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Is custom fitting really helping the average golfer?

SuperStroke
I was fitted last year for a driver, 5 wood and 4hy. I did not do my irons which I have had for 14 years. The driver, 5w and 4hy have made a great deal of difference in my game. My last driver and 3w were off the shelf and although I could hit them, clearly not as well as my new clubs. If and when I decide to get new irons I will also have them fitted. Right now I know what my distance is with the irons I have and I am comfortable with them. So for me being fitted have helped me, the average golfer.
 
I'm gonna find out first hand on Saturday . I will be dropping my bag off at my local golf shop on Friday for fitting and checking the lie angels ,this is something I have never had done , I've always played with stock off the shelve clubs and cannot wait to see the difference in how I strike the ball afterwards .
 
Will a fitting by itself help the average golfer? I'd say it can have some benefits, especially in getting clubs that you are comfortable with, have confidence in and are pleasing to your eye. That's what it did for me. It's easy to blame your clubs for poor performance, but after a fitting, that's no longer an option.
 
Custom fitting helped me tremendously....I increase my fairways hit percentage by 30% just be getting the right shaft in my driver.
 
How cm it not help? You try what's available, chose what gives you the best chance and sit back to say "Oh, why didn't I get that"? Going with what works... works!
 
I think getting fit for a driver shaft is extremely valuable towards lowering your scores via increasing your FIR. I also think that getting fit for irons is a good idea, but don't expect to drop 5+ shots a round because of it. At the end of the day it can't hurt, and it might REALLY help.
Any golfer with a decent repeatable swing is going to strike the ball well no matter what club he is holding, fitted or not.
 
Hello every one, I am new to this site but I have been lurking for a while. I must agree with the majority of the posts re; custom fitting. IMO you will benefit from custom fitted clubs, however, maybe not immediately. If there is a single "magic bullet" that will let me shoot a round of 62 I have not found it yet! I strongly suggest that you develop a solid swing foundation first using the clubs that you have (what ever quality/condition they may be) through lessons from a qualified PGA/CPGA pro. Once you have a solid swing/posture/set up...... then get fitted. A qualified club fitter will be able to observe your consistent swing type and recommend the correct set up for you.
 
For me it has not been much help. As I am standard across the board in my irons and putter. I do need a little different shaft on the driver, but it really hasn't made a huge difference.

But I have a buddy that it made a huge difference in his game. He had a fitting and needed his clubs to be 1.5* degrees flat. He now hits his irons, much farther and straighter. Took 10 shots easy off his score.
 
No, absolutely not. The "average" golfer is being force fed fit this and fit that from putter to ball but, the "average" golfer does not have a repeatable anything; ergo, it doesn't do a bit of good until a golfer is a bit above average.
 
DCSerafin said:
JB's topic "Missing Putts, Why"" got me to thinking about one of the possible reasons of: "Does their putter fit?" and spawned the topic of FITTING in general in my head.

My question is:
Has the general golfing population really improved with all the customization of clubs and getting fitted to a ball? (I would like to take shaft stiffness out of the equation as this has been around for quite some time, (at least since I have been playing, late 80s).

Has any analysis been performed to identify the result difference between someone who has been fitted to someone who has not been fitted? Are scores in general any better today due to being custom fit to clubs and a ball?
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of course scores get better if you chose the club that is best for you and your swing, but no. scores have not changed too much, since ever. 50 years ago, people were still shooting scores people are shooting today. yes, they had their own clubs aswell, but for the most part it was all the same. it's not really the club, it's the swing. or, for wider terms, "it's the Indian, not the arrow."
 
Were Hogans clubs fitted ?

tapp tapp tapp tappatalk
 
I don't believe there's a ton of benefit to be had. Some, yes. But not a lot.

tapp tapp tapp tappatalk
 
I got fitted 3 years ago and it's made a pretty significant difference. my former high school coach owns a driving range and pro shop and he always fits any new clubs for me for free. even if I had to pay, I would. you should try it some time
 
I was fitted for my driver, bought my irons to maintain the same feel as my previous set. Being relatively new, I didn't think my swing was consistent enough. It was a mistake.

My driver is my best club.
 
Great thread.
I decided a couple of months back that I would get my golf game back where it was 20+ years ago. I used to play off 11/12 but now play off 18 when I do play, and rarely score over 22/25 points so really i am nearer 28!
I went to a golf stroe when I was in Florida, got them to take some quick measurements and I hit some balls with a few clubs. The RocketBallZ were slightly longer than the others and i saw immediate improvements.
I went to the range when I got home, and gradually (over three or four hundred balls) saw a smoother swing, consistent strike etc. I then decided the next club that NEEDED replacement was the driver (it is ancient!) and decided I would have a fit. But first I wanted to have a lesson so I signed up for a half hour. The lesson was awful, my striking fell apart. I saw a video and my stance was too upright with a poor swing plane. Therefore I am going to sign up to a lot more lessons to try to right the swing. That said, I went out on Tuesday and shot +15, my lowest score for around 10 years by quite some way using my poor swing and set up!! But what I have decided to do is leave the driver out of the bag and work on my swing with the pro. I will put the fittinig back a while.
What the round really showed me though was that my short game (less than 30 yards) was where most shots were dropped.
So for an average golfer I think the priorities are:
1 - take lessons to get a consistent set up and swing
2 - work the short game out
3 - get a fitting
The lessons will make a general improvement to your round, the short game will take shots off for any average player if they improve it, and then the fit can be applied when you are ready. There is no point, in my opinion, on having a fitting if you are making big swing changes. Prsonally I think my changes required are far too great to go for a fitting............however the other part of me thinks that, having hit such a good round, I should abandon any plans on a swing change this year and just ork teh short game and a fitting!! Arghhhhhhhhh, who says this game is easy!
 
I hear a lot about repeatable swings and how it sort of negates the benefit of fitting. I think that's possibly true to an extent, but even a guy like me that has a mediocre (iI'm being nice to myself here :D )golf swing still has a fairly consistent swing speed and delivers the club at a specific lie angle. It did change from before I started my lessons, but I waited until those changes took hold before I did any adjustments.

That said, I still think there are more factors that play into score. I don't really see a point in not getting the right shaft or lie angles. It doesn't turn coal into a diamond, but it's certainly made a difference in the quality of contact I see.
 
tgtt said:
No, absolutely not. The "average" golfer is being force fed fit this and fit that from putter to ball but, the "average" golfer does not have a repeatable anything; ergo, it doesn't do a bit of good until a golfer is a bit above average.
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I think your close on this point. You can fit a avg golfer to gain some improvement but you just mask the issue. You can fit an avg golfer to play better today or you can fit an avg golfer who wants to improve. Big difference. If my swing speed warrants a stiff shaft but I flip at the ball, fitting me in a stiff shaft low launch driver is only half right. How many fitting involve the conversation like "Your tempo if bad and you need to not flip at the bottom, slow your tempo down, get a reg shat and work on getting some lag". Some golfers might say I dont care, but it would be eye opening to others. I think most fittings are done to mask your flaws and of course to generate sales.
 
I would be totally shocked if more than 20% of golfers actually got fit for their clubs. With saying that, you can't buy a nice smooth tempo, you can't buy a good swing plane etc etc,, none of that comes with a fitting. I don't think many would benefit from an early fitting, but as your swing becomes more repeatable or predictable, I truly believe it's one of the single most important factors in the success of ones game besides lessons, and or serious practice.
 
Trout Bum said:
I would be totally shocked if more than 20% of golfers actually got fit for their clubs. With saying that, you can't buy a nice smooth tempo, you can't buy a good swing plane etc etc,, none of that comes with a fitting. I don't think many would benefit from an early fitting, but as your swing becomes more repeatable or predictable, I truly believe it's one of the single most important factors in the success of ones game besides lessons, and or serious practice.
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I agree, no way 20% of golfers get fit for their clubs. I'd be shocked if 20% of frequent golfers got fit for their last purchase. Nothing worse (in my opinion) than giving away distance or accuracy just because your clubs dont fit.
 
I'd be shocked if more than 20% of THPrs were for for there clubs. It's not going to be for everyone, I understand that. But can it benefit everyone to have the proper shaft, lie, spin, loft and help them to shoot lower scores...most definetly
 
Tadashi70 said:
I'd be shocked if more than 20% of THPrs were for for there clubs. It's not going to be for everyone, I understand that. But can it benefit everyone to have the proper shaft, lie, spin, loft and help them to shoot lower scores...most definetly
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I agree. I think being fit can make a big difference--not just for finding the right length, lie, loft, shaft, etc, but also for finding the right clubs for you. What iron set or driver looks cool may not actually be good for your game. I think a lot of people just buy something based on looks. I think the fitting process is educational as well. And fun. But that's just me.
 
Zenger said:
Were Hogans clubs fitted ?

tapp tapp tapp tappatalk
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I bet they were. I do not know a ton about Hogan, but if he was as much of a perfectionist as he is made out to be I would be very willing to bet that he tinkered with his lie angle until it was perfect.

Even if a golfer is brand new, having the grips at least fit will matter a ton. Some fitting is always benefitial. I also believe that to get fitted once is a mistake. Because the swing changes, angles of attack and swing planes change. Even if clubs were bought fitted, having them check periodically is a must.
 
blugold said:
I also believe that to get fitted once is a mistake. Because the swing changes, angles of attack and swing planes change. Even if clubs were bought fitted, having them check periodically is a must.
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That is good to know, as I always wondered what you would do if you felt like your swing was changing. I plan on going for my first fitting (way overdue) and sounds like something I should do at least once a season.
 
Philly Golf Guy said:
That is good to know, as I always wondered what you would do if you felt like your swing was changing. I plan on going for my first fitting (way overdue) and sounds like something I should do at least once a season.
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If nothing else, just get onto a compression board with some impact tape and see if your lie angle is still where it needs to be.
 
Damaikis said:
I want to do this for all my clubs except driver. I'm pretty intrigued by what it could do for me.
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I know that it would help with the irons. Especially since it can eliminate the club fit from the equation when you're trying to hit greens in regulation from 150 and in and get yourself a good look at birdie.
 
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