How wrong can you be?

[bobmac]

I hear people say things like
'if I buy off the peg, they might be totally wrong for me'
or
'this driver swings completely differently from my old one'.

How wrong can a poor custom fitter be, and how much difference does it really make.

I am a qualified custom fitter for Ping and I know about the fitting process, but I am interested to know what people think about how much difference it really makes.
We all know that
1 Shaft is very important
2 head is quite impotant
3 looks quite important
4 loft and lie quite important
5 grip size quite important
6 swing weight quite important
7 shaft length quite important
8 kick point quite important
9 crunch factor quite impotant
10 spin rate quite important
When you add it all up, is it just the manufacturers way of selling you new kit.
Scenario
You are fitted by a AG member and he sells you the following

Shafts 1/2 in too short
Stiff shaft instead of regular
Heads 1 deg upright and 1 deg strong
D3 swingweight
grips slightly too thin
not enough loft
too low a kick point
BUT
You liked the look of them and they felt good to hit.
If you didnt know they were wrong for you, would you play badly ?......or would you play confidently knowing you had been '''fitted''' for your clubs so you should play well.
As was said in a different thread, lots of people are using the wrong clubs, but seem to play ok.
So I guess my question is ......
We all know custom fitting is important but is it over rated?
Just curious

 

[jammydodger]

I dont think it matters too much tbh , unless youre at such a high standard that you can notice the difference like a tour pro. Us mere mortals just get on with hitting the ball with what we've got. I would say that over time our swings fit the clubs we are playing as opposed to the clubs fitting the swing with the pros.

I used off the shelf irons to get to 3 h/c and i've been custom fit for my new ones but they are as standard as they would have been off the shelf apart from 2 layers of tape for the grips. The woods have different shafts in them but I dont think it would have made too much difference if they were the same tbh

 

[thecraw]

Having been through the Ping process I think custom fit is the dogs danglies!

 

[madandra]

I think you can only truly be fitted properly if you are fitted hitting irons off of turf and not a lank of wood on the floor of a shop. A vey good 1 or 2 capper at Shotts had to get his Mizuno irons re-altered because the fitter didnt take into account how much he dipped at impact.


I think the best custom fitting advice a high handicap golfer should be given is USE CAVITY BACKS !!!!!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think the answer is yes you will notice a difference. Tiny things like smaller grips will cause overactive hands and more hooks whilst a wrong swing weight will manifest itself in poor shot exection, possible slices if it is too heavy and gets thrown OTT etc. We all know about the wrong shafts causing problems etc.

It may be that the player will have a burst of good playing which will be psychological "shiny club syndrome" but they will then be totally confused why errant shots creep in

I agree to a small extent that lesser skilled players will not pick up on the variances but they will still be there.

 

[TWM]

I think the best custom fitting advice a high handicap golfer should be given is USE CAVITY BACKS !!!!!

I agree. My irons were altered by a club fitter and seemed OK but lately I cannot get on with them. I will be buying a new set of game improving irons in June, straight off the shelf.

 

[Macster]

To me, lie angle on irons is THE most critical part of the 'fitting' process, IF you have anything like a grooved swing.
That way, you can be sure of the clubhead's contact with the turf being consistent, and not dragging the face open or closed.

Perhaps other things like shaft flex and loft - we can compensate for, but without a doubt, CFitting will help.

So contrary to Custom Fitting being perhaps only best suited to Pro's, I actually think its just as important for us mere mortals.

 

[TonyN]

I dont think I could speak for anyone else but for me, Custom fitting is very important.

Being fitted for my driver and 3 wood helped me to buy an off the peg hybrid. I looked for months for one that matched my spec, I tried loads of similar spec but nothing ever worked. I knew as soon as I found one with the shaft and head I was looking for, it would be good, and it was.

I was fitted by 2 different pros, one for driver and 3 wood, and one for irons, both from different companies. Both of them came up with same results. Extra layer of tape, low kick, lightweight shafts etc. Coincidence?

I have a fairly grooved swing now, and when I try other clubs, I constantly have to adapt to use them correctly. I dont want to buy a club and suit my self too it. That is why I get C/F and get a club that suits me.

 

[krokodil]

Every club I use is off the peg. I have custom fitted irons that are growing dust in a cupboard as I prefer the standard other ones( 15yrs old).

My decision on my driver-I swing uber fast and hit the ball really high= stiffest shaft and lowest loft I could find. Scientifically-probably tosh, but the club generally behaves itself.

 

[CrapHacker]

I must admit, I'm confused.

I'm starting again. And my swing is awful. I'm going to get started with a lesson or two soon, before too many faults become too permanent.

But assuming the pro I use is competent, he's going to get me into decent habits, and I'm initially aiming for a standard as near to 22 as I can get, with the idea of getting down to a playable 18.

But.

When he's teaching me, i imagine he'll initially be putting me into decent positions at the setup, halfway back, at the top and at the followthrough. I assume impact comes later.

Now with all that going on, how long will it be before CF is going to make a blind bit of difference. I'm hoping my swing speed will increase over the year, my action through the ball should get better.

So I get custom fitted, get better, and have to do it all again ?

Wouldn't I be better off just moulding my swing to the equipment I've got ?

Or is that sort of thinking totally wrong ?

 

[krokodil]

It's a tricky one.
If he, the pro, suggests the gear you are using at present is going to hinder you then maybe look at new clubs. However, if he thinks what you use will suffice and your key problem is your swing then I'd put CF on the back burner and focus on the swing via lessons and plenty of practice.

 

[TonyN]

With a decent grooved swing, you should be able to play pretty much anything (blades exception in some cases) to a certain extent. But once you do have the grooved swing, C/F will probably tighten things up for you!

 

[CrapHacker]

With a decent grooved swing, you should be able to play pretty much anything (blades exception in some cases) to a certain extent. But once you do have the grooved swing, C/F will probably tighten things up for you!

So I'll book in an appointment for September 2012 then ?

 

[TonyN]

Saying that, not everyone is the same, I just found this the case for me!

 

[CrapHacker]

Saying that, not everyone is the same, I just found this the case for me!

No, tbh, it's the way I'm veering.

It's just everything is CF this and that, and I honestly think for many ( most ? ) average golfers that money & time spent on improving skills would be money in the bank.

Not saying CF wouldn't be brilliant, but there are other priorities right now.

 

[Macster]

Something to remember - it costs virtually nothing to have your irons Custom fitted. Just find a pro with a jig, and able to check you for lie, and get him to adjust them for you.

Ive had my previous Ping's adjusted at Ping twice, and my current forged Titleist's done by a local Pro.

Cost ? - £15.

Now, if you've got stiff shafts and you should be regular, then you have a cost issue.

 

[haplesshacker]

I think the best custom fitting advice a high handicap golfer should be given is USE CAVITY BACKS !!!!!

Please refer to my post today re 'Demo day revalation' and the bit on the irons in particular.

But to what extent of cavity back?

I'm not disagreeing with you Madandra, but today was a bit of an eye opener for me. Especially given my h'cap. But those that have seen me play, say that a can actually hit a ball, (or they're just being kind!!)

 

[RGDave]

Every IRON I use is off the peg. I have custom fitted irons that are growing dust in a cupboard as I prefer the standard other ones( 15yrs old).

Funny you should mention this. I much prefer my o.t.s. MacGregors to my old, now given away C/F Mizuno's.

ALL VERY INTERESTING, ESPECIALLY AS I WAS LOOKING AT NEW MIZUNO IRONS TODAY.

Something "in my head" keeps ringing a bell that says "you must get Mizuno irons C/F, because they are probably one of the flatest o.t.s. irons."

But what if I sign on the dotted line and then regret it again ......

 

[TonyN]

Dave book your self in at Clays, its no obligation. Atleast you can see how you will do, if you get on with any of them, if you enjoy any of the irons.

 

[RGDave]

Dave book your self in at Clays, its no obligation. At least you can see how you will do, if you get on with any of them, if you enjoy any of the irons.

That's the plan. I went to look at which models to kick off with.....

I like the 950s, but don't want the hybrids!!!!
I like the 52s as well.