Custom fitting for a newbie?

[Gringo El Bingo]

Mornin' all!

After a long absence with injury, I'm getting back on my feet. I've played a couple of rounds in the last month, and I'm back to not being able to break 100.

One of the guys I play with mentioned that my irons were a little out of date, and that some GI irons might help. I'm currently playing with my Cleveland TA5 set, which I've had forever. They are around 12 years old. I'm certainly not opposed to updating them, and I'm not too proud to admit that I need a little forgiveness in my irons, so would happily stump up the cash for some GI/SGI (?) clubs.

My question is this: should I buy new irons, and play with them a while to get my swing back to what it was before my time off, and then get them custom fit? Or should I get them custom fit from the off, and let my swing work itself out afterwards?

Can you even get clubs custom fit after you've bought them? Do they just adjust the shaft etc? (I've never been fit for clubs before).

Lets assume that I can't afford to be fit twice.

Any and all opinions welcome.

Thanks!

 

[Jack_bfc]

You will get an immediate reply by some posters to get lessons first . (im sure some of this lot are on commission).

Depends on your budget as to whether its worth getting custom fit which will probably end up costing you more for the set when you buy.

Or just trying some out at the usual stores and then making a 'judgement' pick them off ebay or golfbidder etc.

I've gone down that path with the driver, hybrids etc.

will probably do the same with the irons later this year...

 

[Gringo El Bingo]

Cheers. I'm not opposed to lessons, but I'm not sure if they're really required at the moment. I'm seriously out of practice, and would like to get back to shooting around 90 (roughly where I was before I got hurt) before I shell out on lessons. I think practice will get me there. Then I can get lessons to improve further.

I don't mind the cost of new irons and a custom fit, but I don't know whether I'm better off doing it while I'm still getting back to where I was previously, or whether I get new irons now, and get custom fit once my swing is back to it's best. (And I use the word "best" quite wrongly...)

 

[DaveM]

It all depends if fitted when you buy. You will/should be fitted for shaft, loft, lie, grip. If your fitting clubs you already have ,can have it all done but not really for shafts.
Don't see any problem fitting from the off, may save bad habits creeping in.
I got my irons from the internet as a golf shop was selling them off cheap. They did have the shaft in I wanted. Just had to have the lie flattened 2 degrees. Plus shortened .25" and thinner grips, did those bits myself.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

It depends. Ping always seem pretty good at making adjustments after a fitting so if you went down that road for arguments sake and then had some lessons and changes set up/path etc and so needed the lie adjusted they'll normally do that for you back at the factory

 

[Gringo El Bingo]

Cheers chaps. Much appreciated. Knowing that changes can be made post purchase, I think I'll go down that route.

 

[Ethan]

The argument in favour of lessons is that if you are returning to the game, your game may well change quite a bit over the next few months and your fitting needs (in terms of shaft weight and flex, for example) may change. Better to get there ASAP then get fitted. Like getting a new suit just as you go on a diet isn't a great idea.

 

[gripitripit]

I would go down the PING fitting route. I hit some G15's for a round last week and they were very forgiving.