Ping clubs without a fitting

[KenL]

Every fitting I've had since the end of the 90s has said half inch longer, 2 degrees up, S300.
I keep hoping someone says different one day ?

Once day you'll be 2 upright, 12mm longer with super-senior graphite shafts.?

 

[greenone]

Rick shiels podcast this week his co host guy (ex fitter) was saying custom fitting is really overated

He goes into a lot of details but the end got me

After you pick your shaft and club set etc what's the one thing that you always touch? The grip. You only ever try the one on the shaft. You get measured maybe for grip size over etc they then order you clubs with grips you have never hit

He did say things like right clubs ie 5-pw not 3-pw etc

And try a few sets see what you like

And if your tall or short get your longer or shorter etc ..

But custom fit complete overated in his opinion

Ex fitter is pushing it. Ex American golf salesman.

 

[jim8flog]

Rick shiels podcast this week his co host guy (ex fitter) was saying custom fitting is really overated

He goes into a lot of details but the end got me

After you pick your shaft and club set etc what's the one thing that you always touch? The grip. You only ever try the one on the shaft. You get measured maybe for grip size over etc they then order you clubs with grips you have never hit

He did say things like right clubs ie 5-pw not 3-pw etc

And try a few sets see what you like

And if your tall or short get your longer or shorter etc ..

But custom fit complete overated in his opinion

My first full custom fit had demo clubs for everything. Once i had picked the head, lie angle and the shaft the fitter then gave me several irons to that spec each with a different grip thickness.

When I got the clubs I realised something was slightly different as I was producing a fairly consistent slight push. I went back to the fitter who checked the clubs and quickly realised they fitted the wrong grip size. Correct grip fitted and slight push gone.

 

[Daveg99]

I’ve just had a fitting for some i500s and personally wouldn’t spend that amount on clubs without it.

 

[KenL]

I’ve just had a fitting for some i500s and personally wouldn’t spend that amount on clubs without it.

Agree 100%.

 

[evemccc]

My first full custom fit had demo clubs for everything. Once i had picked the head, lie angle and the shaft the fitter then gave me several irons to that spec each with a different grip thickness.

When I got the clubs I realised something was slightly different as I was producing a fairly consistent slight push. I went back to the fitter who checked the clubs and quickly realised they fitted the wrong grip size. Correct grip fitted and slight push gone.

Curious about this.

Is it a well-known thing or a personal quirk of your technique? Smaller/Larger grip size produces pushes more easily?

I have only played my clubs which are standard size...if I were to pick up other clubs with medium grips they’d feel weird, cos different to what I’m used to..


It’s hard to know what suits us, if you get used to whatever particular size it is we play with!

 

[Neilds]

Curious about this.

Is it a well-known thing or a personal quirk of your technique? Smaller/Larger grip size produces pushes more easily?

I have only played my clubs which are standard size...if I were to pick up other clubs with medium grips they’d feel weird, cos different to what I’m used to..


It’s hard to know what suits us, if you get used to whatever particular size it is we play with!

I had standard grips fitted and went for a series of lessons. One of the things the pro noticed was that I released my grip slightly at the top of the backswing and regripped it slightly closed, resulting in a miss left (right handed). He swapped the grip on my 7 iron for a mid size non taper one and told me to try it for a while. It (almost) completely eradicated the miss left and I then went on to swap the rest of my grips. Much improved striking now

 

[ScienceBoy]

Rely on your instincts, they're rarely wrong.

I’m still playing the irons bought from David Seaman’s son.

If you can’t trust the children of international sports persons who can you trust?

 

[jim8flog]

Curious about this.

Is it a well-known thing or a personal quirk of your technique? Smaller/Larger grip size produces pushes more easily?

I have only played my clubs which are standard size...if I were to pick up other clubs with medium grips they’d feel weird, cos different to what I’m used to..


It’s hard to know what suits us, if you get used to whatever particular size it is we play with!

I do not know if it a general thing but makes sense. Grips which are too thick will tend to reduce wrist action so for me cause a slight push.

I actually prefer thicker grips on my wedges to help reduce the wrist action.

 

[Grizzly]

I think in terms of lie and length, you're probably fine to do it. What surprised me when I was fitted for my clubs was that the shafts were not what I was expecting to be most beneficial for me.

 

[harpo_72]

I have done several Ping fittings but not at Gainsborough. My initial one, for some zing 2 irons were black 1/2” longer std grip. These were perfect. Fast forward to a fitting for i15s and I was std and red dot. These were okay, but I wasn’t really performing so I went to try some I25s and they were yellow dot std length shaft recommendation was project x 5.5 vs std CFS due to dispersion. I bought some I20s to this spec 2nd hand and they were good as well.
As others say it’s okay but you change you adapt and I can pick up most stuff that is close to average and hit it well enough. It’s just when it’s well away it’s not easy. Your body and swing will adapt in a range ..

 

[Dibby]

Curious about this.

Is it a well-known thing or a personal quirk of your technique? Smaller/Larger grip size produces pushes more easily?

I have only played my clubs which are standard size...if I were to pick up other clubs with medium grips they’d feel weird, cos different to what I’m used to..


It’s hard to know what suits us, if you get used to whatever particular size it is we play with!

The theory is that a thicker grip has a larger circumference, so you would have to move it more to get the same amount of face rotation. So to rotate a club face 90 degrees, a point on a thicker grip will have moved a greater distance in space than the same point on a thinner grip.

Personally I don't fully get this - it would make sense if you ever had the grip move within your hands when swinging, but you don't (or shouldn't) - any rotational movement would be the grip and hand moving as one originating from the wrist or forearm. A bigger grip would feel different in your hands, but as long as you don't move your grip on the club at any point in the swing then rotating your wrists 90 degrees at whatever speed will cause the clubface to rotate 90 degrees at the same rate as that of your wrist movement.

Now there is definitely an argument for what is comfortable and feels right, and there is a point where a grip being too big means we can't hold it properly, but we're talking so big that you can't get all your fingers around it, not adding a layer of tape.

It did puzzle me when I first played golf why the grip is so small compared to other racquet or bat sports - tennis, baseball, cricket and even just compared to every day implements like a hammer. It almost feels like it's one of those "It's always been that way" things, and maybe one day will change.

 

[Bigfoot]

I'm guessing you're a mid to high handicap golfer?
I initially needed a custom fit being 6ft 4 but now I know my spec (1inch longer 3 degrees upright) I just make a purchase

Interesting - I am 6'5" and use 1 inch longer and 2 deg upright clubs. Different length arms ?

 

[Imurg]

This is bit "in depth " but worth a watch

 

[evemccc]

The theory is that a thicker grip has a larger circumference, so you would have to move it more to get the same amount of face rotation. So to rotate a club face 90 degrees, a point on a thicker grip will have moved a greater distance in space than the same point on a thinner grip.

Personally I don't fully get this - it would make sense if you ever had the grip move within your hands when swinging, but you don't (or shouldn't) - any rotational movement would be the grip and hand moving as one originating from the wrist or forearm. A bigger grip would feel different in your hands, but as long as you don't move your grip on the club at any point in the swing then rotating your wrists 90 degrees at whatever speed will cause the clubface to rotate 90 degrees at the same rate as that of your wrist movement.

Now there is definitely an argument for what is comfortable and feels right, and there is a point where a grip being too big means we can't hold it properly, but we're talking so big that you can't get all your fingers around it, not adding a layer of tape.

It did puzzle me when I first played golf why the grip is so small compared to other racquet or bat sports - tennis, baseball, cricket and even just compared to every day implements like a hammer. It almost feels like it's one of those "It's always been that way" things, and maybe one day will change.

Interesting, thanks

Is that the same theory behind the larger / large putter grips...that involuntary twitches have to be bigger or worse in order to move the putter offline from target in the putting stroke?

I presume that’s the selling point of them and why they’ve taken off in recent years

 

[harpo_72]

The theory is that a thicker grip has a larger circumference, so you would have to move it more to get the same amount of face rotation. So to rotate a club face 90 degrees, a point on a thicker grip will have moved a greater distance in space than the same point on a thinner grip.

Personally I don't fully get this - it would make sense if you ever had the grip move within your hands when swinging, but you don't (or shouldn't) - any rotational movement would be the grip and hand moving as one originating from the wrist or forearm. A bigger grip would feel different in your hands, but as long as you don't move your grip on the club at any point in the swing then rotating your wrists 90 degrees at whatever speed will cause the clubface to rotate 90 degrees at the same rate as that of your wrist movement.

Now there is definitely an argument for what is comfortable and feels right, and there is a point where a grip being too big means we can't hold it properly, but we're talking so big that you can't get all your fingers around it, not adding a layer of tape.

It did puzzle me when I first played golf why the grip is so small compared to other racquet or bat sports - tennis, baseball, cricket and even just compared to every day implements like a hammer. It almost feels like it's one of those "It's always been that way" things, and maybe one day will change.

Bit deep, and conclusion I would agree with. Some other evidence is about contact patch for your grip, a larger grip gives more skin to grip. This means clamp load of your grip can reduce leaving the forearm muscles more relaxed and fluid allowing you to generate power.
The whole wrist arm action should be pretty natural not forced your hands just get to a position as you swing. So I suppose if you are an active roller or hold off a grip could be quite influential.

 

[hovis]

[/QUOTE]

Interesting - I am 6'5" and use 1 inch longer and 2 deg upright clubs. Different length arms ?

That's about right then. Your only 1 inch taller than me. Our wrist to floor is most likely very close

 

[Dibby]

Interesting, thanks

Is that the same theory behind the larger / large putter grips...that involuntary twitches have to be bigger or worse in order to move the putter offline from target in the putting stroke?

I presume that’s the selling point of them and why they’ve taken off in recent years

Partly that, and partly the bigger the grip, the less accidental wrist movement is possible. To see this concept, if you hold a pencil like a golf club you can flick your wrists to move it, if you held a drain pipe you wouldn't be able to do this anywhere near as much because the large size would mean to grip it you already have both wrists in (or near) near maximal extension, so even though either wrist could flex, you would either have to let go of the pipe or ask the other wrist to extend more which is impossible if it is at end range (or very limited if close). Most big grips are nowhere near enough to actually cause this effect fully, but move you in a direction where you would have to be more conscious in moving the wrists and it would certainly be more noticeable, especially in a putting stroke where you are generally not trying to move the wrists.

 

[Ethan]

Bit deep, and conclusion I would agree with. Some other evidence is about contact patch for your grip, a larger grip gives more skin to grip. This means clamp load of your grip can reduce leaving the forearm muscles more relaxed and fluid allowing you to generate power.
The whole wrist arm action should be pretty natural not forced your hands just get to a position as you swing. So I suppose if you are an active roller or hold off a grip could be quite influential.

Thin grips involves the smaller muscles in the hand, bigger grips the longer extensors and flexors of the lower arm. Once the latter are engaged, wrist flexion and extension, such as in flappy wrists, are inhibited more.

 

[Ethan]

Every fitting I've had since the end of the 90s has said half inch longer, 2 degrees up, S300.
I keep hoping someone says different one day ?

Just wait until you get older. R300 .... Senior flex .... ladies flex .... are you still playing?

And you may need even flatter lies if you get a stoop.

Enjoy!