Fitting... who and what to believe

[Zig]

Looking for advice...

Got fitted last year at a decent course with a decent pro. He didn't try to rip me off, and I walked out paying £260 for a rogue draw in a stiff shaft, 10.5 turned down a degree.

I play on a windy links, asked for something that has no higher than a mid ball flight, and that I can't lose right. The club is bl***** brilliant.

I took my wee boy to the range, and he had a go with 'Dad's Big Bertha' as he calls it, and promptly wrapped it around one of the steel girders. Deep breath time.

So, this weekend I booked into a local American Golf, thinking I'd get an M6. a) cos it was cheap, and good reviews, and b) cos I couldn't bear shelling out the same money just to re-buy another Rogue.

At this fitting, he's told me I need a regular shaft, 10.5 head with and extra half a degree 'added on'. And, he told me I needed the SIM Max, at an eye-watering £400. However, despite not feeling like I hit it that well, he was showing me an extra 4MPH ball speed compared to my rogue, and 20+ yards in overall distance. My head was and is battered!

My Q is: is it possible to have two contrasting fitting experiences within a year (my handicap hasn't changed, and if anything I'm hitting it better than I ever have with the rogue I was set up last year for). And can I trust the launch monitor readings at AG (though they were compared to my Rogue in fairness!). Please HELP!!

 

[Deleted member 16999]

AG have a purpose and a role, but no way would I put their opinion over a decent pro.

Can you not pick up an exact spec rogue second hand?

 

[Fabia999]

I don’t see why you couldn’t trust AG monitor readings but, I may be wrong, I doubt the credentials are not as high as your local pro. I would trust the local pro. I also had two different fittings and ended up going with the pro and I am still happy with the clubs.

 

[fundy]

So if im reading right, you damaged a club that really suits you but are considering paying £150 more than it would cost to replace like for like with one that you dont think is right for you?

Pretty sure you know the way to go!

Btw did your lad damage head, shaft or both? If only one then replace that component

 

[Oldham92]

I've only ever used AG for 2nd hand, so haven't bought for a while with them stopping carrying as much trade in stuff, but I always found they recommended dearer clubs

Compare that to clubhouse golf and they've advised me when buying stuff that of 3/4 options the cheapest was best on more than one occasion

 

[Kpa77]

Personally not a fan of American golf for fittings. What type of ball did you use in the fitting?

If you like the rogue why not try and pick one up from callaway pre owned. If you sign up to their newsletter you’ll get 10% off.

https://eu.callawaygolfpreowned.com/GB/en_GB/CLUBS/DRIVERS/Rogue-Draw-Drivers/p/RM_3639_DRROGUE

 

[Chico84]

From my experience of AG they only really look to fit people with current season gear.

 

[Zig]

So if im reading right, you damaged a club that really suits you but are considering paying £150 more than it would cost to replace like for like with one that you dont think is right for you?

Pretty sure you know the way to go!

Btw did your lad damage head, shaft or both? If only one then replace that component

The head's cracked (the club's not mine... though the latter might be too!)
And yes, I know the logic said get another rogue. But if it really is giving me 20 yards more out on the course....

 

[Zig]

From my experience of AG they only really look to fit people with current season gear.

In fairness to them, they did give me 5 hits with the M6 (which they can order in for £299) before telling me the stats were rubbish and to try the SIM.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

No manufacturers will custom fit models that are no longer current.

Up to a point I'd agree. I know Silvermere will fit for whatever they have in stock so will fit for the previous model on the premise they can still source heads from the manufacturer. No way I'd trust AG but that's my own experiences and others have fared far better than I have so a bit of a store lottery.

 

[Imurg]

The regular shaft and the stiff shaft could be really quite close in flex as there's no standard.
The Synergy was the "stock" shaft in the Rogue and I'm guessing the TM driver had their "Stock" shaft it.
Could be similar, could be a world away so don't hold too much to that.
Did you hit your Rogue at the AG fitting or is it dead..?
If you're comparing data from last year with the recent fit then you're not comparing apples to apples.
Many things could have changed and you may have been swinging well/bad on either day.
Even using different balls can produce discrepancies.

 

[Zig]

The regular shaft and the stiff shaft could be really quite close in flex as there's no standard.
The Synergy was the "stock" shaft in the Rogue and I'm guessing the TM driver had their "Stock" shaft it.
Could be similar, could be a world away so don't hold too much to that.
Did you hit your Rogue at the AG fitting or is it dead..?
If you're comparing data from last year with the recent fit then you're not comparing apples to apples.
Many things could have changed and you may have been swinging well/bad on either day.
Even using different balls can produce discrepancies.

Great point in the first sentence, thanks. I bought the Synergy in my Rogue as even though it was shorter than the Evenflow I tried, dispersal was much tighter.

At the weekend I got on best with the Ventus Blue in the SIM. I did hit the Rogue, and it's probably still usable (at least until I get something else) and it was 20yds shorter according to the numbers. Same balls etc.

 

[Imurg]

If the head is cracked it may be affecting ball speed so it wouldn't surprise me to see a difference..

 

[HomerJSimpson]

So you're saying they would do a custom fit on an old model and cross their fingers that they might find some of that spec laying around somewhere???

Manufacturers do not custom fit non-current models.

Silvermere carries a large stock anyway and so yes, if the last model worked they would fit. Most major manufacturers carry a large stock of the previous model and so it is nothing more than a calculated risk.

 

[PJ87]

It's the old saying . Would you prefer to be 20 yards further forward in the rough or there in prime position

If the rogue was working for you stick with it (well buy again)

 

[Kpa77]

It's the old saying . Would you prefer to be 20 yards further forward in the rough or there in prime position

If the rogue was working for you stick with it (well buy again)

I’d rather be 20 yards longer and in the short stuff.

 

[KenL]

No manufacturers will custom fit models that are no longer current.

That's right. I went for a Callaway fitting two weeks ago at the St. Andrew's performance centre and they only had Mavrik and Epic Flash and the current fairways, hybrids and irons.

To the OP. Why not pick up the same driver on Ebay and put your own shaft in it?

Any new driver is unlikely to give you 20 yards on the course unless the last fitting was off.

 

[Orikoru]

I would honestly just buy another Rogue 2nd hand, with same shaft etc. You should be able to find one. If you liked it that much why not save yourself a few quid?

 

[Backsticks]

My Q is: is it possible to have two contrasting fitting experiences within a year (my handicap hasn't changed, and if anything I'm hitting it better than I ever have with the rogue I was set up last year for). And can I trust the launch monitor readings at AG (though they were compared to my Rogue in fairness!). Please HELP!!

It certainly is. Since its more akin to astrology than anything having a real scientific basis of being beneficial to your game such inconsistencies in 'club fitting' (even the name lends it a greater sense of credibility than it deserves) are even quite likely.

 

[hombre_paulo]

Used AG for my current wedges and went to try a few before buying, took my current wedges along too.
Warmed up with my current wedges and started with my 50 degree, turned to the sales rep to ask how far it was going. Knowing full well I never carried that club more than 100 yards and that I was hitting the green on the range at 95 yards as we spoke, I was a little surprised when he said it was going 115yds. Some muttering about normalising settings or wind correction or something and he was telling me it was ~97yds.
For me AG launch monitor data contains more fudge than a Cadburys factory