# Fitting opportunities



## MikeH (Mar 6, 2014)

Morning all
Iâ€™ve been meaning to do a post on â€˜fitting opportunitiesâ€™ for a while so seems like an apt time given the all the recent ones and the thread on what youâ€™d applied for

*Opportunity vs Competition*
Almost everything we post up on the forum is an opportunity NOT a competition. Competitions â€“ usually featured on the mag and entered on the site â€“ only involve you answering a question and winners are picked at random by the Stephen Hawkings super computer our data people have. Applications for opportunities are reviewed by GM staffâ€¦

*The selection process*
There has been a lot of conjecture about this recently and although I have posted some guidance in the past its worth refreshing everyone on our working.

You are unlikely to be selected ifâ€¦

Youâ€™ve been selected before (although we have had folks being selected twice if they are the best candidate and there arenâ€™t others who are suited to a particular opportunity
If youâ€™ve got a bag full on new gear/just bought a new driver and itâ€™s a driver fitting etc. My view is there are others more deserving of the opportunity to bag some new kit and as we are always looking to show an improvement then that will be hard for those who have been recently fitted.
You give the impression in your posts/general forum behavior youâ€™d be hard work to manage on the day. The GM team havenâ€™t got the time to man mark another adult or be worrying that youâ€™ll embarrass GM/The Forum in front of our partners. 
Related to that your application will be binned without consideration if youâ€™ve got a live infraction

Other factorsâ€¦

I like to include a mix of stalwarts, newbies, older and younger forumers, different playing abilities (so long as applicable) and try to get a decent geographical spread in. 
Sometimes we get asked by brands to select types of golfer be it defined by playing ability, age or current product used 
I realise this is a little at odds with what Jake wrote the other day about it being a lot down to pot luck but as the small print always saysâ€¦ the editorâ€™s decision if final in all matters!

*Future opportunities*
There are a couple of crackers in the offing so stay tuned!

Iâ€™ll be upfront here and say we are considering reserving 1 or 2 spaces on future opportunities for GM subscribers to offer a bit of extra value to folk who put their hand in their pocket and pay for the content we produce.

However Iâ€™d always want to have a forum presence in their and any changes unlikely to be before the summer. If youâ€™re a forum member who subscribes to the mag then youâ€™ll have double the chance!

*Write-Ups*
No one is under ANY obligation to write up their day here and certainly no one is required to post positive reports of the day and reviews of the kit. 

Iâ€™d hope we get positive feedback in the form of posts/reports because it was an enjoyable day where those selected got fitted for product that gave an improvement in performance. 

*Location*
A bugbear for a number of folk I know but the reality is most brands are based in the South East and our offices are in London so it would be a waste of staff time and budgets (neither of which are in great supply) to send one, possibly two, journos and a photographer to a location that will involve us incurring flight/hotel costs and extra time out of the office traveling. 

When there is an opportunity to use a northern/Scottish fitting centre (as we did with Titleist 714 fitting) then weâ€™ll consider the option to do that.

I have to say if you canâ€™t be arsed to at least show a bit of willing in order to travel in return for free kit and a good day out then youâ€™ll probably be waiting a while for an opportunity to come to your back garden.

We have and will continue to consider offering to pay travel/hotel costs for those willing to travel south.  This is done on an ad hoc basis. I will take into account how much kit we think youâ€™re going to get (sometimes brands go to town and deliver a lot more than theyâ€™d told us theyâ€™d fit forumers for) and also the more positive your contributions are to the forum are the more generous Iâ€™m likely to be in offering to pay for flights/hotel etc. 

Hope that gives a bit of insight into the whole process/thinking etc


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## BTatHome (Mar 6, 2014)

Cheers for the info Mike, I'm glad it's not just pot luck as having had to turn down the Benross opportunity due to work I'd have more luck with the lottery than getting a random pick again


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## scottie77 (Mar 6, 2014)

All sounds pretty fair to me


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## davidy233 (Mar 6, 2014)

Excellent post Mike - really interesting to know that there's reasoning and not just pot luck behind it


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## Martin70 (Mar 6, 2014)

*Must NOT get an infraction "

I will concentrate on that bit and hope for some luck then


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## Alex1975 (Mar 6, 2014)

So if you have had an infraction in the past does that mean you are "hard to manage" and will never really be in the running or does it depend on what went on? 

Thx


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## philly169 (Mar 6, 2014)

He's a good egg that Mr Harris.. Lets hope a Scotty Cameron fitting is coming up soon!


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## fundy (Mar 6, 2014)

philly169 said:



			He's a good egg that Mr Harris.. Lets hope a Scotty Cameron fitting is coming up soon!
		
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next thing you'll be wanting it at St Ives so its just round the corner Phil


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## BrizoH71 (Mar 6, 2014)

Thanks Mike, lots of excellent info and an indepth explanation into the whole selection process.

Hopefully my turn isn't too far away. :thup:


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## golfsaint (Mar 6, 2014)

Seems totally fair enough , cheers Mike 

still confused about this fractions - was never that good at maths


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## john0 (Mar 6, 2014)

Shouldnt us good looking blokes get preferrence to the ugly ones, as we will look much better on camera and make a better advert for GM.....after all, sex sells


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## GB72 (Mar 6, 2014)

Thanks Mike, 

Nice to know how the process works. Not sure if I class myself as hard to handle or not. On a night out, maybe, but in polite company I tend to know how to behave I think (wife may not agree)  

Here's hoping of something from Wilson Staff or Ping later in the year.


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## mashleyR7 (Mar 6, 2014)

All sounds perfectly fair and reasonable to me!


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## MikeH (Mar 6, 2014)

Alex1975 said:



			So if you have had an infraction in the past does that mean you are "hard to manage" and will never really be in the running or does it depend on what went on? 

Thx
		
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very much depends upon what went on! its more about general forum manner TBH


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## SaintHacker (Mar 6, 2014)

Thanks for the info Mike, and just for future reference, I've never broken a club in anger. Chucked one or two, but never broken one...


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## Liverpoolphil (Mar 6, 2014)

Zero chance of getting an opportunity then - now know not to bother :thup:


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## Fish (Mar 6, 2014)

Alex1975 said:



			So if you have had an infraction in the past does that mean you are "hard to manage" and will never really be in the running or does it depend on what went on? 

Thx
		
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MikeH said:



			very much depends upon what went on! its more about general forum manner TBH
		
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My infractions are like speeding tickets, just as they are expired and I get a clean licence, I get caught again


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## AmandaJR (Mar 6, 2014)

Thanks for the clarification Mike although to be honest it shouldn't be necessary. The opportunities are awesome and to even be in with a shout is worth the subscription fee alone - oh and a stunning mag too of course!! I honestly love the suspense of waiting for an email and checking and refreshing etc etc and also love hearing about how great a time those that are lucky to be selected have.

Is that enough flattery to enhance my chances next time 

Seriously though - for GM to give us the chance to hope and dream is good enough for me


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## Birchy (Mar 6, 2014)

I think we need a wall of shame for the worst begging posts


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## CMAC (Mar 6, 2014)

Good to see/hear how it's done 'in the tower'.

I might add, and I've posted this in another thread, that's it's an experience us mere mortal amateur golfers will probably never have even if we could afford to pay for it. For that reason I made the 1000 mile round trip, paid for flights, overnight stay, taxi (G1BBO and Rooter kindly gave me a lift for part of the journey, thanks again fellas) and 2 days off work. I offset some of the costs by selling my old gear when I got back. I posted a detailed thread afterwards with pics and videos because I wanted to, it's good to share!

The GM run opportunities are organised well, nearly always have 'extras', make you feel 'special' for the day and provide you with expertise and 'kit' free of charge with no 'coached' or leading questions, just an expectation to behave in a professional manner and represent GM and the supplier respectfully.

apologies for going on, just sharing my experience which might help others.


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## pbrown7582 (Mar 6, 2014)

AmandaJR said:



			Thanks for the clarification Mike although to be honest it shouldn't be necessary. The opportunities are awesome and to even be in with a shout is worth the subscription fee alone - oh and a stunning mag too of course!! I honestly love the suspense of waiting for an email and checking and refreshing etc etc and also love hearing about how great a time those that are lucky to be selected have.



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This sums it up perfectly IMO, it is great to have the chance to put your name forward and if not selected its good luck to the lucky ones who are. GM towers do a great job with the magazine and social media alone these opportunities are just the icing on the cake.


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## john0 (Mar 6, 2014)

MikeH said:



			very much depends upon what went on! *its more about general forum manner* TBH
		
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Think ill stop applying for these opportunities then


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## la_lucha (Mar 6, 2014)

I must be honest and say that when I first came across these opportunities I was surprised that they are not on offer to subscribers of the magazine in the main. Surely if that is the business then it would be a sensible way to reward subscribers??


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## bladeplayer (Mar 6, 2014)

Fair play to you for explaining Mike , and many thanks for explaining when you are under no obligation what so ever to do so , there was only one thing in your post that i noticed that didnt sit  so well with me ,  it was 




Iâ€™ll be upfront here and say we are considering reserving 1 or 2 spaces on future opportunities for GM subscribers to offer a bit of extra value to folk who put their hand in their pocket and pay for the content we produce.

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I have never subscribed to the mag , but i have it on order in the local newsagents for years now and haven't missed a copy in years  ..


Its most certainly  not meant as a criticism i hope you know enough of me to know that , (i apologise if it seems that way) i just want to mention that more than the subscribers contribute regularly and probably pay more to do so .. 

For those that dont know , i was extremely lucky to be picked for the Titleist irons fitting , not only was the prize brilliant but the way GM treated us was magnificent , Paul O' Hagan was a pure gent on the day , very professional and even tho we had never met before after 10 mins he made me feel very welcome & relaxed & for that i am very greatful

Many Thanks to all at GM for al the opportunities


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## richart (Mar 6, 2014)

All good points Mike. Must admit I like it when a regular that contributes to the forum, arranges or at least plays in meets gets rewarded. That seems to be the case for recent opportunities so all is good with me. 

Perhaps a reminder that if the clubs don't suit, they could be offered to the forum, or auctioned for H4H.:thup:


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## Alex1975 (Mar 6, 2014)

MikeH said:



			very much depends upon what went on! its more about general forum manner TBH
		
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Thanks for the explanation, I can see that.


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## mikeb4 (Mar 6, 2014)

I have always stressed in my applications despite the distance involved in travelling down South from Scotland it is not a problem,I do hope my location does not go against me for these great opportunities, however not convinced.


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## needmoreclub (Mar 6, 2014)

Mike, 
        Appreciate the explanation behind the picks although i didn't feel it necessary. It's obvious to anyone that most big brand names will be based down south as it makes commercial sense, and i agree if you can't be bothered to travel why should you be picked. With regards your methods for choosing, well their 'your methods'. As a previous 'chosen one' ( hybrid fitting 2 yrs ago) i felt it was an honour to get picked and a chance to showcase both GM and the OEM. Keep up the great work.


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## Deleted Member 1156 (Mar 6, 2014)

MikeH said:



			[*][*]You give the impression in your posts/general forum behavior youâ€™d be hard work to manage on the day. The GM team havenâ€™t got the time to man mark another adult or be worrying that youâ€™ll embarrass GM/The Forum in front of our partners. 
[*][*]
		
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That's me out then


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## Liverpoolphil (Mar 6, 2014)

drive4show said:



			That's me out then  

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Plenty of space on this step next to me mate :thup:


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## G1BB0 (Mar 6, 2014)

any other forums about that offer such goodies? Seeing as I am out of them now I may aswell go elsewhere....

Only kidding, I still have little flashback moments from the day and when I pull the R1 out of the bag I still remember the fitting process to get it. I would actually rather keep it in the cupboard as and when I do change, just as a little reminder (plus its TM so worth sod all after about 6 months) :thup:

Keep up the good work GM team :cheers:


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## philly169 (Mar 6, 2014)

fundy said:



			next thing you'll be wanting it at St Ives so its just round the corner Phil 

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Aah yes.. Maybe I'm biased... Then il take a whole set!


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## bozza (Mar 6, 2014)

Mike, does being a fellow Evertonian get me any brownie points......?  

Sounds like there's a couple of exciting opurtunities coming up, any timescale as when they will be announced?


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## fenwayrich (Mar 6, 2014)

Very illuminating - it seems that the successful applicants are determined on a very equitable basis, always bearing in mind that the company providing the opportunity may have specific requirements that have to be met. I don't think it is unreasonable to request people to bear their own travel/accommodation costs, given the benefits they receive from the opportunity.


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## Khamelion (Mar 6, 2014)

bladeplayer said:



			I have never subscribed to the mag , but i have it on order in the local newsagents for years now and haven't missed a copy in years  ..
		
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This is a very valid point, up until recently I just purchased the mag from which ever outlet I was in, never missed a month. I'm lucky enough now to be a subscriber after my other half bought me a subscription for Christmas.

but i'm sure there are many may others who buy the magazine regularly without missing a copy, but do not subscribe, so to be *"considering reserving 1 or 2 spaces on future opportunities for GM subscribers to offer a bit of extra value to folk who put their hand in their pocket and pay for the content we produce."* is maybe a little harsh to those who buy the mag on a monthly basis without a subscription.


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## Hacker Khan (Mar 7, 2014)

drive4show said:



			That's me out then  

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Liverpoolphil said:



			Plenty of space on this step next to me mate :thup:

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Can I join your step to?  Then again I thought I was quite chippy till I saw your posts Phil.  But I think it's GMs loss if they don't pick me as I was thinking of coming along dressed up as Whoopi Goldberg, which would have been hilarious


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## Deleted Member 1156 (Mar 7, 2014)

Hacker Khan said:



			Can I join your step to?  Then again I thought I was quite chippy till I saw your posts Phil.  But I think it's GMs loss if they don't pick me as I was thinking of coming along dressed up as Whoopi Goldberg, which would have been hilarious

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We've kept spaces for you, Smiffy and Justone on the step


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## la_lucha (Mar 7, 2014)

Khamelion said:



			"[/I][/B] is maybe a little harsh to those who buy the mag on a monthly basis without a subscription.
		
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In that case you could argue that getting free gifts when you subscribe is harsh to those that don't subscribe? All businesses tend to reward customers who pay up front as opposed to when they actually have the product.


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## London mike 61 (Mar 7, 2014)

Sounds fair to me, I might even enter a competition or two ( I'm not that into comps so we will see what happens )


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## Hacker Khan (Mar 7, 2014)

Khamelion said:



			This is a very valid point, up until recently I just purchased the mag from which ever outlet I was in, never missed a month. I'm lucky enough now to be a subscriber after my other half bought me a subscription for Christmas.

*but i'm sure there are many may others who buy the magazine regularly without missing a copy,* but do not subscribe, so to be *"*considering reserving 1 or 2 spaces on future opportunities for GM subscribers to offer a bit of extra value to folk who put their hand in their pocket and pay for the content we produce.*"* is maybe a little harsh to those who buy the mag on a monthly basis without a subscription.
		
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Well with the greatest of respect, might the message be 'subscribe numbnuts' as you get the magazine cheaper, usually some free gift and now a better chance of winning some stuff.   After all it is a golf mag, and I'm sure if someone can afford to play this wonderful game of ours they can afford to subscribe, especially if they are buying the thing anyway.  They were doing a half price subscription offer last week which made it as cheap as chips.


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## North Mimms (Mar 7, 2014)

Does turning up for fitting wearing jeans get you thrown out?
Can we use mobiles during a fitting?
Is there a HNSP to use whilst being fitted?


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## Fish (Mar 7, 2014)

Hacker Khan said:



			Well with the greatest of respect, might the message be 'subscribe numbnuts' as you get the magazine cheaper, usually some free gift and now a better chance of winning some stuff.   After all it is a golf mag, and I'm sure if someone can afford to play this wonderful game of ours they can afford to subscribe, especially if they are buying the thing anyway.  They were doing a half price subscription offer last week which made it as cheap as chips.
		
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England Golf do offers that are Â£5 for 5 copies/months and then a reduced amount of only Â£16 for the remaining year, you gotta sniff the deals out :smirk:


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## One Planer (Mar 7, 2014)

North Mimms said:



			Is there a HNSP to use whilst being fitted?

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Don't start that again :angry:


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## harpo_72 (Mar 7, 2014)

To be honest i don't enter all of them, just a select few. However it is good to know the methodolgy behind the selection process. I also don't have a problem if it was only open to subscribers ( although from a marketing point of view you are losing potential would be subscribers). I do like reading people's write ups it's nice to see and read what a great day they had.


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## Hacker Khan (Mar 7, 2014)

MikeH said:



			Morning all
Iâ€™ve been meaning to do a post on â€˜fitting opportunitiesâ€™ for a while so seems like an apt time given the all the recent ones and the thread on what youâ€™d applied for



You are unlikely to be selected ifâ€¦

Youâ€™ve been selected before (although we have had folks being selected twice if they are the best candidate and there arenâ€™t others who are suited to a particular opportunity
*If youâ€™ve got a bag full on new gear/just bought a new driver and itâ€™s a driver fitting etc. My view is there are others more deserving of the opportunity to bag some new kit and as we are always looking to show an improvement then that will be hard for those who have been recently fitted.*
You give the impression in your posts/general forum behavior youâ€™d be hard work to manage on the day. The GM team havenâ€™t got the time to man mark another adult or be worrying that youâ€™ll embarrass GM/The Forum in front of our partners.
Related to that your application will be binned without consideration if youâ€™ve got a live infraction


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You do realise that in every application from now on everyone's bag will mostly consist of a brassie, spoon, wooden cleek, mashie iron, jigger and mashie niblick.


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## matts1984 (Mar 7, 2014)

All very fair. Nice to see an insight to what goes on.


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## DAVEYBOY (Mar 7, 2014)

How do you know who subscribes and who doesn't? Perhaps give subscribers a small badge or logo underneath the name and avatar?


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## MikeH (Mar 7, 2014)

DAVEYBOY said:



			How do you know who subscribes and who doesn't? Perhaps give subscribers a small badge or logo underneath the name and avatar?
		
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If we were introduced this I'd ask for applicants who were subscribers to quote a subscriber number or postcode then it can be easily x checked against the subscriber database


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## MikeH (Mar 7, 2014)

bozza said:



			Mike, does being a fellow Evertonian get me any brownie points......?  
Sounds like there's a couple of exciting opurtunities coming up, any timescale as when they will be announced?
		
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ha ha! Tempted though I would be to give an advantage to a fellow toffee I'm very even handed. hell, I even employ two liverpool fans!
in terms of future opportunities I will be posting up a PING one next week


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## SAPCOR1 (Mar 7, 2014)

Hi Mike
For me and a few others North of the Border it is not the cost or "can't be arsed making the effort" for what is on offer, it is the time needed to get there and to be there.

For an early morning start you would have to come down the night before whether by plane, car or train, so it is almost a two day event rather than one

I appreciate that the costs involved in getting a team anywhere further than a couple of hours from London and the majority of the UK population is within that 2 hour radius


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## Andy808 (Mar 7, 2014)

Khamelion said:



			This is a very valid point, up until recently I just purchased the mag from which ever outlet I was in, never missed a month. I'm lucky enough now to be a subscriber after my other half bought me a subscription for Christmas.

but i'm sure there are many may others who buy the magazine regularly without missing a copy, but do not subscribe, so to be *"considering reserving 1 or 2 spaces on future opportunities for GM subscribers to offer a bit of extra value to folk who put their hand in their pocket and pay for the content we produce."* is maybe a little harsh to those who buy the mag on a monthly basis without a subscription.
		
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The only trouble for GM is they don't actually know who does or doesn't buy the mag every month from their local newagent but do know who they address a mag to each month and want to thank them for their support. It may be harsh but fair at the same time.

Great offers for us from GM and the manufacturers and still hoping to get picked some time.


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## Andy808 (Mar 7, 2014)

MikeH said:



			ha ha! Tempted though I would be to give an advantage to a fellow toffee I'm very even handed. hell, *I even employ two liverpool fans*!
in terms of future opportunities I will be posting up a PING one next week
		
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Bet that makes for some interesting Monday morning coffee breaks!
I may have to change who I support to erm Plymouth Argyle knowing this information.


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## GB72 (Mar 7, 2014)

MikeH said:



			If we were introduced this I'd ask for applicants who were subscribers to quote a subscriber number or postcode then it can be easily x checked against the subscriber database
		
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I hope the check is on the delivery postcode otherwise it is my mother who qualifies as she gets my subscription for Xmas


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## chrisg (Mar 7, 2014)

Does not being a club member affect your chances Mike? I ask because the couple I've applied for (I don't apply to them if it's not brand/kit I really covet!!) have both asked about club membership.


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## bignev (Mar 8, 2014)

Nothing wrong with Supporting Plymouth Argyle Andy808 I have for 46 years but its done my golf no good so far and 
up til now I was a subscriber  Dont Diss the Green Army :{


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## Andy808 (Mar 8, 2014)

bignev said:



			Nothing wrong with Supporting Plymouth Argyle Andy808 I have for 46 years but its done my golf no good so far and 
up til now I was a subscriber  Dont Diss the Green Army :{
		
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Nothing wrong with Argyle at all and I wasn't dissing them in any way shape or form. As a Liverpool supporter, which is quite aparrent from some of the threads OOB forum, I am mearly trying to help my chances of getting picked.:thup:

I have been to see Argyle play a few times with a mate of mine who is an avid fan and had some great evenings watching them.


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## bignev (Mar 8, 2014)

Thats ok Andy but not sure it helps at all.
Think I might re start my subscription and get my handicap down to under 16 to give myself more of a chance.
As Mike said some manufactures specify the level of golfer they want and you would assume they would want
the "better" golfers to test there equipment which is a shame because the "better" golfers generally already have
the better equipment.


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## HotDogAssassin (Mar 8, 2014)

Well said Mike.

BTW, have I ever told you that I'm friendly with some very generous local microbreweries?


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## TamG123 (Mar 8, 2014)

Thanks for the information Mike, good to know! Will keep my eyes posted for future opportunities!


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## MattM (Mar 8, 2014)

chrisg said:



			Does not being a club member affect your chances Mike? I ask because the couple I've applied for (I don't apply to them if it's not brand/kit I really covet!!) have both asked about club membership.
		
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Hi, I'd be interested to know this one as well. Also the handicap requirement. If I enter I state that I am a nomad (regular society golfer) with an unofficial handicap. Is this likely to count against?

Just interested to know whether I need to start telling the wife that club membership is going to work out cheaper


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## NorfolkShaun (Mar 9, 2014)

Thanks Mike, nice to understand how the process works


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## Andy808 (Mar 9, 2014)

HotDogAssassin said:



			Well said Mike.

BTW, have I ever told you that I'm friendly with some very generous local microbreweries? 

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Resorting to bribery before you've even enter for a GM opportunity. Now that's taking it to a whole new low. :ears:


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## MikeH (Mar 9, 2014)

MattM said:



			Hi, I'd be interested to know this one as well. Also the handicap requirement. If I enter I state that I am a nomad (regular society golfer) with an unofficial handicap. Is this likely to count against?

Just interested to know whether I need to start telling the wife that club membership is going to work out cheaper 

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occasionally some opportunities do require an official handicap (normally if a round of golf at somewhere exclusive will be part of the day) so we just leave that element in there 
the majority of the time its irrelevant so non-club members dont worry too much!


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## G1BB0 (Mar 9, 2014)

I got a round at Wentworth West off my shoddy one tho Mike


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## MikeH (Mar 9, 2014)

SAPCOR1 said:



			Hi Mike
For me and a few others North of the Border it is not the cost or "can't be arsed making the effort" for what is on offer, it is the time needed to get there and to be there.

For an early morning start you would have to come down the night before whether by plane, car or train, so it is almost a two day event rather than one

I appreciate that the costs involved in getting a team anywhere further than a couple of hours from London and the majority of the UK population is within that 2 hour radius
		
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thats a fair point sapcor1 although for the majority of opportunities an early morning flight (and the person travelling furthest being fitted last) would mean you can do it all in the day


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## SAPCOR1 (Mar 9, 2014)

MikeH said:



			thats a fair point sapcor1 although for the majority of opportunities an early morning flight (and the person travelling furthest being fitted last) would mean you can do it all in the day
		
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Time you got back up to Gullane no2!


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## the smiling assassin (Mar 9, 2014)

no way i'd be relying on a morning flight to get me down for one of these GM fitting days. imagine the anticipation of new shinies for weeks in advance only to have the day cruelly stolen by delayed flights. nope, i'd be getting down the night before, and turning up at the location before first light!


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## the hammer (Mar 10, 2014)

MikeH said:



			Morning all
Iâ€™ve been meaning to do a post on â€˜fitting opportunitiesâ€™ for a while so seems like an apt time given the all the recent ones and the thread on what youâ€™d applied for

*Opportunity vs Competition*
Almost everything we post up on the forum is an opportunity NOT a competition. Competitions â€“ usually featured on the mag and entered on the site â€“ only involve you answering a question and winners are picked at random by the Stephen Hawkings super computer our data people have. Applications for opportunities are reviewed by GM staffâ€¦

*The selection process*
There has been a lot of conjecture about this recently and although I have posted some guidance in the past its worth refreshing everyone on our working.

You are unlikely to be selected ifâ€¦

Youâ€™ve been selected before (although we have had folks being selected twice if they are the best candidate and there arenâ€™t others who are suited to a particular opportunity
If youâ€™ve got a bag full on new gear/just bought a new driver and itâ€™s a driver fitting etc. My view is there are others more deserving of the opportunity to bag some new kit and as we are always looking to show an improvement then that will be hard for those who have been recently fitted.
You give the impression in your posts/general forum behavior youâ€™d be hard work to manage on the day. The GM team havenâ€™t got the time to man mark another adult or be worrying that youâ€™ll embarrass GM/The Forum in front of our partners. 
Related to that your application will be binned without consideration if youâ€™ve got a live infraction

Other factorsâ€¦

I like to include a mix of stalwarts, newbies, older and younger forumers, different playing abilities (so long as applicable) and try to get a decent geographical spread in. 
Sometimes we get asked by brands to select types of golfer be it defined by playing ability, age or current product used 
I realise this is a little at odds with what Jake wrote the other day about it being a lot down to pot luck but as the small print always saysâ€¦ the editorâ€™s decision if final in all matters!

*Future opportunities*
There are a couple of crackers in the offing so stay tuned!

Iâ€™ll be upfront here and say we are considering reserving 1 or 2 spaces on future opportunities for GM subscribers to offer a bit of extra value to folk who put their hand in their pocket and pay for the content we produce.

However Iâ€™d always want to have a forum presence in their and any changes unlikely to be before the summer. If youâ€™re a forum member who subscribes to the mag then youâ€™ll have double the chance!

*Write-Ups*
No one is under ANY obligation to write up their day here and certainly no one is required to post positive reports of the day and reviews of the kit. 

Iâ€™d hope we get positive feedback in the form of posts/reports because it was an enjoyable day where those selected got fitted for product that gave an improvement in performance. 

*Location*
A bugbear for a number of folk I know but the reality is most brands are based in the South East and our offices are in London so it would be a waste of staff time and budgets (neither of which are in great supply) to send one, possibly two, journos and a photographer to a location that will involve us incurring flight/hotel costs and extra time out of the office traveling. 

When there is an opportunity to use a northern/Scottish fitting centre (as we did with Titleist 714 fitting) then weâ€™ll consider the option to do that.

I have to say if you canâ€™t be arsed to at least show a bit of willing in order to travel in return for free kit and a good day out then youâ€™ll probably be waiting a while for an opportunity to come to your back garden.

We have and will continue to consider offering to pay travel/hotel costs for those willing to travel south.  This is done on an ad hoc basis. I will take into account how much kit we think youâ€™re going to get (sometimes brands go to town and deliver a lot more than theyâ€™d told us theyâ€™d fit forumers for) and also the more positive your contributions are to the forum are the more generous Iâ€™m likely to be in offering to pay for flights/hotel etc. 

Hope that gives a bit of insight into the whole process/thinking etc
		
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I think that's poor, for somebody who parts with hard earned cash to buy the products that the brands need to sell, which contribute to advertising etc. etc.
so spend your Â£Â£'s, your less likely to be chosen than somebody moaning about new models coming out "every 2 mins",or,some body who doesn't invest in the brand(s).

That's never right, sorry.


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## North Mimms (Mar 11, 2014)

the hammer said:



			I think that's poor, for somebody who parts with hard earned cash to buy the products that the brands need to sell, which contribute to advertising etc. etc.
so spend your Â£Â£'s, your less likely to be chosen than somebody moaning about new models coming out "every 2 mins",or,some body who doesn't invest in the brand(s).

That's never right, sorry.
		
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I'm confused.
Are you suggesting that the most appropriate person to be chosen for some free custom fitting is the bloke who buys a new set of clubs every year?


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## Liverbirdie (Mar 11, 2014)

drive4show said:



			We've kept spaces for you, Smiffy and Justone on the step  

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 If Titleist do an anger management course entitled "how to get an extra 20 yards when throwing your driver" - would you all be interested?


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## matt71 (Mar 11, 2014)

A couple of things I have taken note from this update is that with me being a high handicaper it is still worth putting my name in the hat, as I thought I would be overlooked due to my ability (even though I woudl love to get better).

Also I love reading the posts on this forum but seldom reply or start my own. Perhaps now I need to be a bit more confident and engage a bit more.


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## MikeH (Mar 11, 2014)

matt71 said:



			A couple of things I have taken note from this update is that with me being a high handicaper it is still worth putting my name in the hat, as I thought I would be overlooked due to my ability (even though I woudl love to get better).
Also I love reading the posts on this forum but seldom reply or start my own. Perhaps now I need to be a bit more confident and engage a bit more. 


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game improvers always welcome although obvioulsy we wouldnt select for 'better player' product
on the flip for game improver fittings we wont pick single figure golfers!


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## MikeH (Mar 11, 2014)

North Mimms said:



			I'm confused.
Are you suggesting that the most appropriate person to be chosen for some free custom fitting is the bloke who buys a new set of clubs every year?
		
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I'm also confused!


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## Delh1982 (Mar 11, 2014)

What way would a kak handed player be considered mike ?


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## Alex1975 (Mar 11, 2014)

Iv not read all of this but I do think its worth remembering that we are not due any of these opportunities, it does not come with the subscription to the forum, its a special thing that GM arrange for us. Its extremely kind of Mike to give us an insight into how they go about selecting us. Some of us perhaps need to have a little class about how we react to the bed news that its not us this time.


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## G.U.R (Mar 11, 2014)

Alex1975 said:



			Iv not read all of this but I do think its worth remembering that we are not due any of these opportunities, it does not come with the subscription to the forum, its a special thing that GM arrange for us. Its extremely kind of Mike to give us an insight into how they go about selecting us. Some of us perhaps need to have a little class about how we react to the bed news that its not us this time.
		
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Agreed, why should we need to know the selection criteria for an opportunity they have offered and stand to lose most if they select the wrong candidates.


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## matt71 (Mar 11, 2014)

Alex1975 said:



			Iv not read all of this but I do think its worth remembering that we are not due any of these opportunities, it does not come with the subscription to the forum, its a special thing that GM arrange for us. Its extremely kind of Mike to give us an insight into how they go about selecting us. Some of us perhaps need to have a little class about how we react to the bed news that its not us this time.
		
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100% spot on, not read all the posts but find it hard to understand/believe why people would complain about something like this, I may be wrong and sorry if I have spoken out of turn !


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## pbrown7582 (Mar 11, 2014)

Alex1975 said:



			Iv not read all of this but I do think its worth remembering that we are not due any of these opportunities, it does not come with the subscription to the forum, its a special thing that GM arrange for us. Its extremely kind of Mike to give us an insight into how they go about selecting us. Some of us perhaps need to have a little class about how we react to the bed news that its not us this time.
		
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:clap: :clap:


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## malek988 (Mar 11, 2014)

do some people expect travel to be paid for?? im willing to come from N Ireland to a fitting, but i would cover my own travel and hotel, wouldnt ask for it to be covered

plus it gives me and extra day away from the mrs lol


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## davidy233 (Mar 11, 2014)

malek988 said:



			do some people expect travel to be paid for?? im willing to come from N Ireland to a fitting, but i would cover my own travel and hotel, wouldnt ask for it to be covered

plus it gives me and extra day away from the mrs lol
		
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Having to pay for travel and accomodation wouldn't deter me - but it probably would some so I understand why it's offered.

I'd only enter for something I really wanted - but it's as much the experience of the day as the stuff they gave that would matter to me.


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## MikeH (Mar 11, 2014)

Delh1982 said:



			What way would a kak handed player be considered mike ?
		
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the issue we often have with lefties is that these opportunities tend to be when the product is very new and brands often dont have LH samples at that stage 

I do agree that lefties get a bum deal in general!


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## Delh1982 (Mar 11, 2014)

MikeH said:



			the issue we often have with lefties is that these opportunities tend to be when the product is very new and brands often dont have LH samples at that stage 

I do agree that lefties get a bum deal in general!
		
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sorry i put that wrong lol , i have a left handed grip but use right handed clubs


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## Bratty (Mar 11, 2014)

Delh1982 said:



			sorry i put that wrong lol , i have a left handed grip but use right handed clubs
		
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In that case, you'd be considered when GM are doing their "Custom Grip" session, Delh! :rofl:


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## North Mimms (Mar 12, 2014)

Delh1982 said:



			sorry i put that wrong lol , i have a left handed grip but use right handed clubs
		
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You'll be chosen for the How to Hit a Golf Ball Without Breaking Your Arm feature


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## the hammer (Mar 12, 2014)

MikeH said:



			I'm also confused!
		
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Just because the clubs are new, doesn't mean they are fitted or suitable.


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## chellie (Mar 16, 2014)

Being nosey which is the fitting opportunity that the most people have applied for?


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## anotherdouble (Mar 16, 2014)

chellie said:



			Being nosey which is the fitting opportunity that the most people have applied for?
		
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I heard the tee fitting was quite popular:whoo:


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