# What was your club fitting experience like?



## Diggity Dave (May 21, 2006)

I got fitted for a putter and wedges a couple of days ago, and I'm just wondering what other folks' experience has been.

To fit me for the putter, the guy handed me what looked like an adjustable Ping Anser, extended to about 40" or so (I'm 5' 9") and knelt down to look at the sole against the putting surface. The guy kept saying "Is that your setup? Is that your setup?" repeatedly, and I felt rushed as I pushed it down, tried it, pushed it down, tried it, etc. until it was at 36". I still think that's too long, thinking back on it.

So I'm not terribly happy with that, but I can choke down if need be, I guess.

For the wedges, I hit my current PW with contact tape on the sole, three swings, while the guy watched. Then he gave me a demo club with a different lie angle, impact tape on the sole, three more swings and that was it. Fair enough, the impact showed consistent toe hits and the new club showed a middle-of-the-sole hit once the impact tape was in the right place (the first two swings didn't make a mark - my swing needs fixing, or the tape was too far forward).

The guy wasn't rude, far from it, but there was no wrist-to-floor measurement, we didn't even talk about grip size, etc. This was my first club fitting, so I don't know: is that the norm? What would you expect, assuming you were only getting fitted for a putter and wedges?

Thanks,

-- Dave


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## rustyb42 (May 29, 2006)

im going for one in the next couple of weeks for a new set of irons so i will tell you how it went then

* had my fitting yesterday for my new Mizuno MX23s

turned up at the shop and the pro new all about my game because i had played a round with him the evening before. All he had me do was hit 3 shots on the impact board, they came out perfect in the centre of the impact tape.

He new it wasn't the grip size i was using making my hit a slight draw, he let me hit a few balls down the 1st with a couple of the irons and that was it nothing to it.

Oh also used the felx analyser!!!


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## 373 (Jun 9, 2006)

I was assisted by one of the guys from a local Edwin Watts store. I have always bought a set of clubs that felt good and never realized at my size, 6' 7" tall, about 285 lbs, how much I was adapting my swing to clubs that weren't well suited to me. Now, I'm just beginning to see progress with my new clubs which are better fitted. My accuracy is coming around and the distance was better from the first time I played with them.

Basically, they measured me standing up. My wrist to floor measurement gave them some pause and we discovered I apparently have a somewhat short upper arm. This means I need to learn a slightly more upright swing to effectively create clubhead speed. Otherwise, my upper arm contacts my chest and my upper body turn is restricted a bit. When I make good contact with the new swing I'm trying to learn, I see huge results now.

The same measurement also suggested that if I took a proper posture instead of bending over so much, something along the lines of an inch longer than normal would be good for me. We compromised on 1/2 inch because I'm 57, haven't played in a few years and didn't feel good with the high swingweight of the long club.

I hit a variety of irons and eventually settled on the Taylormade rac-OS because it felt so soft in my hands, almost like a forged iron. We then swung the same clubs with stiff and regular shafts, putting tape on the bottom of the clubhead and watching where the tape was scuffed after hitting balls off a piece of black plastic. The proof was that 1 degree upright with a regular shaft worked best for me.

I chose the Golfpride Tourwrap Midsize grips and spent WAY too much money on other things in the store while they took 15 minutes to put the grips on the clubs while I waited. Thank God it wasn't 20 minutes. There was a Taylor staff bag I had my eye on!

Now, I am so happy with my new clubs that I can't wait to get out of work and enjoy daylight savings time to play 9 holes most afternoons. I am still looking for a putter that has more magic in it than my current selection though. Suggestions are welcomed.


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## badfinger (Jul 21, 2006)

There are two parts to effective club fitting. First is what most shops will do, and that is measure from your wrist to the floor and tell you how long the shafts should be. Some will stop there. What they should do is use that as the starting point for further diagnosis. The strike board is the next step. As mentioned above, it will tell you the lie angle you need. Then analyzing the swing and ball flight to determine shaft and any adjustments to the results above. Just make sure (especially for us tall guys) that you hit the strike board with a club that is the correct length for you, otherwise you won't accomplish what you want to. I play maroon dot (Ping) irons which are 5 degrees upright, 1 1/2" over standard (I'm 6'8"). My fitting is a two step process since the store will not have a club that long to hit on the strike board. 
Putters and wedges are a little different, and IMHO have more to do with what feels comfortable vs. static measurments. When shopping for a putter, pay attention to the lie of the clubface on the ground, and if the length feels comfortable to you. Is your head over the ball, is your stance compensating for the shaft lenght? Again, preference more than science.
Hope that helps!


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## 373 (Jun 9, 2006)

I am having some keyboard issues. Please forgive me if I miss a needed correction.

Badfinger - I am 6' 7" tall and like you, the people doing the fitting did the three steps you suggested. What they did not do, and you have made me realize it, is give me an oversized club to try.

While I initially saw results, they have not been consistant and impossible to groove. I only get to play occasionally, so I want to enjoy myself, not fight new swing changes required by radically different club specs. I sold the rac-OS irons and replaced them with a set of inexpensive irons until I have time to shop for what I like. In the meantime, this set of Taylor R540XD irons are working well. My old grooved swing works with them and they are std length and lie.

What doesn't often get taken into account when being fitted for clubs is the mental aspect of how age affects us and what should change about our set to accomodate changing abilities. I am about to ditch my 3 wood in favor of another hybrid. I have the 3H Callaway wth 20 degrees replacing what used to be my 5 wood. Now I'm getting a 1H with 14 degrees loft to be my fairway wood. I expect to lose a bit of distance, but gain a lot of consistancy. I will probably see a positive effect on the scorecard.

I can't fight this keyboard anymore... more later


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## Homeless (May 12, 2006)

very good advice Badfinger...


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## golfermatt91 (Jul 14, 2006)

thats too tall im about 5'7 or 5'8 and 33 or 34 in is the range i feel a little more confortable with the 34in thats what you should have.


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## ptornquist (Aug 29, 2006)

*Launch Monitor*

Hi

I just had a custom fitting done with a launch monitor. Can strongly recommend that my problem where that I was shouting birdies with my driver a Callaway had 5800 in backspin. The problem was the kick point for me I need with high kick point. They told me that nearly all standard clubs that are sold are with low kick point so people can get the ball of the ground.
I have been struggling with my driver for years tried normal fitting before with no result. The other thing I learned that the club head speed is very constant I had about 90 with the driver with a soft swing or if I used all the power I have no difference. I have gained nearly 80 yards with new shafts on the driver and about 30 yards on the Irons.

Peter


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## 373 (Jun 9, 2006)

Kick point is an interesting subject, but it gets somewhat complicated at my stage of life when one considers whether it might be time for the change to regular shafts from stiff shafts.

For the time being, I find I am better with stiff light weight steel, low kick point shafts. It's not that I have trouble getting the ball in the air, but it allows me to swing a little easier and still work the ball. When I tried graphite shafts, most of them were mid or high kick point and my results were really inconsistant. Until now, I would have never believed it could have made that big a difference, but it certainly did.


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