golfernc

As long as the simulator is accurate you should be able to get a lot of help. Most of them have video, so it can really help a visual learner. There are some sims that are not very accurate, and will not help as much as being outside and watching real ball flight.

No not at all, I'm trying to explain that the only way to know what length you should play is to be fitted properly. If your going to invest in getting clubs you should at least not be ripped off. Just because your 6'2, 6'3 5'5 or whatever does not mean that you would even benefit from longer clubs...maybe you would, maybe you wont. Static measurements are not accurate at all. Your right about not using standard...nobody should.

The problem with static fitting a beginner is this......for one the height and arm length is total crap. ( for lack of a better word). Its a way big manufacturers sell the idea of "custom fit". The only way to properly get your lie angle is to dynamically hit off a lie board. You give a player a longer club only if they can hit the sweet spot. I think that your idea of dynamic fitting and mine are very different. The whole idea of dynamic fitting is to get the player a proper balanced swing motion, then fit them to clubs that allow them to make this motion. So if your a beginner, you can actually start to develop as a player instead of learning bad swing techniques by using equipment that was "statically" fit to you. I agree you don't fit a bad swing...( which is what static fitting is)... here you hook, or slice....take this club that will take care of that.The only time static fitting works is if the swing is perfect, meaning you have a balanced motion, your swing path is great, blah blah..so most tour players are statically fit. Most amateurs should never be statically fit! There are a couple things you can do........ 1. Go outside and swing with your eyes shut, just trusting your balance. You can have a teacher show you the fundamentals, and the only thing you should be worrying about is hitting your balance. 2. then either take your old clubs and go get dynamically fit, and get your clubs adjusted to the specs your given...( this is cheaper then getting a new set of statically fit clubs, most of the time) You would be much better off having a 20 year old set of clubs with the correct lie and loft then a brand new set of clubs with the wrong lie and lofts with a good shaft. At least now you can start to develop, and play without compensating for your ill fitted clubs. 3. when you are ready, meaning really when you feel like your balanced go get dynamically fit to a new set by a qualified fitter. They will make sure your in your best athletic balanced motion then fit you with every aspect of the club working to help you develop as a player, rather then compensating for what your doing wrong in your swing. This is why to really dynamically fit, you have to be a teacher/fitter. Equipment has not changed much in the last 10 years, there is a lot of new colors on the bottom of the drivers, but don't get fooled by all the marketing. This is not accurate at all, and should never be used. This is the most ass backwards thing I have ever seen......they have dynamic fitting and static fitting backwards, and they have no idea what either one means. No seriously this is the worst thing ever........This is why people think that they should be using the same equipment as tour players.....this is why people cant understand why their ball goes left or right.....this is made from people who are just trying to get you in and out the door spending more money on "custom" clubs. The average golfer cant break 100....this is why! You cant take measurements like this and then have people believe they have custom clubs....then they will always believe the reason the shank the ball is because they were "coming over the top, hitting up, hitting down, inside, outside,...never realizing that their clubs are designed to go that way, and the only reason they ever have a good shot is because they have compensated so much they finally found a way to hit the sweet spot..( although they are falling backwards, fore wards, awkward, goofiest swing ever.)......talk about a total scam! You might as well buy off the rack. think of this....If your playing the same loft on your driver as tour players 10 degrees or lower and you don't have a super high SS....and you hit it straight....you are somehow compensating. A low lofted driver with a low swing speed, and a balanced motion ( transferring of weight) the ball should slice...so instead of getting more loft so you can still make a good motion and not kill your back, and take out all your natural ability....you would change your swing to hit a club that makes your motion unbalanced and just bad. ( usually flat footed, hanging back, not transferring weight...you are adding loft). You loose distance, accuracy, and most important you are condemned to that swing. You cant go anywhere from there....doesn't matter how many lessons you get, if you are using equipment that's to strong the equipment will dictate you swing. So you tell me what you should do.......have a good balanced motion with clubs that encourage that motion, or have an unbalanced motion because your clubs are forcing you to do so.

tweaky is correct You can not determine your lie angle by looking at where you "think" you are at impact. You also need to find someone who is qualified in being able to actually read the lie correctly. He is also correct on getting the lies checked separately. When your buying a set of clubs from off the Internet, or even from a big box manufactures the shafts are usually all over the place. Even if you do a "custom fitting" with a big box manufacture you do not get what you actually hit 99 percent of the time. They do not have tight tolerances so when they get their shafts from china they never test them. If you can get your shafts pured it really helps with this. ( alignment of the spine). Go see an Henry-Griffitts fitter and have them check your lies,( they came up with the lie board 30 years ago, so they know it the best) they might be able to adjust them for you, or go find a qualified builder in your area. And again your right tweaky...there is no such thing as standard!

If you are serious about golfing then you do want to get custom fit. The whole Idea of you not having a repeatable swing is...well wrong...I will explain why. Most people don't understand what a true lie angle is...a dynamic lie angle....you have to use a lie board. This reading will not change much ( if at all) throughout you golfing career. ( there is a science to reading the proper lie angle, which honestly a lot of people get wrong). A good fitter would get you into a good balanced motion, Then fit you to clubs that will help you make that motion. Which is the opposite of most static fitting. Equipment from the big box companies is generally made way to strong for the average player. They do this because they static fit...which is the biggest waste of money out there...you might as well play off the rack. You do not want to start out playing golf by compensating for your equipment. You want to give yourself an opportunity to get better and grow as a player. For example...lets say you don't have the swing speed of most tour players....then you probably should not be using the same or lower loft as they do in your driver. This is what most people are using because that's what "static" fitting tells them they should use...doesn't make much sense right. What happens is for someone with a slower swing speed, to hit a 10 degree driver you have to hang back and add loft to the club. So your balance will be off, you loose all your natural ability, this is a big problem for people with back problems. If you shift your weight and make a balanced swing with that low of loft, the ball goes right....because that's what it should do. So a lot of people spend their golfing careers making adjustments to hit the driver. You should never have clubs compensate for what your lacking in your swing...( you have a unbalanced motion so you get "x" driver to fix your slice). You should always correct your swing with proper instruction, then get your clubs to reward a good motion. So basically don't fall for the trap of static fitting, might be the biggest scam out there! Go get dynamically fit, then decide if you need new clubs, or if you can adjust your old ones to work for you. You would be much better off with a 20 year old set of clubs that actually fit you, vs a brand new set of "whatever' that are not. Good luck! If you want brand new clubs ( which I would say that your probably fine with adjusting an old set, at least for awhile) check out Henry-Griffitts, Or Infinity Golf. Oh FYI the only thing "New" about most of the clubs you see that come out every six months is the paint job.

good advice! Also do it with your eyes shut...you can even go out on the range at practice hitting with your eyes shut...then the only thing you can trust is your balance.

If you are loosing your balance backwards you just figured it out....most people are not in balance, so if you cant stand up at you finish and hold your balance with no weight on your right foot, then thats what you should work on. Just like if you were playing any sport, if your throwing a basketball and falling backwards..the ball could go anywhere, left, right, high. low. Same with golf. What you need to look at is why your doing that? Equipment is made way to strong for the average player, so for most people to hit a 10 degree lofted driver or less, they have to add loft. They do this by hanging back and lifting the ball. The problem is you are taking out all your natural ability, this is why people get stuck into certain swings. You should go get your equipment evaluated by a teacher/fitter dynamically ( not statically). Unless you have a swing speed comparable to the tour players...you shouldn't be playing the same loft as them.....to bad this is the equipment most people "fit" into by big manufacturers.

Do you know your ss, and whats your loft on your driver? Slices are very typical for someone who has to low of loft.

What loft are you playing on your driver, and whats your swing speed?

Did you get a dynamic lie angle reading when you got fit. Of course there can be a lot of reasons why this is happening, but a lot of people have this problem when their lies are off. Did you swing on a lie board? Also big box manufactures don't have a tight tolerances with equipment, so a lot of times the club is not really what it says it is. (seriously this happens all the time!). At 0 degree loft lie has no effect, but when you get to your wedges lie has a HUGE effect...so this is why people will tend to pull their wedges, but wont see a huge pull with long irons. Are you finishing completely balanced? You really shouldn't take swing advice on a forum, just because you will get a million different ideas as to why this is happening, which will just screw you up more. What you should do is go see a teacher/fitter who can check your lies dynamically. ( checking lie angles without swinging means nothing..because how you come into the ball can be completely different then how you set up).