Driver Fitting vs Putter Fitting

[Duby27]

I am looking at getting one of these done within the next week or so.  I have started using Game Golf for my stats and only have about 14 rounds (mostly 9 holes from league play) and here is what I have so far.

Fairway Accuracy - 35%

Putts Per Hole - 2.1

I'm around 241 - 260ish off the tee, depending on strike.  Most of the time, I am in trouble off the tee and therefore need to make it up with putting.  My putting is not very good, but has come a long way since last season.

Thanks in advance. 

[Jeremie Boop]

What do you currently have now? I ask because the money that would be spent on either of those fittings + cost of the club may well be better spent on lessons to improve your swing which would be more likely to improve both of those stats much more significantly unless those clubs are a horrible fit for you. I say that's probably especially true of the driver because the fit of the driver could change significantly if/when you improve your swing.

[Duby27]

Currently, I have the Taylormade RBZ 9.5 from a few years ago at 10 degree and the Odyssey Sabertooth.

 

[Jeremie Boop]

I would say unless something is terribly off, both of those should be pretty much OK. I would definitely see about a lesson instead of replacing those clubs.

[billchao]

6 minutes ago, Jeremie Boop said:

I would say unless something is terribly off, both of those should be pretty much OK. I would definitely see about a lesson instead of replacing those clubs.

I agree. New equipment is unlikely to solve your problems, @Duby27. Work on your skills first.

[shanksalot]

 This begs the question how big are your greens and how wide are your fairways? If your fairways are narrow and your greens are small then the big problem is your putting. If the fairways are wide then your problem is your driver. I believe you need to ascertain which is the bigger of two and then do something about the worst problem first. 

[Jeremie Boop]

1 minute ago, shanksalot said:

 This begs the question how big are your greens and how wide are your fairways? If your fairways are narrow and your greens are small then the big problem is your putting. If the fairways are wide then your problem is your driver. I believe you need to ascertain which is the bigger of two and then do something about the worst problem first. 

I don't necessarily agree. He's only averaging just over 2 putts per green, even if he were to really improve that he'd still probably sit around 1.7 putts per green. That's going to save him fewer strokes per round that straightening his drives would typically.

[Duby27]

Home course has narrow fairways lined by trees and hills.  Greens are pretty big to be honest.  I know equipment is not going to fix everything and a lesson(s) would do me wonders.  The only problem is the driver was not new when I bought it.  I am leaning towards getting fitted first and then getting some lessons.

Do I go for focus on putting lesson or a driver, iron lesson?

[Jeremie Boop]

1 minute ago, Duby27 said:

Home course has narrow fairways lined by trees and hills.  Greens are pretty big to be honest.  I know equipment is not going to fix everything and a lesson(s) would do me wonders.  The only problem is the driver was not new when I bought it.  I am leaning towards getting fitted first and then getting some lessons.

If you are set on getting fitted, take your current driver to compare to the newer ones. It will help decide if there is actually enough of an improvement to justify the expenditure. Between the two I'd lean towards the driver fitting over the putter as well.

[Patch]

If you can't do both, do the driver fitting. Your putting average is not bad when compared to your fairway percentage. More accurate drives would probably save you enough putting strokes to get you to 1.8 or so. 

[Tee2Trees]

Tough call.  You can get fit for a driver/shaft and then you might consider it obsolete within 5 years due to advances in technology (or end up deciding on a different shaft length, etc).  A good putter, on the other hand, can last you a lifetime.  But a well-fit putter comes with an even smaller guarantee of working out for you in the long run.  Most golfers have at least 2 putters, which may be "fit" properly or not, and eventually one of them begins to misbehave and the backup is called into duty.

In short, a "fitted" driver combo is sure to work well but has a shorter shelf life long-term.  On the other hand, while a "fitted" putter isn't going to be overpassed by technology it is less likely to stick as a unique solution for your game long-term as your putting style might change over time and the occasional slumps are inevitable.

Edited July 28, 2016 by Tee2Trees
typo

[Duby27]

I am sure that I am adding strokes due to OB drives or even having to chip it out.   The driver I have was not new when I purchased it, so I am not sure the shaft, loft and length are correct.