Custom Fitting

[irip]

I am getting myself custom fitted for new irons on Thursday, this is the first time i have done this and wanted some advice on what to expect and any previous experiences good or bad that people have had, also any questions i should be asking during the fitting.

I am having this done at Silvermere golf club in Surrey any of you guys been fitted there?

The cost is £60 but you get £40 back if you order new irons so for 20 quid i thought nothing to lose

I have been advised that taking six inches off my clubs might help. not with my game but they will fit in the bin easier.:lol:

Any advice greatly received

Thanks all

 

[Smiffy]

What's your handicap????

 

[irip]

12 Handicap

 

[Smiffy]

Fair enough. A reasonably repeatable swing then.
I have only ever had one "proper" fitting and I hated it.
Clubs were the worse set I have ever owned (Mizuno).
But that's me.
I can't hit a ball off of a mat, and he measured my performance by the worst swing I could have had on the day.

 

[irip]

Thanks Smiffy

Did you find they tried to push the more expensive clubs onto you or were they pretty honest in trying to find the best clubs for you?

I am concerned they will be in sales mode and look to sell me the most expensive set as opposed to the best ones for me.

 

[sam85]

Thanks Smiffy

Did you find they tried to push the more expensive clubs onto you or were they pretty honest in trying to find the best clubs for you?

I am concerned they will be in sales mode and look to sell me the most expensive set as opposed to the best ones for me.

I've had a fitting at Silvermere and found it to be the complete opposite. I didn't feel pushed into buying anything.

 

[Smiffy]

Thanks Smiffy

Did you find they tried to push the more expensive clubs onto you or were they pretty honest in trying to find the best clubs for you?

I am concerned they will be in sales mode and look to sell me the most expensive set as opposed to the best ones for me.

I went with a set in mind and they didn't try to sell me others, although I did try another model (can't remember which now).
He was genuinely interested in getting the correct shaft for me, but as I say I was swinging absolutely awful due to having to hit off of mats.
If I had been hitting off of grass, he would have got a whole lot of different numbers.
So in that instance it didn't help me one iota.
But if you don't mind hitting off of mats, you should be okay.

 

[need_my_wedge]

Had a fitting done at Silvermere about 10 years ago when I wasn't a particularly good player (not that I'm any good now). They can obviously only fit based on your swing on the day. It was nice to hit out into a real range, they were not pushy with regards to club purchase at all. They did ask about budget at the start, but only in order to work with clubs within that budget. No point testing against irons that you cannot afford, although I think these days, there is a much wider choice available without stretching budgets so much, especially if you fancy Taylormade At the time I went with a particular set in mind but ended up fitting better for something else. Fit on the day with a crap swing for regular stock irons, never really got on with them. Had a Ping fitting a couple of years later and was fitted with 2 inch longer, 2 degree up, much better clubs and still playing them today.

 

[srixon 1]

Don't be afraid to ask questions on what/why he is picking a particular shaft.

Also, when I have been fitted I try not to look at the figures given out by the trackman (except for smash factor), just look at the simulation of the ball flight.

 

[Ads749r]

I was fitted at silver mere a couple of weeks ago with Jamie there. Thinks he's head fitter or something. Fantastic experience, told him I had 3 clubs in mind but ended up hitting five clubs. After me giving him feed back on what heads felt nice that's when he started digging into the massive trolleys full of shafts and heads. Then the fine tuning came for each club until one stood out from the rest then worked from there. He even ran down to the shop for me to have a go of the 4 irons in the z545 and z745 to see if I wanted to mix and match. All shots are done on the gc2 hmt so you can see where your hitting it on the face. You get all the data sent to you in an email but make sure you say during the fitting will this data be available for me. Once finished after 2 hours you go to a consultation room were your pick grips and how many layers of tape etc. Then that's where you can order or in my case I said I'm going to go away and think about in which he was more than happy to do and actually said its the best thing to do as its a lot of info to take in. They fill out a fitting sheet and give you a copy for if you want to come back and order. I though it was a little bit expensive but they have all the clubs and shafts just there that I wanted to hit. Hope you have fun. I'm going back there for a driver fitting soon I was that happy with it.

 

[Curls]

I was custom fit an Gainsborough for Ping G15s in 2011 when I didn't yet have a handicap. My swing was brutal but the best I had at the time. On the day I hit it pretty well, and was very happy with the fitting and the clubs. I still have the driver.

The irons saw me down to 8.6, and after lessons this winter I've been hitting the ball completely differently, so decided to take a punt on some Mizunos on eBay as they looked a bargain. And they are perfect. I love them, the shafts suit me perfectly, I had the lie checked but not adjusted, they just worked straight off the Bay.

Custom fitting *should* at least give you the confidence that you have the right tools for the job. They won't actually make your swing any better, but might help you make the most of what you have. It's an enjoyable process, I felt like a goddamn pro that day in 2011 and look back on it fondly. I was awful. Great bats though. Did exactly what I needed them to.

In a nutshell, don't overthink it. Have fun.

 

[drewster]

I'm tempted to go to Ping in Gainsborough for a fitting but am i correct in my thoughts that you have to book it via a PGA Pro who will then charge you for the privelege of arranging the fitting and then there's a subsequent charge at Ping for the fitting before you've even purchased any clubs ??? Seems strange that as an individual you can't do it directly .

 

[Jacko_G]

Fair enough. A reasonably repeatable swing then.
I have only ever had one "proper" fitting and I hated it.
Clubs were the worse set I have ever owned (Mizuno).
But that's me.
I can't hit a ball off of a mat, and he measured my performance by the worst swing I could have had on the day.

Funnily enough Mizuno was my worst ever experience. Went to another fitter and got a completely different shaft and result.

Best I've had has been Scott Gouley and Ping.

 

[Curls]

I'm tempted to go to Ping in Gainsborough for a fitting but am i correct in my thoughts that you have to book it via a PGA Pro who will then charge you for the privelege of arranging the fitting and then there's a subsequent charge at Ping for the fitting before you've even purchased any clubs ??? Seems strange that as an individual you can't do it directly .

That's what it alludes to on their site, but I guess it was a different system when I contacted them directly.

 

[Jacko_G]

I'm tempted to go to Ping in Gainsborough for a fitting but am i correct in my thoughts that you have to book it via a PGA Pro who will then charge you for the privelege of arranging the fitting and then there's a subsequent charge at Ping for the fitting before you've even purchased any clubs ??? Seems strange that as an individual you can't do it directly .

Your professional shouldn't charge you for the introduction to Ping. He'll get the benefit of the subsequent purchase.

 

[Matty]

I've had a 'fitting' two different ways. New driver by visiting a high street chain and hitting a selection of what they had - the numbers told me which I was hitting the best. Same driver still in my bag several years later and I'm pretty happy with it.

Last year I went for iron fitting with a club pro. Tried a few different heads and a variety of shafts. We ruled out quite a few very quickly as they didn't feel right or look right to me. Tried different shafts and ultimately went with steel over graphite for me as the graphite was delivering enough to justify the higher cost. Never felt pressured into buying at all and the information and experiences was probably just as valuable as the new clubs I bought!

 

[hines57]

Thanks Smiffy

Did you find they tried to push the more expensive clubs onto you or were they pretty honest in trying to find the best clubs for you?

I am concerned they will be in sales mode and look to sell me the most expensive set as opposed to the best ones for me.

friend had a fitting at Silvermere and had only positive things to say about the experience. He was fitted into a set of Cleveland irons that certainly were not the most expensive - just the best for him.

 

[GeneralStore]

I was fitted at Silvermere last year in their revamped fitting studios.

Some pros:
- Great equipment (GC2, tv screens everywhere, feels very high tech)
- Great choice of clubs/manufacturers/shafts
- Fitters arent pushy in my experience
- Nice quality balls, not standard range balls

Some cons:
- Some of the fitters are clueless
- Still hitting off mats
- The fitting studios are upstairs on the first floor, I personally dont like hitting off non-ground level...just me, but I dont feel comfortable

Advice:
- Book a senior fitter or their head of custom fitting
- Make sure you have narrowed the choices somewhat because 2 hours isnt enough time to try everything
- Have a think before you buy
- When you have chosen double that the manufacturer isnt about to release a new model any minute and also what the lead time is on the clubs

 

[Ethan]

Fitting is part science, part art.

The science is understanding the numbers and figuring out what technical spec best suits the numbers. The art is further adjusting that spec to meet the technical and aesthetic prejudices and preferences of the organic blob. The first part may be easier than the second.

The best approach to take is to start with an open mind, answer the fitter truthfully, particularly if your fitting swing is not totally typical of the everyday swing and enjoy it. Don't be offended if the fitter asks you to try a 12 degree driver or irons with A flex shafts. But if they offer you something you really don't like the look or feel of, say so. Also, don't be seduced by shafts or clubs just because you have seen them on Sky Sports coverage of the PGA Tour. The shafts you can see when Rory and others swing may not actually be the ones lurking under the paint. Same for clubheads.

 

[williamalex1]

Funnily enough Mizuno was my worst ever experience. Went to another fitter and got a completely different shaft and result.

Best I've had has been Scott Gouley and Ping.

I also went to Scott Gourley , he recommended Srixons . He could have sold me a dearer make, but said these would do the same job at almost half the price.:thup: