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Club Fitting preferences?

Nippon Shafts
ccjimmy2001

ccjimmy2001

2022 GOAT Cup Co-Champ (Team Tudor)
Albatross 2024 Club
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I'm planning to get a club fitting in the coming weeks. Two specific questions:
  1. Should I get a round or two in before getting fit, just to get the rust off my swing? (I'm in the Northeast and due to snow haven't swung a club since Nov)
  2. Anyone have preferences/recos on doing a fitting indoors (simulator) vs outdoors on a range (tracman)?
Thanks!
 
I've only had one fitting so take this as you will.
1) A decent fitter will get you to hit a load of warm up shots anyway, but a round before hand would certainly not hurt, or even a range session.
2) If I did it again, I would see if I could find an outdoor on grass fitting. As it was, I did indoor, sim with trackman. It was really good, but in reality. I doubt there is any substitution for grass. (although the turf they used was very nice)

Good luck (y)
 
Its really a matter of preference in my opinion. For me I'd rather see the ball flight outdoors vs hitting inside. However with a GC Quad or Trackman you can get some good info indoors as well. I'd definitely at least hit a large bucket a day or two before haha
 
Not having swung since November, I'd at least get a range session. A round is less important I think. What you're wanting is strike quality and distance.
 
I'd like to hear about some "fitting" experiences. I got fitted once, "Back in the Day." And my son got "fitted" just recently. Both at the local Roger Dunn chain store.

It seems to me, that they just trot out a few sets of demo clubs, and whichever set you happen to hit or like the best, are the one's you are "fitted" for.
Back when I had my so called fitting, swing speed was not measurable. So shaft stiffness was more "Feel" and visual input from the "fitter" more than anything. "Oh yeah! You hit that one a ton!" I bought 'em, played with 'em for a couple months, and hated 'em so much I traded 'em, losing money on the deal.

My son on the other hand did have his swing speed measured at his "fitting," which put him into regular shaft flex territory. But the rest, was simply sampling demo clubs, and he ended up buying a more expensive set. Big surprise there. (Note hint of sarcasm).

Based on that, I can't say I put much stock in retail store fitting. I think I'd rather do some research based on my own experience, and see about renting a demo set for at least 9 holes to see what happens out in the real world.

So what have your individual experiences been at the retail store level?
 
The fitter will only be able to fit you to the swing you bring that day. If you think you need a warmup session or two, go for it!
 
Mikey Lawless said:
I'd like to hear about some "fitting" experiences. I got fitted once, "Back in the Day." And my son got "fitted" just recently. Both at the local Roger Dunn chain store.

It seems to me, that they just trot out a few sets of demo clubs, and whichever set you happen to hit or like the best, are the one's you are "fitted" for.
Back when I had my so called fitting, swing speed was not measurable. So shaft stiffness was more "Feel" and visual input from the "fitter" more than anything. "Oh yeah! You hit that one a ton!" I bought 'em, played with 'em for a couple months, and hated 'em so much I traded 'em, losing money on the deal.

My son on the other hand did have his swing speed measured at his "fitting," which put him into regular shaft flex territory. But the rest, was simply sampling demo clubs, and he ended up buying a more expensive set. Big surprise there. (Note hint of sarcasm).

Based on that, I can't say I put much stock in retail store fitting. I think I'd rather do some research based on my own experience, and see about renting a demo set for at least 9 holes to see what happens out in the real world.

So what have your individual experiences been at the retail store level?
Click to expand...

I was fit once at a big box retail location and would not recommend it to anyone else. I am sure there are some that can do good work, but professional fitters are quite a bit different than what I and it sounds like you experienced. The fittings can be as detailed as you want/need them to be, but it will cost money.
 
Be sure to bring your brain if getting fit... sometimes the fitter may do somethings that just dont seem correct for you and your swing, be cautious when they try to up-sell you. some people don't know some of their current clubs might be able to be bent or re-shafted. Not all clubs but a lot of them can be adjusted and a lot of golfers dont know this. Also be cautious when the fitters says your flex is incorrect - might be part of the up-sell. At some places you can borrow the NEW fitted club he/she used and take it to the course and play a few holes. Be wise before you open your wallet. I play with a lot of different handicap golfers... some have got fit and still can't hit a ball.
 
1) I always suggest at least swinging and moving around a little bit. There's plenty of times where someone will come in without having swung in months and then their back or legs start hurting because they haven't used those muscles in forever.
2) Outdoor is king because turf interaction plays a bigger role than most people think. I use trackman for my fittings and there's some mathematical ways we can determine wedge bounce when hitting indoors in the winter but outside on the ground is always the best.

As for the box store vs a company coming to your club I've been on both sides of it and can tell you to almost always go with the fitting at your club. I worked at Golf Galaxy and there just aren't as many resources available to us. You can honestly get "trained" better by watching TXG on youtube and making notes on why they choose shafts or head than what our company videos tell us. As an associate I was teaching our workers how to fit more than the guy at corporate that was sent out for training because I was trained as a club tech first and worked with many great fitters and builders during that process. Onto the actual fitting, there just aren't as many options available at the store vs the club fittings. There's 1 or 2 shafts of each weight and flex while my matrix I bring with me to courses has 2 staff bags full of driver shafts, 2 full of iron shafts and another with fairways and hybrids.
 
I’ve used 2nd swing here in Minnesota for two fittings. Both experiences were indoors and definitely beneficial. Both times it was mid winter so no chance to shoot a round, the fitters give you plenty of warm up cuts.
I would say have a target for clubs you’ve been eyeing and stick to those and venture to a few others otherwise you’ll run out of time swinging dozens of 7 irons!
 
This is what a fitting bay looks like where I plan to get fitted for irons in a few months:

Fitting_Bay.png


Apparently they use a TrackMan IV and their fitters are TrackMan certified. Reviews I've read by people having fittings done there have been universally positive.
 
I had a fabulous PXG fitting at low cost that was range and monitor outside and it now is my strong preference. I would at least hit balls some before any fitting and play if possible- good luck and enjoy process!
 
I had a fitting with Taylor Made using trackman on a grass range. It’s absolutely the way to go as far as I’m concerned. But then, I’m someone that actually likes to see the flight, probably more than the numbers.
 
I am not a fitter and will never claim to be. So, I'm just speaking from an amateur golfer's viewpoint.

I've been fit at a PGA Superstore (nothing but a sales pitch), at a Club Champion (a sales pitch and con man), and at my club by a Mizuno rep. In my experience the PGASS and CC experiences were a complete waste of my time and money. The outdoor fitting with the Mizuno rep was great. I'm still gaming those sticks 2 years later.

I would advise playing a couple of rounds or range sessions before going to get fit. As many on here have said in the past, I would not advise a full bag ftting if you can avoid doing so. Split it up. Your back and legs will thank you for it. FWIW.
 
Mikey Lawless said:
I'd like to hear about some "fitting" experiences. I got fitted once, "Back in the Day." And my son got "fitted" just recently. Both at the local Roger Dunn chain store.

It seems to me, that they just trot out a few sets of demo clubs, and whichever set you happen to hit or like the best, are the one's you are "fitted" for.
Back when I had my so called fitting, swing speed was not measurable. So shaft stiffness was more "Feel" and visual input from the "fitter" more than anything. "Oh yeah! You hit that one a ton!" I bought 'em, played with 'em for a couple months, and hated 'em so much I traded 'em, losing money on the deal.

My son on the other hand did have his swing speed measured at his "fitting," which put him into regular shaft flex territory. But the rest, was simply sampling demo clubs, and he ended up buying a more expensive set. Big surprise there. (Note hint of sarcasm).

Based on that, I can't say I put much stock in retail store fitting. I think I'd rather do some research based on my own experience, and see about renting a demo set for at least 9 holes to see what happens out in the real world.

So what have your individual experiences been at the retail store level?
Click to expand...

I have had fittings at just about every place and most of them have been pretty good.
Although I have struggled with them at the retail store level.

My Club Champion fittings have been tremendous. I know @Canadan and I have talked about it before how well they went for us.
 
I am not sure where in the northeast the OP lives or where you are getting fit but even at PGASS for example unfortunately the quality of the fit depends on who works with you.

A good fitter makes recommendations on clubheads and shafts based on your swings and the results they see combined with input from you. I have done a fitting at a Cool Clubs satellite in MA and it was excellent. A Cool Clubs or Club Champion fitting is different than a big box store. They are trying to get you into the perfect fit and will try to upsell you. You should expect some sales effort. That doesn't mean they should be a jerk or overly pushy but you can expect some effort to sell you.

Interestingly I literally just came back from a Club Champion putter fitting. I thought the fitter was very good and at the end of the day with a couple of tweaks she thought that one of my putters (I brought 3) was an excellent fit. She made adjustments to all of the putters I brought and wasn't pushy at all. I hit a few different putters but nothing was dramatically different better for me than what I brought. It was interesting, confirmed a few things and I thought worth the cost.
 
Mikey Lawless said:
I'd like to hear about some "fitting" experiences. I got fitted once, "Back in the Day." And my son got "fitted" just recently. Both at the local Roger Dunn chain store

So what have your individual experiences been at the retail store level?
Click to expand...
I’d been away from the game for a very long time and the equipment has changed soooo much from when I last played, I felt I had to go to a professional fitter for irons that matched my slower, senior swing speed. Not knowing any better, I hit balls and got opinions at 3 different big box stores. The first two had very different opinions on what I should be using and the third had me getting advice from a teenager who barely knew how to turn the launch monitor on, and had no idea what the numbers that came up meant. From there, I found a highly rated training center that has multple, indoor, fitting rooms where you hit premium balls off a mat but to the outdoor range. Cost for a 75 minute iron fitting was $125. He had clubs and shafts from nearly every manufacturer. I left myself in his hands, relying on his experience to save time. My only disappointment was that you really only get to test 7 irons. I wanted to see how well I could hit the new long irons or should I go with hybrids instead but that wasn’t possible. Once we worked out what was best for me, I ordered the clubs from him. The discount he offered were better than I could get at a big box store was more than I paid for the fitting so it was a good deal all the way around.
 
JB said:
I have had fittings at just about every place and most of them have been pretty good.
Although I have struggled with them at the retail store level.

My Club Champion fittings have been tremendous. I know @Canadan and I have talked about it before how well they went for us.
Click to expand...
I think Club Champion is spectacular.

Every location I have been to has been incredibly generous about their time, respectful of mine, and have acted like my fitting was as important to them as it was for me. I have referred countless friends/family to those locations and will continue to do so until I hear the experience is different.

@Mikey Lawless I think you'd be thrilled with how much attention to detail Club Champion would provide to you.
 
I'm sure they would.
Unfortunately, their nearest location is 200 miles away, and in areas of California where angels fear to tread.
 
A range session to shake off the rust is a good idea. Stretch out at home just before the session. If you have a seat heater in your car, turn it on to warm you back on the way to the fitting.
As for the fitting, I've only be fit at big box stores. As a women I was limited to the 4 brands they carry. Never fitted with a shaft, just the standard one that came with the club. All of my fittings have been indoors and off mats.
 
ccjimmy2001 said:
I'm planning to get a club fitting in the coming weeks. Two specific questions:
  1. Should I get a round or two in before getting fit, just to get the rust off my swing? (I'm in the Northeast and due to snow haven't swung a club since Nov)
  2. Anyone have preferences/recos on doing a fitting indoors (simulator) vs outdoors on a range (tracman)?
Thanks!
Click to expand...

Do not hit too many warm up shots before the fitting!. I showed up about a half hour early to my iron fitting and they let me in the bay with the Trackman, and I probably hit around 70 balls trying to squeeze free time on the TM in with all of my clubs. It didn't go well after about 30ish swings in the fitting.:ROFLMAO:
 
I like being able to see the ball flight, as opposed to hitting a ball in a screen, or what have you.
 
Apropos the thread subject, this popped-up on another forum not long ago:

 
If it were me I would not go to a fitting rusty. I would prefer to at least play some and have my normal swing going good, then go for the fitting.
 
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