Fitting stage fright - Driver dilema

[mashleyR7]

So, I'm left handed so don't have the chance to try out much gear locally so today I booked into a fitting at Left Handed Golf. 1.5 hour drive from home. I leave the house excited, that today I'll have my brand spanking new driver and 5w to replace my old Xhot2 that are getting a little tired now. Well the drivers gone to AG as they offered me a silly price for it, even with it's dented head.

So I'm hitting warm up balls with my 5w on the lovely range at Silvermere, no issues. Step into the fitting bay and it's another story. Quick chat with the chap about my game and what I'm looking for. A complete open mind to any club, spec etc as long as it's right for me. Then I start to fire off drives, left, right, out the heal, toe, topped, everything! I'm so embarrassed. Tried, M2, Cobra, Epic, Ping and there were a few consistent stats but nothing remotely reliable to give me confidence to part with any money. After an hour the Pro advises It would be silly to buy a driver today and to come back another day! Gutted.

A similar thing happened last year when I went for my iron fitting here, I didn't hit hardly any good shots. I came away without buying that day saying I wanted to think about it. I eventually did buy the irons they suggested but still, two bad experiences with custom fittings.

We finished hitting a few 5w, much nicer shots but came to the conclusion that nothing from this years range out performs my current xhot2 so his suggestion was no need to change.

Anyone else have stage fright at fittings? Is it pressure? I'm not a driving range fan anyway, I find it hard to line up correctly or focus on a target. I think I'd rather stand on a tee and see a shot I need to play not bash down a wide channel?

So now I'm driverless. Do I buy off the shelf and hope for the best? Go and re-buy and xhot2 and stick with that? Go back and just try drivers out on my own? Try somewhere else? I'm in £40 credit with them now of course which is the cost of the fitting. I'm already not looking forward to going back, mainly due to being embarrassed.

Today = total waste of time, money and effort. I'm gutted!

 

[Alex1975]

I think you have to go back don't you? Maybe ask for the same guy, hes seen all your bad ones. You know where your going and what to expect so might be more comfortable.

 

[mashleyR7]

Yes I'll go back, I'm £40 in credit with them so don't want to kiss good bye to that ha ha!
But like the iron fitting last year, same place, pretty much same results
If the next session doesn't go better I'm not sure what to do from there! The money is burning through my pockets!

 

[Bazzatron]

They couldn't care less mate, they will have seen it all. Get yourself back down there.

 

[the_coach]

for sure go back to the same guy - he's seen the worst
(take it he was a PGA pro- if not would be worth seeing a Pro who can fit at the same place)

warm up again, ask if you can borrow a driver with at least 11º of loft - so you can hit a couple wedges, 7i's, 5 metals to feel the swing motion at a comfortable 80% -85% speed then same swing speed through a couple of drives
pure focus on rhythm and balance not 'speed' & 'distance'
make sure set-up posture is good with also good ball position and feel that the arms, forearms hands are not over tensed up - keep the forearms 'soft' is a decent goal

step into the fitting but don't 'try' to 'kill it' - you'll tense back up & lose all rhythm and balance
just start off at 75% nice & rhythmic focus on just a sound contact - don't be concerned about 'seeing' where the ball goes - how far - or trying to max CHS but also don't 'try to keep the head down'

'picture' a 'good balanced finish' and then just swing to one.

 

[gmhubble]

Don't worry about it - no difference to playing with a stranger and having a nightmare

I had a very similar experience at the Callaway fitting centre at Chessington 5 years ago - I could not hit a barn door with a banjo for love nor money and with one side of the fitting unit being completely glass everyone else could see I couldn't as well

The fitter stopped the session and made a cup of coffee and told me (an apparantly true story) that I am not alone and that it happens loads of times .... but feel for one poor chap who turned round and saw Phil Mickleson looking back through the glass at him!!

I relaxed a little and completed the session but he urged me to book again and come back - if you book a session then the money comes back off the price of an order anyway so he said there was nothing to lose

I need - had the same chap - and had a much better session, ironically enough my custom fit didnt change from the first session except I hit most shots straight

Take a deep breath - go back and have a do-over .... if your spending a lot on clubs then £40 is nothing is it?

 

[Oddsocks]

I'd look for the soec you have in a new model, unless you can find a minter.

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

I went to Titleist at St Ives last year for a fitting, had been playing quite well for me prior to going. Anyway I got there warmed up with my own wedge and 7 iron ok, as soon as I tried the fitting clubs I got the shermans, I spent the next 30 minutes hitting at 45 degrees or worse, the fitter 'decided' not the best day to recommend a change and offered me a free second booking, I spent the last 5 minutes hitting ok shots as soon as we agreed the session was over. I'm not a nervy person normally and I'm not sure if it was nerves, or trying too hard but either way a disaster.

Was I embarrassed, not in the slightest I was certain the pro had seen worse in his time.

 

[mashleyR7]

I will go back of course, I know £40 isn't much & being left handed I don't have much choice.

I'll need to take on the advise here and try to focus on the rhythm of the swing. I felt maybe today I was swinging too fast. I also think I struggle with aiming down a range any advice on this?
I struggled to hit my normal shot shape today, instead of a straight/slight draw, I regressed to my old fade.slice.
Cheers.

 

[Oddsocks]

It's not uncommon to try and hit a club in a fitting instead of just swinging it

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'd go back to left handed golf so you give yourself maximum choice of heads/shafts. I wouldn't worry as the fitters will have seen it all before. Relax and swing it like you did on the range. Hopefully returning to a familiar setting will mean you're more relaxed from the start

 

[davemc1]

I was the same this time last year. I went for an iron fitting, only wanted to try the srixon 545s but couldn't hit them on the day for toffee. I tried the mizzy 850 cast, hit them better, so got persuaded into getting these.

Looking back I knew it was a mistake but I felt obliged, being my first fitting I wanted so badly not to look the fool. I've never been happy with the looks of them, I'm also sure they have the wrong lie angle (something I should've looked at redressing thru the winter) but the the hc fell last year by 3 shots so who knows

Youve done well resisting temptation, I don't know of an answer for next time, but will keep an interest on this thread.

 

[mashleyR7]

Well what a difference a couple of weeks makes.... I randomly rang Silvermere today and re booked my fitting. With two rounds in the next few days I need a driver in the bag.

Got there early and warmed up nicely, I asked to borrow and driver to warm up with as well as my clubs and 5w. Silvermere's range have launch monitors in every bay so you can the stats for every hit. I was hitting my5w nicely, between 200-2011 carry on all shots, rolling out to 230, some longer. Hitting the stiff shafted driver they lend me I couldn't get the carry longer than the 5w. Anyway, into the fitting bay with Bill a different guy from last time. He had so much more about him, banter, chat and put me at ease much more than the previous guy did.

He let me hit, so many clubs, TM m1/m2, full Callaway range, Cobra, Ping and even the new Mizuno. Looking at the stats, we dropped most of them one by one and whittled it down to the M2 and Epic. I was hitting them both lovely, spin rates hovering at 2,000 swing speed a consistent 105-107mph, and carry of 250/260, distances averaging 280. But it was the Callaway that was going like a dream, such a high launch, lovely flight and feels effortless to hit. One even rolled out to over 300 yards and he said with my stats I could achieve that more often.

Then he dropped the bombshell, a 6 week wait!!!! I need it for the weekend/Monday. So left handed golf are based at Silvermere but not part of the shop there but he was able to go over to them and exchange a reg shaft with them for the stiff project x HZRDUS that I needed. Phew!
So I'm a very happy boy today and looking forward to boombing 300 drives all weekend!
Rank head cover though, so I'm on the look out for a decent replacement.

 

[t0m]

I did last week went for a fitting of ping g and it was horrible. Went in today to lend some clubs off them as mine have been delayed by 2 weeks and the fitter thought I was a different person. So frustrating

 

[Bazzatron]

Apparently the Epic has sold better than expected, I got fit at AG on the 22nd Feb and am still waiting, was quoted 3 weeks.

 

[Big_G]

Apparently the Epic has sold better than expected, I got fit at AG on the 22nd Feb and am still waiting, was quoted 3 weeks.

Had a similar story last week. I went to AG last to try the Epic they only had the sub-zero there to try, they've had to lend their demo clubs to people who've ordered them and are still waiting