clubs that are too flat are not visually appealing when you are over the ball
3. You will hit the ball off the toe!

Just find the lie angle where the ball hits the exact centre of the clubface. Worry more about the clubface, and less about the bottom of the club.

[SubPar]

I just got my reshafted, weighted, balanced and matched clubs back two days ago. I have hit at the range twice and so far I can say I am getting a little more distance, but more importantly I am getting much more consistent results in terms of launch angle and tighter grouping of shots. My wedges are generating more spin and the irons all "feel" alike in my hands.

I'll have more to say after I hit the course this weekend but at this point I am very pleased.

SubPar