Fitted up...

[bobmac]

Harry, before you go to your local AG, phone them up and ask if they have a PGA Pro working there.
All PGA Pros are trained in custom fitting so you should be ok.
If not, be careful.

 

[bobmac]

Harry, if you get it wrong and get the wrong shaft, you could end up like the guy below

 

[haplesshacker]

Wow. Is that a golf club!? What's he got? A ladies shaft, and a 130 mph swing speed?

 

[PeterPumpkinEater]

I have a question.

I am going to have a fitting session at my club in a few weeks with a Ping rep. for 40mins then our club fitter will have an hour with me in the next bay.

Am I right in saying that once the ping fitter has measured my hands, distance from hands to the floor etc then decided that I need a certain type of shaft, can I then call Mizuno or Taylor Made with this information and get their clubs effectively custom fitted?

 

[AlchemyGolf]

[quote}
For me it’s how the club feels in my hand, how it feels when striking the ball, how it sits on the deck, how high or low the ball flies and how consistent I can hit the ball.


[/QUOTE]

Im with Tommo on this one although I add "how it looks" to the above.I have never been custom fitted for any club.I would say after the 1st 5 shots I kinda know whether its right or not.

Keiran trust me I got a much rougher ride when I first posted my website so hang in there!!

Gonna be my own boss and earning a living from golf from April,all VERY SCARY !!! but exciting!!

 

[DCB]

PPE,

I wouldn't do it that way. The various manufacturers have slight differences in the specs of their clubs. Try and find the Lie angle of the three manufacturers you have named and see if they are the same. You will probably find that they are all sllightly different. I would go and get fitted for whatever model/manufacturer takes your fancy. The Ping guy will be a good starting point, but, have a look about.

 

[HarryMonk]

So are we saying the best place to go for a fitting is World of Golf?

It's along way to travel so is it worth it, or do I look closer to home?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I know World of Golf very well (and HTL has his own private accommodation there) and it is a quality place to go for a fitting. I'm not certain if it is Mizuno only (HTL??) but I know they have a good reputation for being very thorough

 

[Mawgan]

Guys,
Thank you very much for the many (and varied) comments in this thread. There is some very good and well meant advice in there.
To elaborate on the circumstances - World of Golf just happen to host the Mizuno National Fitting Centre, and it was with Mizuno that I made an appointment. The range is one of those two-tier set-ups and I had never experienced that before. I got there early to warm up, bought my basket of balls and started to warm up. As I was getting a few practice swings out of the way, I noticed the proximity of the mat to the edge of the tier. I've been trying to concentrate on getting through the ball recently, and looking out over the range I could visualise myself following the ball over the side! I used to be an aviator in a former life but it took some time for me to get over the lurking vertigo!

Anyway, I introduced myself to Mark Yonwin of Mizuno and started the most enjoyable and informative 80 minutes or so. He used a Vector launch monitor which produced all sorts of stats immediately on a large plasma screen, and invited me to whack half a dozen balls with my own venerable 6 iron into a net drawn across the outside world (phew - no more vertigo for the moment!). He had taken all the expected measurements; height, knuckles to ground, etc., and promptly handed me some variations based on my preferences and his recommendations. I tried different club heads, shaft weights and stiffnesses, and also got the lie sorted out. I was recording average clubhead speeds of 80 - 82 mph, and ball speeds around 118 mph. The backspin seemed to be fairly constant as was the launch angle, and I even managed to keep the sidespin within reasonable limits. It was fascinating to observe the small but significant changes brought on by different permutations of shaft length and weight, and Mark's advice was always positive and professional.

I settled on the MX 200 clubhead with a Dynamic Gold XP shaft 0.5" longer than standard, set 1 degree upright (I'm about 6'1"). I really like the look and feel of Mizuno forged irons, and while I would have preferred the MP52 set, these produced a lesser clubhead speed and therefore less carry. The poser in me would have liked these to have suited me more, but this is where the numbers count. There was incontravertible evidence of the benefits and disadvantags of the various options. I would love to be able to feel the difference straight away between alternative shafts, but to me it is not immediately noticeable. My mind needs a yardstick other than the physical impression and so I was much indebted to Mark for his help in identifying what suited me best.

My first question to him had been 'why should I change at all?' It did become obvious to me that the recommended setup 'felt' better - the strike was softer, the ball seemed to spend longer on the clubhead, and the feedback was stronger. I think the journey and the time spent on the process were justified, even more so because the second session spent later that afternoon at Pachesham produced exactly the same recommendation! I spent an hour there with Luke Williams, one of their pros, and he was excellent and very helpful. Unfortunately, they did not have the necessary range of options that I wanted in other manufacturers, although I did try the TM Tour Preferred (Homer, I am sure you would have approved!) Lovely looking clubs, but the numbers did not work in my favour.

So - now what...? I intend to try a Titleist fitting, hopefully with my own pro at West Malling, and then to make a decision to purchase through him.

There was no 'Eureka' moment; I didn't suddenly spear the 6 iron 200 yards down range, and I don't expect my handicap to drop to single figures overnight. But then I never did expect that. I merely want to benfit from technology more advanced than my present 16 year-old clubs. The numbers show a slight improvement in clubhead speed, a slight improvement in ball speed, a tighter dispersion of shots, and eventually I got a better impression of feel from the recommended MX 200. Job done, as far as I am concerned, and I look forward to enjoying the benefits soon. If my handicap does go down as a result, well that would be the icing on the cake!

I couldn't recommend the process more highly. The professionals who carried out the fitting were pleasant, unassuming, and totally committed to giving me the result my swing deserved. I thoroughly enjoyed it all.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Great review. I've been on the top tier at World of GOlf and it does take some getting use to. I know what you are saying about wishing your stats with the poseur clubs were better, but as the idea was to find the best fit for you then logic says you have to go with the numbers. I have a feeling HTL plays with the MX200 and I know he has been striking his irons pretty well when I played with him especially at Ascot in the heavy frosts in January and at the Downshire on a quagmire of a course.

I lolve the TM tour preferred but like you my numbers weren't sufficient to justify the costs especially given the way I'm hitting my tour burners. I think it will pay to shop around. Have you considered Cally. I know there HQ is just down the road from Pachesham in Chessington and having been there is its a pretty cool experience. I know the standard X series (20 and 22) are not everyones cup of tea but there isn't a huge difference going into the tour models so they may be worth a look just as an extra option.

I'm glad you enjoyed the day and that vertigo and gravity didn't get the better of you (they didn't even have safety ntting when it first opened on the top tier - just you and a trip to A&E if you toppled off the edge). At least you have some idea of your swing speed and figures and so can shop around for set and a price thats good for you