Golf Digest needs your help finding the best clubfitters

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From golfdigest.com

I personally went to one of their Top 100 for my fitting from driver down to putter.

We need your help finding the best clubfitters

By Keely Levins

If you've been heeding the advice of our equipment editors, you've most certainly been fit for your clubs. It has been the long held opinion of not just us but every corner of the industry that dialing in your specs is the surest way not only toward increased consistency but tangible and often immediate improvements in distance, accuracy and most importantly, your score.

It's in that light that Golf Digest once again is planning to rank America's 100 Best Clubfitters this spring. This will mark our third ranking since 2011, and we are seeking your input for the best facilities to visit for a club fitting.

For those of you who have been fit, was your fitter awesome? Has he or she helped get you into a set of clubs that has changed your game -- for the better? We want to know about it.  Please send us your nominations and stories via email (clubfitters@golfdigest.com), Facebook or Twitter by Dec. 5. We need the name of the fitting center (we rank the facility, not the individual), where it's located, and a link to the fitting location's website. Keep in mind, we only accept nominations for facilities that carry a range of major manufacturers and that are accessible to the public.

Thank you in advance for your input. We're psyched to see who's helping make the golf world a better, more fitted, place.

[Missouri Swede]

How do we know that a clubfitter is "good"?

In other threads, there's been discussion of how the skills of many teaching pros are lacking. The magazines put out lists of teaching pros that might or might not hold up to inquiry by regular readers of TST (reference the list of questions to ask teachers).

Is there a similar way to evaluate a clubfitter, other than the anecdotal input Golf Digest is looking for?

I note that they're ranking facilities and not individuals, and eliminating those that don't carry a "range of major manufacturers."  This could possibly include some so-so individuals because another individual at the facility is top-notch, and could exclude some good facilities because the equipment "range" isn't broad enough.

[boogielicious]

How do we know that a clubfitter is "good"?

In other threads, there's been discussion of how the skills of many teaching pros are lacking. The magazines put out lists of teaching pros that might or might not hold up to inquiry by regular readers of TST (reference the list of questions to ask teachers).

Is there a similar way to evaluate a clubfitter, other than the anecdotal input Golf Digest is looking for?

I note that they're ranking facilities and not individuals, and eliminating those that don't carry a "range of major manufacturers."  This could possibly include some so-so individuals because another individual at the facility is top-notch, and could exclude some good facilities because the equipment "range" isn't broad enough.

Excellent question.  I have had only one fitting, but below is what we did.

When I got fit three years ago, I was looking for improvement in my game with the clubs I had.  I was maybe a 20 HC at the time. The fitter I went to spent an hour with me on my driver, another hour on my irons and another hour on my putter.  I found him to be very thorough.  He asked me a lot of questions about my game and what I had and wanted for ball flight etc.  He did not try and sell me new clubs but worked with what I had due to my budget.  He also did not criticize my swing or try to correct flaws, but worked with the swing I had at the time.

We tried a variety of shafts and settings on the driver to get optimum distance.  He went over the results for each change and showed me how it improved or didn't improve the results.

Irons were similar.  He found a similar head to the one I had and fit different shafts to that head to show me the change.  He also fit my grip size. I went down from a midsize to standard with 3 wraps.

For the putter, we spent the initial part of the fitting looking at my aim.  He watched me aim and putt with my existing putter.  He measured my forward push that I do at the start of my stroke.  He used a laser set up to check my aim.  Then he adjusted my lie to correct my aim.

Next we evaluated my stance vs. the putter length.  He suggested extending my putter by 1/2".  I tried a similar putter with adjustable length and weight.  Then he extended my putter and put on a new grip.  Next we worked on distance control on a 10' putt.  The last thing he did was adjust the loft.

What we did not work on was overall weight of the putter as in and Edel fitting or do SAM lab stuff.  Edel putter fittings are much more involved from what I have been told.

Overall, I think he did a very good job.

[DevotedGolfer]

How do we know that a clubfitter is "good"?

In other threads, there's been discussion of how the skills of many teaching pros are lacking. The magazines put out lists of teaching pros that might or might not hold up to inquiry by regular readers of TST (reference the list of questions to ask teachers).

Is there a similar way to evaluate a clubfitter, other than the anecdotal input Golf Digest is looking for?

I note that they're ranking facilities and not individuals, and eliminating those that don't carry a "range of major manufacturers."  This could possibly include some so-so individuals because another individual at the facility is top-notch, and could exclude some good facilities because the equipment "range" isn't broad enough.

On the second round of the list they did an excellent job of evaluating candidates for the list. And the result was a very good list.
:-)

Russ

A Golf Digest America's 100 Best Clubfitter

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Missouri Swede

How do we know that a clubfitter is "good"?

In other threads, there's been discussion of how the skills of many teaching pros are lacking. The magazines put out lists of teaching pros that might or might not hold up to inquiry by regular readers of TST (reference the list of questions to ask teachers).

Is there a similar way to evaluate a clubfitter, other than the anecdotal input Golf Digest is looking for?

I note that they're ranking facilities and not individuals, and eliminating those that don't carry a "range of major manufacturers."  This could possibly include some so-so individuals because another individual at the facility is top-notch, and could exclude some good facilities because the equipment "range" isn't broad enough.

On the second round of the list they did an excellent job of evaluating candidates for the list. And the result was a very good list.

:-)

Russ

A Golf Digest America's 100 Best Clubfitter

Welcome to the forum @DevotedGolfer .  We would love to hear your thoughts on good fitting.  Most golfers do not take advantage of going to a good fitter.