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Fitting questions from the oblivious

Nippon Shafts
BigTreble

BigTreble

Well-known member
Joined
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Location
SW WI
How in da #$&% do I pick a fitter?

So i will be asking my instructor in the near future, but have been searching professor Google, and I seem to to see most of the click bait style articles promoting the big box golf specialty stores. In the back if my mind i wonder just how well trained these people are or if they care about ther job enough to be thorough. I don't live in a metro area, so i will be driving a bit to get to one.

Concerned i have a fitter jam me into something they need to unload/sell or whatever they have versus what i need.

Is there certifications or a fitting locator that i am missing? Also searched the forums here, but didn't see anything like that.

What questions should I ask to prevent being taken advantage of? What questions could i ask to identify any red flags?
 
I think there's ranking out there by state, but from what it sounds like you can go wrong with club champion and they're a chain so maybe something in your area?

For me, I have a cc semi close, but theres a fitter about 20 min away thags ranked at the top of the list for NJ. I only did a driver fitting with them before and I wish they had an outdoor space, but Sims are used by many fitters anyways
 
Gyro25 said:
I think there's ranking out there by state, but from what it sounds like you can go wrong with club champion and they're a chain so maybe something in your area?

For me, I have a cc semi close, but theres a fitter about 20 min away thags ranked at the top of the list for NJ. I only did a driver fitting with them before and I wish they had an outdoor space, but Sims are used by many fitters anyways
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Im about 3-4 hours from the closest two CC., anout 1.5 hours from a GG 45 minutes from UGolf, and 1.25 hours from a Golftech & nevada Bob's which honestly seems to have the sharpest people.

The UGolf I walked into, was not only pretty young but was dressed more like he came from the gym, and a bit sophomoric to say it nicely. Also hate to be the azzhat that asks tons of questions to sound like i know what I'm talking about and never come back...but i will
 
Club Champion is a solid choice. My first experience with them was for a driver fitting before they opened in my area, so I had to drive 2+ hours each way, and I still felt it was worth the time and expense. You are not committed to buy from them, and you can make it clear up front what your expectations are, your budget, etc. I've now had a driver fitting, an iron fitting, and a putter fitting at CC, I bought a putter from them, but the for the driver and irons I just went over all the data they provided from the fittings, and went with something other than their #1 recommendations. Both times I sourced club / shaft combos elsewhere that were very close to their #1 recommendations in performance, for about half what they wanted for their top picks.
 
It can be pretty intimidating. But it’s your money. Don’t be sold something you aren’t 100% sure on.
Here’s a few tips that helped me.

Go in with a set budget. Tell the fitter that up front. I cannot spend more than X dollars. Period. But also tell them if you take the eventual club you buy on the course and it performs well out in the real world you plan on coming back to get fit for more clubs. That’s incentive to help you. Not sell you something you don’t need.

Get familiar with how golf simulators work and what all those numbers mean. All of it. Spend one night on YouTube understanding spin, launch angle, ball speed, all of it and how it can help or hurt what you are trying to accomplish.

Bring a club with you that you KNOW how far you can carry with off a mat. Like a 7 iron. If you know your pured 7 iron off a mat will go 160 and you see the simulator spit out 175 plus then you know something is up. Don’t be afraid to go back to it during the fitting to “test” the distance you are seeing.

Bring your own balls as well. No point in getting fit with Pro V1s if you game Callaway Chrome Softs ect. Who knows what balls they may have there.

Bring your instructor with you if you can. Use one of your lessons for a visit to the fitter. If your instructor is any good he won’t let them overwhelm you. Even if it’s only via video chat while you are there. A knowledgeable golfer is a bad fitters worst nightmare. And a good fitters best friend.

Now all this may seem paranoid or have you think that all fitters are out to scam you. Most of them aren’t. But already having a good idea of what you want can really help them do a better job for you. And ultimately get you into the club that fits your game the best.

Good luck!
 
OldeDude said:
Club Champion is a solid choice. My first experience with them was for a driver fitting before they opened in my area, so I had to drive 2+ hours each way, and I still felt it was worth the time and expense. You are not committed to buy from them, and you can make it clear up front what your expectations are, your budget, etc. I've now had a driver fitting, an iron fitting, and a putter fitting at CC, I bought a putter from them, but the for the driver and irons I just went over all the data they provided from the fittings, and went with something other than their #1 recommendations. Both times I sourced club / shaft combos elsewhere that were very close to their #1 recommendations in performance, for about half what they wanted for their top picks.
Click to expand...
Jason89er said:
It can be pretty intimidating. But it’s your money. Don’t be sold something you aren’t 100% sure on.
Here’s a few tips that helped me.

Go in with a set budget. Tell the fitter that up front. I cannot spend more than X dollars. Period. But also tell them if you take the eventual club you buy on the course and it performs well out in the real world you plan on coming back to get fit for more clubs. That’s incentive to help you. Not sell you something you don’t need.

Get familiar with how golf simulators work and what all those numbers mean. All of it. Spend one night on YouTube understanding spin, launch angle, ball speed, all of it and how it can help or hurt what you are trying to accomplish.

Bring a club with you that you KNOW how far you can carry with off a mat. Like a 7 iron. If you know your pured 7 iron off a mat will go 160 and you see the simulator spit out 175 plus then you know something is up. Don’t be afraid to go back to it during the fitting to “test” the distance you are seeing.

Bring your own balls as well. No point in getting fit with Pro V1s if you game Callaway Chrome Softs ect. Who knows what balls they may have there.

Bring your instructor with you if you can. Use one of your lessons for a visit to the fitter. If your instructor is any good he won’t let them overwhelm you. Even if it’s only via video chat while you are there. A knowledgeable golfer is a bad fitters worst nightmare. And a good fitters best friend.

Now all this may seem paranoid or have you think that all fitters are out to scam you. Most of them aren’t. But already having a good idea of what you want can really help them do a better job for you. And ultimately get you into the club that fits your game the best.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Wow great stuff from both of you. Honestly was a little cautious to ask but so far glad i did.
 
BigTreble said:
How in da #$&% do I pick a fitter?

So i will be asking my instructor in the near future, but have been searching professor Google, and I seem to to see most of the click bait style articles promoting the big box golf specialty stores. In the back if my mind i wonder just how well trained these people are or if they care about ther job enough to be thorough. I don't live in a metro area, so i will be driving a bit to get to one.

Concerned i have a fitter jam me into something they need to unload/sell or whatever they have versus what i need.

Is there certifications or a fitting locator that i am missing? Also searched the forums here, but didn't see anything like that.

What questions should I ask to prevent being taken advantage of? What questions could i ask to identify any red flags?
Click to expand...

I like to look at high-end shaft and component websites as they will often list fitters outside of the big box. Check out Fujikura, Miura, Kinetixx, True Temper, and other component websites.

Also, I would take a look at Sub 70 products. If you like their products, you could get a fitting at their Sycamore, IL location. By all accounts their clubs are stellar and their customer service is great.
 
Also, saw you were in SW Wisconsin. Take a look at the Ironworks, a Ping certified fitter in Beloit.
 
Best bet is either to check a couple manufacturer websites for certified fitters or a nearby club champion. While a chain they do go through training and are very knowledgeable in my experience. Remember you don’t have to buy anything except the fitting itself. It can be a great experience if you go in with an open mind.
 
Try to find some certified fitters in your area. Compare fitting prices. Many places you can just pay for the fitting, and don’t need to pay for the clubs. Some discount the fitting if you get clubs from them. I have a top 100 fitter in my area and they’re pretty good.
You could also try a few demo days, but those will be sales reps/fitters from each company, trying to fit you into their specific brand. These are free around me and a good way to maybe compare is to go to a few different brands demo days to see if you generally get fit into the same type of equipment. It’s a good start, at least.
 
games said:
I like to look at high-end shaft and component websites as they will often list fitters outside of the big box. Check out Fujikura, Miura, Kinetixx, True Temper, and other component websites.

Also, I would take a look at Sub 70 products. If you like their products, you could get a fitting at their Sycamore, IL location. By all accounts their clubs are stellar and their customer service is great.
Click to expand...
games said:
Also, saw you were in SW Wisconsin. Take a look at the Ironworks, a Ping certified fitter in Beloit.
Click to expand...
In the past week I have actually been on both their websites and ironically make it to both Beloit and sycamore/Dekalb are in my territory. Havent been in either one of their shops yet but they definitely are on my radar now. I appreciate it. Will also check out the shafts sites for info. Thanks i appreciate it.

Just to be candid The sub 70 and other small iron companies might scare me a tad, just concerned they may not have the resources and to command tight tolerances. Its sad because their heart and head, are in the place we would want the fitters to have. But i will try to swing in there.
 
jdtox said:
Best bet is either to check a couple manufacturer websites for certified fitters or a nearby club champion. While a chain they do go through training and are very knowledgeable in my experience. Remember you don’t have to buy anything except the fitting itself. It can be a great experience if you go in with an open mind.
Click to expand...
TY Sir
Misike said:
Try to find some certified fitters in your area. Compare fitting prices. Many places you can just pay for the fitting, and don’t need to pay for the clubs. Some discount the fitting if you get clubs from them. I have a top 100 fitter in my area and they’re pretty good.
You could also try a few demo days, but those will be sales reps/fitters from each company, trying to fit you into their specific brand. These are free around me and a good way to maybe compare is to go to a few different brands demo days to see if you generally get fit into the same type of equipment. It’s a good start, at least.
Click to expand...

Good tip I may go to a few of those if I can find them
 
Club Champion is a great place to start but it ain’t cheap. I’ve used them & been very pleased.
 
Gyro25 said:
I think there's ranking out there by state, but from what it sounds like you can go wrong with club champion and they're a chain so maybe something in your area?

For me, I have a cc semi close, but theres a fitter about 20 min away thags ranked at the top of the list for NJ. I only did a driver fitting with them before and I wish they had an outdoor space, but Sims are used by many fitters anyways
Click to expand...

Which fitter did you go to? I'm in NJ and have started looking for a fitter.
 
Club Champion is usually a solid choice. But you asked about criteria and I'll give you some that might help you confirm or re-evaluate your tentative conclusion.

Fitting is their business
If it's a side gig some of those tendencies you wanted to avoid, specifically selling you something they want to unload, could occur. If fitting is their business and their career that is less likely. Their reputation is their business and they plan to be around long enough to generate repeat business. That's not going to happen if you burned someone.

A Brand Agnostic Fitter
There are some very fine fitters that work for club manufacturers. But you are unlikely to get an optimum fitting. They simply have their hands tied with two few options. Maybe 3-5 iron club heads and 4-5 shafts for irons.

With 10,000 or more Combinations
That is enough to give the clubfitter plenty of combinations to give you the best fit in equipment.

And Specialized Training or Vast Experience
Places like Club Champion and True Spec have their own ongoing training and certification programs. They often recruit from club manufacturer's fitters who basically have their own training program, so they tend to be good candidates with a head start. A few independents found great mentors, and through that and a lot of experience built a great fitting business.
 
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links_slayer said:
Travis at Ironworks is the man.
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Thanks, you may be as local as it gets for me. Have you tried Bob's? I'm sure you have been in there, i get there every 2-3 months to browse and usually always get something. They seem to have a solid set up and claim to have a top WI instructor on property now. I know that doesn't mean much when looking at fitting. What is that makes it worth your wile to drive to Beloit?
 
BigTreble said:
Thanks, you may be as local as it gets for me. Have you tried Bob's? I'm sure you have been in there, i get there every 2-3 months to browse and usually always get something. They seem to have a solid set up and claim to have a top WI instructor on property now. I know that doesn't mean much when looking at fitting. What is that makes it worth your wile to drive to Beloit?
Click to expand...

I kinda just followed Travis. I first met him 15 years ago when he was at Cherokee and was referred to him by a friend who was a member there at the time. He fit me for my first set of clubs and also gave me a series of lessons throughout the summer. We jive really well and he's going to be my first call any time I'm looking for a lesson or a fitting.

To be totally transparent, I don't actually go to Beloit that often. He has an arrangement with a course around here where he does lessons at their range. The Ironworks facility is pretty great though, imo. 3 (?) simulators, sizable indoor putting/chipping area, fitting area, putting studio, bar w/ some food (I think). If I was closer I'd be there a lot...like too often...especially in winter.

I don't make it to Nevada Bob's that often - it's a pain in the ass for me to get to from where I am and every time I've been in there I've felt so claustrophobic with all the stuff they have crammed in their space. It's been a while so maybe this has changed. There are also 2 new-ish indoor facilities in Madison. Madison Indoor Golf and X Golf Madison. I've been to both and X Golf Madison's facility blows the other one out of the water and it's not even close. They offer lessons for sure but I don't think they offer fittings - don't quote me on this.
 
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