fitted??

[popeye]

Has anyone seen any mass improvments in being fitted for irons as opposed to just of the shelf clubs?

I'm a year into the game and doing ok ( no handicap but shooting in the mid-low 80's) and although im fairly happy with the irons I have I'm wondering if I can lower my scores by getting fitted-obviously if I was to go down this route then i would be wanting the best I can get so would mean a spending of anywhere from £500 to over a thousand so need to be sure that i'm doing the right thing!

any advice

Thanks

 

[r0wly86]

Has anyone seen any mass improvments in being fitted for irons as opposed to just of the shelf clubs?

I'm a year into the game and doing ok ( no handicap but shooting in the mid-low 80's) and although im fairly happy with the irons I have I'm wondering if I can lower my scores by getting fitted-obviously if I was to go down this route then i would be wanting the best I can get so would mean a spending of anywhere from £500 to over a thousand so need to be sure that i'm doing the right thing!

any advice

Thanks

As with all good questions, the answer is, it depends.

I'm sure you will see improvements, but how much you may see really depends on how far from standard your physique and swing is.

If you are average height and with your current clubs the club is striking the ball with neither the heel or toe digging in, then you probably won't see a huge jump, perhaps just a bit more consistency.

Also consider club builders alongside being fitted, you would get a much better fit as it were

 

[Capella]

Difficult to say. I got fitted for my Cobra F8 irons earlier this year. I play a lot better with them than I did with the MacGregor irons I played before and I am pretty sure I play a lot better with my fitted version of the Cobra F8s than I would have with the off the shelf version (that really did not work very well for me). I had my mind set on the F8s because of the Cobra Connect system and because I like my other Cobra clubs pretty well. So I was glad that the fitter could make it work for me. But I guess if I had tried different off the shelf models from different manufacturers, I probably would have found a set that suited me similarly well. I would say, go for a fitting if you have your eyes set on a specific model or manufacturer or if you want anything irregular (like if you know you are very tall and likely need longer shafts and a different lie angle or if you have specific limitations you want to get around). But if you don't go for a fitting, then make sure that you try as many different sets as possible before you decide which one to go for.

 

[jim8flog]

I did when I had my first set but my swing changed so often (due to injuries) they were not in the bag for a relatively long period.

The only things I check out these days are the shaft type, grip thickness and the lie.

 

[Britishshooting]

If you're swinging consistently you're at a major disadvantage if you don't get custom fit with the technological advances we have had over the past 5 years.

I was fit for AP2 712's on the day they were released. Even since then custom fitting has come a very long way. I got custom fit again recently and I've gone from

2 degree upright and 1 inch longer clubs to Standard Lie with 1/2 inch longer clubs and midsize grips.

The difference is huge for me, I was pulling EVERYTHING under 150 yards left of the target. Now I'm peppering the pin and i've changed nothing but the clubs.

Even 2 degree Upright or Flat can meant the difference between hitting GIR and not. It was for me at least.

If you're happy with the clubs you have you could alternatively have a fitting lesson with someone and determine if you need change the lie angle etc. and tweak your current clubs. This would cost a lot less than new irons.

Are you pulling or pushing your current irons or are they reasonably straight?

 

[pendodave]

So. If you're shooting low to mid eighties (well done in a year btw, that's a good effort), where are you dropping shots? My guess is, that unless you have an unusual body shape or an unusual swing, changing your kit is unlikely to make a big difference.

Before you spend money, you need to think hard about your scoring rather than the contents of your bag imho.

 

[Foxholer]

I'm a fan of fitting, but perhaps for a different reason to you - that's not relevant to this conversation.

If you are actually looking to change sets, then I'd suggest getting fitted for them would be appropriate - you are obviously reasonably talented to get to the level you have after 1 year.

An independent fitter is likely to be the best, but also most expensive, option - though not a huge overhead compared to the cost of clubs! You will get to try different heads and shafts and select the ones that work best for you - though there's an 'on the day' element involved and it can be tiring.

In any case, some sort of 'fitting' is highly advisable - even if it's just a few questions (How far do you hit a 7 iron, for example will indicate shaft flex appropriate). Many copy Ping's fitting guide, which is generally very good (and compulsory if buying Ping clubs).

Once built, a Loft and Lie check should be carried out. I cannot stress highly enough the benefit of doing this - even for existing/brand new clubs! The difference between a set that doesn't match and a matched set is incredible and that even applies to brand new clubs. I was fitted for a Driver shaft many years ago and the (quite new) irons were checked anyway. They were found to be marginally out in several cases, but significantly out for 2 clubs. These were the clubs I constantly had trouble with. When all were set to proper specs, it was night and day - those clubs (6 and 8) went from being avoided to being favourites! This phenomenon apparently applies to most OEMs, purely a consequence of it not being a priority in the assembly process.

Wrt to your question about whether getting fitted, alone, could reduce your scores...It's hard to say, but it's certainly more likely to help than to damage them - whereas purchasing the 'wrong' clubs IS likely to damage them!

 

[Hobbit]

There's fittings, and there's fittings. Some might only take 30 mins, and some might take 1.5-2.0 hours. Providing you go to a reputable fitter you'll definitely benefit from it.

If you think about it, you don't know your swing speed. Do you need regular, stiff, extra stiff or senior shafts? Are you 5ft nothing or 6ft 6 inches? Are your shafts the right length? Do you need high or low kick point shafts? how big are your hands? Single wrap of tape or double wrap for the grips?

If you're really serious about the game, get fitted. And go to an independent. I've had 4 fittings. 1 from an independent and 3 from manufacturers. The 3 from manufacturers were ranging from ok to bl00dy awful. The independent did a fantastic job.

 

[Robster59]

For me there was a difference and my personal fitting I couldn't get "off the shelf" as I didn't know what they were before fitting. I would have bought standard steel shaft irons but my fitting (at Callaway) showed I needed a 2° flat lie and graphite shaft. It's definitely worth knowing what your stock fitting is but do go to a good place as I find American Golf to be variable depending upon the store.

 

[jusme]

Has anyone seen any mass improvments in being fitted for irons as opposed to just of the shelf clubs?

I'm a year into the game and doing ok ( no handicap but shooting in the mid-low 80's) and although im fairly happy with the irons I have I'm wondering if I can lower my scores by getting fitted-obviously if I was to go down this route then i would be wanting the best I can get so would mean a spending of anywhere from £500 to over a thousand so need to be sure that i'm doing the right thing!

any advice

Thanks

Put simply - you will never know until your try. What you have now may be fitted (accidentally) perfectly for you or you may have adapted your swing to get ill fitting clubs to work. No amount of responses here can give you an accurate answer.

Choose the fitter carefully - a good one is worth his weight in gold - a bad one can harm your game no end

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Yes and no. Been fitted and handicap dropped but not convinced that wasn't more to do with the tuition at the same time. Could say the same of off the shelf clubs. I think having the right spec clubs can be an advantage but is no substitute for technique

 

[6535]

INDEPENDANT FITTER ALL DAY LONG.

They will have no loyalty to any brand (or shouldn't have) and they'll take a good 1-2 hrs. Avoid AG they'll try and sell the most expensive ones to you.

 

[sweeneytoddd]

Got fitted at the start of the season for new irons and I’ve come down from 5.8 to 4.2. It started with finding the right shaft for my swing speed then trying out the heads of various titleist, taylormade, Callaway, srixon heads. Flattened out the heads as I was consistently hitting a half ball towards the hosel- chose the grips
Definitely seen a difference this year- going back for a driver over the winter 😍,