CF, you and your clubs.

[haplesshacker]

Recent threads have got my attention regarding CF and the 'usefulness' of it.

So my question is.

How did you come about your clubs and how did you end up with the choice that you made? What influenced your choice, club pro, brand or club used by a playing pro, advert, reviews, advice on a forum, AG launch monitor, fitting centre with all the electronic devices known to man, or gut feel with what felt right on the range or course, ebay pot luck just to try.

Personally. My MX300's were trial and error and the mark 1 eyeball. I hit them better than anything else that I tried, both on the range and on the course. good flight, tighter dispersion, and reasonably long. I didn't need a flight monitor to tell me all of that. As for the shaft, well what was in the demo stuff worked well, so I went with that. All pretty much gut feeling. Oh. And I liked the way they looked at address. Little offset and not too big.

The MPR wedges just felt a nice weight and weren't tested really.

The Bettinardi putter. I just wanted a BC03 and one came up at a storming price that a fellow forumer told me about. Though I could probably do with something a little more forgiving for the shorter putts, but I don't like soft insert faces, which is what most more forgiving mallets seem to have. More practice is required.

Drivers. Seem to be my downfall. When I'm on it, I can knock both the MX500 and the MP600 300 yards easily,and with a little draw. Problem is that it's few and far between. Perhaps more to do with my technique than the club.

3 Wood. Advice from the club Pro. Tried a few, and got on better with the Ping G10.

So what's your story?

 

[GB72]

The driver was a custom fit as I had made so many mistakes before and really is working for me.

3 wood was an off the shelf purchase when I first started and having fallen out of favour it now really suits my game.

The 5 wood was a random ebay purchase but the shaft matched my 3 wood so worth a try.

I took the hybrid out for about 3 rounds before buying and actually think that is a better way of buying than custom fit.

I bought the irons because I loved the Nippon shafts and Cobra were the only company that fitted them as standard.

The gap wedge is the last remnant of my custom fit Orka set and I love it. Really wish that I had never got rid of the rest of them

The putter was bought after an hour on the putting green at AG in Kettering.

I like custom fit and think it really helps but for me you cannot beat taking a club out on the course to see if it works.

 

[Nikki]

Driver and 5 wood: Was looking for decent clubs and saw that the local pro shop was struggling to sell the old G10 and got a good deal from my boss.

3 wood: My mum saw it in a rare but very nice ad in a sports warehouse.

Hybrid: The pro before the pro I've got now had it on a sale.

Irons: DGUK both models. Bought the m685 for 200 pounds for the set and th m455's for a fiver each.

Wedges: 52&56... Was in Sa needed a sand wedge. Got a 52. Liked it... Got the 56 aswell.

60... Saw it on DGUK. Liked the look (and like how it plays) and gave it a shot. Very chuffed about it.

Putter: Another sale at the local pro shop, this time couldn't convince my boss. Got it anyway.


I have had a custom fitting session and am trying to get Project X 5.5 flighted shafts in the Irons. Aldila Voodoo in the driver. And UST Proforce V2 shafts in the fairway woods. Am trying to get a Graffaloy pro launch or UST V2 in the hybrid.

 

[medwayjon]

I got the Ping G5 as I tried a selection of drivers and in the correct spec this club performed best for me.

My Irons were custom-fitted, I chose Titleist (I played cobra before) as I wanted forged clubs, I view Titleist as a quality brand and they retain good resale value. I dont see Titleist as a chavtastic brand like some I wont mention for fear of attack!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

The R7 Ltd was a present from GM and was usurped by the Burner which was a birthday present but purchased after much testing in various lofts and shafts. The woods were from AG at a ridiculous price.

THe hybrid was trial and error but there weren't/aren't many that I actually like apart from TM so it wasn't that hard a choice. My irons were again a stupid price and too good to refuse. I had tried them at a TM demo day and struggled to hit them so the plan was to try them and go back to the R9's I had in reserve if they didn't work out. I'm so happy the R9's have been flogged and I've only the one set.

The wedges were again a trial and error thing. I wanted some Vokey but found them too heavy and the same with the Callys so tried the TP Z wedges at a demo and liked them

The putter was a present after much trying out of putters at various retail outlets and is predominantly for the quicker summer greens with the Rossa for the winter but we'll see how the odyssey goes.

 

[Losttheplot]

Driver was AG fitting against quote a few other drivers.
My 3 wood and hybrid were off a good friend who is a club builder/golf businessman and he for them off the tour van.

Irons were off the same friend, I tried them and
loved them instantly. He custom fit them too.
Same goes for wedges.

My putter I got off him too but is not custom fit. I tried it against a few other high end putters he had and this was best.

 

[Losttheplot]

My iPhone changes so many words without me noticing... Damn thing!

 

[Imurg]

I always hunt around to try clubs before I buy. I may find a shaft I like and work round that. That's how I got the Cleveland woods. The Fujikura Gold shaft seems to suit my swing.
Driver was trial and error. Used Fragger's regular shaft and hit some good ones using a slowish swing so went for the stiff shaft and it seems to be working.
Irond were c/f'd at a Mizzy regional centre. I tried AP2's but wasn't overly keen so we landed at the MP58's. I have a rare set-up.1/2 inch longer and 1 degree flat. It seems most 6 footers need upright lies!
Wedges were again tried before purchase except the DSG version. Took a punt on that and its working well.
Putter - was struggling on short putts. Felt like the putter was all over the place. Got the Sabertooth to keep things stable and its worked.

 

[kid2]

I made the slight mistake of getting too confident too soon and went from wilsonstaff Di7's to FG Tours.....I loved these but they were not forgiving enough for my swing at the moment.....So bent a few peoples ears on here and was torn between Mizuno MX200,300's or Cobra S2's......
RG Dave recommended i try the S2's and i havent looked back since..I wanted something a little querky and different...Not average run of the mill plain Irons.....Something that not many people would care to play........There only 6 rounds old but im getting used to them fairly quick and i know its been the right decision......
Iv never been custom fit for Irons and im a little sceptical about it if im honest.....Inconsistent swings and all that.......
But one day when the swing ingrains itself properly i might splash out and get CF....But until then its off the rack......
I bought my 3 wood off the rack and im bombing it.....
5 wood wilson FWC is a dinger i bought for 25€ out of a bargian bin and my putter is off the rack also......

Im still only 9 months at the game so ill give it 12 months with the current irons and see whats happening but initial thought is that iv made a very good choice.

 

[Nikki]

Yeah your FWC was a dinger I'd like to say that I got that with the m685's.

BTW... Putter is also off the rack and oneday I will shorten it 2 inches.

 

[GreyBeardedLefty]

Not been in the game to long (4years) started off with run of mill clubs and then when i decided that i enjoyed this sport i thought i would buy a nice set.
Because i was a lefthander i was influenced by Phil MICKLESON so brought Big Bertha set with X woods , sofar so good. H/C down this season but if custom fit would i be playing with something different?


In the bag
still Callaways

 

[CliveW]

I replaced my Callaway Big Bertha II driver when it became illegal a couple of years ago with a Big Bertha 460. At the same time I replaced my fairway woods. They were standard off the shelf clubs as that is what my previous CF had suggested.
Since then I replaced my 20 year old Titleist DTR irons with Titleist AP2s in February. I was custom fitted for them by my coach who has known my swing for the past four years. Standard lofts and lie but with R400 Dynamic Gold shafts, standard length and 1/64" Oversize Tour Velvet grips.
Also Vokey 52.8 and 56.11 wedges with Nikel finish and R400 shafts. Putter is Yes Tracy, straight off the shelf.

 

[CrapHacker]

Fairway wood and 3h - Cheap from local pro selling off old kit. Just taped them up, took them on the range, and they felt fine.

Irons - On the advice of the pro. I was looking at the real super GI Trimass, but he watched me on the range, and he suggested the V6s. Then he watched me hit 20 or so shots to make sure the lie etc was fine.

Driver - I decided I liked the 3h and wanted the driver to match, Got it cheap in Direct Golf, but went on their launch moniter computer thingy to compare with some more expensive brands to make sure distance etc was comparible.

Putter - Couldn't get on with my old one, Smiffy loaned me his to see how it went. Liked it but couldn't quite get it right. The pro suggested I chopped an inch off it, and I liked the feel of the Yes putters I tried, so I stuck a 'Yes' grip on it.

Now, after all that, has anyone got any idea how to hit them?

 

[full_throttle]

what influence my club choice?

easy really, the complete set was handed down by my dad when he upgraded...


just waiting for his next upgrade..lol

 

[DCB]

Currently there's not a single club in the bag that's custom fitted.

Two years ago I'd have argued 'til I was blue in the face that CF was the way to go.

Currently, I'd say that it hadn't made any difference to my play. My current bag, all standard off the shelf kit, is doing me fine at the moment. Okay, I've got shafts that I like and know how they work for me, I've regripped my irons with my choice of grips and appropriate layers of tape etc, but other than that it's a bog standard bag.

 

[andiritchie]

Driver-i caved the face in on my beloved Srixon so put my old Cobra pro back in play but didn't like the sound.Got fitted for my new one by a club builder and i happy it has a similar look as my Srixon but lower spin

3w,hybrid irons and wedges are all from a local pro who has lots of demos so i could play about with different specs before getting fit.All of them apart from the 3w are fantastic .I have always had a 3 wood problem fitted or not i will just have to keep playing around with them.Quite fancy trying a R9 3 wood to see if it works as good as my driver.

Putter is not fit i know it should be i cant find anywhere to get properly fit apart from the Swash place but i aint keen on Yes putters.My putter i bought 2nd hand for ten quid and it knocked my Scotty out the bag

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I've never had a true custom fit. I did a bit of trial and error and decided on the S59 which were then made to my spec. My woods have always been trial and error and off the shelf but If I could afford it I'd go to precision golf or somewhere similar and get a proper fit.

My putter is trial and error but custom fitted to the spec I wanted.

I would love to have a full custom fit for everything but I'm also struggling go understand if it is really worth it as I'm a firm believer that my swing isn't consistent enough to take advantage.

I stood on the range the other day next to a bloke being fitted for a new driver. The fitter was talking launch angles, spin rates all the usual stuff, and the guy had a 24 handicap? I'm not suggesting 24 handicappers shouldn't get fitted if they want to but surely at that level (even at my level) your swing is going to be too inconsistent to take proper advantage? The fitter even spoke to the guy about consistency and the fact that his swing is going to change and even suggested that he try a 3 wood but he wasn't interested, apparently he's not very good with a 3 wood

All in all, I'm not convinced either. Would I be off the same h'cap if I'd just bought my irons off the shelf? Would my h'cap be lower if I had a proper CF? The simple answer is, I don't know but I have my doubts.

I'm a firm believer that a good swing is far more important than a degree or two lie angle adjustment. To a certain extent, I think we've all been sucked in and if custom made clubs cost extra, a lot of us wouldn't bother and wouldn't suffer as a result.

It wasn't long ago that custom fitting wasn't really heard of, everyone bought their kit off the shelf and people still managed to play good golf.

 

[jacetheace]

All my clubs are custom fit, i tried umpteen club and shaft combinations and ended up with the set i have,almost settled on ap2 irons but tried the mx300s and hit em 10yds farther and had a better dispersion,apart from the mp clk which i have just bought,and the putters just felt nice.

 

[GB72]

The main advantage of custom fit to me is that it stops that nagging voice in your head telling you that there is something better suited to you. With my driver I tried loads of heads and loads of shafts and this was best. So far I have not even been tempted to change and this is coming from someone who used to change his driver as often as he changed his socks.

 

[DCB]

The main advantage of custom fit to me is that it stops that nagging voice in your head telling you that there is something better suited to you.

Oh no it doesn't, that nagging voice just says 'your golf is crap mate' and 'can't be the clubs, it must be you'

Just what you want in a crisis