Custom club fitting?

[esudcq]

Hello. Sorry if this has been answered before, but would appreciate some advice.

I'm a high handicapper 25+. I can hit some OK drives and pitching shots, but my long iron shots are poor. My ball tends to push to the right, sometimes shanking/slicing it right or missing it completely too.

I want to buy new clubs as at the moment I have some old clubs that are difficult to hit with (forged irons - 2nd hand clubs picked up for cheap). I went to American golf and I did a custom fitting exercise. They told me that I should shorten the club length by half an inch (I am 5"7, so I would say I'm a short golfer in comparison to the average male player) but also my irons should be 2 degrees flatter. The custom fit used a track machine giving all the statistics of my shots, however they didn't do the tape and marking exercise which I've seen being done to determine if the lie angle is right for me. Overall, my shots with these clubs were also just OK - still pushing it right.

I did get some advice from another person (a PGA pro), who said that I should get everything standard fit as my swing isn't consistent enough to be able to warrant any changes.

Can anyone here tell me what I should go for? I feel like the 2 degrees flatter does mean my club face does lie flat on the surface, but I don't know if that translates into the same thing upon hitting the ball. I also feel like I should master the swing first, but should I do that with standard clubs?

Thanks

 

[Foxholer]

While you are somewhat shorter than average, I'd suggest you go with the advice the PGA Pro gave you about length - half an inch isn't significant at your level and you'll most likely adjust 'naturally', with where you grip it, pretty quickly. Still worth getting the Loft and Lie checked/adjusted though imo. Even a supposed 'set' is very often quite out with loft and/or lie and it's surprising how that aspect of club 'fitting' can improve strikes. My 'least favourite' iron became my favourite one when it was set correctly (it was way out!). Lie is particularly 'personal', though Ping's chart (presumably where that 0.5" and -2* recommendation came from, even if not actually measured) seems to be pretty close.

At your level, it's more important to get consistent 'matched' clubs rather than to 'find your ultimate' ones. Shaft material, weight (particularly) and flex (not so much imo) are the variables to consider.

 

[duncan mackie]

Consciously grip at least 1/2" down the grip on your current clubs.

See how that goes in practice for a period before going forwards with new ones at a spec you are comfortable with - you may get the feel that shorter is better for you, and that lie does need tweaking. Generally if dynamic lie is significantly different from the static lie position what ever is happening in your swing to achieve that isn't a welcome addition...

 

[clubchamp98]

It’s a catch 22 situation .
Your irons might be holding you back.
Your not consistent enough for new ones.
Try find a cheap set on eBay with the flatter lie these often come with shorter shafts.
Compare your games with both sets before committing to new shiners.

 

[Crow]

I'm more interested in what your current forged irons are?

 

[pendodave]

I'd certainly be more inclined to go with the opinion of someone who won't be benefitting financially from steering you in a particular direction...

A few other thoughts :

Ping have a table available online which recommends club sizing based on static measurements (height and wrist to ground). If you accurately measure yourself you'll have some dimensions which will be well within any parameters which will affect your play.
It's easy and cheap to pick up 2nd hand clubs using said info, and consequently far easier to change again later if you feel the need.
Long irons are hard for anyone to hit, let alone a 25+ handicapper, so consider a couple of higher lofted hybrids after your 7 or 6 iron.
Finally (and please don't take this the wrong way) at your current level of competence, spending money on getting better is far more likely to yield results than spending money on kit...

 

[esudcq]

I'm more interested in what your current forged irons are?

These are Titleist forged irons. There is no model number on them. Just says the words "forged". They are also thinner than other forgiving irons, but not sure if they are blades. They are probably about 10 years old.

 

[esudcq]

I'd certainly be more inclined to go with the opinion of someone who won't be benefitting financially from steering you in a particular direction...

A few other thoughts :

Ping have a table available online which recommends club sizing based on static measurements (height and wrist to ground). If you accurately measure yourself you'll have some dimensions which will be well within any parameters which will affect your play.
It's easy and cheap to pick up 2nd hand clubs using said info, and consequently far easier to change again later if you feel the need.
Long irons are hard for anyone to hit, let alone a 25+ handicapper, so consider a couple of higher lofted hybrids after your 7 or 6 iron.
Finally (and please don't take this the wrong way) at your current level of competence, spending money on getting better is far more likely to yield results than spending money on kit...

I absolutely agree that user error is always going to be the major factor that will affect my game. I just want to set myself up where I'm improving my game using better clubs than what I'm using at the moment.

 

[Crow]

These are Titleist forged irons. There is no model number on them. Just says the words "forged". They are also thinner than other forgiving irons, but not sure if they are blades. They are probably about 10 years old.

There are many Titleist "Forged" irons, lots will have a model number on them, could these be yours?
https://www.titleist.co.uk/golf-clubs/irons/1979-tour-model

Don't be in too much of a hurry to ditch the Titleist clubs, if you can dedicate the time to learning to hit them well you'll be a better striker of the ball than if you go to game improvement irons, which IMHO just encourage lazy striking and pursuit of distance.
(Just an alternative point of view!)

 

[rowls]

i went for a fitting at AG and the guy told me not to mess with my clubs until i've learnt my swing properly, keep your clubs and get some lessons, once your swing is down the pro would be able to advise if you need any changes.

 

[esudcq]

There are many Titleist "Forged" irons, lots will have a model number on them, could these be yours?
https://www.titleist.co.uk/golf-clubs/irons/1979-tour-model

Don't be in too much of a hurry to ditch the Titleist clubs, if you can dedicate the time to learning to hit them well you'll be a better striker of the ball than if you go to game improvement irons, which IMHO just encourage lazy striking and pursuit of distance.
(Just an alternative point of view!)

These are my clubs: https://www.titleist.co.uk/golf-clubs/irons/2005-forged-704cb

 

[SocketRocket]

Incorrect lie angles can create shots that push or pull so its good to try and get them right whatever your standard otherwise you may build in compensations that will be hard to change.

The advice from #Pendodave above is good regarding the Ping clubs.

 

[jim8flog]

These are my clubs: https://www.titleist.co.uk/golf-clubs/irons/2005-forged-704cb

Great clubs , worth hanging on to. Easy to get them adjusted for loft and lie (any club can have shafts lengthened or shortened).

 

[pendodave]

These are my clubs: https://www.titleist.co.uk/golf-clubs/irons/2005-forged-704cb

Those are pretty decent sticks. Certainly not so hard to hit that it'll hamper your progress. Shouldn't be too hard to modify lie angles if necessary.
The biggest single change to make is probably to get new grips. Makes a huge difference. Re. My previous post, ping also have a guide which suggests the best grip size depending on hand dimensions. Might be worth a look. Don't put new grips on before deciding whether you need to change the length though!