The custom fit dilemma

[davemc1]

Ive been weighing up a new set of irons for a while now. The original plan was going to be as a treat for when I got down to 18, but ive got an itch, and an unexpected spare few quid.

The srixon 545s have long been the iron of choice, but I also like the mizuno jpx 850. So question is to those that have tried both, main differences to feel, sound, height and distances?

Both have been roughly same price range of £5-600. However a little mooch has threw up a price of £350 for the 850s but thats in a shop that doesnt offer c/f

How wrong would it be to get fitted at a place where I have no intention of buying their irons, and then going back to the cheaper shop?

Also, im playing bleeding awful. Would it be wise to hang on until form picks up?

Cheers, thanks for reading, and happy new year

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Ive been weighing up a new set of irons for a while now. The original plan was going to be as a treat for when I got down to 18, but ive got an itch, and an unexpected spare few quid.

The srixon 545s have long been the iron of choice, but I also like the mizuno jpx 850. So question is to those that have tried both, main differences to feel, sound, height and distances?

Both have been roughly same price range of £5-600. However a little mooch has threw up a price of £350 for the 850s but thats in a shop that doesnt offer c/f

How wrong would it be to get fitted at a place where I have no intention of buying their irons, and then going back to the cheaper shop?

Also, im playing bleeding awful. Would it be wise to hang on until form picks up?

Cheers, thanks for reading, and happy new year

Is there no chance of finding somewhere that offers c/f and price match?

 

[davemc1]

Its worth an ask, but I cant see them coming down £130odd.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Its worth an ask, but I cant see them coming down £130odd.

It varies store to store for quality of Staff, but AG do price match and if you've got one near you you trust, they do the Mizuno DNA Fitting.
No harm in asking mate, AG put price match all over their website.

 

[Liverbirdie]

Ive been weighing up a new set of irons for a while now. The original plan was going to be as a treat for when I got down to 18, but ive got an itch, and an unexpected spare few quid.

The srixon 545s have long been the iron of choice, but I also like the mizuno jpx 850. So question is to those that have tried both, main differences to feel, sound, height and distances?

Both have been roughly same price range of £5-600. However a little mooch has threw up a price of £350 for the 850s but thats in a shop that doesnt offer c/f

How wrong would it be to get fitted at a place where I have no intention of buying their irons, and then going back to the cheaper shop?

Also, im playing bleeding awful. Would it be wise to hang on until form picks up?

Cheers, thanks for reading, and happy new year

No, I was c/f'ed at True fit for 4 clubs (Driver, 3Wood and 2 hybrids) a few years ago, and cos they wouldnt come to the party on price, I bought them at direct golf.

If your going for C/f though dont set your heart on a particular set, as you may find that these are the worst ones. Think about 4-5 options and go with the best that work for you and your swing.

 

[3565]

The whole point of c/f is to get clubs that suit you as a player, length, lie, lofts, shaft stiffness, bend profile, swing weight/moment of inertia, grip size........... So much to c/f then to go along have a bash to see if it suits you then go buy off eBay.

 

[Deleted member 15717]

To be honest, if you're going to be fully custom fit, I wouldn't then insult the place by not buying through them. think of the after sales support you'll get with a good fitter

 

[Smiffy]

Also, im playing bleeding awful. Would it be wise to hang on until form picks up?

This would see me holding off for a while.
What's the point of getting a full custom fit when you're not swinging at your best?
Sure the "statics" can be taken care of, but if your swing is a bit shonky, won't all the "dynamics" be wrong?
This is why I am not a big fan of full custom fitting. I went once, hitting off of mats, which I hate (with a passion).
My swing is bad enough as it is, without the added pressure of trying to hit off of mats where I know for a fact that I back off of hitting full shots for fear of doing my chocolate wrists in.

 

[huds1475]

Davie. Some feedback from a similar ability level...

I was fitted twice last year with mixed results. First time I was swinging like a mad axeman and the results were less than optimal.

Second much better (though obviously far from perfect!) and results too.

Would give it a while so you're more comfortable with your swing. It doesn't need to be tour pro perfect just consistent enough to give some consistent readings to fit to.

The other thing I found when chopping it was that I felt under pressure to perform during the fit, which shouldn't be the case as you should enjoy it.

Going in with a set idea is fine too, a decent fitter will give you those plus a few others that he feels might suit you after you've hit a few.

I'd recommend the chap I used second time round to anyone

 

[Oddsocks]

Dave, the bats you have are awesome and on par with both sets you have mentioned. With your current form being off this could be possibly the worst time to get fitted as what suits on the day could be totally wrong for your normal swing.

Personally I'd be going for a fit on a dna at the local AG if for nothing more than to rule out the doubts you have on the shafts as i know your a little worried on this. If the specs are miles out then fair enough , but if only slightly out I wouldn't bother just yet.

All the new 2016 gear is coming out, I'd personally find your specs out and if you are gonna change wait 6-8 weeks as there is going to be some great deals flying about.

 

[Hacker Khan]

I

Ive been weighing up a new set of irons for a while now. The original plan was going to be as a treat for when I got down to 18, but ive got an itch, and an unexpected spare few quid.

The srixon 545s have long been the iron of choice, but I also like the mizuno jpx 850. So question is to those that have tried both, main differences to feel, sound, height and distances?

Both have been roughly same price range of £5-600. However a little mooch has threw up a price of £350 for the 850s but thats in a shop that doesnt offer c/f

How wrong would it be to get fitted at a place where I have no intention of buying their irons, and then going back to the cheaper shop?

Also, im playing bleeding awful. Would it be wise to hang on until form picks up?

Cheers, thanks for reading, and happy new year

I'd argue a lot of your perception of the club will be in your mind. So what feels good to someone else may not feel good to you and you probably won't know until you have them in your hands.

I'd wait till you are relatively happy with your swing, or at least you feel it is mostly repeatable, and then try and get to a place where you can try a few sets out. Remember there's no bad clubs out there nowadays and they all do much the same and go the same distance, so the differentiation well be a lot of how they make you feel

 

[Ethan]

Your other option is to go somewhere that offers CF for 30 or 40 quid, then take your prescription where you like.

I think if a pro shop offers free CF for customers, you go along, get an hour of the pros time for nothing then sod off to AG and buy the stuff, that is really not reasonable. If you pay for CF as a specific item, that is different.

In any case, I wouldn't choose AG as my primary fitter. They are interested in their margins more than your spin rates.

 

[ChrisB0210]

Having been fitted for irons by one of the multi site retailers previously, I have decided that when I go for my next set it will be either to a local pro (and we have some good ones around here), a dedicated fitter (although I want to avoid those that specialise in the 'boutique' clubs as I don't have the budget for them) or a particular retailer that I have in mind that isn't a multiple and isn't too far away.

That said, I've been told by my teaching pro that there's no need for me to change any time soon and he'll let me know when I need to.

My advice would be to try a local pro or specialist club fitter, but perhaps wait until you feel you're swinging better. If you feel you're swinging better, you'll get more from your fitting imo.

 

[Qwerty]

Dave,This is just what I'd do nowadays after making a couple of expensive mistakes previously.
Firstly I'd say don't be in a rush to buy.
Take your time and over the next month or so and try everything that catches your eye, but always at a range. See the ball flight for yourself! Rather than a machine giving you numbers on a screen.
Id say try a few different places, So the pros don't get Knarked off with you trying out clubs every other day
The larger ranges usually have plenty of demo clubs with interchangeable shafts.

Once you've found a couple of contenders then get the Custom fit.

 

[Karl102]

Buy the Srixons Simples

 

[Crondon1245]

I would never get fitted my American golf or any of the other high street chains. (Direct golf is another). They pay their salesmen (not club fitters) by part of commission. This is an incentive for them to sell you something that gives the company the biggest mark up and in no way will it suit your game.

At the handicap of 18 a new set of clubs would seem a great investment and will bring your game on. Realistically if you are already using decent cavity back clubs with the right shaft they will not make much of a difference. Personally I would invest the money in more lessons? More time practicing on the course? Clubs will start to make a difference when you are down to around 12 or below (take note of the previous statement of having the right clubs for you now, that is the most important thing!) I hope you achieve and keep achieving! Well done on coming down and keep playing well!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I would personally hang fire until the form picks up. I've had C'F and bought off the shelf. Personally I always enjoy the C/F process and tend to go somewhere I trust (not AG or similar) and to be honest will normally buy from there. Does a C/F benefit me off 12? Maybe, maybe not but I know that having the clubs fitted around my swing gives me confidence in the club on the course.

As for wanting a particular make or model, if the OP is going for a C/F I'd suggest going somewhere that offers a range of manufacturers and going with an open mind and deciding based on the numbers and the recommendation of the fitter, as well as what looks best behind the ball.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

A few comments against AG which doesn't really help the op, they're are simply another tool in the bag which if used properly can be of benefit, what I did was to shop around to see what clubs were out there after speaking to my pro, we both narrowed it down to a few different types and then as he suggested I went to my local AG and they very kindly let me try 4 different clubs, they taped up the clubs and provided the range balls, at no point was I pressurized or pushed towards a particular set.
Once I had decided what I wanted and that I wanted C/F they handled my booking with Titleist, the cost of the C/F was then discounted off the clubs and they did price match,
All I would say Dave is don't rule anything out, just take your time and do what's right for you, it's your money😃

 

[UlyssesSky]

Also, im playing bleeding awful. Would it be wise to hang on until form picks up?

I'd say give it a try. I've been to two fittings recently (one "quick-fitting" at my home club's Titleist fitting center and a full fitting for Srixon irons at another fitter's.

One time my ball striking was really good, the other time really poor, basically almost at the opposite of my swing spectrum between on- and off-days.

The results, however, were very similar. The recommended shafts were the KBS Tour 90 (w/ Titleist AP1), and NS Pro 950 (w/ Srixon Z545), bot in regular. I know one company's regular isn't identical to another company's, but they're still in the same ballpark. Also, the shaft weight only differs by 0.5gr between the two shafts. The static parameters were obviously identical as well.

So while I was playing really good one time and really bad the other time, I got very similar recommendations for the shafts, and the differences (if there are significant differences at all) may as well be due to the different heads as to my swing.

The differences between a good swing and a bad swing are typically much smaller than most people think, and the basic characteristics that define your swing will be the same on your good days as well as your bad ones.

To be honest, if you're going to be fully custom fit, I wouldn't then insult the place by not buying through them.

This. It's not just rude but morally wrong to use a free service of one place and then buy somewhere else. You're actually costing the place money.

think of the after sales support you'll get with a good fitter

This is also a very important aspect. On my second session I was swinging a little steep, so the fitter recommended I get my clubs bent 1* upright. Since I knew swinging steep is one of my typical faults that was more pronounced that day and my pro had recommended I shouldn't get my clubs more upright I told the fitter I wanted to go with standard lie.

He agreed and told me to come back and get my clubs bent for free should the standard lie not work.

Your other option is to go somewhere that offers CF for 30 or 40 quid, then take your prescription where you like.

This would probably the best solution. You'd still save some money, but wouldn't have to take advantage of another place to get a free fitting.

 

[Ethan]

A few comments against AG which doesn't really help the op, they're are simply another tool in the bag which if used properly can be of benefit, what I did was to shop around to see what clubs were out there after speaking to my pro, we both narrowed it down to a few different types and then as he suggested I went to my local AG and they very kindly let me try 4 different clubs, they taped up the clubs and provided the range balls, at no point was I pressurized or pushed towards a particular set.
Once I had decided what I wanted and that I wanted C/F they handled my booking with Titleist, the cost of the C/F was then discounted off the clubs and they did price match,
All I would say Dave is don't rule anything out, just take your time and do what's right for you, it's your money😃

A bit arrogant for you to propose AG as an option, then say that others advising against doesn't help?

In fact, I think it would help the OP a lot to know that there is a large body of negative experience of AG and other big store fittings. You may have had, or think you had, a good experience. Good for you, but don't assume that others have the same.

They let you try 4 clubs, did they. How were those chosen? Did anyone from AG operate the computer while you were trying them? You can pushed towards a set by means other than pressure sales.