Club Fitting

[nyjets2806]

I've heard everyone say that club fitting is crucial to shooting better scores from people on the golf channel, magazines, and the course where I play. I don't doubt it, but I was wondering how club fitting was done and what kind of improvements it makes.

[Leek]

I just had it done for new sets of irons. First, they put impact labels on the sole of the club. You hit balls on a lie board and they check where the sole strikes the lie board. The label gives a guideline whether your lie angle is too upright, too flat or correct. Then they try agin with a club with what looks like the correct lie angle. Once you hit that several times, it either validates that or shows that it's still off. If off, then another club with the lie angle indicated on the impact tape. Once the lie angle is dialed in, they then put an impact label on the clubface and check where you are striking the ball on the clubface. It should be in the sweet spot. If it isn't then it's often club length. Based on feedback from the impact label, they will then dial in club length. Once that's done, it's launch testing for shaft flex, bend point and weight. They will have you hit irons until they find the right launch conditions for you.

Once done, you will have: lie angle specs, club length specs, the right shaft flex weight and kickpoint for you (usually, this is just done as- you get the optimal launch with these shafts: True Temper model XXX, YYY flex, Rifle model ZZZ, AAA flex, Nippon model BBB, CCC flex). This then allows you to either have your clubs bent to the right lie angles, get the shaft best for you in the right length and flex etc. OR buy new clubs that are built to your specs.

[fastfed]

I know they adjust the lie of the club, honestly I have been playing for a long time and never got fit for clubs, I feel they are PERFECT right now in every way..

[Everardo]

In additon to the posts above, many club fitters (myself included) will conduct a player interview. Personally I want to know as much about your game as possible, I want to know your own thoughts and perceptions of your game as well. This along with the physical fitting, use of a launch monitor, measurements of your body and current clubs will also factor into consideration.

[jorgesgolf]

For those of you that perform clubfittings or have had them done, do you find any advantage in doing it outside so that you can see the flight of the ball? I personally might do a clubfitting inside if the clubfitter came well recommended, but I would prefer doing something outside so that I could see the ball flight instead of an interpretation of the flight from a computer.
Thoughts?

Jorgesgolf

[RangeHound]

I just did a Hotstix clubfitting from a local pro shop. It costs $40. I tried it the first time for a driver and was a bit cautious. After some debate I took the suggested driver head, and shaft combination and took it for a spin. After testing every off the shelf driver made the combination I ended up with is by far superior to anything I have hit yet. I am not saying that it is the end all, but for somone who can't afford to buy one of each....this has worked great for me. Ended up with an ADAMS Bull w/ Fujikura Vista Tour shaft.

[Titan124]

Well, I'm a new golfer who is still growing, so wouldn't this simply reinforce bad habits and make the clubs a waste of money for me?

[nyjets2806]

i just finished getting a club fitting and they did the lie board and everything, but they didnt actually change anything about the clubs. all they said was that the lies of the 5-pw were half a degree off (over what it should be) and to bring them in in a few months for maintence (reseting the lie/loft). it was a good experience even though nothing really happened.

i think your supposed to be a certain handicap before you get club fitted so that your swing is fairly repeatable.

[tpicciani]

  Titan124 said:

Well, I'm a new golfer who is still growing, so wouldn't this simply reinforce bad habits and make the clubs a waste of money for me?

If you're still growing, maybe a cheaper set that is 'custom fit' would work for you. There are a handful of clone vendors out there. I bought a set of irons from gigagolf.com for around $150. You take measurements as directed and they tell you what length and lie angle the club should be.

It isn't as good as having a pro measure you up but the clubs are pretty nice. I got a set of RC-2's. Tom P.

[myndcraft]

I'm going to comment in here with a question as well.

Someone told me that when getting fitted for clubs that only Ping and TaylorMade really can do anything for loft/lie whereas the other Vendors are really only going to offer length adjustments. Is this true?

And now speaking of clones.... you get fit, they throw you on a launch monitor, you have your specs... Do you go with a set of name brands or is there any harm in taking the less expensive route with clones or Golfsmith/GolfGalaxy clubs? IE is the technology equal?

[Masa]

  myndcraft said:

I'm going to comment in here with a question as well.

With regards to the first question, any company can adjust lie/loft. My irons are Cobra and bent 2 degrees upright. At the place where I work we just ordered a set of Mizuno MP32s for a guy 1 degree flat. Most places can even adjust the loft and lie just by physically bending the club (larger risk of breaking the head for cast clubs). The main difference with Ping is that they have come up with the colored dot system to show how upright/flat the clubs were when they originally came from Ping.

As far as clubs themselves go... That's a personal thing. I bought mainly Cobra/Cleveland stuff earlier at the beginning of Summer, but I was getting everything at about 60% off retail so it was a little different situation for me. I ended up getting my HiBore XL for $117, my Baffler DWS for $61 each, irons for $278, and wedges for about $38 each. Even the fitted putter I got for $50. At those prices I couldn't see any reason not to buy "name brands". There are a couple guys I work with that use Golfsmith irons and drivers, and they like them just fine, I just couldn't resist the prices of what I chose. Not really sure if the technology is equal, I have heard some people saying that a lot of the heads come from the same factories as the big brands, but I can't confirm or deny that so it's just a rumor as far as I know.

[Everardo]

  jorgesgolf said:

For those of you that perform clubfittings or have had them done, do you find any advantage in doing it outside so that you can see the flight of the ball? I personally might do a clubfitting inside if the clubfitter came well recommended, but I would prefer doing something outside so that I could see the ball flight instead of an interpretation of the flight from a computer.

I do all my fittings outside on the range, the biggest advantage is being able to see the ball flight, I also have found out that people will swing differently indoors vs outdoors.

  RangeHound said:

I just did a Hotstix clubfitting from a local pro shop. It costs $40. I tried it the first time for a driver and was a bit cautious. After some debate I took the suggested driver head, and shaft combination and took it for a spin. After testing every off the shelf driver made the combination I ended up with is by far superior to anything I have hit yet. I am not saying that it is the end all, but for somone who can't afford to buy one of each....this has worked great for me. Ended up with an ADAMS Bull w/ Fujikura Vista Tour shaft.

I'll add one thing to this. A golfshop that has licensed the Hotstix software is not the same as getting fit at Hotstix.

  Titan124 said:

Well, I'm a new golfer who is still growing, so wouldn't this simply reinforce bad habits and make the clubs a waste of money for me?

Personally I think not and that's not me speaking as a clubfitter either. Clubs can always be adjusted.

  tpicciani said:

If you're still growing, maybe a cheaper set that is 'custom fit' would work for you. There are a handful of clone vendors out there. I bought a set of irons from gigagolf.com for around $150. You take measurements as directed and they tell you what length and lie angle the club should be.

I have reply on another thread about clones.....to sum it up though, I hate clones and disapprove of their use.

  Masa said:

.......There are a couple guys I work with that use Golfsmith irons and drivers, and they like them just fine, I just couldn't resist the prices of what I chose. Not really sure if the technology is equal, I have heard some people saying that a lot of the heads come from the same factories as the big brands, but I can't confirm or deny that so it's just a rumor as far as I know.

To a point that is true, many companies clubs are made in the same factory but the quality of the materials and the quality control for a big brand name are going to be far more strict that those of another brand. Also many big name companies will not even work with a factory if they have a history of producing clones. Recently many arrests and seizures have been made in factories that were producing clones

[ronaldkuntoro]

  nyjets2806 said:

I've heard everyone say that club fitting is crucial to shooting better scores from people on the golf channel, magazines, and the course where I play. I don't doubt it, but I was wondering how club fitting was done and what kind of improvements it makes.

Imagine for some people who likes to buy clothes off the store and those CEOs who use tailors to make suits for them. The difference is when you use it, you feel a lot comfortable with the suits made by tailors.

Custom fitting is actually to find out your swing. Such as your swing speed and launch angle. Thus, you can find the perfect loft for your driver. The most important thing, not every one got the same height, some people needs to have a longer or shorter club length. For me? I have a custom fitted Iron set by Snake Eyes. I don't think I ever want to switch my irons ever again. I have changed about 3 iron sets before the snake eyes.