Fitting, Trackman, and Range Balls

[mdl]

I started working at Nike and get ~35% off on iron sets, so I pulled the trigger for the first time and got a new set, fitted properly (Vapor Pro Combos, 4i-GW).  Fitting was on a range with a Trackman and range balls.  With the range balls, and the same lofts as my current 695 CBs, I was gaining at least about 1 club in length with the wedges, and 1.5 clubs with the long irons.  For various reasons, I only have time to play in my weekly 9 hole league.  So I won't get the chance to get in a few practice rounds hitting real balls to try to dial in my distances.

So my question is, with a premium ball (I've got B330 balls right now, but play Nike and Taylormade premium balls too), what should be my best guess as to how far I'll hit the ball?  For example, with my 695 CBs, I hit 7i ~170 and 4i ~200.  With the new clubs with range balls, the Trackman gave me an average of ~185 with the 7i and ~217 with the 4i.  Fitter claimed the Trackman's distance estimate isn't biased up, so if that's true, a real ball should go further than that?  So should I play my new 7i on the course next Wednesday for 185?  190?  More?  Less?

I know I won't really know until I've played enough with them, but just wondering what people's thoughts are so I don't spend 9 holes airmailing one green then over correcting and hitting another green short with a different club, etc.

[saevel25]

So my question is, with a premium ball (I've got B330 balls right now, but play Nike and Taylormade premium balls too), what should be my best guess as to how far I'll hit the ball?  For example, with my 695 CBs, I hit 7i ~170 and 4i ~200.  With the new clubs with range balls, the Trackman gave me an average of ~185 with the 7i and ~217 with the 4i.  Fitter claimed the Trackman's distance estimate isn't biased up, so if that's true, a real ball should go further than that?  So should I play my new 7i on the course next Wednesday for 185?  190?  More?  Less?

Depends on the range balls. I've seen range balls that were not to far off from what I normally hit. I've see some that go way short because they are limited distance.

I really never came across range balls that flew way further than my normal clubs on full shots.

As for partial shots, depends. I believe range balls tend to launch a bit higher and spin less. So you might end up with some flier type shots with wedges, and maybe full shots. I guess that is possible.

Really, No way to tell with out actually hitting shots with your normal golf balls.

[Lihu]

I started working at Nike and get ~35% off on iron sets, so I pulled the trigger for the first time and got a new set, fitted properly (Vapor Pro Combos, 4i-GW).  Fitting was on a range with a Trackman and range balls.  With the range balls, and the same lofts as my current 695 CBs, I was gaining at least about 1 club in length with the wedges, and 1.5 clubs with the long irons.  For various reasons, I only have time to play in my weekly 9 hole league.  So I won't get the chance to get in a few practice rounds hitting real balls to try to dial in my distances.

So my question is, with a premium ball (I've got B330 balls right now, but play Nike and Taylormade premium balls too), what should be my best guess as to how far I'll hit the ball?  For example, with my 695 CBs, I hit 7i ~170 and 4i ~200.  With the new clubs with range balls, the Trackman gave me an average of ~185 with the 7i and ~217 with the 4i.  Fitter claimed the Trackman's distance estimate isn't biased up, so if that's true, a real ball should go further than that?  So should I play my new 7i on the course next Wednesday for 185?  190?  More?  Less?

I know I won't really know until I've played enough with them, but just wondering what people's thoughts are so I don't spend 9 holes airmailing one green then over correcting and hitting another green short with a different club, etc.

Congratulations on your new job at Nike!

This is kind of key to the discussion. Maybe the new clubs just hit farther? I would just play whatever is more comfortable.

[WUTiger]

First of all, let's take a look at the specs on the two iron sets:

Forged 695CB	2 Iron	3 Iron	4 Iron	5 Iron	6 Iron	7 Iron	8 Iron	9 Iron	P
Loft	17°	20°	23°	26°	30°	34°	38°	40°	46°
Length	39.50"	39.00"	38.50"	38.00"	37.50"	37.00"	36.50"	36.00"	35.75"
Lie	59°	60°	61°	62°	62.5°	63°	63.5°	64°	64°
Swing Wt	D2	D2	D2	D2	D2	D2	D2

From what we see, lofts are almost identical (but, this doesn't take into account internal clubhead design features). And Vapor PCs are only 1/4" longer in shaft than the 695CBs. Thus, possible distance enhancers:

• Head design of Vapor
• Shaft better matches your swing
• You get some benefit out of longer shaft
• The fitting combined the above three items to locate a set which matches you better than the 695CBs. (You did not say of the CBs were fitted for your or not).

Shot length will be an interaction of swing, club and ball. So, you may get distance differences as you move from premium ball to ball. Not all premium ball fly the same.

Any way you could find a half hour on Trackman to compare Ball A and Ball B for Vapor 4i and 7i?

[mdl]

Thanks everyone.  Yeah the CBs weren't fitted, though I bought them used and they were at +2˚ and I kept them that way because they felt better and I suspected I'd get fit upright anyway.  But they were stiff shafts at standard length.  My VPCs will be 2˚ upright and +1.25 inches, extra stiff.

I'd gone in thinking I'd get 3i-PW, lofts bent a bit to close the distance gap but keep both my 19˚ hybrid and 54˚ and 60˚ wedges.  I wasn't expecting such a big distance increase for the same lofts.  But then when I was hitting the 7i 185-190, I thought maybe I should get 4i-GW, but wanted to hit the 4i to see how far I'd hit that.  He had a 2˚ upright 4i fitting head but only either standard length or maybe +0.5 inches, can't remember.  And I hit that 215+.  So I'd guess I'm getting some extra distance from the longer shaft and some from the technology in the club head.

Regardless, I guess I'll just set up in my next round expecting to hit the ball at the top end of the range I hit the range balls at the fitting and hope I don't airmail any greens, or hit way off center and drop way short!

[Lihu]

Thanks everyone.  Yeah the CBs weren't fitted, though I bought them used and they were at +2˚ and I kept them that way because they felt better and I suspected I'd get fit upright anyway.  But they were stiff shafts at standard length.  My VPCs will be 2˚ upright and +1.25 inches, extra stiff.

I'd gone in thinking I'd get 3i-PW, lofts bent a bit to close the distance gap but keep both my 19˚ hybrid and 54˚ and 60˚ wedges.  I wasn't expecting such a big distance increase for the same lofts.  But then when I was hitting the 7i 185-190, I thought maybe I should get 4i-GW, but wanted to hit the 4i to see how far I'd hit that.  He had a 2˚ upright 4i fitting head but only either standard length or maybe +0.5 inches, can't remember.  And I hit that 215+.  So I'd guess I'm getting some extra distance from the longer shaft and some from the technology in the club head.

Regardless, I guess I'll just set up in my next round expecting to hit the ball at the top end of the range I hit the range balls at the fitting and hope I don't airmail any greens, or hit way off center and drop way short!

You might be getting less spin with the new clubs, so you are seeing more distance.

Did you save the spin numbers?

[mdl]

You might be getting less spin with the new clubs, so you are seeing more distance.

Did you save the spin numbers?

Right.  Didn't think of that.  And no, I didn't save the numbers.  In the middle of the fitting I thought to myself I gotta remember to ask for a print out of these numbers.  But then of course I forgot...