When do "fitted" clubs become useful?

[One Planer]

I got fitted for my irons and wedges at the start of the year.

Has it improved my game, not really. The battery of lessons I've been undertaking with my pro has had the biggest effect on how I'm playing just now.

The only reason I went and got fitted for new clubs was because I was in a financial position to.

I have a wrist to floor of 34" so pretty much standard length shafts and the lie needed adjusting 1* upright. The main thing I was interested in was getting the right shaft for the charecteristics of my swing, which I feel I got and this has been evidenced in the flight I now have.

If you want to get fitted for a club, at any level, get fitted for a putter :thup:

While your iron, driver and wedge swing may change over time, putting strokes tend to stay very similar.

I got fitted at the start of last year for a Scotty, then decided at the end of last year to make a few changes to my posture and stroke. These changes meant the scotty was too short.

Got re-fitted again last month and, so far, the results are fantastic.

 

[chellie]

I'm having my putter fitting tonight. Will be interesting to find out the outcome.

 

[Snelly]

When do fitted clubs become useful? On the day you get them - they are going to be the best thing since sliced bread. Perfect for you until 6 months later, you change them for the next gimmick set that promise to change your game forever.

My view is that custom fit is just another way to persuade you to spend money and common sense tells you what clubs to play with. Try five sets, pick the best one. That is enough of a fit for anyone in my view. Custom fitting is primarily marketing and very effective it is too.

Proof - JustOne and I don't have any custom fitted clubs and we have gone around good courses in under par. You don't need custom fitted clubs to score well. You just need to play well at golf. I should probably have slightly longer shafts, a more upright lie, thicker grips and some special shafts given my build. I don't though as I don't think it will make a difference. I just use a set that I found that works for me. End of.

That said, I custom fitted myself twice in the past 6 months by getting two new (to me) sets of irons. Both were nice and I played a couple of rounds with them but were not as good as my existing clubs so I stuck with them. Perfect custom fitting made easy.....


And don't forget that in the 80's, custom fitting did not exist and the best players still broke par and hit millions of beautiful shots. Amazing really, given that they didn't have access to the technology that today's 17 handicapper deems as essential.

 

[dufferman]

About a year ago I went to American Golf & bought some off the shelf Wilson Staff Irons. The pro let me hit a few in the flightscope thing, and told me my swing and stance means I should have them -2 degrees. However, he also said I should probably have some lessons to fix my stance and swing first, rather than just carrying on the way I was.

I did that and last week got a chance to have a go on some Nike's - and was told I now am a regular stance regular swing 'off the shelf' fitted golfer.

As a high handicapper (25) I could have had my clubs changed a year ago, but would be seriously regretting it now, as I hit the ball cleaner, stronger and longer than I did a year ago. I'd have to get the clubs I bought adjusted again now... which would be a pain!

But if you're comfortable that your swing won't change - I would definately suggest doing it!

 

[bluetoon]

Custom fitting is absolutely essential to improve your golf - its a no brainer - a done deal.

On Monday when you snap hook - swap to a stiffer shaft with a flatter lie.
On Tuesday when the shafts have lost there feel - Swap to a lighter shaft
On Wednesday when you hit it too high - go back to the stiffer shafts
On Thursday you start to push fade - swap shafts that are more flexible with smaller grip
On Friday your trajectory is to low - Swap your irons to something with lower COG
On Sat....

Go on you know u want to. Custom fitting will eliminate all the above errors - guaranteed or your money back :thup:

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

Massive thanks to all who have replied. I will probably have a couple of questions when I get a chance to go through the answers properly, but time is short right now!!

My two ways of thinking seem to be:

Get "fitted clubs" (either fully fitted, or something like Snelly suggests) now with my poor swing, and learn to swing properly with them. This may then change the type of club that would suit me by the end.....


Or, keep swinging with my old clubs, until it's very repeatable and consistent, and get clubs "fitted" at this point. With this method though, I would worry that I'm picking up bad habits whereby I work around my clubs, rather than building a swing based on myself.

Would anyone argue with those/have any thoughts on which is better?

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Good to see you are really thinking about this and as you can see from the replies there are a lot of different views.

personally I think you should ask yourself a few questions to help resolve the issue:

1 - are you happy with your swing, or do you intend to have lessons/read mag's/watch video's to improve it?
2 - do you want to have a fitting for clubs which suit your swing now, even if it is not quite as you want it to be. Or, learn to swing better and then have clubs fit to that?
3 - What is your financial situation?
4 - Which parts of your game actually need improving - could you buy a new driver, FWs & irons when it's the wedge play and putting that are letting you down more?


To me CF if useful. It can help get the best clubs to suit you and your current swing (on the day of the fitting).
If I was to advise you I would say improve and then get clubs to suit your better and more consistent swing.
If you do insist on getting CF'd now, go to somewhere independent that doesn't get paid to sell certain clubs, and try lots of different brands and club types and listen to the experts.

If nothing else get a set of off the shelf cheaper brand clubs for now: MD or Benross for example. This way you'll get the feeling of new shineys to keep you happy without wasting too much.

 

[Mungoscorner]

When do fitted clubs become useful? On the day you get them - they are going to be the best thing since sliced bread. Perfect for you until 6 months later, you change them for the next gimmick set that promise to change your game forever.

My view is that custom fit is just another way to persuade you to spend money and common sense tells you what clubs to play with. Try five sets, pick the best one. That is enough of a fit for anyone in my view. Custom fitting is primarily marketing and very effective it is too.

Proof - JustOne and I don't have any custom fitted clubs and we have gone around good courses in under par. You don't need custom fitted clubs to score well. You just need to play well at golf. I should probably have slightly longer shafts, a more upright lie, thicker grips and some special shafts given my build. I don't though as I don't think it will make a difference. I just use a set that I found that works for me. End of.

That said, I custom fitted myself twice in the past 6 months by getting two new (to me) sets of irons. Both were nice and I played a couple of rounds with them but were not as good as my existing clubs so I stuck with them. Perfect custom fitting made easy.....


And don't forget that in the 80's, custom fitting did not exist and the best players still broke par and hit millions of beautiful shots. Amazing really, given that they didn't have access to the technology that today's 17 handicapper deems as essential.

Excellent post Snelly,the last sentence sums it up perfectly.