Fitting opportunities

[NorfolkShaun]

Thanks Mike, nice to understand how the process works

 

[Andy808]

Well said Mike.

BTW, have I ever told you that I'm friendly with some very generous local microbreweries?

Resorting to bribery before you've even enter for a GM opportunity. Now that's taking it to a whole new low. :ears:

 

[MikeH]

Hi, I'd be interested to know this one as well. Also the handicap requirement. If I enter I state that I am a nomad (regular society golfer) with an unofficial handicap. Is this likely to count against?

Just interested to know whether I need to start telling the wife that club membership is going to work out cheaper

occasionally some opportunities do require an official handicap (normally if a round of golf at somewhere exclusive will be part of the day) so we just leave that element in there
the majority of the time its irrelevant so non-club members dont worry too much!

 

[G1BB0]

I got a round at Wentworth West off my shoddy one tho Mike

 

[MikeH]

Hi Mike
For me and a few others North of the Border it is not the cost or "can't be arsed making the effort" for what is on offer, it is the time needed to get there and to be there.

For an early morning start you would have to come down the night before whether by plane, car or train, so it is almost a two day event rather than one

I appreciate that the costs involved in getting a team anywhere further than a couple of hours from London and the majority of the UK population is within that 2 hour radius

thats a fair point sapcor1 although for the majority of opportunities an early morning flight (and the person travelling furthest being fitted last) would mean you can do it all in the day

 

[SAPCOR1]

thats a fair point sapcor1 although for the majority of opportunities an early morning flight (and the person travelling furthest being fitted last) would mean you can do it all in the day

Time you got back up to Gullane no2!

 

[the smiling assassin]

no way i'd be relying on a morning flight to get me down for one of these GM fitting days. imagine the anticipation of new shinies for weeks in advance only to have the day cruelly stolen by delayed flights. nope, i'd be getting down the night before, and turning up at the location before first light!

 

[the hammer]

Morning all
I’ve been meaning to do a post on ‘fitting opportunities’ for a while so seems like an apt time given the all the recent ones and the thread on what you’d applied for

Opportunity vs Competition
Almost everything we post up on the forum is an opportunity NOT a competition. Competitions – usually featured on the mag and entered on the site – only involve you answering a question and winners are picked at random by the Stephen Hawkings super computer our data people have. Applications for opportunities are reviewed by GM staff…

The selection process
There has been a lot of conjecture about this recently and although I have posted some guidance in the past its worth refreshing everyone on our working.

You are unlikely to be selected if…

• You’ve been selected before (although we have had folks being selected twice if they are the best candidate and there aren’t others who are suited to a particular opportunity
• If you’ve got a bag full on new gear/just bought a new driver and it’s a driver fitting etc. My view is there are others more deserving of the opportunity to bag some new kit and as we are always looking to show an improvement then that will be hard for those who have been recently fitted.
• You give the impression in your posts/general forum behavior you’d be hard work to manage on the day. The GM team haven’t got the time to man mark another adult or be worrying that you’ll embarrass GM/The Forum in front of our partners.
• Related to that your application will be binned without consideration if you’ve got a live infraction

Other factors…

• I like to include a mix of stalwarts, newbies, older and younger forumers, different playing abilities (so long as applicable) and try to get a decent geographical spread in.
• Sometimes we get asked by brands to select types of golfer be it defined by playing ability, age or current product used

I realise this is a little at odds with what Jake wrote the other day about it being a lot down to pot luck but as the small print always says… the editor’s decision if final in all matters!

Future opportunities
There are a couple of crackers in the offing so stay tuned!

I’ll be upfront here and say we are considering reserving 1 or 2 spaces on future opportunities for GM subscribers to offer a bit of extra value to folk who put their hand in their pocket and pay for the content we produce.

However I’d always want to have a forum presence in their and any changes unlikely to be before the summer. If you’re a forum member who subscribes to the mag then you’ll have double the chance!

Write-Ups
No one is under ANY obligation to write up their day here and certainly no one is required to post positive reports of the day and reviews of the kit.

I’d hope we get positive feedback in the form of posts/reports because it was an enjoyable day where those selected got fitted for product that gave an improvement in performance.

Location
A bugbear for a number of folk I know but the reality is most brands are based in the South East and our offices are in London so it would be a waste of staff time and budgets (neither of which are in great supply) to send one, possibly two, journos and a photographer to a location that will involve us incurring flight/hotel costs and extra time out of the office traveling.

When there is an opportunity to use a northern/Scottish fitting centre (as we did with Titleist 714 fitting) then we’ll consider the option to do that.

I have to say if you can’t be arsed to at least show a bit of willing in order to travel in return for free kit and a good day out then you’ll probably be waiting a while for an opportunity to come to your back garden.

We have and will continue to consider offering to pay travel/hotel costs for those willing to travel south. This is done on an ad hoc basis. I will take into account how much kit we think you’re going to get (sometimes brands go to town and deliver a lot more than they’d told us they’d fit forumers for) and also the more positive your contributions are to the forum are the more generous I’m likely to be in offering to pay for flights/hotel etc.

Hope that gives a bit of insight into the whole process/thinking etc

I think that's poor, for somebody who parts with hard earned cash to buy the products that the brands need to sell, which contribute to advertising etc. etc.
so spend your ££'s, your less likely to be chosen than somebody moaning about new models coming out "every 2 mins",or,some body who doesn't invest in the brand(s).

That's never right, sorry.

 

[North Mimms]

I think that's poor, for somebody who parts with hard earned cash to buy the products that the brands need to sell, which contribute to advertising etc. etc.
so spend your ££'s, your less likely to be chosen than somebody moaning about new models coming out "every 2 mins",or,some body who doesn't invest in the brand(s).

That's never right, sorry.

I'm confused.
Are you suggesting that the most appropriate person to be chosen for some free custom fitting is the bloke who buys a new set of clubs every year?

 

[Liverbirdie]

We've kept spaces for you, Smiffy and Justone on the step

If Titleist do an anger management course entitled "how to get an extra 20 yards when throwing your driver" - would you all be interested?

 

[matt71]

A couple of things I have taken note from this update is that with me being a high handicaper it is still worth putting my name in the hat, as I thought I would be overlooked due to my ability (even though I woudl love to get better).

Also I love reading the posts on this forum but seldom reply or start my own. Perhaps now I need to be a bit more confident and engage a bit more.

 

[MikeH]

A couple of things I have taken note from this update is that with me being a high handicaper it is still worth putting my name in the hat, as I thought I would be overlooked due to my ability (even though I woudl love to get better).
Also I love reading the posts on this forum but seldom reply or start my own. Perhaps now I need to be a bit more confident and engage a bit more.

game improvers always welcome although obvioulsy we wouldnt select for 'better player' product
on the flip for game improver fittings we wont pick single figure golfers!

 

[MikeH]

I'm confused.
Are you suggesting that the most appropriate person to be chosen for some free custom fitting is the bloke who buys a new set of clubs every year?

I'm also confused!

 

[Delh1982]

What way would a kak handed player be considered mike ?

 

[Alex1975]

Iv not read all of this but I do think its worth remembering that we are not due any of these opportunities, it does not come with the subscription to the forum, its a special thing that GM arrange for us. Its extremely kind of Mike to give us an insight into how they go about selecting us. Some of us perhaps need to have a little class about how we react to the bed news that its not us this time.

 

[G.U.R]

Iv not read all of this but I do think its worth remembering that we are not due any of these opportunities, it does not come with the subscription to the forum, its a special thing that GM arrange for us. Its extremely kind of Mike to give us an insight into how they go about selecting us. Some of us perhaps need to have a little class about how we react to the bed news that its not us this time.

Agreed, why should we need to know the selection criteria for an opportunity they have offered and stand to lose most if they select the wrong candidates.

 

[matt71]

Iv not read all of this but I do think its worth remembering that we are not due any of these opportunities, it does not come with the subscription to the forum, its a special thing that GM arrange for us. Its extremely kind of Mike to give us an insight into how they go about selecting us. Some of us perhaps need to have a little class about how we react to the bed news that its not us this time.

100% spot on, not read all the posts but find it hard to understand/believe why people would complain about something like this, I may be wrong and sorry if I have spoken out of turn !

 

[pbrown7582]

Iv not read all of this but I do think its worth remembering that we are not due any of these opportunities, it does not come with the subscription to the forum, its a special thing that GM arrange for us. Its extremely kind of Mike to give us an insight into how they go about selecting us. Some of us perhaps need to have a little class about how we react to the bed news that its not us this time.

:clap: :clap:

 

[malek988]

do some people expect travel to be paid for?? im willing to come from N Ireland to a fitting, but i would cover my own travel and hotel, wouldnt ask for it to be covered

plus it gives me and extra day away from the mrs lol

 

[davidy233]

do some people expect travel to be paid for?? im willing to come from N Ireland to a fitting, but i would cover my own travel and hotel, wouldnt ask for it to be covered

plus it gives me and extra day away from the mrs lol

Having to pay for travel and accomodation wouldn't deter me - but it probably would some so I understand why it's offered.

I'd only enter for something I really wanted - but it's as much the experience of the day as the stuff they gave that would matter to me.