Golf Club Fitting

[98brg2d]

There are several golf threads now that people are thinking about the season so I figured I would start one about fitting.

I have done online static measurements from Ping and True Temper etc. as I am sure most have.

What I am looking for is feedback on local fitters. What are your experiences? What benefits did you see? Drop in score or easier play due to proper fitting equipment? Who do you guys recommend?

What changes were made to your set and what are your measurements?

I have read many articles about fitting and procedures etc. but I would like some feed back from locals about local fitters.

[DUBBED]

First of all, if you're thinking about doing anything go see Ron Anderson. http://tourstixgolf.com/

He knows his shit.

I get fitted every 2-3 seasons just to make sure my clubs are built for me, and have them readjusted throughout the season.

Benefits, basically you have a set of clubs that is perfect suited for your swing. It doesn't mean that you will stop hitting shitty shots, but it does mean that your slight misses will be less exagerated (sp?). For example, if your club's lie angle are not properly adjusted you will be putting sidespin on the ball, hook or slice, that isn't a result of your swing. The best part of getting fitted, for me at least, is that once you have a perfect set of clubs, you know that your misses are because of the guy swinging the club. Learn about what causes those misses, and you will become a much better golfer.

The downside, if you change your swing, or are swinging differently on that particular day that you get fitted, your clubs become an obstacle instead of a tool.

[bigboom]

Originally posted by DUBBED
First of all, if you're thinking about doing anything go see Ron Anderson. http://tourstixgolf.com/

He knows his shit.

I get fitted every 2-3 seasons just to make sure my clubs are built for me, and have them readjusted throughout the season.

Benefits, basically you have a set of clubs that is perfect suited for your swing. It doesn't mean that you will stop hitting shitty shots, but it does mean that your slight misses will be less exagerated (sp?). For example, if your club's lie angle are not properly adjusted you will be putting sidespin on the ball, hook or slice, that isn't a result of your swing. The best part of getting fitted, for me at least, is that once you have a perfect set of clubs, you know that your misses are because of the guy swinging the club. Learn about what causes those misses, and you will become a much better golfer.

The downside, if you change your swing, or are swinging differently on that particular day that you get fitted, your clubs become an obstacle instead of a tool.

Ron's great but he doesnt work with the big OEM's its awesome if you want custom stuff like miura or vega's though...if you want another good guy to talk to go talk to Ted down at the RCGA, he works with the OEM's and is pretty good as well.

[98brg2d]

Great info guys.

Do you have opinions about shaft plugs?

My irons are standard length TM R7 steels but I feel, and every static fitting system tells me, they should be longer (by 1/2 inch; I am just over 6'2"). They are only two seasons old so I would prefer to not have the expense of new shafts if plugs work fine with no concerns.

[DUBBED]

Take those online fittings with a grain of salt, sure you're 6'2" but if you set-up differently than the posterchild golfer then you may a longer or shorter club. It also depends a lot on your lie angle.

If you really want to know how long your clubs need to be go get fitted, there's a grey zone where it become more about preference than about "standard" length.

Sure Ron doesn't do OEM custom fittings, but if you have a set you like, he can bend them, re-shaft them, re-weight them however you like, and is better than anyone in the city at it.



Personally I don't like plugs, but I can't really tell you why, it's a mental thing. Ask a clubfitter his opinion then make your decision from there.

[98brg2d]

I agree with the "grain of salt" comment which is why I want to get fitted.

I don't have a typical stance, in order to avoid lower back pain I generally take a Very wide stance to get the club head at the right height and angle. This works well for me in terms of accuracy but I have a very hard time rotating my hips as much as I like on my follow through and my knees are not liking this, it also reduces my length by ~15 yards on each club.

I have played around with changing my setup (amount of knee bend, amount of leaning over, stance width) and I can hit well from several different stances but none of them are good overall, it just feels like I am fighting the clubs.

I kind of have short arms for my height so the length problem is accentuated.

[cmodem]

Serious fitting is the best thing ever. It's not even just for lie angle and etc. That's just half the battle. THat's just static fitting... which well like everyone else says changes on a few things.

But again if you are following a swing theory and your returning the club on the same plane as address then your static's shouldn't be too different then dynamic. I'd never order clubs through static only though.

I get my stuff through simply golf. Lyle and Steve are awesome guys. They do frequency matching. Rifle shafts usually come frequency matched throughout the set vs big companies just getting a single length and cutting them to size.

Going in i was playing Ping G5's with their CS-Lite Regular Steel shafts. They weren't even close to being frequency matched. They can explain all the benefits or you can google on matching. Its been a long time (2 years since i first went to him and learned what it was).

But yeah i always had a favourite club in my G5's a 7 iron every other club felt different. The ping set was even ordered for me through Ping had to wait three weeks for them lol via Country Hills GC. After matching it's crazy every club feels exactly the same.

I've got every club from them over the years. I came out with Taylormade R7 TP's and even though they are players irons they are way better feeling and easier to hit consistently. The best is every club feels exactly the same. My 3 iron swings exactly the same as my pw. Just a length difference and wrapping your head around the loft that is on the club head.

I also have flighted Rifle shafts in 5.5. Rifle shafts when bought as a set for re-shafting comes frequency matched vs when the big OEM companies buy them and cut them.

But that's my 2 cents. Those guys can go on forever. If you have a favourite club then you should try them. It's the best feeling to have the exact same confidence with a 3 iron or pw or 5 iron or whatever.

[cmodem]

Originally posted by 98brg2d

What I am looking for is feedback on local fitters. What are your experiences? What benefits did you see? Drop in score or easier play due to proper fitting equipment? Who do you guys recommend?

What changes were made to your set and what are your measurements?


Sorry went off on a rant and reading made me lose perspective of your questions lol.

Experiences?

Best thing i ever did. 100% confidence on all my clubs. They were awesome because with my irons after the fitting they said this is what you'd get... here i have some clubs with your general setup. Take them for a couple days and come back let me know... with no deposit!! (This was the main reason i freaking think these guys are awesome).

Gave me like 500 bucks worth of clubs with different shafts... TT, Rifle, and the scandanavian element 21 shafts.

When i got my driver he gave me a 1200 dollar driver to test... again without a deposit (ultimately i bought it so it's mine now hhaaha). This was a r7 with a TP head (400 bucks for the head) and a prototype Matrix Ozik X-Con shaft (800 dollar shaft).

Like seriously who gives you free shit to try out and just bring it back at your leisure? lol.

Guys are awesome way to technical for me... and i'm an engineer haha.

Benefits?

Consistency, flight pattern as desired by shaft selection, dispersion went down. Confidence.

Everything seems mostly mental... except the dispersion pattern and flight pattern.

Drop in Score, Easier to Play?

Well fit stuff ain't gonna hit the ball for you. But it is gonna tighten up everything.

Definately think it's easier to play. Every club is the same... so it's a moot point whether you hit your 4 with a fade or a 6 with a draw or a 5 straight. No real preference to lean toward a club.

Who do I recommend?

Honestly if your looking for the real deal. A custom club maker. Someone or a shop that will get the pieces and assemble it for you.

I'd stay away from club fitting. That is ppl that just get your measurements and orders them for you that way.

I've gone through fitting at nevada bobs, golftown, countrry hills, and simply golf.

Fit by nevada and golf town to kind of just play around paid 50 bucks to see what they came up with. Bought my first fitted set through Country Hills GC... whatever guy was a CPGA Pro... he didn't really care just did the system away you go.

Heard about simply golf went there and it's night and day.

Guys at simply golf.... especially steve freaking talked for hours on end with me on my first visit haha i hadn't even bought anything. He knows way to much ahha. Plus it's not a heres your stuff good bye. He remembers your name. Thus i have gone back for woods, and then gone back for drivers, and last year gone back for a custom putter.

Nice because they have lifetime adjustments on their products too.

Changes?

Went in:

G5's with CS-Lite Regular Shafts
G5 driver (ebay 12 deg aldila nv-65r shaft)
G5 woods (3 and 5 with stock ping regular shafts)
Titleist Vokey Wedges (52, 56, 60)
Scotty Cameron (34" 330g standard lie and loft)

Came out with (over a span of 2 years):

Taylormade R7 TP's (the players iron not regular ones, 2 degree flat, D3 swingweight, Rifle 5.5 Flighted)
Taylormade R7 Driver (9.5 deg Matrix Ozik X-Con Shaft)
G5 woods (re-shafted with matching frequency to irons and weighted based on length... feels exactly like my irons it's sic!).
Titleist Vokey Wedges (no changes here)
David Whitlam SPI (31.5" 365g standard lie 70 degree loft)


FYI: handicap is a 6. Any given day i usually shoot 80. 2 years ago it was a 22 which meant i usually shot 95. But in the two years i played alot. But i can honestly say if i didn't have such nice feeling and confidence inspiring clubs i probably wouldn't care to play as much.

and yup i went from a super game improvement club straight to a players club overnight and haven't looked back lol.

I recommend if you go with them see Steve. He's more technical. Lyle is the owner and he's not as talkative. If you wanna pick someone's brain on clubfitting Steve is great.