Too many fittings going on!

[Hardballs]

I'm only talking from my personal experience here in the uk, if you walk in a store and say I want those, then they'll sell them you, but if your unsure, then they try to sell them on the fitting implying that they can make them work for you, when they can't! Only lessons and understanding the sequence of the swing will make them work for you, and only then, in my opinion is a proper fitting beneficial!

[TimS65]

From my experience, as a high handicapper lucky enough to earn golf shop vouchers through hotel points, I did find fitting a useful experience. Yes my swing wasn't perfect, but I did understand the concepts explained re: lie angles etc. But the main benefit was trying out a variety of different makes of irons. The difference was quite marked in feel and performance among all the "similar" clubs, and the ones I would have bought off the shelf just didn't feel right at all! The fitter understood the different weights and shafts and was therefore able to suggest ones most likely to suit. I ended up with Benross Hot Speed, some Cleveland irons were equally as good but £100 more, and the Wilson D100s that I expected to buy just felt wrong. (Others were also tried).

[Hardballs]

From my experience, as a high handicapper lucky enough to earn golf shop vouchers through hotel points, I did find fitting a useful experience. Yes my swing wasn't perfect, but I did understand the concepts explained re: lie angles etc. But the main benefit was trying out a variety of different makes of irons. The difference was quite marked in feel and performance among all the "similar" clubs, and the ones I would have bought off the shelf just didn't feel right at all! The fitter understood the different weights and shafts and was therefore able to suggest ones most likely to suit. I ended up with Benross Hot Speed, some Cleveland irons were equally as good but £100 more, and the Wilson D100s that I expected to buy just felt wrong. (Others were also tried).

Did you buy the standard set??

[Technician7179]

I feel I benefited a great deal from my fitting. Picked up my sticks today. BUT I dont expect anything except giving myself the best chance to get better

[JCamping]

Is it just me that thinks everyone should stop banging on about getting fitted? Fitting is free now whenever you buy new clubs, great! so everyone who buys new clubs gets this free fitting, not so great! I would suggest that lots of the people who buy new clubs are near beginners or high handicappers and that a fitting at that standard is of no benefit to anyone apart from the retail stores who fit to poor swings that will eventually have to rectified! Now I know a retail store would not say, hey buddy, I don't want to sell and fit you these clubs because your you basically have a real shitty swing, so go away and come back in 2 years! But they should just give the most basic standard of fitting, wrist to floor and grip size and leave it at that till your at the very least a bogey golfer,

#1 lie #2 shaft #3 length #4 player brand choice .. If all fail.. Least get the lie correct..then shaft close enough

[TimS65]

Standard set, steel shafts. About 14 months ago

[Hardballs]

Standard set, steel shafts. About 14 months ago

Well your fitting would appear helpful! As I'm sure many are, but I'm pretty sure there are many inexperienced salesmen/fitters in stores that are just giving everyone the same fitting and although people are walking out happy with there newly fitted clubs, they probably shouldn't be!

[scorpion12]

Hardballs, you might be right in that a full fitting may not benefit a beginner... but there's a chance it could.

Why not take the chance? A beginner that feels they've been fitted for their clubs might be more inclined to continue playing than a beginner that buys their clubs off the rack and wind up spraying the ball all over the course.

I've never been fitted for my clubs. It's never interested me because I never felt that I was good enough to warrant a fitting. I'm not concerned at the present time whether I am actually playing the correct shaft length, lie angle, grip size, etc. I know that when the ball goes awry it's my fault, not the club. I also am what I consider to be completely average. I can buy my clothes off the rack with no fitment issue (which my wife cannot stand) but I also am not the type of golfer that will purchase numerous clubs. The original ones I bought 20 years ago were clones of Ping or Callaway. I think. The ones I bought earlier this year were 20 years newer. Neither set was fitted for me. I've resigned myself to the fact that I am not good at golf, probably will never be able to break 100 let alone 90 or 80, and am satisfied at that.

I do feel that someone very tall or very short would probably benefit from a fitting more than I would. I do like the idea of using a launch monitor to see whether I hit one club better than another and I would consider using that as part of a fitting...

Regardless, I don't think it's hurting anything if a beginner gets a fitting for their clubs so I cannot understand the concern about it. But that's just me and maybe it's different where you are.

[Hardballs]

Hardballs, you might be right in that a full fitting may not benefit a beginner... but there's a chance it could. Why not take the chance? A beginner that feels they've been fitted for their clubs might be more inclined to continue playing than a beginner that buys their clubs off the rack and wind up spraying the ball all over the course

But what about a beginner who gets fitted and is still spraying there balls everywhere? He may be inclined to quit because the fitted clubs do nothing better than the borrowed/inherited ones he just gave back! The reason this got brought to my attention, when I got fitted I was told go 3* flat, I also pointed out the clubs felt too long and heavy to what I was used to, he said I'll get used to them, after I left I pondered for a while and then phoned the store and said scrap the fitting, I just want the clubs standard but 1/2" shorter! Fast forward 2 years, my swing is much better so I rebook myself in for my free club check and lesson, I'm still hitting the ground towards the heel slightly, so I asked do they need flattening, he said no! we try several more clubs with flatter lies but the results are just the same, he then points out my swing flaw and why it's happening and boom! I'm out the middle! And that's just me! But I fear there are lots of people getting textbook fittings to crappy swings by inexperienced staff! and lots of people are not getting a fitting that in reality is going to benefit them! And so, if a store is offering free fitting, then it should be done so by a more experienced professional, who can explain clearly the process of fitting and what is and is not necessary for different standards of golfers,.... they just have to say, "look, dude, you swings crap man, I could fit you to your swing but it ain't gonna help you and I'd be wasting both our time, let's go hit a few clubs, We'll find a set that's gonna help you a little, you go away get lessons and practise, then come back and we'll hit a few balls and see if we need to tweak anything! It's just honest communication that's needed! Not, "right, although your swing is that of a 60 yr old lumberjack, we'll put these shafts into that head with this grip, alter the lie and there you go, voila! this is the perfect set of clubs for your ridiculous pathetic swing! Go get em!

[TimS65]

Some valid points made there. I suspect it depends also on the individual as well as the "fitter". In my case the fitter seemed experienced and knowledgeable, but also I am "Mr Average" - average height, swing speed etc etc. Therefore for me it probably makes sense that an off the shelf set will fit me reasonably correctly most of the time anyway. And I am light years away from giving a damn about fine tuning the shaft!!! My only questions in that area are: graphite or steel? Regular or Stiff? Nothing more complicated than that.

I do find that the Benross irons I was fitted with 14 months ago still work very well for me even though (particularly in the past 3 months) my swing has changed substantially. I now have a much better ball filight and more consistence distance/direction. But the lie seems perfect and the clubs through to the hybrids are nicely gapped.

My only issue is more with the design of modern clubs - the loft has increased so much that I didn't realise at the time that the PW started at 44 degrees and SW 54 degrees - a 10 degree gap. So I have subsequently added a set of 3 wedges and the Benross GW (dropped the Benross SW), giving me gaps of LW 60 - SW 56 - GW 52 - GW 49 - PW 44 and so on (5 wedges). This large gap between the clubs at the bottom end isn't mentioned in fitting, but as you improve I found my short game was killed by the lack of options at the short end.

[Hardballs]

My only issue is more with the design of modern clubs - the loft has increased so much that I didn't realise at the time that the PW started at 44 degrees and SW 54 degrees - a 10 degree gap. So I have subsequently added a set of 3 wedges and the Benross GW (dropped the Benross SW), giving me gaps of LW 60 - SW 56 - GW 52 - GW 49 - PW 44 and so on (5 wedges). This large gap between the clubs at the bottom end isn't mentioned in fitting, but as you improve I found my short game was killed by the lack of options at the short end.

Again, poor advice from fitters/salesman, when I settled on my clubs, ( RocketBladez) he tried to sell me 3i to sw, he knew damn well I couldn't hit a 3 iron, and there was 10* gap between pw & sw, luckily I'd done my homework and said no thanks 4i to aw will be fine, I'll deal with sw at a later date! I could have ended up with 2 clubs I'd never used!

[SidRixon]

I am in a quandry about this too. I am not sure why I should want to get fitted when I am still struggling to hit a decent ball consistently. I have been playing for a year. I have a set of O/S cavity backs that I would quite like to change and am tempted not to bother with a fitting but buy the irons i like after trying out and perhaps get a fitting in another year's time. Nobody in a pro shop who charges for fitting is going to say that it's not worth the money.

[No Mulligans]

A fitting chart:

I'm Std/Std on that chart.  I also believe I have a pretty standard stance at address.  I hit my 7i 140 yards (and gradually getting more distance, thanks evolvr).  My swing is evolving.  I have off the shelf callaways with regular flex.  So, I'm thinking a fitting wouldn't do me much good.

[MiniBlueDragon]

It makes sense that golf club manufacturers will create their "stock" club to fit as many golfers as possible for the exact reason that many people don't bother with a fitting (why would they put a grip/shaft which suits only 0.5% of players into their clubs?). If you're of an average height, average build, average swing mechanics etc then you'll be able to make a stock set of clubs work far better than someone who is massively not average.

For those people who are tall or short or have a hugely steep swing or a really shallow swing I reckon a fitting is well worth the money even if you have to pay for it. For the middle-of-the-road player less so. If the club looks good to you and you feel good when you swing it and you're getting the consistency you want with it while testing it out then pull the trigger.

[billchao]

Again, poor advice from fitters/salesman, when I settled on my clubs, ( RocketBladez) he tried to sell me 3i to sw, he knew damn well I couldn't hit a 3 iron, and there was 10* gap between pw & sw, luckily I'd done my homework and said no thanks 4i to aw will be fine, I'll deal with sw at a later date! I could have ended up with 2 clubs I'd never used!

It's starting to sound to me like your problem with club fittings has nothing to do with getting fitted clubs, but rather you seem to encounter bad fitters.

[Hardballs]

It's starting to sound to me like your problem with club fittings has nothing to do with getting fitted clubs, but rather you seem to encounter bad fitters.

True, I've encountered only 1 inexperienced fitter, on my first and only fitting, but that's beside the point! As blue dragon pointed out above, the manufacturers make their stock clubs to suit the vast majority of people anyway, so unless your tall,small or playing to a reasonable standard, I just don't see the real benefit, plus there's a chance, if your swing is poor, to end up with clubs that won't be right for you!

[JCamping]

I am in a quandry about this too. I am not sure why I should want to get fitted when I am still struggling to hit a decent ball consistently. I have been playing for a year. I have a set of O/S cavity backs that I would quite like to change and am tempted not to bother with a fitting but buy the irons i like after trying out and perhaps get a fitting in another year's time. Nobody in a pro shop who charges for fitting is going to say that it's not worth the money.

try apex.. Prob best irons rite now and get fuittted for them

[billchao]

As blue dragon pointed out above, the manufacturers make their stock clubs to suit the vast majority of people anyway

They manufacture stock clubs based on average static measurements, like height and wrist to floor. Problem is, fittings need to be done dynamically, because what really matters is how the club is brought down at impact.

so unless your tall,small or playing to a reasonable standard, I just don't see the real benefit, plus there's a chance, if your swing is poor, to end up with clubs that won't be right for you!

I don't get what you're trying to say here. You're saying people are better off not getting fit because getting fit might end up with clubs that won't work for them? That was what I was going to say about people who buy stock clubs without getting fit