# Custom fit for driver worth it?



## Hendy (Apr 24, 2016)

OK so been thinking about changing the driver the last few seasons and again it's back in my head after yesterday.

But not sure if worth getting a custom fit again as the last time I felt it was a bit of rip off cause end of the day you buy a driver for distance right? Well mainly distance no point buying one that you can out hit with your 3wood.  

Anyways, at the fitting I tested about 4/5 drivers and surprise surprise the longest shaft driver Cally xr went the furthest and the 915 being shortest shaft went the least in terms of distance. So what's the point of a driver fitting? 

Basically I could have gone into the shop and lined the drivers out against the wall in order of shaft length and would have had same result in a few mins and saved myself time and money.  

Just wondering if anyone else had any experiences with a driver fitting in the last few years with a similar out come 

I understand if your a 20 odd handicaper you might not have a idea if your a stiff or regular shaft so therefore I fitting might help you in that regard


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## JT77 (Apr 24, 2016)

I get where u are coming from hendy. I wanted to get fit so I could try a range of clubs to see what felt best to me, I went with the g30, it was actually shorter off the tee than the m1 but the dispersion was better with the ping. 
I think u need to get out and hit them but unless u get a proper fit with a manufacturer maybe then I'm not sure it's worth it.


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## J55TTC (Apr 24, 2016)

I'll be able to tell you this time next week. The AG tourbus is at my local AG next Saturday and I've booked for a driver fitting. The main thing I want from it like you say is to make sure I've got the right shaft specs.


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## Alex1975 (Apr 24, 2016)

What you are describing is not custom fitting. A large number of people who are custom fit come out with shorter shafts. 

Also, you should get fit for a club you can put the ball in the fairway, they are all long.


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## shewy (Apr 24, 2016)

I hear where your coming from, I had a Callaway fitting at Celtic manor and came away dissapointed, like you the longest shaft was the furthest but the dispersion was rubbish, granted I was not hitting it well that day, never was it discussed about shaft weight, length, kick point e.t.c so in my eyes not a proper fitting.
I think you need to find a reputable fitter and probably here more than anywhere will give you a good recommendation for that.
Big chains and stores, I don't trust them to do a proper fitting.


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## Hendy (Apr 24, 2016)

@Alex, Maybe a bad service from the fitter I got then.? 

But funny JT says he went for the g30 or the M1. Down to dispersion he went for the g30. The m1 is a club that I didn't try but again the same principal applied the the longer shafts the dispersion  was greater and were the 915 came out best. 

So should I just get a fitting and pick something down the middle in terms of distance and dispersion.


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## Hendy (Apr 24, 2016)

shewy said:



			I hear where your coming from, I had a Callaway fitting at Celtic manor and came away dissapointed, like you the longest shaft was the furthest but the dispersion was rubbish, granted I was not hitting it well that day, never was it discussed about shaft weight, length, kick point e.t.c so in my eyes not a proper fitting.
I think you need to find a reputable fitter and probably here more than anywhere will give you a good recommendation for that.
Big chains and stores, I don't trust them to do a proper fitting.
		
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My problem is I live in Northern Ireland  northwest and is limited to custom fitters.. Maybe there is something up Belfast direction but it's over a 150mile round trip for me


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## Imurg (Apr 24, 2016)

Dispersion is just as important as length in a driver.
No point in buying a driver that you can hit 300 yards but 60 yards sideways
But in the same breath there's little point in buying one that you can hit bullet straight but less distance than your 3 wood...
More distance than the 3 wood and an acceptable dispersion is what you need and if nothing gives you that, then buy nothing....

When I went to Wentworth with Callaway a couple of years ago, my driving was so bad I didn't have a driver in the bag.
We started with a 12Â° head + regular shaft, went through lofts and flexes and settled on 10.5Â° stiff - it was a fairly quick affair as there was a lot going on but I still came away with a club I could hit relatively straight and relatively long.


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## C&R (Apr 24, 2016)

I went to titleist (st Ives ) fantastic.  Used trackman. Went through lots of shafts  different weights, flex, etc. Etc   Would highly recommend a driver fitting&#128077;&#127995;


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## J55TTC (Apr 24, 2016)

For all the bad reviews AG get I could not fault them for my custom fitting with my irons and is why I'm headed back for a driver and 3 wood fitting next Saturday. Everything was considered - what I visually preferred - what I hit the most consistently - shaft flex etc etc and down to the upright angle adjustment and how many grip tape layers. All the little changes here and there are subtle individually but together transform the feel completely.


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## DCB (Apr 24, 2016)

I did the C/F thing with the driver about 10 years or so ago. I was playing reasonable golf at the time and thought I'd give it a go. Process went well and the end result was worth the effort. However, drivers seem to change quicker than sets of irons, so, your soon thinking that there is something else out there that will work better.

Would I do it again.... probably not as it is an expensive option for something that will be on the naughty shelf in a couple of years &#128521;


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## Alex1975 (Apr 24, 2016)

Hendy said:



			@Alex, Maybe a bad service from the fitter I got then.? 

But funny JT says he went for the g30 or the M1. Down to dispersion he went for the g30. The m1 is a club that I didn't try but again the same principal applied the the longer shafts the dispersion  was greater and were the 915 came out best. 

So should I just get a fitting and pick something down the middle in terms of distance and dispersion.
		
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Control has to be King I think. Shaft weight, face angle and spin would be factors to aid that. I gained front to back dispersion so I am averagely longer but not because I am longer but because I am less often short. The one out the bottom or toe still tend to get out there or stay online. The club is weighted and flexed so I feel confident to swing it. It's a little of everything. For sure not just the longest wins it but, the best fit tends to be the longest anyhow. 

Shorter shaft might mean more centre hits so longer. If your going to spend money find someone who's been recommended or tells you the right things. If not, maybe stick with what you have.


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## mikejohnchapman (Apr 24, 2016)

Got to be worth checking to see what the right "package" is before spending the thick end of Â£300 on a driver. The shafts change as fast if not faster than the heads so not easy to take a guess at which combination suits best.

Also find a good fitting session instills confidence that you have the right club so when you stand there on the tee you know you can hit the fairway.


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## JT77 (Apr 24, 2016)

Where abouts in the northwest are u hendy? I went to andrew Morris, it was 20 quid for an hour, the guy was canny, we hit several drivers, went through a few shafts and head types on the ping before I decided on the one I bought.  But I went knowing I wanted the ping, the m1 and the titleist etc he had recommended trying just to make sure I was right in my choice and like I said I got the best results with the ping.


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## 351DRIVER (Apr 24, 2016)

JT77 said:



			Where abouts in the northwest are u hendy? I went to andrew Morris, it was 20 quid for an hour, the guy was canny, we hit several drivers, went through a few shafts and head types on the ping before I decided on the one I bought.  But I went knowing I wanted the ping, the m1 and the titleist etc he had recommended trying just to make sure I was right in my choice and like I said I got the best results with the ping.
		
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Why go into a custom fitting knowing which club you want?

Seems a little pointless


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## J55TTC (Apr 24, 2016)

351DRIVER said:



			Why go into a custom fitting knowing which club you want?

Seems a little pointless
		
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they shave a few millimetres off your tibia's to make sure you're the correct height for the club


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## NorfolkShaun (Apr 24, 2016)

Know where you are coming from, I think the problem lies that lots of people say custom fit where it is no more than hitting a few different clubs on a trackman etc.

I think a proper custom fit is worth it if you are good enough to get the benefit, otherwise just go and hit a few and see which is best.


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## Lump (Apr 24, 2016)

351DRIVER said:



			Why go into a custom fitting knowing which club you want?

Seems a little pointless
		
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Not so sure. 
I was the same with my fitting, went in wanting a Ping driver. Knowing full well the Ping is the most forgiving driver in the market IMO.(previously had a G25)but gave every club a fighting chance. Tried everything on offer, longest was the Callaway XR Pro, it wasn't bad dispersion wise either but just couldn't live the fact the ping was a bullet machine.

I often think the problem is people go into a fitting wanting the wrong thing. Everyone is looking for a club that hits the ball miles for that 1in5 swing. Which is fair enough, but I want a driver to find a fairway, even at the cost of distance (okay, I'm not a short hitter so I can sacrifice yardage). Surely a driver that hits fairways 10-20yrds back of your best is the right choice?


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## JT77 (Apr 24, 2016)

Because the g30 has three different heads and different shafts to choose from. Also, I went to buy mizuno irons and came out with taylormade.  Just because I wanted the g30 if the numbers on the other were better I wouldn't have bought the ping.


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## NorfolkShaun (Apr 24, 2016)

Lump said:



			Surely a driver that hits fairways 10-20yrds back of your best is the right choice?
		
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Within reason i agree with this, however I would rather be 10-20 yards further down in the first cut. I do agree though no point hitting it miles but being in the woods


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## Carpfather1 (Apr 24, 2016)

My new Titleist 915d2 driver should arrive tomorrow I went with Titleist because after trying a few different heads out i found the Titleist to be the straightest by far also my misses right were no where near as bad as they would be with a callaway ect.ok I could squeeze out some more yardage with a taylormade m1 but no where near as consistant with it so I thought more fairways wins for me which =915 fitted which in the correct combo gave me what I wanted can't wait to get on the course with it next week .


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## Deleted member 16999 (Apr 24, 2016)

Some say the most important distance in Golf is the X amount of inches between your ears.
I was fitted for my Driver and I have the confidence on the Tee knowing it's currently the best Driver for me, yes I slice or hook or come up short on some drives but that's down to me not the club, it's the confidence a fitted set of Clubs can you helps me, if it's a bad shot, regardless of club, 100% of the time it's me.


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## Hendy (Apr 24, 2016)

JT77 said:



			Where abouts in the northwest are u hendy? I went to andrew Morris, it was 20 quid for an hour, the guy was canny, we hit several drivers, went through a few shafts and head types on the ping before I decided on the one I bought.  But I went knowing I wanted the ping, the m1 and the titleist etc he had recommended trying just to make sure I was right in my choice and like I said I got the best results with the ping.
		
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I did try them once for a iron fit.  Got some kid about 16 and was fitted in the range with a gale force wind. Paid the 20 quid plus had to pay for balls. Was pointless by the time I was done the track man had me on a set of i20s but hitting them from the bay they were ballooning in the air more than my set I was looking to replace so there was no way I was handing over the money for a set of new irons after that. Put me right off. And was a fair journey as well. As I live outside derry/londonderry. 

Anyways, 
I don't spray my drives to much but remember at the time of fitting the guy telling me the Cally came out top.  I asked why he showed me the screen am guessing it was track man or whatever and they were the biggest. He then went on to show were the 915 was in comparison it was definitely shorter however it was alot tighter in Terms of dispersion. But again he said the Cally was giving overall the best numbers.  

At that point I had a look at all the clubs and that's when I realised the longest shafted driver was giving the best results. But if I was to hit them myself based on feel and how I felt they performed. The shortest in this case the 915 was the best.  That's kind of why I didn't bite on that occasion. 

And to top it all I hit a few of my own at the start to get some numbers down and didn't hit it to well (I think down to the fact me being a little stiff from the drive up there and due to the club feeling a little to stiff for me in the first place which made me go to the fitting in the first place) then at the end of session I said look I see what the computer is saying I like to just hit 1/2 more with my old driver now to see the difference. And once I did that he couldn't get a reading well so he said. Said the camera only picked up two of the three ball shot and that's why he couldn't get a reading so all in all.  Came away thinking that was a waste of time. 

I don't know now if I should just take a punt on something second hand that I feel fits the bill for me on paper.

Or go again with a custom fit somewhere else.


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## JT77 (Apr 24, 2016)

I know what u mean it is a bit of gamble.  I tried a friends ping g30, at the golf club and liked it. When he saw the numbers off my 910 he said the ping would do the job for me I should look at something else as I could maybe get more benefit. I explained I didn't need the yards I wanted more forgiveness and I have to say I love the g30 would recommend it to anyone, goes miles and very forgiving. 
I think there a golf shop near pitchers wine bar in your direction mate, do they not offer a fit? They do have a range so u can try before u buy I think.


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## J55TTC (Apr 24, 2016)

Lump said:



			Not so sure. 
I was the same with my fitting, went in wanting a Ping driver. Knowing full well the Ping is the most forgiving driver in the market IMO.(previously had a G25)but gave every club a fighting chance. Tried everything on offer, longest was the Callaway XR Pro, it wasn't bad dispersion wise either but just couldn't live the fact the ping was a bullet machine.

I often think the problem is people go into a fitting wanting the wrong thing. Everyone is looking for a club that hits the ball miles for that 1in5 swing. Which is fair enough, but I want a driver to find a fairway, even at the cost of distance (okay, I'm not a short hitter so I can sacrifice yardage). Surely a driver that hits fairways 10-20yrds back of your best is the right choice?
		
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Totally agree with this. 

I have always been a taylormade fan and previously bought TM drivers because it's what I like the look of and I like the brand.  I'm going in on Saturday and I'm going to say I don't have a preference I just want a driver I can consistently hit fairways with. 10-20 yards is a club or 2 at most and id rather be able to strategically place a drive than hit it for miles. It'll be interesting to see what they come up with.


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## Mike07 (Apr 25, 2016)

Custom fitting a driver is so important in my view and certainly does depend on your own situation, I'm 6"4 and nothing OTR will ever 'fit' me.

I went recently to the TM tour truck at silver mere and got fit for the M1 driver and 3 wood. Great experience and the benefit for me is knowing I have a club fit for my height, swing speed and style. Trying out all the different X-stiff shafts was great and I could even see a difference is a shaft which was 10g heavier.

I don't change clubs often, last time was in 2008, so I like to do it properly and I know I'm set for the next 8ish years...


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## ScienceBoy (Apr 25, 2016)

If you can walk out the shop at the end of the session with the club in hand it was not a custom fit.


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## patricks148 (Apr 25, 2016)

the only problem with a handicap golfer and a custom fit is you only get fitted for the swing you turn up with on the day.

I'm lucky enough to be able to borrow stuff and use it on the course a few times once Ive narrowed down head and shaft choice.


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## hines57 (Apr 25, 2016)

Imurg said:



			Dispersion is just as important as length in a driver.
No point in buying a driver that you can hit 300 yards but 60 yards sideways
But in the same breath there's little point in buying one that you can hit bullet straight but less distance than your 3 wood...
More distance than the 3 wood and an acceptable dispersion is what you need and if nothing gives you that, then buy nothing....

When I went to Wentworth with Callaway a couple of years ago, my driving was so bad I didn't have a driver in the bag.
We started with a 12Â° head + regular shaft, went through lofts and flexes and settled on 10.5Â° stiff - it was a fairly quick affair as there was a lot going on but I still came away with a club I could hit relatively straight and relatively long.
		
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SPOT ON - More distance than the 3 wood and an acceptable dispersion is what you need and if nothing gives you that, then buy nothing....


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