The Custom Fitting Conspiracy

[Mungoscorner]

From the September 2003 issue of GM.
An article by Frank Thomas.

Frank Thomas sepnt 26 years as technical director of the USGA,and has been credited with introducing us to the Graphite Shaft,and current equipment testing systems and regulations.

On Custom Fitting........

"Unfortunately many people aren't good enough to be fitted.There swings are so erratic that you try to fit them to something,but next week there swing changes.Fitting systems are good for the placebo effect.You feel you've been fitted,so you must play better,and you do for a short period of time.But the standard club is fine untill you can start breaking 80.Theres no question that the guys on tour need to be fine tuned,but for average golfers its like trying to get a car upto 250mph,when the engine can't push 80."

 

[G1BB0]

wholeheartedly agree

you only have to look at the myriad of posts of 'played a blinder' 'game has deserted me' etc etc

learn to play with what you have unless your are uber tall or a short arse (no offence intended to those of an oompa loompa proportion)

then again each to their own

 

[SteveF]

From the September 2003 issue of GM.
An article by Frank Thomas.

Frank Thomas sepnt 26 years as technical director of the USGA,and has been credited with introducing us to the Graphite Shaft,and current equipment testing systems and regulations.

On Custom Fitting........

"Unfortunately many people aren't good enough to be fitted.There swings are so erratic that you try to fit them to something,but next week there swing changes.Fitting systems are good for the placebo effect.You feel you've been fitted,so you must play better,and you do for a short period of time.But the standard club is fine untill you can start breaking 80.Theres no question that the guys on tour need to be fine tuned,but for average golfers its like trying to get a car upto 250mph,when the engine can't push 80."

I could not possibly comment on the substance of that quote but the grammar is appalling, I hope GM didn't really publish that...

 

[splashtryagain]

I take it if you shoot sub 80 its worth it?

 

[Mungoscorner]

wholeheartedly agree

you only have to look at the myriad of posts of 'played a blinder' 'game has deserted me' etc etc

learn to play with what you have unless your are uber tall or a short arse (no offence intended to those of an oompa loompa proportion)

then again each to their own

+1

Gibbo,spot on mate.

 

[Imurg]

I think for the High Handicappers, a full-blown custom fit is probably too much. Making sure the correct shaft is in your irons is possibly enough. As has been said, a reapeatable swing is needed to properly fit and if it changes day to day or even shot to shot then what are you fitting to?
And to that end, the day you go for your fitting - are you swinging well of poorly? It has to make a difference.

 

[Mungoscorner]

I think for the High Handicappers, a full-blown custom fit is probably too much. Making sure the correct shaft is in your irons is possibly enough. As has been said, a reapeatable swing is needed to properly fit and if it changes day to day or even shot to shot then what are you fitting to?
And to that end, the day you go for your fitting - are you swinging well of poorly? It has to make a difference.

Your last statement is the million dollar question,and i honestly think that most of us hit the ball differently,when there is no consequence.

 

[G1BB0]

I always play best when I turn up late, slightly hungover and had a good session with the gf the night before...

doesnt make sense

 

[Imurg]

I always play best when I turn up late, slightly hungover and had a good session with the gf the night before...

doesnt make sense

No but it sounds like you had a good time so to hell with the golf....

 

[Swinger]

I would even go further than that.

Cat 1 golfers maybe or 1 or better.

But is getting fitted to a 6 iron really a custom fit??

I checked all mine on a strike mat and did this:-

3,4,5 no change
6,7 1 deg upright (from 2 deg up)
8,9,PW 2 deg upright (from 2 deg up)
GW,LW 2 deg upright (from 1 deg up)

I had the clubs done on a 6 iron std lenght when they were ordered 1/2 inch longer also.

I put it to the forum that getting a set fit to a 6 iron is not a custom fit really and does suit the bulk of golfers.

 

[HickoryShaft]

At 6 ft 3" I needed a basic custom fit to get the shaft length and lie right and would encourage people to do the same as it has helped making sure they are the right length is surly a good thing to go for.

I would not critise people for going the whole hog - a good set of clubs are a decent price to pay out for so why not ensure they are as close to perfect for you as you can.

 

[bobmac]

I believe it has a lot to do with confidence.
If you have been custom fitted for your clubs, you will have more confidence over the shot. The only problem then is you cant blame the clubs if you hit a bad shot.

If the club is 1 or 2 degrees flat or upright, does it really make that much difference if you are swinging it all over the place?

I also believe a good fitter will not just use the figures on the machine, he will also use his eye to determine the overall shape of the swing and adjust accordingly.

Lastly, the worst thing you can do is to get custom fitted and then have a lesson.

 

[Piece]

With all due respect to the original post, custom fitting has come an awful long way since 2003.

For me the custom fit was getting the right shaft. My previous bad fit had a poor shaft for me as the ball kept ballooning. Not good in the wind! Having the correct shaft gives me the confidence knowing the ball flight will be most consistent...but it won't cure a bad swing!!!

 

[Ethan]

Frank Thomas has advice on his website for people buying golf clubs. He calls them 'simple rules'.

Rule 5 is 'Get on a launch monitor'.

Rule 7 is 'Use clubs with proper lie angle'

Sounds a lot like custom fitting to me.

He also sells putters. These are available in custom lengths.

I didn't see him refer to a conspiracy on his website or on the piece excerpted by the OP.

Oh, and the 'placebo effect' is not an imaginary effect. It is a real and quite valuable effect that occurs for different reasons than the ones you believe.

 

[Matty]

The 'placebo' effect is a very real effect - it's just a case of how much you think it's worth if that's all custom fitting is going to give you.

I think if you have a reproducible swing or are not an average size golfer then custom fitting will be of benefit. For everyone else (higher handicappers and people with unpredictable swings i.e. like me!) I think fitting is a marketing con. They might as well offer to cast a magic spell on my new clubs instead!

 

[Ethan]

The 'placebo' effect is a very real effect - it's just a case of how much you think it's worth if that's all custom fitting is going to give you.

I think if you have a reproducible swing or are not an average size golfer then custom fitting will be of benefit. For everyone else (higher handicappers and people with unpredictable swings i.e. like me!) I think fitting is a marketing con. They might as well offer to cast a magic spell on my new clubs instead!

Matty

If the placebo effect is explained by confidence in shiny new bats, and you play better because of it, that is fine by me. Playing better breeds more confidence.

 

[Mungoscorner]

The 'placebo' effect is a very real effect - it's just a case of how much you think it's worth if that's all custom fitting is going to give you.

I think if you have a reproducible swing or are not an average size golfer then custom fitting will be of benefit. For everyone else (higher handicappers and people with unpredictable swings i.e. like me!) I think fitting is a marketing con. They might as well offer to cast a magic spell on my new clubs instead!

+1

Matty
Thankfully not everybody is being taken in by the marketing men.Placebo is a temporary effect.Trying to convince high handicappers with inconsistent swings,that they will play better forevermore,because they were fitted to a specific club,shaft,lie,loft on a specific day,is nothing but sales patter.
Several years ago i was waiting for an inter club pairs comp to begin,the range at the course we were playing had a Cleveland demo day.A mate of mine (14 H'cap) was "custom fitted" for a driver,the reps ooo'd and ahhhh'd at how well he was hitting this magical new club,and kept mentioning how it was down to being "custom fitted".My gullible mate placed an order for the club,and left the range with his credit card £299.00 lighter.After several weeks of .1's and mental torture,the "custom fitted" wonder club was left in a dark corner of the garage,and a for sale sign placed on the club notice board.

 

[Ethan]

The 'placebo' effect is a very real effect - it's just a case of how much you think it's worth if that's all custom fitting is going to give you.

I think if you have a reproducible swing or are not an average size golfer then custom fitting will be of benefit. For everyone else (higher handicappers and people with unpredictable swings i.e. like me!) I think fitting is a marketing con. They might as well offer to cast a magic spell on my new clubs instead!

+1

Matty
Thankfully not everybody is being taken in by the marketing men.Placebo is a temporary effect.Trying to convince high handicappers with inconsistent swings,that they will play better forevermore,because they were fitted to a specific club,shaft,lie,loft on a specific day,is nothing but sales patter.
Several years ago i was waiting for an inter club pairs comp to begin,the range at the course we were playing had a Cleveland demo day.A mate of mine (14 H'cap) was "custom fitted" for a driver,the reps ooo'd and ahhhh'd at how well he was hitting this magical new club,and kept mentioning how it was down to being "custom fitted".My gullible mate placed an order for the club,and left the range with his credit card £299.00 lighter.After several weeks of .1's and mental torture,the "custom fitted" wonder club was left in a dark corner of the garage,and a for sale sign placed on the club notice board.

Do you find that people are less likely to be taken in by unverifiable anecdotes?

 

[Mungoscorner]

What is unverifiable ?????
Please show me conclusive concrete evidence that custom fitting alone will improve a high handicappers game on a permanent basis.
Untill somebody can prove otherwise i'll file "custom fitting works for high handicappers" alongside "the longest most forgiving driver ever"

 

[Ethan]

What is unverifiable ?????
Please show me conclusive concrete evidence that custom fitting alone will improve a high handicappers game on a permanent basis.
Untill somebody can prove otherwise i'll file "custom fitting works for high handicappers" alongside "the longest most forgiving driver ever"

What is unverifiable? - your anecdote about the Cleveland driver, that's what.

Even if true, it means nothing more or less than you know one fitting which didn't work out well. Big deal. I know that surgery is an effective treatment for gall bladder problems but I also know some people have had bad results. So what? One experience doesn't prove anything and few treatments work for all patients/golfers.

Your contention that custom fitting should improve high handicappers on a permanent basis is obviously ridiculous and simply sets an impossible standard to allow you to cling on to your poorly informed prejudices.