SGI/GI/Players/Blades Test needed please GM.

[GB72]

I would like to see a bit of investigation into the whole custom fitting process. After all, everyone offers but no 2 places seem to go through the same process. I would love to see a bit of 'secret shopper' work carried out sending someone to a club pro, manufacturer, high street retailer and maybe a club fitter to see what they all come up with and how they approach the custom fit. Perhaps have the results reviewed by a tour fitter. When I was just starting out playing golf I heard the words 'custom fit' but I, as with many, was not sure what to expect. Since then I have seen shops just stick a few clubs in front of you and hen say which model is right for you can call that a custom fit, I have seen club pros send you out on a course with a club and if you hit it well it is right and call that a custom fit, I have seen online sites ask for various measurements and call that a fit and I have seen the full bells and whistles with launch monitors, shaft options etc. To my find, unless you know the head you want then spend the time testing variations, most custom fits are not that but rather a comparision of which off the peg model suits you best. Would love to see a real in depth article on what people are being sold as custom fitted clubs.

 

[chunkiesgreat]

I would like to see a bit of investigation into the whole custom fitting process. After all, everyone offers but no 2 places seem to go through the same process. I would love to see a bit of 'secret shopper' work carried out sending someone to a club pro, manufacturer, high street retailer and maybe a club fitter to see what they all come up with and how they approach the custom fit. Perhaps have the results reviewed by a tour fitter. When I was just starting out playing golf I heard the words 'custom fit' but I, as with many, was not sure what to expect. Since then I have seen shops just stick a few clubs in front of you and hen say which model is right for you can call that a custom fit, I have seen club pros send you out on a course with a club and if you hit it well it is right and call that a custom fit, I have seen online sites ask for various measurements and call that a fit and I have seen the full bells and whistles with launch monitors, shaft options etc. To my find, unless you know the head you want then spend the time testing variations, most custom fits are not that but rather a comparision of which off the peg model suits you best. Would love to see a real in depth article on what people are being sold as custom fitted clubs.

This is a really god point and i would like to this area to be cleared up.

What should the customer be expecting when custom fitting. For someone who goes for the first time what should they expect? How do you know you are getting value for money and a good result?

 

[patricks148]

No going to happen.

I'm a fan of the mag but they are not going to p*ss of one of their major Advertisers or a Manufacturer with the findings from this type of article.

Not so long ago there was a post about what bad service Greg Nicholson Golf gave with a load of examples from different Forumers. Funnily the post disapeared

 

[GB72]

No going to happen.

I'm a fan of the mag but they are not going to p*ss of one of their major Advertisers or a Manufacturer with the findings from this type of article.

Not so long ago there was a post about what bad service Greg Nicholson Golf gave with a load of examples from different Forumers. Funnily the post disapeared

Fair point. Perhaps just an article on what you should expect at a Custom Fit would at least be helpful.

Apologies to the OP here, seem to have changed the tack of this thread a bit.

 

[Alex1975]

Thats all good, I am not looking to be holding anyone accountable, this is not about manufactures its about club styles/category's.

No witch hunt requited.

 

[brendy]

No going to happen.

I'm a fan of the mag but they are not going to p*ss of one of their major Advertisers or a Manufacturer with the findings from this type of article.

Not so long ago there was a post about what bad service Greg Nicholson Golf gave with a load of examples from different Forumers. Funnily the post disapeared

Not true Patrick, thread is still alive and kicking.
http://forums.golf-monthly.co.uk//showfl...true#Post370010

 

[patricks148]

It wasn't a few weeks ago as i was trying to show it to someone else i know who got duped by them too and they couldn't find it either.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Interesting take on the things above.

The best thing I did was dump my aging cheap SGI irons.

The MP57s I replaced them with have been fantastic, never hit so many good shots since.

Would I have been better with GI irons, would those or blades helped take more than 3 shots off my handicap?

We will never know I guess...

 

[patricks148]

My point is its not the clubs that got you from A to B but working on your swing.

If my memory serves me right you just bought your 57s off a friend of your uncle and you didn't even know what clubs they were, yes?

I managed to get from 24 to 12 using a set of mx17 with reg shafts standard. i could have carried on with those clubs and they would have still got me down to 8.2 i was last year. The current swing i have isn't consistant enough to keep me where i want to be, so I'm having lessons for the first time since i started to get a decent repeatable swing.

Nothing to do with what clubs i have, i'm sure i could still shank it with a sgi iron!!!

CF, or the best clubs money can buy won't inprove your golf.
a decent swing will. Most pro's could still shoot under par scores around most of the courses we weekend golfers play with dunlop £99 set of clubs.

 

[HRC99]

I don't see why such an article need upset any advertisers. If you put a positive spin on it - highlighting good custom fitting: the process, the results, the technology and customer feedback.

By doing so, you will identify good quality companies and increase folders' understanding of what proper custom fit should look like.

 

[GB72]

I don't see why such an article need upset any advertisers. If you put a positive spin on it - highlighting good custom fitting: the process, the results, the technology and customer feedback.

By doing so, you will identify good quality companies and increase folders' understanding of what proper custom fit should look like.

True and I suspect on a good day with the most experienced person available and plenty of time then a good fitting would be had by all. The question is, does everyone get that service all the time. If the person testing went in on a busy Saturday with a fairly vague brief of what he was looking for then I suspect that at least some of the time he would be stuck in a bay with few clubs try and told to pick the one he likes with little actual fitting input or advice.

 

[patricks148]

I've been on a LM in a couple Large Golf retailers, lets call them Armenian Golf and Kansas Jacks and both times they were way off. Telling me i was hitting the ball miles further than i can under course conditions.
When i first started and had a huge slice it was evens saying Draw

What if it came to light that is wasn't an isolated case and CF at certain retailers was a joke would that go down well.

Just my opinion

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think the problems come when you start highlighting individual lofts. We all know TM have strong lofts and so for argument sake would they be happy with GM or anyone else exposing that their 6 iron is a Mizuno/Ping/Cally 5 etc.

Also can you really test like for like over a period. Most mid handicap golfers struggle to put two consistant scores in a lot of the time anyway so add different makes, models and specs and are you really testing like for like with the same swing.

 

[kid2]

Its a smashing idea Al....But....
It does have some drawbacks as Homer and a few others have pointed out...
Inconsistency in higher handicapped golfers would really not give an accurate reading of how well they could hit a particular club...

Now at the other end of the scale giving a lower handicap golfer a set of G.I or S.G.I clubs may see some sort of a better reading....

Generally these players will have a much more consistent swing and if they are already playing some sort of a blade or a players cavity backed club then there chances of finding the middle of an S.G.I. club would be far higher....



Iv had the experience of playing all except for out and out blades which others can relate to also which i think are really only for elite amateurs and Pro's and at the moment i have a fairly small players cavity back in the i10's which i hit fine....

I think that if you give a high or a mid handicap player the chance to play with a Players cavity back iron for enough time then they will learn how to hit them properly....

I suppose for most taking up the game the bigger headed clubs MAY be a quick fix but like us all it would only last until the get proficient enough in using them and then they will want to change to something a little smaller and more neat looking...

So it would be interesting to see if they were given the " harder to hit irons " day one and see what the outcome would be.

As alot on here will tell you they were the only clubs that were available 30 years ago and they HAD no chice but to learn with them.