Has your custom fit worked out ?

Someday

have you dropped many shots off your handicap or reached your goals by getting custom fitted ?

What was your handicap at proir to fitting and how long ago ?

What is your handicap now ?

Who did you use for the fitting ?

Thanks

Almaviva

Dropped shots ??? I gained :eek: 3 shots while persevering with the custom clubs for two summers. Ditched them last winter and got bsck down two shots over the summer. Picked the replacements myself with no mumbo jumbo.

Custom fitting, despite all the patter, fancy measurement technology, spin rates, launch angles, yada yada, is just a sham. For the McIlroys of the world maybe it has something to optimise. But only maybe. Clubs do make a difference, but with a little bit of thought and by just hitting a few balls and watching how they fly you have as much chance of selecting the right set to suit you without paying a penny.

Save your money and just give a set a go.

Someday

@alma viva - what handicap are you off ? Who did you use ?

Keano

Mine are custom fit but a completely unknown brand! Done very little for my game

Almaviva

Someday wrote: »

@alma viva - what handicap are you off ? Who did you use ?

13 before the custom fit. Then up to 16 in 18 months (17 for a couple of weeks). Now back to 14 after ditching the clubs at end of 2011.
Not comfortable naming a local pro who is good otherwise but just caught up in the 'me too' custom fit whirl. The clubs I went back to were standard shaft, standard flex, standard length. He had rigged me up with 1/2" longer (am only 5'8"), stiff, and some non standard extra light steel shaft. Cant remember his logic but the numbers from the machine justified it for him anyway. I just went along with it and just sorry I persevered for so long. I didnt go back to him. Just bought another set. Talking irons only here.

big_drive

I was custom fit in August 2010 with a handicap of 13

Now down to 5 (got there 1st week of Sept).

Went to Foregolf, would be extremely happy with how it all worked out.

ShivasIrons

Custom Fitting works, getting the right tools into your hand is vital, it's possible to do it by trial and error but much quicker to do it by fitting.

According to The Mitchell Golf Equipment Company there are 14 club performance numbers;

1. Grip Size
2. Club Length
3. Shaft Flex
4. Shaft Weight
5. Swing Weight
6. Total Club Weight
7. Lie Angle
8. Loft Angle
9. Face Angle
10. Bounce Angle
11. Ball Speed
12. Launch Angle
13. Spin Rate
14. Power Transfer Ratio

Isn't much easier to go to an expert and fit each of these to your swing rather than hope that a club off the rack will work. A fitting will find out these numbers for you. Clubs can be altered to these numbers. Fitting doesn't mean a need to buy a very expensive set. There's great value in second hand, if the budget dictates less of a spend, but the advice and alter a second hand set.

Rikand

was off 6 at the time of fit 3 years ago - went back out to 8 at one stage while getting used to them, now I hover around 4/5.

Very happy with how my fit turned out

Senna

The custom fit guru's wont like the responses so far.

I had a set of Maxfli Revolutions back about 10 years ago, bought in standard length/lies etc. after 2 years of playing I took them to get re-gripped. The pro picked up the 9 iron and said "Jesus what are these 3/4' Flat", put them in the machine and it was 4' Flat:eek:. He then put the rest of them in the machine and the were all flat with the shortest irons being flatter than the long irons, i think the 3 & 4 were standard. Those irons were so soft they had become flat with use. My swing (and hunch) had compensated of them over the years and he returned them all to standard, after about 2 rounds I could feel the improvement and I keep everything standard since.

Almaviva

ShivasIrons wrote: »

Custom Fitting works

Stating doesnt make it true. Above smacks a bit of irrational religeous style faith.

ShivasIrons wrote: »

getting the right tools into your hand is vital,

Agree and would not argue this bald statement. But implied in it is that custom fitting will help to get these right tools into your hands.

ShivasIrons wrote: »

According to The Mitchell Golf Equipment Company there are 14 club performance numbers;

1. Grip Size
2. Club Length
3. Shaft Flex
4. Shaft Weight
5. Swing Weight
6. Total Club Weight
7. Lie Angle
8. Loft Angle
9. Face Angle
10. Bounce Angle
11. Ball Speed
12. Launch Angle
13. Spin Rate
14. Power Transfer Ratio

Data is one thing. Useful data, from which one can make correct mechanical predictions, is another. Baffling-by-science doesnt mean the process is productive.

ShivasIrons wrote: »

Isn't much easier to go to an expert and fit each of these to your swing rather than hope that a club off the rack will work.

Again, can't argue with the core statement, but it is the implication that it is possible (and even whether it is useful) to fit the clubs to the swing that is questionable.


My read on the custom fit fad is :

- golfers leave no stone unturned seeking the promised land of better golf: and sense or rational analysis of facts is frequently left behind in this search
- there is a huge industry and business selling golf equipment to the (by and large rich in disposable cash) golfers of the world and it has become very adept at devising ways to part them with more of their cash
- few golfers, and indeed, few professional golfers have any knowledge of golf club/ball flight mechanics (its pretty easy to sell them any dream you can concoct)
- club pros latched (cleverly) onto the custom fit business as a way to win back business and offer a more tailored and personal-expertise experience from te takeover in gear selling by the megastore chains
- elite world players into it. And it may even make a difference to them. But then they are paid to be ("Rocketballs!!!")

The above are the drivers of the growth of the custom area - not any cold results that club fitting had a clear effect on the improvement of anyone's golf.

But as always in golf : if it adds to you enjoyment of the game of trying to hit a ball across a field - then go ahead.

thewobbler

Almaviva wrote: »

Stating doesnt make it true. Above smacks a bit of irrational religeous style faith.


Agree and would not argue this bald statement. But implied in it is that custom fitting will help to get these right tools into your hands.


Data is one thing. Useful data, from which one can make correct mechanical predictions, is another. Baffling-by-science doesnt mean the process is productive.


Again, can't argue with the core statement, but it is the implication that it is possible (and even whether it is useful) to fit the clubs to the swing that is questionable.


My read on the custom fit fad is :

- golfers leave no stone unturned seeking the promised land of better golf: and sense or rational analysis of facts is frequently left behind in this search
- there is a huge industry and business selling golf equipment to the (by and large rich in disposable cash) golfers of the world and it has become very adept at devising ways to part them with more of their cash
- few golfers, and indeed, few professional golfers have any knowledge of golf club/ball flight mechanics (its pretty easy to sell them any dream you can concoct)
- club pros latched (cleverly) onto the custom fit business as a way to win back business and offer a more tailored and personal-expertise experience from te takeover in gear selling by the megastore chains
- elite world players into it. And it may even make a difference to them. But then they are paid to be ("Rocketballs!!!")

The above are the drivers of the growth of the custom area - not any cold results that club fitting had a clear effect on the improvement of anyone's golf.

But as always in golf : if it adds to you enjoyment of the game of trying to hit a ball across a field - then go ahead.

Personally I'd love to take the time to go to 3 different custom fitters 3 weeks in a row and compare the outcomes.

I don't for one second believe my 16 handicap swing is consistent enough week on week for anybody to apply scientific logic against it.

ShivasIrons

Almaviva wrote: »

Stating doesnt make it true. Above smacks a bit of irrational religeous style faith.


Agree and would not argue this bald statement. But implied in it is that custom fitting will help to get these right tools into your hands.


Data is one thing. Useful data, from which one can make correct mechanical predictions, is another. Baffling-by-science doesnt mean the process is productive.


Again, can't argue with the core statement, but it is the implication that it is possible (and even whether it is useful) to fit the clubs to the swing that is questionable.


My read on the custom fit fad is :

- golfers leave no stone unturned seeking the promised land of better golf: and sense or rational analysis of facts is frequently left behind in this search
- there is a huge industry and business selling golf equipment to the (by and large rich in disposable cash) golfers of the world and it has become very adept at devising ways to part them with more of their cash
- few golfers, and indeed, few professional golfers have any knowledge of golf club/ball flight mechanics (its pretty easy to sell them any dream you can concoct)
- club pros latched (cleverly) onto the custom fit business as a way to win back business and offer a more tailored and personal-expertise experience from te takeover in gear selling by the megastore chains
- elite world players into it. And it may even make a difference to them. But then they are paid to be ("Rocketballs!!!")

The above are the drivers of the growth of the custom area - not any cold results that club fitting had a clear effect on the improvement of anyone's golf.

But as always in golf : if it adds to you enjoyment of the game of trying to hit a ball across a field - then go ahead.

The impression you seem to be giving is that there are bad custom fitters in the world and as a result the process of custom fitting is bad.

Isn't this true of any professional practitioners in the world? Just like there are good doctors and bad doctors.

To say there are no cold results that club fitting has a clear effect on golf improvement is surprising. Even if we look at club lie, if the lies are changed on your irons it will have an immediate effect on the direction of the shots. Get the proper lies, straighter shots, is this not improvement?

Senna

ShivasIrons wrote: »

Get the proper lies, straighter shots, is this not improvement?

But are they straighter because you are now allowing for bad stance/swing and now your irons are fitted to your bad habit? Attempt to improve your swing and your irons are now ill-fitting.
I'm not saying fitting is wrong, but I think for the majority of golfers, fitting needs to be done in conjunction with lessons, ideally with lessons first to give you a better bases to work on.

Club manufacturers didn't just randomly come up with what is a standard length/lie and loft.

ShivasIrons

Senna wrote: »

But are they straighter because you are now allowing for bad stance/swing and now your irons are fitted to your bad habit? Attempt to improve your swing and your irons are now ill-fitting.
I'm not saying fitting is wrong, but I think for the majority of golfers, fitting needs to be done in conjunction with lessons, ideally with lessons first to give you a better bases to work on.

Club manufacturers didn't just randomly come up with what is a standard length/lie and loft.

A fitter can fit for a fault or can fit for a fix. Some golfers don't practice/take lessons/have time etc. and so are happy to get clubs that will improve them by compensating for a fault.

There is no standard loft/lie/length amongst manufacturers they are all different, even different models from the same manufacturer have different specifications.

Another good example is the standard length of putters, the reason it's 35 inches is because a 35 inch putter fits easily into a golf bag. There is no other reason.

ShivasIrons

thewobbler wrote: »

Personally I'd love to take the time to go to 3 different custom fitters 3 weeks in a row and compare the outcomes.

I don't for one second believe my 16 handicap swing is consistent enough week on week for anybody to apply scientific logic against it.

Your swing changes very little from week to week, get it videoed over the course of a few weeks/months and see how little change there is.

Almaviva

ShivasIrons wrote: »

The impression you seem to be giving is that there are bad custom fitters in the world and as a result the process of custom fitting is bad.

I didnt think I was giving that impression nor was trying to.
I was try to say that the whole process of custom fitting is based on two false premises: one, that a set of club specs that best suit your swing can be determined by measurement, and two, that such a spec exists that will make you play your optimum golf.
And that the custom fit business is driven by the forces I list in a post above.

Almaviva

ShivasIrons wrote: »

Your swing changes very little from week to week, get it videoed over the course of a few weeks/months and see how little change there is.

I would second this. It is surprising how consistent even bad swings really are from swing to swing and week to week.

ShivasIrons

Almaviva wrote: »

I didnt think I was giving that impression nor was trying to.
I was try to say that the whole process of custom fitting is based on two false premises: one, that a set of club specs that best suit your swing can be determined by measurement, and two, that such a spec exists that will make you play your optimum golf.
And that the custom fit business is driven by the forces I list in a post above.

So you're saying that anybody should be able to use any set of clubs well?

This is not the case, there is an optimum set for everybody and this can easily be determined by measurement.

Almaviva

ShivasIrons wrote: »

So you're saying that anybody should be able to use any set of clubs well?

No. But, almost. (I exclude elite (scratch or better) players from this discussion as they are statistically irrelevant.)

ShivasIrons wrote: »

and this can easily be determined by measurement.

Is the bit I question strongly. I dont doubt you can easily take some measurements alright - but whether these have any relevant contribution to make to determining the 'optimum' club spec (and whether it can be even said what the optimum club spec for a given golfer is) is the point.

Why do you believe it can be deteremined at all, let alone easily? Are you not just being sucked in to the club makers, club fitters, golf professional, and ball impact measurement equipment suppliers spiel and advertising ?

ShivasIrons

Almaviva wrote: »

No. But, almost. (I exclude elite (scratch or better) players from this discussion as they are statistically irrelevant.)


Is the bit I question strongly. I dont doubt you can easily take some measurements alright - but whether these have any relevant contribution to make to determining the 'optimum' club spec (and whether it can be even said what the optimum club spec for a given golfer is) is the point.

Why do you believe it can be deteremined at all, let alone easily? Are you not just being sucked in to the club makers, club fitters, golf professional, and ball impact measurement equipment suppliers spiel and advertising ?

Let's take a specification like driver shaft weight, there are shafts that weigh under 40 grams and go all the way up to 125 grams. If you think that a club will perform the same with a 40 gram shaft in it as a 125 gram one then custom fitting has no benefit.

But if a club performs differently with the two shafts, and trust me there's a massive difference, then there is a big benefit to being fitted. There's even a big difference going from 75 grams to 55 grams.

This is something that's easily enough determined.

Change a couple of specifications in any club and you can make it extremely difficult for any golfer to use it well.

GreeBo

ShivasIrons wrote: »

Let's take a specification like driver shaft weight, there are shafts that weigh under 40 grams and go all the way up to 125 grams. If you think that a club will perform the same with a 40 gram shaft in it as a 125 gram one then custom fitting has no benefit.

But if a club performs differently with the two shafts, and trust me there's a massive difference, then there is a big benefit to being fitted. There's even a big difference going from 75 grams to 55 grams.

This is something that's easily enough determined.

Change a couple of specifications in any club and you can make it extremely difficult for any golfer to use it well.

I think anyone can get used to any club.
Give me my mothers clubs and I will be rubbish with the first couple of shots, will adjust and will probably play ok with them. This is going from stiff to ladies flex & weight...I think thats pretty much as extreme a mis-fitting as you can get and they will be playable. Give me an off the shelf mens set and it will be grand, sure the driver loft might be too high, but I can still get a 9* off the shelf stiff shaft and hit it just fine, like I always have.

onlyfinewine

GreeBo wrote: »

I think anyone can get used to any club.
Give me my mothers clubs and I will be rubbish with the first couple of shots, will adjust and will probably play ok with them. This is going from stiff to ladies flex & weight...I think thats pretty much as extreme a mis-fitting as you can get and they will be playable. Give me an off the shelf mens set and it will be grand, sure the driver loft might be too high, but I can still get a 9* off the shelf stiff shaft and hit it just fine, like I always have.

A little too much conjecture and probabilities for me, I challenge you to play with your mothers clubs to back up what you say! Let us know how you get on if you are that sure. Bet you won't!


I take the view that most people unless they have unusual body dimensions can play reasonably well with standard clubs but, as can be read from many of the contributors here, can play better with clubs that suit them better. The difficulty is in finding a fitter/pro who will spend the time to fit you properly and even then it is not an exact science.

FixdePitchmark

ShivasIrons wrote: »

Let's take a specification like driver shaft weight, there are shafts that weigh under 40 grams and go all the way up to 125 grams. If you think that a club will perform the same with a 40 gram shaft in it as a 125 gram one then custom fitting has no benefit.

But if a club performs differently with the two shafts, and trust me there's a massive difference, then there is a big benefit to being fitted. There's even a big difference going from 75 grams to 55 grams.

This is something that's easily enough determined.

Change a couple of specifications in any club and you can make it extremely difficult for any golfer to use it well.

Sorry Shivas if somebody has asked this, but do you work in this area ?

FixdePitchmark

ShivasIrons wrote: »

Custom Fitting works, getting the right tools into your hand is vital, it's possible to do it by trial and error but much quicker to do it by fitting.

According to The Mitchell Golf Equipment Company there are 14 club performance numbers;

1. Grip Size
2. Club Length
3. Shaft Flex
4. Shaft Weight
5. Swing Weight
6. Total Club Weight
7. Lie Angle
8. Loft Angle
9. Face Angle
10. Bounce Angle
11. Ball Speed
12. Launch Angle
13. Spin Rate
14. Power Transfer Ratio

Isn't much easier to go to an expert and fit each of these to your swing rather than hope that a club off the rack will work. A fitting will find out these numbers for you. Clubs can be altered to these numbers. Fitting doesn't mean a need to buy a very expensive set. There's great value in second hand, if the budget dictates less of a spend, but the advice and alter a second hand set.

Shivas - I looked at your 14 variables, that is the problem. There is no real science that would try and work on 14 variables at once.

Also, I'm not convinced that some of the pros working in this area have the control and Instrumentation experience required to calibrate the equipment involved.

I once seen a golf pro line up a piece of equipment by eye, it makes a joke of the technology. you need an understanding of calibtration and vernier adjustment to even work in this area - are golf pros trained in this ?

spacecoyote

Had a Custom Fit in late 2010. Was playing off 19 at the time.

2011 went from 19-15, 2012 from 15-12.

How much of that is down to the clubs & how much is down to lessons/game improvment I couldn't tell for sure, but there is a definite added confidence to having clubs set up for your swing.

I was playing with a relatively old cheaper set previously so I'm sure the improved equipment was definitely a help.

Had them done out in Kinsealy range with Karl Herbert I think his name was. Sorry, its too early in the morning for remembering those kind of details.

Dealerz

I've been reading this thread with great interest as I'm meeting Karl Herbert on Wednesday for a fitting. I am a 17 hc after dropping two shots in 2012 with 3 yr old wilson di9's and r9 driver all off the shelf clubs. Im 6-3 in height! I personally think the drop is all down to my short game devotion- so may be now I want to take it down again with clubs suited to my height.

I was originally booked in with foregolf but decided the experience may be too rich for my blood (minimising risk or too tight to pay!)

I had the same concerns as previous posters re fitting as I felt a high hc golfer is too inconsistent to be fitted- however as stated above the €50 cost of fitting is knocked off price of clubs- a small compensation I know.

My other concern is how ingrained is my bad posture because of off the shelf lenght clubs and will I go backwards initially as regards my hc ambitions (hc 15 in 2013)

Just my two cents

GetInTheHole!

Got fitted in Titleist Centre at Carton House in April 2011.

Handicap at the time was 17.

Handicap at end of Sept 2011 was 12.

Very happy with results.

Didnt play much during 2012 for various reasons and handicap crept out to 13 by end of the year.

Have made some changes to swing now (after lessons) - I am now considering getting my irons re-adjusted.

GreeBo

spacecoyote wrote: »

Had a Custom Fit in late 2010. Was playing off 19 at the time.

2011 went from 19-15, 2012 from 15-12.

How much of that is down to the clubs & how much is down to lessons/game improvment I couldn't tell for sure, but there is a definite added confidence to having clubs set up for your swing.

I was playing with a relatively old cheaper set previously so I'm sure the improved equipment was definitely a help.

Had them done out in Kinsealy range with Karl Herbert I think his name was. Sorry, its too early in the morning for remembering those kind of details.

Try playing a round with your old set and see how you get on...?

Osgoodisgood

Almaviva wrote: »

- few golfers, and indeed, few professional golfers have any knowledge of golf club/ball flight mechanics (its pretty easy to sell them any dream you can concoct)

Nonsense. Lots of golfers, particularly low HC and professionals take a keen interest in the underlying science. Why is this an issue?

spacecoyote

GreeBo wrote: »

Try playing a round with your old set and see how you get on...?

Would be curious to give that a try alright, old set were sold on back when I got the new ones though so not going to get that chance

ShriekingSheet

I got a full set fit at the Titleist Centre.

Overall, I'm underwhelmed with the results. My new clubs are lovely, they fly fine, but I haven't improved because of them. At least not yet, but I played a good 4 months of the proper season with them last year. My handicap went up slightly in that time, though there were a few factors to take into account also.

All in all, I know the basic spec I need. It's been the same since I was a teenager, and the Titleist computers, for all their fancyness, told me nothing that I didn't know after my first fit around 2001. They even gave me the same Dynamic Gold x100 I got fitted for 11 years ago, and the same length and lie angle.

I don't buy clubs very often - a whole new set every 4 years maybe. Next time, I'll probably just order the specs I've always used, rather than bothering with a fitting session.

ShriekingSheet

Obviously a bit tongue in cheek, and not meant to be completely accurate, but this is a little illustration of the golf industry expanding the pool of equipment you "need" (to buy) to play the game.

1990 You need three woods, irons from 3 to SW and a putter.
1995 You need a double strap carry bag.
1998 You need a titanium driver.
1999 You need to ditch your iron-set SW and buy a specialised wedge brand 56 degree.
2000 You need to add a gap wedge, between your PW and 56 degree.
2001 You need to add a lob wedge.
2002 You need to own 16 clubs, and choose which 14 to use depending on the course/conditions.
2003 You need a specific type of performance (expensive) ball.
2004 You need a Golf Glider.
2005 You need to replace your 3 iron with a hybrid.
2006 You need to get fitted and order a custom set.
2010 You need a distance measuring device.
2011 You need a Trackman to optimise launch angle.
2012 You need to replace your 2011 version with the 2012 version that goes 17 yards further.

For me, custom fitting is another thing that falls into the growing costs to the average, or above average golfer. It's good marketing to create a need where there was none before... you don't just need a football jersey, you need a name/number printed too... not just an iPhone, but a cover also... not just a tv, but a home entertainment system with surround sound... I'm not saying these are all cynical dupes to the customer, but it's just interesting to reflect on how over time, the "essentials" to play golf have grown significantly. Which developments are great leaps in technology, and which are marketing gimics to prise more cash from you? Decide yourself. But custom fitting fits in that list with everything else, that's for sure.

ShivasIrons

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Sorry Shivas if somebody has asked this, but do you work in this area ?

If you google Shivas Irons, I do similar things to what he did!

ShivasIrons

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

Obviously a bit tongue in cheek, and not meant to be completely accurate, but this is a little illustration of the golf industry expanding the pool of equipment you "need" (to buy) to play the game.

1990 You need three woods, irons from 3 to SW and a putter.
1995 You need a double strap carry bag.
1998 You need a titanium driver.
1999 You need to ditch your iron-set SW and buy a specialised wedge brand 56 degree.
2000 You need to add a gap wedge, between your PW and 56 degree.
2001 You need to add a lob wedge.
2002 You need to own 16 clubs, and choose which 14 to use depending on the course/conditions.
2003 You need a specific type of performance (expensive) ball.
2004 You need a Golf Glider.
2005 You need to replace your 3 iron with a hybrid.
2006 You need to get fitted and order a custom set.
2010 You need a distance measuring device.
2011 You need a Trackman to optimise launch angle.
2012 You need to replace your 2011 version with the 2012 version that goes 17 yards further.

For me, custom fitting is another thing that falls into the growing costs to the average, or above average golfer. It's good marketing to create a need where there was none before... you don't just need a football jersey, you need a name/number printed too... not just an iPhone, but a cover also... not just a tv, but a home entertainment system with surround sound... I'm not saying these are all cynical dupes to the customer, but it's just interesting to reflect on how over time, the "essentials" to play golf have grown significantly. Which developments are great leaps in technology, and which are marketing gimics to prise more cash from you? Decide yourself. But custom fitting fits in that list with everything else, that's for sure.

You have getting a custom fit set in 2006, when it's much earlier than that, circa 1400 when golf started being played, is when clubmakers appeared first. They built clubs to the individual and this continued up until the appearance of steel shafts in the 1920s when mass market clubs started to appear first and still would have been the main source for golf clubs until off course golf shops started to appear, probably in the 60's in the US and later again here.

Getting advice is a good thing. As with everything good advice will save you money in the long term.

goodgolfer64

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

Obviously a bit tongue in cheek, and not meant to be completely accurate, but this is a little illustration of the golf industry expanding the pool of equipment you "need" (to buy) to play the game.

1990 You need three woods, irons from 3 to SW and a putter.
1995 You need a double strap carry bag.
1998 You need a titanium driver.
1999 You need to ditch your iron-set SW and buy a specialised wedge brand 56 degree.
2000 You need to add a gap wedge, between your PW and 56 degree.
2001 You need to add a lob wedge.
2002 You need to own 16 clubs, and choose which 14 to use depending on the course/conditions.
2003 You need a specific type of performance (expensive) ball.
2004 You need a Golf Glider.
2005 You need to replace your 3 iron with a hybrid.
2006 You need to get fitted and order a custom set.
2010 You need a distance measuring device.
2011 You need a Trackman to optimise launch angle.
2012 You need to replace your 2011 version with the 2012 version that goes 17 yards further.

For me, custom fitting is another thing that falls into the growing costs to the average, or above average golfer. It's good marketing to create a need where there was none before... you don't just need a football jersey, you need a name/number printed too... not just an iPhone, but a cover also... not just a tv, but a home entertainment system with surround sound... I'm not saying these are all cynical dupes to the customer, but it's just interesting to reflect on how over time, the "essentials" to play golf have grown significantly. Which developments are great leaps in technology, and which are marketing gimics to prise more cash from you? Decide yourself. But custom fitting fits in that list with everything else, that's for sure.

haha very good....
only thing i personally think people need to check is lie angles...as i constantly see this on the driving range........and obviousy older/slow swingers fitted with lighter shafts.......
should everyone play the same standard spec off the shelf.....knowing golf companies standard spec's differ and the golfing industry doesnt have a STANDARD to start!!!

ShivasIrons

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Shivas - I looked at your 14 variables, that is the problem. There is no real science that would try and work on 14 variables at once.

Also, I'm not convinced that some of the pros working in this area have the control and Instrumentation experience required to calibrate the equipment involved.

I once seen a golf pro line up a piece of equipment by eye, it makes a joke of the technology. you need an understanding of calibtration and vernier adjustment to even work in this area - are golf pros trained in this ?

1. Grip Size
2. Club Length
3. Shaft Flex
4. Shaft Weight
5. Swing Weight
6. Total Club Weight
7. Lie Angle
8. Loft Angle
9. Face Angle
10. Bounce Angle
11. Ball Speed
12. Launch Angle
13. Spin Rate
14. Power Transfer Ratio

You don't work on the 14 variables at once. You take one at a time. The first 10 are club specifications and the last 4 are what's happening to the ball.

As for your comment about some pros not being great at fitting, it's the same in every profession.

goodgolfer64

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Shivas - I looked at your 14 variables, that is the problem. There is no real science that would try and work on 14 variables at once.

Also, I'm not convinced that some of the pros working in this area have the control and Instrumentation experience required to calibrate the equipment involved.

I once seen a golf pro line up a piece of equipment by eye, it makes a joke of the technology. you need an understanding of calibtration and vernier adjustment to even work in this area - are golf pros trained in this ?

without sounding smart....
what did you want him to line the equipment up with????? lasers?????
apologies....

FixdePitchmark

goodgolfer64 wrote: »

without sounding smart....
what did you want him to line the equipment up with????? lasers?????
apologies....

Don't get you. The equipment is measuring high speed and very accurate measurement.
Btw you can get a laser for doing bloody wallpaper. Yes would expect something more sensible than eye.
You don't need a laser, but don't use your eye.
Anyway wouldn't be against this, if it is done by a good lad for a single figure golfer.

Arsenium

I am still agonising over changing the driver. Preference is still the Titleist 910 or 913, depending on budget etc (Leaning towards 910 now after recent car trouble).

Anyway, as these drivers come with 5 (??) shaft options and God knows how many possible combinations of lie / loft, surely in this case a fitting is totally essential?

Milkers

goodgolfer64 wrote: »

without sounding smart....
what did you want him to line the equipment up with????? lasers?????
apologies....

don't worry, you didn't sound smart at all

ShivasIrons

Arsenium wrote: »

I am still agonising over changing the driver. Preference is still the Titleist 910 or 913, depending on budget etc (Leaning towards 910 now after recent car trouble).

Anyway, as these drivers come with 5 (??) shaft options and God knows how many possible combinations of lie / loft, surely in this case a fitting is totally essential?

I would be a big help, could even compare the 910 to 913, see how much of a difference there might be and would the difference in price be worth it.

spacecoyote

ShivasIrons wrote: »

I would be a big help, could even compare the 910 to 913, see how much of a difference there might be and would the difference in price be worth it.

Try the spa well this Thursday, free Titleist fitting day. All slots were filled yesterday but you might try get a cancellation?

IanPoulter

IanPoulter wrote: »

Getting fitted in Carton on 23rd Oct for the latest and greatest woods and the AP2's. Don't know the cost apart from €100 for 2 hour fitting. Will sit down before he tells me the cost

IanPoulter wrote: »

I've prepared her with a budget of €2000. This will be the last set of clubs (well that's what I told her). Disappointed to hear that the fairway woods are not out till next year so I'll have to talk to Mark O'Mahony in Carton to see what to do. I'd expect them to fit me for fairway woods in February with no additional cost considering I'm shelling out €100 for a two hour fitting.

IanPoulter wrote: »

Had the fitting and now the quote (including €100 fitting)

AP2's 4-pw
3 Vokeys
913 Driver
910 Hybrids (16 and 20 Degree)
Golf Pride mid size Dual Compound Grips on all

€2000 all in

She took the news quite well

Havent played a lot of rounds (6 or so and a couple of 9 hole practice rounds) since getting the new clubs due to weather etc.

I'm absolutely thrilled with the AP2's. The strike is so pure and I'm certainly more accurate and consistent with them. The feedback from the strike is exceptional. You can tell immediately if you've hit it straigth off the bat or slightly towards the toe.

I'm loving those Vokeys also (50 degree Gap, 54 degree SW and 60 degree LW). Beautiful feel, very consistent strike and the ball stops instantly on full shots this time of year. I'd expect some spin in summer.

I'm starting to get my confidence with the driver (red mizuno shaft - Regular Flex) and confident that I'm going to become a more consistent driver of the ball.

The Hybrids are taking a bit of time to adjust to having never used Hybrids before. I'm hitting the 21 Degree pretty well but the 17 Degree is pretty erratic. I'm certainly not hitting it like I was the day I was fitted. I expect this will improve over time with practice and increased confidence.

All in all I think the custom fitting experience has gone well. I chose the winter time to change clubs, and hopefully I'll get some practice in over the next few months in my new club Black Bush that will put me in good stead for the summer (if we get one )

FixdePitchmark

IanPoulter wrote: »

Havent played a lot of rounds (6 or so and a couple of 9 hole practice rounds) since getting the new clubs due to weather etc.

I'm absolutely thrilled with the AP2's. The strike is so pure and I'm certainly more accurate and consistent with them. The feedback from the strike is exceptional. You can tell immediately if you've hit it straigth off the bat or slightly towards the toe.

I'm loving those Vokeys also (50 degree Gap, 54 degree SW and 60 degree LW). Beautiful feel, very consistent strike and the ball stops instantly on full shots this time of year. I'd expect some spin in summer.

I'm starting to get my confidence with the driver (red mizuno shaft - Regular Flex) and confident that I'm going to become a more consistent driver of the ball.

The Hybrids are taking a bit of time to adjust to having never used Hybrids before. I'm hitting the 21 Degree pretty well but the 17 Degree is pretty erratic. I'm certainly not hitting it like I was the day I was fitted. I expect this will improve over time with practice and increased confidence.

All in all I think the custom fitting experience has gone well. I chose the winter time to change clubs, and hopefully I'll get some practice in over the next few months in my new club Black Bush that will put me in good stead for the summer (if we get one )

Some set, some money.

Enjoy.

IanPoulter

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Some set, some money.

Enjoy.

You'll be 50 someday Fix (I know it's a bit away yet) and then you can buy a nice pressie for yourself like I did