So you are saying that you play better with a club that is more suited to you than you would with standard loft clubs with regular shafts.
Well that is custom fitting.
The Custom Fitting Conspiracy
- Thread starter Mungoscorner
- Start date
So you are saying that you play better with a club that is more suited to you than you would with standard loft clubs with regular shafts.
Well that is custom fitting.
S
Snelly
Guest
I veer from having a moderate to extreme view on this subject and today's is the latter.
Custom fitting is a waste of time. It is a process designed by golf club manufacturers to extricate more cash from the gullible. You should get a free magnetic bangle after the range session to complete the charade.
I know loads of very, very good players who have never been custom fitted for any of their bats. They generally play with good quality, off the shelf clubs that they have tried and hit well and invariably proceed to do very well with them.
I also know plenty of golfers who have gone to extraordinary lengths to get all their equipment to the perfect specification for them and guess what? They are still absolutely crap.
You can't polish a turd.
Cheers,
Snelly.
Custom fitting is a waste of time. It is a process designed by golf club manufacturers to extricate more cash from the gullible. You should get a free magnetic bangle after the range session to complete the charade.
I know loads of very, very good players who have never been custom fitted for any of their bats. They generally play with good quality, off the shelf clubs that they have tried and hit well and invariably proceed to do very well with them.
I also know plenty of golfers who have gone to extraordinary lengths to get all their equipment to the perfect specification for them and guess what? They are still absolutely crap.
You can't polish a turd.
Cheers,
Snelly.
slugger
Tour Rookie
has anyone mentioned floor to wrist height yet? 
Mungoscorner
Journeyman Pro
+1
Well said that man.
AuburnWarrior
Tour Winner
So you are saying that you play better with a club that is more suited to you than you would with standard loft clubs with regular shafts.
Well that is custom fitting.
No, that's not what I'm saying.
I'm saying that if I purchase clubs off the shelf then they'd be standard lie (obviously). I'd ensure that they had stiff shafts (Dynamic Gold) and I'd check out the lofts. If they appeared weak then I'd ask them to be strengthened as I hit a very high iron. I knew all of this before the custom fitting because I know my swing and my ball flight.
Did custom fitting show me anything else? No.
So, for me, I'm confident that I could go into any golf store/pro shop, try out a number of clubs and go with the ones that I felt most comfortable with (taking into account the loft issue detailed above).
HughJars
Q-School Graduate
You'd have a point if custom fitting was a cost addition, but as it's free (generally), then it sort of blows your argument out of the water.
It was fine 20+ years ago, when no-one knew the beenfits of changing your lie, and there was no shaft option, but nowadays the same head can perform markedly differently depending on the set-up.
I will say that the higher the handicap, the less good it will do, but for anyone in single digits not to get fitted, is ignorance x arrogance imo.
pendodave
Tour Rookie
Strikes me as one of the world's great marketing coups.
How can we maintain high margins on our products which are almost identical to everyone elses, take literally decades to wear out and which are available second hand or at a substantial discount elsewhere ?
Answer - persuade people who have a wonderful combination of cash, optimism, desparation and gullability that they are really, really, really special....
Of course, as in all the best scams, there's that tiny bit of truth which keeps you coming back for more.
It's only free if you think that full retail price for a set of brand new irons represents some sort of market rate.
How can we maintain high margins on our products which are almost identical to everyone elses, take literally decades to wear out and which are available second hand or at a substantial discount elsewhere ?
Answer - persuade people who have a wonderful combination of cash, optimism, desparation and gullability that they are really, really, really special....
Of course, as in all the best scams, there's that tiny bit of truth which keeps you coming back for more.
It's only free if you think that full retail price for a set of brand new irons represents some sort of market rate.
Ethan
Money List Winner
Extreme views are invariably wrong, at least in part and sometimes in their entirety.
The point that CF should not cost extra completely deflates your entire rant. Buy a set of Mizuno clubs after getting CF'd, same price as off the shelf.
Whether there are plenty of good players playing well with non-fitted equipment is also entirely irrelevant. That only proves that CF is not necessary, not that it works or doesn't.
But do you know any players who were not CF'd who play crap? Of course you do. They just don't serve your so-called argument. Do you know any players who have been CF'd who play better? No? I don't belive you, but in any case let me introduce you to some.
And you know players who have gone to extraordinary lengths. Wow, nice hyperbole. Did they climb Kilimanjaro or walk across Antartica? I didn't know there were CF centres there. Or perhaps they fought off crocodiles or flesh eating zombies?
surefire
Challenge Tour Pro
It's also only free if you were actually going to buy some clubs in the first place.
E.g
a) I've seen people here say they will get a 'proper' set of fitted clubs when they get down to X. If fitting didn't exist, would this extra set of clubs had been sold?
b) People will change clubs more, if the old ones 'no longer fit' or the new ones 'fit better'. This concept can't exist without fitting.
Not saying fitting is useless at all, but pointing out that its clearly as much a marketing tool, as a favour to the golfer.
E.g
a) I've seen people here say they will get a 'proper' set of fitted clubs when they get down to X. If fitting didn't exist, would this extra set of clubs had been sold?
b) People will change clubs more, if the old ones 'no longer fit' or the new ones 'fit better'. This concept can't exist without fitting.
Not saying fitting is useless at all, but pointing out that its clearly as much a marketing tool, as a favour to the golfer.
Excuse me, but what about demo days. These are pretty much always free and you will get a chance to try different shafts and flexes under the guidance of a qualified rep. They will be able to give you your details off the launch monitor (or get someone to record them for you) and you have all the information you need. Maybe its a cheats fitting but as long as you know a lot of the basics like swing speed, smash factor, spin rates etc you can go more or less anywhere and get a pretty reliable fit
surefire
Challenge Tour Pro
Homer, that's exactly my point, you buy something you were not originally going to buy, because you get caught up in the hype of fitting.
The demo day convinces you a new club or set will fit you better, so you buy a new club or set you wouldn't have otherwise purchased, as most likely what you have now is fine.
The demo day convinces you a new club or set will fit you better, so you buy a new club or set you wouldn't have otherwise purchased, as most likely what you have now is fine.
sweatysock41
Q-School Graduate
I think you missed Homer's point. From my reading of his post he was saying that you could go to any demo day whether you were interested in buying or not. You get the same info from the rep regarding swing speed etc.
Whenever I have gone to demo days there has been no pressure to buy just an opportunity to see how clubs perform when 'optimised' to my swing at that time.
Whenever I have gone to demo days there has been no pressure to buy just an opportunity to see how clubs perform when 'optimised' to my swing at that time.
surefire
Challenge Tour Pro
I think Homer and you missed my point.
I'm not talking about sales pressure, I'm talking about "The grass is greener" factor.
Custom fit creates a reason for you to buy. Even if technology doesn't change one bit in clubs, if the ones you have no longer 'fit' you or the new ones you've tried 'fit' you better, you're more likely to buy.
I'm not talking about sales pressure, I'm talking about "The grass is greener" factor.
Custom fit creates a reason for you to buy. Even if technology doesn't change one bit in clubs, if the ones you have no longer 'fit' you or the new ones you've tried 'fit' you better, you're more likely to buy.
I disagree. I like to try out all the latest offerings. Not because I'm tempted to buy but because I'm interested in seeing how those clubs aimed at my level perform compared to what I already have. There have only been three that would persuade me to change. The new R11's, the I15's and the JPX800 Pro and having gone back to the latter again recently didn't perform as I remembered and wouldn't make the shortlist.
My point is that you can go to these demo days and more often than not hit a fair few balls with different models and specs and be under no pressure or obligation. It is the club/golf store holding the event that puts the pressure on to buy usually offering incentives for ordering/buying on the day. The manufacturer(s) themselves are just there to offer advice on what they think may suit your game. For example it would be no good me rocking up to Ping and tring the S56. I simply don't have the game for them but I was advised to try the I and G15 and found both were suited but the I15 flew better.
sweatysock41
Q-School Graduate
I don't believe that Custom Fit is the thing that makes you want to buy. Shiny new clubs just released that are a newer model than yours may make you want to buy. Being custom fitted is not a reason to buy and would not be the reason for me buying.
Wanting a new set would make me buy - getting a custom fit as part of the buying experience I would expect!
Wanting a new set would make me buy - getting a custom fit as part of the buying experience I would expect!
Mungoscorner
Journeyman Pro
Demo days are there for one reason,and one reason only,and thats to encourage people to buy the clubs being demo'd my the manufacturer.
Are golfers really that gullible,that they believe the big golf club manufacturers offer demo days,and custom fitting,as a gesture of goodwill ?
Its another gimmick,to get golfers to part with there hard earned.
The crux of this topic is,you can only be fitted for the swing you have on the day of the fitting,and theres no guarantee you will swing the same way every time you play.
Are golfers really that gullible,that they believe the big golf club manufacturers offer demo days,and custom fitting,as a gesture of goodwill ?
Its another gimmick,to get golfers to part with there hard earned.
The crux of this topic is,you can only be fitted for the swing you have on the day of the fitting,and theres no guarantee you will swing the same way every time you play.
Wrong - well in my case at least. I think demo days are actually very useful especially if you go to one where there are several manufacturers in attendance. It gives the averag golfer a chance to hit a number of makes and specs and the latest range. As I've said already the sales pressure comes from the venue and not the manufacturer. If you just go in with an open mind to try the stuff you think you might be able to hit then you'll usually get some advice on what specs suits, can sometimes get some time on a launch monitor although these do tend to get booked, and get all the readings.
Surely we are being encouraged to buy the latest offerings everytime GM do a review or we read a mag with an advert in. And the answer to the question is YES most manufacturers provide demo days as a goodwill gesture. They don't get the orders directly (they come through the driving range, golf store or pro shop) and so the kickback they get is giving as many people as possible access to their offerings.
At the end of the day its simple. You can either buy off the shelf or get custom fitted. I've done both and can see the benefits of both. However for me, it is about the performance of the club at the initial trial stage. If it doesn't offer anything different to what I have (and as I said only the I15 and R11 come close) then its academic
Mungoscorner
Journeyman Pro
Homer,demo days are part of the marketing strategy,the same as getting the top playres to use a particular driver,hybrid,iron etc.
Demo days may seem like a freebie,but they are there for one reason only,and that is to generate sales.
Demo days may seem like a freebie,but they are there for one reason only,and that is to generate sales.
surefire
Challenge Tour Pro
Mungo - Spot on, glad someone else has seen the same point I was making.
Homer - What you do as an individual, doesn't mean that’s what the golf companies designed demo days for.
Do you others really believe that in the boardrooms of the golf companies, they come up with demo days as a goodwill gesture to golfers, and custom fitting, because they want to lower the worlds handicaps?
They come up with these schemes to sell equipment and make money for themselves and the shareholders. If making people better is a by product of this (custom fit), bonus!
You would have to be very naive to think any other way.
Again let me reiterate, I'm not saying custom fitting is useless, I'm saying it was invented to make money, not to do everyone a favour and make them play better.
If making you play better, or making you think you play better means you will spend more cash, job done.
Homer - What you do as an individual, doesn't mean that’s what the golf companies designed demo days for.
Do you others really believe that in the boardrooms of the golf companies, they come up with demo days as a goodwill gesture to golfers, and custom fitting, because they want to lower the worlds handicaps?
They come up with these schemes to sell equipment and make money for themselves and the shareholders. If making people better is a by product of this (custom fit), bonus!
You would have to be very naive to think any other way.
Again let me reiterate, I'm not saying custom fitting is useless, I'm saying it was invented to make money, not to do everyone a favour and make them play better.
If making you play better, or making you think you play better means you will spend more cash, job done.
HRC99
Journeyman Pro
Very very late to the party but here goes:
Of course, custom fitting has sales & marketing benefits to the manufacturers.
It raises the perceived quality of their product. The variety of options also encourages customers to change shaft/head/grip etc in search of the "perfect" setup. It also demonstrates good customer service and builds brand and customer loyalty.
Nothing wrong with any of that.
Equally, no part of that means that the whole process of custom fitting has no merit to the consumer - as some seem to infer.
I think people are overstating the variety in their swings too. I would class myself as a very inconsistent golfer - yet I don't think that my swing varies greatly.
The end result may seem indicate that my swing was completely different but the reality is that it wasn't that different at all.
My experience and observation (not in the least bit of any objective or scientific merit) would also back up that most of the golfers I've played with or against actually have fairly consistent swings (whether good, bad or indifferent) regardless of where the ball finishes.
I've never had a proper custom fitting so I cannot comment from personal experience as to its value but I cannot see that, with such a variety of heads, shafts, grips and angles, there isn't worth to the process.
It is, perhaps, more people's unrealistic expectations that are the problem.
Of course, custom fitting has sales & marketing benefits to the manufacturers.
It raises the perceived quality of their product. The variety of options also encourages customers to change shaft/head/grip etc in search of the "perfect" setup. It also demonstrates good customer service and builds brand and customer loyalty.
Nothing wrong with any of that.
Equally, no part of that means that the whole process of custom fitting has no merit to the consumer - as some seem to infer.
I think people are overstating the variety in their swings too. I would class myself as a very inconsistent golfer - yet I don't think that my swing varies greatly.
The end result may seem indicate that my swing was completely different but the reality is that it wasn't that different at all.
My experience and observation (not in the least bit of any objective or scientific merit) would also back up that most of the golfers I've played with or against actually have fairly consistent swings (whether good, bad or indifferent) regardless of where the ball finishes.
I've never had a proper custom fitting so I cannot comment from personal experience as to its value but I cannot see that, with such a variety of heads, shafts, grips and angles, there isn't worth to the process.
It is, perhaps, more people's unrealistic expectations that are the problem.
