What should you expect as a minimum at a custom fitting?

[beatle]

As per the title really, as someone who has not been fitted before, what is the minimum you'd expect at a custom fitting? I've been to a few different places this morning looking for some new irons.

A couple of the places I went to did not have the facility to measure launch angle or club head speed etc. Whether this is part of the process of fitting irons or not, I do not know. There was some kind of board that they would ask you to play off, and depending on the mark left behind on the board (or the tape on the club) then the would do something to alter the club.

So if you were getting irons fitted, what would you expect?

 

[Smiffy]

The board that they asked you to hit off was an "impact" board and is used for finding out the ideal "lie" for you build. By putting a small piece of tape on the bottom of the club they can tell whether you are catching it at the heel or the toe. If you are catching it off the heel you need a flatter lie. If you are catching it off the toe end you need a more upright club. The ideal is straight in the middle. If you catch the club on the heel, it will have a tendency to dig into the ground at impact, turning the club over and smothering your shot. This will lead to lack of distance and big pulls/hooks.
The opposite will happen if you catch it off the toe end of the club. Big blocks right where the toe digs in at impact leading to slices and pushes.
You need your swingspeed measured. This is most probably the most important measurement of the lot.
If you have a fast swing, you would need a stiffer shaft. A slow swing would have a softer shaft. A medium swing a regular shaft.
One of the biggest problems with picking a set of irons is getting the wrong shaft for your swingspeed.
Too firm, and they will feel "dead" in your hands...I had this with a set of Callaways fitted with S300 (stiff) shafts. They felt like girders in comparison to my current regular Ping shafts, and I didn't have a hope in hell of hitting them properly.
Too soft a shaft and you will be spraying the ball all over the place.
The first impression with an iron is what I go on. If it looks like I could hit the ball with it, then that is good enough for me. I will then pick my shafts accordingly and then move on to getting the lies checked. If you've got those two things spot on, there is no reason why you won't be able to give the ball a good mullering.

 

[Grumps]

Thats how our pro checks the loft and lie are right when we buy new irons from him .
It's free if he sells the clubs but charges £25 if you take your irons to him to get fitted

 

[Smiffy]

Just a word of warning......

If you are buying "cast" clubs, make sure you get them right before you part with your cash.
Cast clubs are much more difficult to adjust once you have purchased them. In fact, it can be difficult to find a pro (not impossible but difficult) who is willing to have a go. And if you do find one, he will warn you that he won't take responsibility if he breaks one durin any adjustments.
If you are buying a "forged" club, then adjustments are easier to carry out as the metal used is softer.. but even then these can only be adjusted a certain number of times before the metal starts to weaken.

Just a reminder

 

[bigslice]

Just a word of warning......

If you are buying "cast" clubs, make sure you get them right before you part with your cash.
Cast clubs are much more difficult to adjust once you have purchased them. In fact, it can be difficult to find a pro (not impossible but difficult) who is willing to have a go. And if you do find one, he will warn you that he won't take responsibility if he breaks one durin any adjustments.
If you are buying a "forged" club, then adjustments are easier to carry out as the metal used is softer.. but even then these can only be adjusted a certain number of times before the metal starts to weaken.

Just a reminder

well done smithy, that has to be one of your most sensible posts ever! whats wrong with you

 

[Ethan]

A fitting without measurement of clubhead speed or launch angle is not really a proper fitting. Lie and length can be done with a launch board and impact tape, but to get the right shaft you really need clubhead speed, launch angle and back and lateral spin rates.

 

[Smiffy]

well done smithy, that has to be one of your most sensible posts ever! whats wrong with you

Modesty forbids

 

[HomerJSimpson]

well done smithy, that has to be one of your most sensible posts ever! whats wrong with you

Modesty forbids

What's the ransom for the release of the real smiffy

 

[beatle]

Excellent info guys, thanks very much. Interestingly then, two of the three establishments I went to yesterday were not offering a full custom fitting service. I'm glad I asked the question as I now know what to expect from a proper custom fit.

Thanks again.

 

[Alex1975]

Where do you live? If your spending good money and want a proper custom fit you need to get off the highstreet and into a fitting center. At least thats what I would do. AG and other high street shops are good for off the peg but I would not buy from them if I were after fitting.

There are great fitting centers all over, should out your local town or city and ill let you know whats close to you.

 

[richart]

When i got fitted for my Mizuno irons at New Malden, i had to wait over 4 weeks for the appointment. Fitting took an hour and half and was totally free. No pressure to buy clubs, just left with results and recommendations for the custom fit.

 

[beatle]

I had a custom fitting tonight. I found it really interesting comparing the figures between the different figures on the Flightscope.

The difference between my present clubs and the other clubs I was trying was quite amazing!

edit: Alex, I'm in Chester.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Clays in Wrexham are pretty good by all accounts from thos who know up that way

 

[bobmac]

It's not rocket science if you know what you're looking for.
We custom fitted people years ago by eye, not all this fancy new gear.
If you can see the swing and the ball flight, you can custom fit.
What should you expect at the end?
You should come away knowing which club and shaft combination suits your general swing and all the talk about swinging well or badly on the day wont have a great influence on the club set up.
IMHO

 

[beatle]

Clays in Wrexham are pretty good by all accounts from thos who know up that way

Yes I've heard that too Homer. I'll be visiting them soon for some other bits & pieces.

 

[viscount17]

It's not rocket science if you know what you're looking for.
We custom fitted people years ago by eye, not all this fancy new gear.
If you can see the swing and the ball flight, you can custom fit.
What should you expect at the end?
You should come away knowing which club and shaft combination suits your general swing and all the talk about swinging well or badly on the day wont have a great influence on the club set up.
IMHO

probably true bob, but then you have experience and (what's that other thing, three letters?) on your side. too many of those offering fitting are too young and/or too used to using the technology to have built up the experience to do it by eye.

 

[chrisd]

I suspect that it's also become that customers are so used to reading about trackman and speed monitors etc etc and dont actually trust anyone who can't prove the stats for their recommendations.

There are many many pro's out there who could "set up" say, a 15 handicapper by eye and a few years ago, always did. If you get down to very low handicap numbers it may be that the stats are crucial but if you hardly ever put the same swing on a club twice in a row then how detailed does a fitting really need to be?



Chris

 

[griffgolf]

beatle,

I live just outside Chester, where did you get your fitting done?

Clays is very good in Wrexham near the Industrial estate.

 

[beatle]

I went to Foregolf griff, down on Sealand Road.

I popped into Clays on Saturday morning, they certainly have a nice set up there.

 

[griffgolf]

I went to Foregolf at Sealand for a fitting one time and found them very pushy.

As soon as they found out how much you had to spend they only told you about that equipment instead of advising you exactly what equipment best suited you regardless of price.

They also said you could only have the £25 fitting fee deducted from equipment bought on the day!!!!!!

My feeling is that you want to know exactly what equipment suits you and if you aint quite got the money at the time you can come back after saving up the outstanding money a couple of months later.

Clays said that it will cost £20 for the fitting and you have about 3 months to purchase the equipment from them and the £20 would still be deducted.

Hope you get sorted