General Advice on My Fitting Experiences Please

[Vinsk]

Hello all. I’ll get to it. I was fitted for my Ping i200’s. Trackman, Lie board, both indoor and outdoor shots. This was last year. The specs from that fitting:

PX 5.5 +1/4 Red Dot. 

Then came the i500’s. (I also hit the i210 but liked the distances with i500.) I wanted them so also went through fitting but with a different fitter. Admittedly I struggle with indoor hitting but got to hit some outside as well. Anyway, the specs for that fitting came out as:

DG 105 Regular +1/2 Blue dot. WTF? 

I did think with my height it was odd to have only a 1/4” and flat on top as that. I’m still working on my swing of course and trying to stand less hunched over, raise the handle.

So two days ago I’m at my practice area and a Mizuno guy is out there waiting for the pro to come. He chats with me and asks me to try his Mizuno Shaft Optimizer. He wanted to test the connection with his iPad or something. He gives me a 7i with a black shaft and a left handed Mizuno head. I hit about 10 shots (luckily they were all nice.) 

He then shows me my results and at the top of the list was PX 5.5 1/4 “ and 1* flat. The DG 105 Reg wasn’t on the list. 

Admittedly I’m not very knowledgeable in all this but I never had great confidence in either of my fittings. I’m wondering if I should just take my clubs (both sets) and go to Club Champion and get the full fitting done and settle this for now. I never believed much in fitting being necessary but I’ve leaned more towards it thanks to this site. I’ve heard great things about Club Champion and the 3 1/2 hr fitting is the complete bag. Even if I’m just being foolish I’d like to have the confidence that I’m playing a set of irons accurately fitted for me. Anyway, your thoughts please. Thanks.

[boogielicious]

10 hours ago, Vinsk said:

Hello all. I’ll get to it. I was fitted for my Ping i200’s. Trackman, Lie board, both indoor and outdoor shots. This was last year. The specs from that fitting:

PX 5.5 +1/4 Red Dot. 

Then came the i500’s. (I also hit the i210 but liked the distances with i500.) I wanted them so also went through fitting but with a different fitter. Admittedly I struggle with indoor hitting but got to hit some outside as well. Anyway, the specs for that fitting came out as:

DG 105 Regular +1/2 Blue dot. WTF? 

I did think with my height it was odd to have only a 1/4” and flat on top as that. I’m still working on my swing of course and trying to stand less hunched over, raise the handle.

So two days ago I’m at my practice area and a Mizuno guy is out there waiting for the pro to come. He chats with me and asks me to try his Mizuno Shaft Optimizer. He wanted to test the connection with his iPad or something. He gives me a 7i with a black shaft and a left handed Mizuno head. I hit about 10 shots (luckily they were all nice.) 

He then shows me my results and at the top of the list was PX 5.5 1/4 “ and 1* flat. The DG 105 Reg wasn’t on the list. 

Admittedly I’m not very knowledgeable in all this but I never had great confidence in either of my fittings. I’m wondering if I should just take my clubs (both sets) and go to Club Champion and get the full fitting done and settle this for now. I never believed much in fitting being necessary but I’ve leaned more towards it thanks to this site. I’ve heard great things about Club Champion and the 3 1/2 hr fitting is the complete bag. Even if I’m just being foolish I’d like to have the confidence that I’m playing a set of irons accurately fitted for me. Anyway, your thoughts please. Thanks.

Do you recall feeling any different on the fitting days? Some days when I feel stiff and old, the swing doesn't feel right. Other days, I feel loose and smooth. I would question the readings on the former.

The two shafts are not drastically different. The PX is a lower launch shaft at around 115g and the DG is a lower launch shaft at 101. I have a couple of Mizuno MP 57 6 irons, one with PX 5.5 and the other with DG SL S300. I think the DG 105 is very similar to the older DG SL shaft. It feels a bit lighter than the PX, but feels the same at impact.

 

[Vinsk]

21 minutes ago, boogielicious said:

Do you recall feeling any different on the fitting days? Some days when I feel stiff and old, the swing doesn't feel right. Other days, I feel loose and smooth. I would question the readings on the former.

The two shafts are not drastically different. The PX is a lower launch shaft at around 115g and the DG is a lower launch shaft at 101. I have a couple of Mizuno MP 57 6 irons, one with PX 5.5 and the other with DG SL S300. I think the DG 105 is very similar to the older DG SL shaft. It feels a bit lighter than the PX, but feels the same at impact.

 

Thanks @boogielicious. I certainly ‘feel’ like I have better days for sure. But with my videos I appear to have the same bad swing pretty consistently lol. I wasn’t so perplexed about the shaft differences as I was about the length/lie angle. + 1/4 and Red dot is quite a change to +1/2 blue dot. I still have the i200’s. And now that I’m signed up for Evolvr I just want to make sure I’m properly doing all I can to improve. If I were to walk out of Club Champion with a fit to what I already have so be it. I’m not worried about the $350 for the full fitting. I just wanted to know if it seems necessary to bother. 

FWIW I didn’t have a lot of confidence in my previous fittings, and this may be unfair, but the guys were young and just kind of getting used to their equipment. I also took a few lessons from one of the guys prior to fitting and he gave quite a bit of instruction that I know isn’t accurate. Thanks for responding. Any further advice is appreciated.

[Adam C]

This is a little tricky to say which is right and why they are different. Could both be wrong or could both be right. First I will say remember that the clubs you were fitting are different and have different specs. Stock length on the 5s are longer than the 2s. Swing weights are also slightly different and static weights are different. 100g DG shaft vs a 112g PX (speaking rough cut weights) also could make differences with lie angle.

All this is to say that I think you need to fit each club (ie set) on it's own after picking the shaft and head you want. Because those two things will impact the lie fitting. As a club maker I have also come to the conclusion after years that iron length need be far less rigid in it's measurements. If you feel more comfortable with longer clubs so that you are less hunched over in the short irons, then go with that. A half inch longer iron is not going to make much difference in your accuracy game and if it feels more comfortable then go with it. Just make sure you factor in the weight changes in a longer club because that is way more important than length. After all that lock down the lie angles.

[Typhoon92]

My fitter said if you're ok with standard length then go with it and he can adjust lie.  Static measurement would have me less than standard length and obviously at a different lie angle with a shorter club.

The Mizuno Optimizer...one thing to remember is if a certain shaft is carried by/offered by Mizuno it will not show up as a recommendation.

I've used the optimized a few times, Adam responded in my latest thread about it.  The shaft choices for me were all over the map.  One thing that remained constant though from year to year is the project x 6.0.  That would be a starting point for me.

[Vinsk]

41 minutes ago, Typhoon92 said:

My fitter said if you're ok with standard length then go with it and he can adjust lie.  Static measurement would have me less than standard length and obviously at a different lie angle with a shorter club.

The Mizuno Optimizer...one thing to remember is if a certain shaft is carried by/offered by Mizuno it will not show up as a recommendation.

I've used the optimized a few times, Adam responded in my latest thread about it.  The shaft choices for me were all over the map.  One thing that remained constant though from year to year is the project x 6.0.  That would be a starting point for me.

Thanks @Typhoon92. Yeah I guess I don’t know enough about shafts/tech to really assess my situation..lol. I was just surprised how different the results seem to me. I was about 3/4 swinging with the Mizuno guy because I didn’t want to ruin his day with my profound display of shanking. My 7i club speed was showing 81-83mph. I guess I just wish I would’ve come out of those fittings with more confidence. I think (based on what I’ve read and heard from some friends at my club) that Club Champion is really thorough and professional. My fitters were/are primarily instructors and sadly rather poor ones. I know that doesn’t mean they’re poor fitters as well but ....Anyway. Thanks for the advice. If I go to Club Champion I’ll post my experience here. Luckily I joined Evolvr so I’m doing something positive now.

[allenc]

I’ve done a fitting session at both Club Champion and Cool Clubs.  I came away unimpressed with both and did not buy clubs.  I think fitting is a lot like teaching —  The reputation of the company is irrelevant, it’s all about the individual who is conducting the fitting,

[Vinsk]

18 minutes ago, allenc said:

I’ve done a fitting session at both Club Champion and Cool Clubs.  I came away unimpressed with both and did not buy clubs.  I think fitting is a lot like teaching —  The reputation of the company is irrelevant, it’s all about the individual who is conducting the fitting,

Yeah I can agree with that. But the guys I know who went to my particular Club Champion place really liked their fitting and even named two of the guys they worked with. They have good reviews as well so I may take the plunge. 

[phillyk]

On 10/21/2018 at 5:14 PM, Vinsk said:

Hello all. I’ll get to it. I was fitted for my Ping i200’s. Trackman, Lie board, both indoor and outdoor shots. This was last year. The specs from that fitting:

PX 5.5 +1/4 Red Dot. 

Then came the i500’s. (I also hit the i210 but liked the distances with i500.) I wanted them so also went through fitting but with a different fitter. Admittedly I struggle with indoor hitting but got to hit some outside as well. Anyway, the specs for that fitting came out as:

DG 105 Regular +1/2 Blue dot. WTF? 

I don't remember when it specifically happened, but PING did change their fitting system in the last year or two.  At standard length, nothing has really changed, but when you add or subtract length on the shafts, the appropriate lie angle has changed (I don't recall the specifics about what that really means though).  Anyhow, maybe you were fit for the i200s from the old way?  Each club maker will be slightly different in how they fit too.  So you may always get slightly different answers.

[Typhoon92]

5 hours ago, Vinsk said:

Yeah I can agree with that. But the guys I know who went to my particular Club Champion place really liked their fitting and even named two of the guys they worked with. They have good reviews as well so I may take the plunge. 

Look up in Golf digest the top 100 fitters.  You can pull up your state.  In Massachusetts and New Hampshire for instance there are a few golf shops, a Callaway performance center and some smaller clubfitters that specialize...like I have Ace of  Clubs in Saugus that I use.

Do you homework on area places.  I have a place in Manchester NH that would be my #2....just a guy who does fittings with a good reputation.  Often times these are the guys to go to.  Not a fan of ANY big box place and get skepitical about places like cool clubs,club champion and Tru spec overcharging....looking more at getting more customers through the door than the guy I go to who you build a relationship with.

[Typhoon92]

Kevin, just happened to be reading this on " the other forum"...sort of sums up a lot.

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/1705630-club-champ-driver-fitting-more-questions-than-answers-g400ts316-m2/

[Vinsk]

20 minutes ago, Typhoon92 said:

Kevin, just happened to be reading this on " the other forum"...sort of sums up a lot.

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/1705630-club-champ-driver-fitting-more-questions-than-answers-g400ts316-m2/

Pretty good read. And I definitely have a problem with hitting indoors. Even when I was hitting in a bay to the outside I felt odd. I’ll probbaky just stick with what I have as I’m tearing down my old awful swing and getting on track with Evolvr. Thanks for that link! 

[Typhoon92]

I work at an indoor facility and have always had that problem.  I found that indoors to u hit at a target 15 feet in front of you so you don't accelerate because of the closeness of your target.  Outside you're hitting to a target far away, ...you're trying to reach a far away place.

I'm still amazed at my outside vs inside numbers.

[Adam C]

15 minutes ago, Typhoon92 said:

I work at an indoor facility and have always had that problem.  I found that indoors to u hit at a target 15 feet in front of you so you don't accelerate because of the closeness of your target.  Outside you're hitting to a target far away, ...you're trying to reach a far away place.

I'm still amazed at my outside vs inside numbers.

Totally agree with the inside vs outside swing. I know from personal experience working with indoor launch bays, people swing differently. Some swing slower, or shorter, for me I found myself hanging back on everything and almost reverse weight shifting. Only figured that out after taking some video outside at the range (after having hit a lot of balls indoors) and seeing how much weight was on my back leg after impact. This is why I never liked teaching systems like GolfTec because you are always inside hitting into a screen. Same concern with fittings done indoors. Don't get me wrong, I have done numerous fittings indoors and it's okay for your basic fitting, and necessary when you can't be on an actual range, but doing elaborate and expensive fittings indoors is not something I would ever get behind unless accompanied by some range time.

[dennyjones]

On 10/21/2018 at 8:14 PM, Vinsk said:

Hello all. I’ll get to it. I was fitted for my Ping i200’s. Trackman, Lie board, both indoor and outdoor shots. This was last year. The specs from that fitting:

PX 5.5 +1/4 Red Dot. 

Then came the i500’s. (I also hit the i210 but liked the distances with i500.) I wanted them so also went through fitting but with a different fitter. Admittedly I struggle with indoor hitting but got to hit some outside as well. Anyway, the specs for that fitting came out as:

DG 105 Regular +1/2 Blue dot. WTF? 

I did think with my height it was odd to have only a 1/4” and flat on top as that. I’m still working on my swing of course and trying to stand less hunched over, raise the handle.

So two days ago I’m at my practice area and a Mizuno guy is out there waiting for the pro to come. He chats with me and asks me to try his Mizuno Shaft Optimizer. He wanted to test the connection with his iPad or something. He gives me a 7i with a black shaft and a left handed Mizuno head. I hit about 10 shots (luckily they were all nice.) 

He then shows me my results and at the top of the list was PX 5.5 1/4 “ and 1* flat. The DG 105 Reg wasn’t on the list. 

Admittedly I’m not very knowledgeable in all this but I never had great confidence in either of my fittings. I’m wondering if I should just take my clubs (both sets) and go to Club Champion and get the full fitting done and settle this for now. I never believed much in fitting being necessary but I’ve leaned more towards it thanks to this site. I’ve heard great things about Club Champion and the 3 1/2 hr fitting is the complete bag. Even if I’m just being foolish I’d like to have the confidence that I’m playing a set of irons accurately fitted for me. Anyway, your thoughts please. Thanks.

@Vinsk,   Right now thru the end of the year or maybe the end of January, Club Champion has 1/2 off their complete bag fitting.   I just did this week.   Aside from the sticker shock, I was completely impressed.   Run, don't walk to get fitted.  I'm a firm believer, you will be too.

[Vinsk]

1 hour ago, dennyjones said:

@Vinsk,   Right now thru the end of the year or maybe the end of January, Club Champion has 1/2 off their complete bag fitting.   I just did this week.   Aside from the sticker shock, I was completely impressed.   Run, don't walk to get fitted.  I'm a firm believer, you will be too.

Thanks! That’s good to know. I’m hesitant because of my psychotic inability to swing while indoors...just feels terribly awkward. However I’m beginning to think the fitters can probably get enough out of me to properly fit me regardless of my indoor hangup. I probably need to get on this at least for peace of mind.

[dennyjones]

14 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

Thanks! That’s good to know. I’m hesitant because of my psychotic inability to swing while indoors...just feels terribly awkward. However I’m beginning to think the fitters can probably get enough out of me to properly fit me regardless of my indoor hangup. I probably need to get on this at least for peace of mind.

I was impressed but be prepared for sticker shock...

[Vinsk]

11 minutes ago, dennyjones said:

I was impressed but be prepared for sticker shock...

Well it’s advertised here for $350....so $175...I’ve blown a lot worse than that with golf related stuff for sure😯