Custom Fitted Clubs

[bazlambo]

After a long absence from Golf, I took up the game again in October 07 and invested in a new set of clubs. After trying many out I settled for the Ping G10's and had these custom fitted at AG. I was advised to take the yellow dot 1.5 deg upright based on the dynamic swing, borne out by the fact that the toe was entering the ground first. Since having these clubs I now have a tendency to fat more shots than I can ever remember and looking at the impact scratches on the club they tend to lean toward the toe, with several of my clubs now having ball prints on the non grooved part of the club. I have quickly got back to my hcp of 12 but was wondering if the lie of the club is having an effect on the strike as not many of my hits are central, particularly with the longer irons.

 

[Leftie]

Have you been practicing off range mats and fatting on grass or are your observations based on range mat play?

 

[RGuk]

Welcome baz, how tall are you?
DISCOUNTING CUSTOM FITTING....With a more upright club, the tendency would be for the heel to sit lower than the toe (I think I have it the right way round!) and the face to close a little through impact. Therefore most players would probably stand a bit closer and then hit it out of the hosel side of the face.....
I suspect it could be in your swing.....

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Custom fitting thread...... light the blue touchpaper and withdraw to a safe distance in another postal district

I thought upright was the other way round Dave and the toe was lower than the heel (seem to remember thats how my X20's sat but it may have been me as I was going through a ropey patch swing wise).

The best way of seeing if it is your address is to put a ball down and stand with the club behind it with your feet together. Lift the club in front of you to waist height and then lower the club by bending from the hips only (keeping your legs straight and letting your bottom point out).

If the ball is addressed in the toe you are to far away and from the heel you are too close to it. Once you have it behind the ball soften the legs into an athletic position and you are in the right position to swing.

The thing to remember is that 1.5 degrees is a big change and so you will have to get use to it. If however at the end of the day you are still mis-hitting I'd take my clubs to my local pro and get him to double check the fitting and your swing

 

[RGuk]

You've for me worried now Homer.

This is what I thought - "If the toe of the club is pointing up in the air and the heel of the club is on the ground then this means that your current lie is too upright and needs to be made flatter. If the heel of the club is in the air and the toe is on the ground then the club is too flat and needs to be made more upright."

If you give a standard player with non C_F clubs (say 5'10") a yellow dot (1.5 upright) Ping and asked home to set up to the ball without considering the lie, the toe would sit up in the air a tad??

Or am I getting all confused.....help.....

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Dave

I think in hindsight you may be right. The higher the toe is off the ground the flatter and vice versa. I'll get my coat............

 

[RGuk]

Homer, I don't take pleasure in being right (I may still be wrong)....I'd already phoned 363636 for a Taxi mate, you can have it, he's outside on the meter!!!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Cool. Now where do I send the bill. Dave c/o Arscott GC

 

[MVP]

IF the toe is in the air its upright if the toe is on the ground its flat.


God you guys complicate things.............



.........E=MC2.............Lie angles adjust .0001 degree.........IVE SPLIT THE ATOM>.....oh...Its not an atom its a donnay titanium!!

 

[RGuk]

MVP....no doubt your clubs fit nice and snug at both ends.
Next time at the range, see if you can put an atom just outside the ball and catch it with the toe on the way through.....you may choose to hit it in preference to the Donnay Titanium.

 

[bazlambo]

Thanks for the posts - to answer some questions I am 5ft 7in and have been using mats at ranges during the winter, although from other posts I can see that the mats may be hindering me as the fat is not so pronounced as on grass.
My stance seems fine and at address the club sits nicely behind the ball.
My concern is whether custom fitting is all it is cracked up to be and whether the lie angle can itself cause the fat, or more than likely is it just the swing being out of sync

 

[RGuk]

I'm not a C-F expert (god no), but I am deeply concerned about the 1.5 degrees upright of your initial assessment. 5'7" seems ideal for standard clubs like Mizuno which are manufactured a few degrees flat. The "most common" fit for Mizuno irons for 5'10"-6'0" is 1/4 inch longer and 1-2 degrees upright. I know this because I had a set fitted by Mizuno (not a golf store) and this is what they said.....right or wrong, I heard it. Now, Callaway tend to make them a bit upright 1) because the average US player is taller than the average Japanese player and 2) (this is the best bit), if the toe sits off the ground, the face is more likely to shut through impact, helping a slicey shot. I know this because I spent 10 minutes with a club fitter today.....right or wrong, I trust the opinion of an expert.
This is all quite relevant because "there are 12 iron color codes in the PING Fitting System. The Iron Color Code is the lie angle of the golf club (in degrees), compensated for length. Generally, taller golfers require more upright color codes, while shorter golfers require flatter color codes."
SO, Ping themselves admit that "generally" taller golfers require more upright colour codes.....

Like I said, I'm not a C-F expert, but I think you should go for a 2nd opinion......

 

[Leftie]

I am 5ft 7in and have been using mats at ranges during the winter, although from other posts I can see that the mats may be hindering me as the fat is not so pronounced as on grass.
My stance seems fine and at address the club sits nicely behind the ball.
My concern is whether custom fitting is all it is cracked up to be and whether the lie angle can itself cause the fat, or more than likely is it just the swing being out of sync

Same height as me and I bought off-the-shelf irons.

It's been said before but if at all possible practice your irons off grass, not mats. It is very difficult to take divots out of mats - the club bounces and meets the ball in mid air as it has also bounced. Perfect shot Hitting fat on grass is the result of hitting too far under the ball - not a lot to do with lie angle.

Not sure of which way round but the lie angle can result in either fades/draws - not necessarily fats.