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Driver - Off the Rack or Fitting? Survey Done

SuperStroke
JB said:
Im genuinely curious if you have had a fitting in the past?
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I had a basic fitting for the irons I swing now, pretty much just to confirm that I'm within range for standard lofts and lie angles and what stiffness to use for shafts. But no, I haven't been fit for a driver. My coach suggested it, but I haven't taken him up on it. Will probably get a basic fitting for whatever driver I end up buying next.
 
The last time I was fitted for a driver was when MAC Burrows was around. It's been forever. Since then I know that my swing and my swing speed hasn't changed very much and so I've just purchased clubs to try out with similar launch profiles as the shaft I was fitted for back then. I know I know there are a bunch of newer shafts, etc. that I should be fitted for.

Hopefully it works out for me this next season that I can go through a full fitting again. Only time will tell though.
 
Jericho said:
I'm torn on this subject because a fitting certainly can be beneficial but it can also be a waste of money. I think I'm pretty good for a weekend hack and even I have numbers all over the grid when testing shafts on a LM. My launch can easily go from 11* to 19* on back to back swings. Those 2 swings require 2 completely different profile shafts. Consistency is the name of the game and if you're not consistent then a fitting is worthless. I think one can get along just fine with a basic fitting. After that it's called tweaking and tweaking isn't beneficial unless you can put the same swing on it time and time again.
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I think there is a lot of truth to this. I think especially when one starts out in this game they first would need some sort of consistent swing. Don't have to consistently be good at golf but do need to have developed a swing of his own before being fitted. Many people even more experienced will get refitted through the years as their swings change and/or further lessons have them making subtle swing changes.

But as far as a waste of money one can also argue that spending big bucks for the latest bestest everything driver (or irons too) is an even bigger waste to do before one has yet to develop a basic consistent swing and/or play enough golf. While the argument for not getting a fitting can be made for these reasons given (which can be legitimate) and considered not financially beneficial at the time, then one has to wonder what in the world justifies spending a bucket of bucks for the best and latest clubs while in the same circumstance?
 
I will agree that having a consistent swing is necessary to make a fitted driver (any club) perform.

But as some one who recently played a driver that didn't fit me anywhere close to one who has a fitted driver(also taking lessons). I will say that for me it is much easier to make a more consistent swing knowing that the driver will perform(recent finding) when I put my swing on it.


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I get fitted for irons, but with my woods, I just tried out various models in the bay, compared the numbers I was getting, and picked the one I liked best. I'm actually doing a set analysis with my Golftec coach this weekend, interested to see what comes out of it.

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Got a basic fitting for my new driver, which was actually a pretty enlightening experience in terms of the things I'm doing right and the things I could be doing better. Discovering the extra distance that can be had from teeing it forward and a bit higher to cut down on backspin and sweeping my strike a bit more. It's one thing to understand the swing mechanics, but they're reinforced when they translate to an extra 8 yards.
 
Really not at all surprised with the numbers in the survey. I've been fit for my irons but that's about it out of the current bag. I Was fit for a driver at one time, but it was just an extended hitting session with my (at the time) fitter's full selection at my disposal. Still not sure if I wasn't good enough to really take advantage or if he just wasn't interested, but that driver didn't play worth a crap for me on the course... He's on the GD list too FWIW. Everyone's experience is different.

Now that said, I'm not soured on fittings. I think that iron fittings are absolutely critical, and a lot can be learned from just going to a fitting, regardless of whether or not you end up buying. My last iron fitting, my fitter made some suggestions for the rest of my bag that really helped at the time. I'm thinking that a shaft fitting for the R1 may be in order...
 
I purchased my i20 after a basic fitting... I ended up purchasing a R flex with the stock Ping TFC707D shaft. I eventually exchanged it for a S flex. After reading up on shafts, I got curious and paid $50 for a driver fitting. The fitter put me on the launch monitor and dissected my numbers. We tried various combo's of heads, degrees of loft, and shafts... we couldn't find anything that improved my numbers. Sometimes, off the shelf is the better option... and paying for a fitting to confirm that is priceless imo.
 
JB, I'm curious as to where the people were from that took the survey. Were most of them in areas where they have ready access to places that do proper fittings?
 
The Hammer driver fits anyone.....
 
Picked up my new Callaway X Hot driver over the weekend.
Callaway are doing a promotion on the X Hot range clubs. If you buy a driver you get a free hybrid. So priced around a few local chain golf stores and took the plunge and ended up going to a smaller local store. I got fitted for the club the previous week, as the store has a good reputation for club fitting.

As my signature how shows I went for the X Hot Driver 10.5* fitted with a Prolaunch Speedcoat Red 60 Shaft. The store has racks and racks of every make/model shafts, but the fitter recommended Prolaunch Speedcoat Red 60 Regular shaft, as it fitted my profile better and was easy on the pocket.

When I was picking up the club he compared a stock club verses the fitted club and I was amazed at the difference in the motion between the shafts. The fitted shaft when flicked bobbed up and down perfectly on a vertical plane, whereas the stock club when up and down, side to side erratically.

The fitter also modified the Hybrid shaft to compliment the driver.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to hit the course this weekend, due to family commitments, but got an hour on the range and was pleased with the feel, launch and distance of both new clubs.

Money well spent……..Can’t wait to try them out on the course!
 
I think in-store fittings aren't all that special. You can research how to read a launch monitor, then do your own driver fitting in a store and it's probably nearly as good as what an employee in the store could do. So maybe the survey should have added the options "bought after personal fitting," and "bought after comprehensive (LA, SS, spin) personal fitting."

Also I think proper fittings can be tricky. I personally hit driver--all drivers--inconsistently. If you do a fitting and can't make solid contact but 10% of the time, the fitter is going to be a bit confused and maybe not pair you with an optimal shaft/head combo. Spending that extra $100 suddenly seems less worthwhile. I think proper fittings should be reserved for those who are striking near the center every time and have consistent swings, and I don't think many in the 12-21 handicap range of those tested in this survey are going to fit that bill.
 
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I agree 100% that in store fittings aren't all that, at least at the stores in my local area. whenever I've gotten fit for my new stuff (always Titleist) I just have my swing coach fit me, he's a Titleist rep
 
I remember when I went for a shaft fitting for my old driver (I was really just wanting to see if there was anything glaringly bad about my current setup), the only thing I came away with that was really recommended was increasing my launch angle.

I was shown on the trackman if I was able to alter my launch angle, that it would turn into X number of yards. I asked how would I increase my launch angle then? He said get a higher loft on the driver .... (I had a 9.5 degree driver at the time). That was really it. No recommendation on a shaft that might change anything, just a suggestion of changing the head.

I really wish I came out of that fitting with some numbers, or a printout of any kind so that I could compare then and now. A year later, 2 used drivers since then, and a real curiosity as to if I am better or worse off than I was before.
 
I've had clubs fitted to me, and also not fitted to me.

And I've never seen any difference in performance. I'm firmly of the opinion that fitting benefits only the better golfer. By better I mean low single figures.

For players like me who struggles to repeat their swing with any consistency getting fitted only means the club is fitted to the swing you made that day and not necessarily the one you make on the course.

I may well be in the minority here but as I said it's certainly my firm opinion.
 
Our local golf stores really only offer basic fittings from what I can tell. When I got fitted for my driver, I hit a number of different drivers, and shafts on a launch monitor. They measured my speed, etc... and then we narrowed it down to the two I was hitting the best. I consider this a pseudo fitting. But they are not equipped to have every shaft in stock with every driver combination.

now, I know guys who can buy a driver off the net and hit pretty much anything. Doesn't really matter what they play with. So I think the internet buying crowd is doing okay in some respects.
 
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