Custom Fitting-Is it just an expensive fashion accessory?

Uncle Ben

Lots of threads on here espouse the many benefits of custom fitted clubs. With prices ranging from approx.€800 to €1200 from many well known makers, I almost believed the hype that by spending on avg. €300 to €500 more than 'off the rail' clubs that my handicap would miraculously drop to the magical single digit almost overnight.

Just in time however, I prevented myself from following the 'lemmings! Having looked around at the low handicappers in my local club, and those that are regularly in the winners enclosure, I noticed that almost all have the standarised package and many have sets of clubs that are in excess of 4 to 5 years old.

Now I do appreciate that at the top of the tree the fine-tuning that is required is apparent, however there are not Harringtons, McDowells and McIllroys in every corner of this country and although people are more than entitled to spend their money as they wish, this custom fitting, in my opinion is just over-rated.
Discuss....

randomer

I got custom fit by the guys at TaylorMade last year. It was free, because they had a fitting day, and the cost of the clubs was the same as they would have been to buy them in a store.

You might pay 50 - 100 euro for the fitting, but my understanding is that the clubs cost the same price.

copacetic

Uncle Ben wrote: »

Lots of threads on here espouse the many benefits of custom fitted clubs. With prices ranging from approx.€800 to €1200 from many well known makers, I almost believed the hype that by spending on avg. €300 to €500 more than 'off the rail' clubs that my handicap would miraculously drop to the magical single digit almost overnight.

rubbish, you'll pay 50-100 more to get the exact same clubs custom fitted.

Uncle Ben wrote: »

Just in time however, I prevented myself from following the 'lemmings! Having looked around at the low handicappers in my local club, and those that are regularly in the winners enclosure, I noticed that almost all have the standarised package and many have sets of clubs that are in excess of 4 to 5 years old.

You have no idea who has/hasn't been custom fitted. It's not a fashion thing, no-one can tell who has it done by looking at their clubs. In fact people with custom fitted clubs are much less likely to change clubs so would be more likely to have older clubs.

Uncle Ben wrote: »

Now I do appreciate that at the top of the tree the fine-tuning that is required is apparent, however there are not Harringtons, McDowells and McIllroys in every corner of this country and although people are more than entitled to spend their money as they wish, this custom fitting, in my opinion is just over-rated.
Discuss....

Discuss? Simple, You haven't the slightest idea what custom fitting is, but are patting yourself on the back for not doing it.

Uncle Ben

Serious ? Is it really €100 to €150 over the odds and do they make a difference.

dvemail

Uncle Ben wrote: »

Discuss....

Reminds me of doing my Leaving Cert English Paper all over again.;)
Depends where you do it but most places seem to charge 50-100 euro to be fitted.
And in some places if you buy the clubs at the same time as the fitting, the
fitting is free. The clubs cost the same as they do off the shelf.
So all in all not too much difference in the price.

Fore Iron

If, in the process of getting fitted you elect to go for Project X Flighted shafts or something like that then you will easily pay 30 to 50 euro more PER CLUB in having them built versus the average standard shaft on an off the shelf set. But for the average golfer you will be looking at a shaft that will have little or no upcharge at all.

The first time I got fitted, I ended up with 15 yards more distance on every iron in my bag. What the OP can certainly claim is that that kind of gain from a custom fit may not be worth it. But I would say that most golfers out there would give their right arm to get that kind of result. Although I see how stupid that would be.

I was playing with whippy Regular graphite shafts and ended up with Stiff Steel shafts so my results were pretty dramatic. Other players may not see the same change. But I would guarantee that very very few golfers out there are playing with clubs or shafts that can allow them to play as well or as accurately as they are capable of. Does that mean you will become a single digit handicapper overnight? Of course not. Only a clown would beileve that. An over the top, near vertically steep, completely hit and miss swing will still be crap after a fitting. But a decent, generally reapeatable swing belonging to someone willing to work at it, will gain untold benefits from custom fitting.

So there you are. When do we get our grades back?

L.O.F.T

copacetic wrote: »

Discuss? Simple, You haven't the slightest idea what custom fitting is, but are patting yourself on the back for not doing it.

Well said copacetic.
Custom fitting can be so subtle that it can sometimes never be seen by the everyday golfer. Changes such as upright to flat or vice versa, an extra layer or two of tape under your grip to big shaft changes that are all invisible to the untrained.These differences are hard to see by peering into anyone's bag.
OP; How can you be critical without experiencing what a difference a proper fitting can make to your game? Should you choose to get fitted your discussion / post will hold more merit than your ill informed opinion.
Perhaps you should stick(or non-stick) to the rice Uncle Ben.

fullstop

Fore Iron wrote: »

If, in the process of getting fitted you elect to go for Project X Flighted shafts or something like that then you will easily pay 30 to 50 euro more PER CLUB in having them built versus the average standard shaft on an off the shelf set. But for the average golfer you will be looking at a shaft that will have little or no upcharge at all.

Not necessarily. Callaway and (I think) Mizuno offer Project X as a standard option.

MiniGolf

L.O.F.T wrote: »

Perhaps you should stick(or non-stick) to the rice Uncle Ben.

Love it!!!

Hacker111

Bit of stick for poor Ol Uncle Ben..



I'll back you up a little..... I got custom fitted at foregolf dropped c. €1,200 on new Taylormade irons, 3 wood and maybe a Cleveland wedge (can't quite remember c. 5 years ago!)...... did it really make a difference to my game..honestly I doubt it..... waste of cash ...possibly.. I think these guys a lot of the time tell you what you want to hear at the 12+ handicap range.. if you are a low guy with certain shots/trajectory then fitting can defo help and visibly be seen.. i agree with responses in general but Uncle Ben does have a point... I put it down to handicaps/quality of player.... I still have my irons, 5 years later they are still in almost perfect condition...... I have dropped from 18 to 11 since I bought them...maybe it was the custom fitting