Indoor vs outdoor club fitting

[golfer reborn]

About to get fitted for whole new set of clubs .I will be having a fitting indoors .
How reliable is fitting compared to real life performance on course.
When distance is given indoors is this a realistic representation of how far you hit on course.
Are company sponsored demo days of any value vs in store fitting .
I have been given a voucher for a 90 min fitting at callaway and when I mentioned this to the shop I will be fitted out at the guy was somewhat put out and implied it was a waste of time .I was otherwise impressed and his comments struck me as probably more an ego thing of why are you going elsewhere when I will do it better
Comments appreciated

 

[wadesworld]

Probably 99% of fitters make their determination of what fits by taking measurements, checking a lie board and impact tape, and by evaluating numbers on a launch monitor. Those activities can be done as well inside as they can outside. I'd say the vast majority of fittings done in the US are done indoors.

Demo days are typically of lesser value, because the rep is distracted with multiple people and can only spend a limited amount of time with you. He's there to get you interested in clubs, not to do full fittings.

If you've got a voucher for a free fitting, I'd do the free fitting first and see how comfortable you feel with the results. If there's any doubt afterwards, you can go for the second fitting if you desire. However, understand the results will likely not be the same, since your swing won't be exactly the same. So, be prepared to distill what you think is the best fitting advice between the two.

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

I've been through indoor fitting and I trust the fitter, but he also has a outdoor range, and there is no way I would ever buy a club based only on the indoor numbers. I want to see the results as well and that can only but done outside. If I can't see the ball flight, I'm not buying.

 

[tpluff]

I've been through indoor fitting and I trust the fitter, but he also has a outdoor range, and there is no way I would ever buy a club based only on the indoor numbers. I want to see the results as well and that can only but done outside. If I can't see the ball flight, I'm not buying.

Great point. Stats can lie. If it performs, then I'll buy it. Otherwise, I'll pass.

 

[tahoebum]

Static fitting and things like lie angle can be done with decent accuracy inside. Driver fitting is a different story. First, make sure the shop has a machine that can accurately measure backspin. Only the Trackman or Flightscope launch monitors have the ability to measure backspin with any reasonable accuracy. If whoever is doing the fitting doesn't have one of these two, don't trust the measurements. Also you need to use the golf ball that you are playing to get accurate results- range balls or hard two piece balls spin much differently than a premium ball.

I would never pick a club/shaft based on an indoor fitting alone. I have to take it outside and see what the ball flight is doing. The best way for me to tell if I have a spin problem with a particular driver/shaft is seeing the ball flight, not looking at spin numbers off a launch monitor.

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

Great point. Stats can lie. If it performs, then I'll buy it. Otherwise, I'll pass.

That has always been me. I trust my fitter well, but I still need to see the ball flight with my one eyes. I've had a few purchases go bad based only on indoor fittings. Easy to get something wrong shaft wise etc.

 

[blugold]

Great point. Stats can lie. If it performs, then I'll buy it. Otherwise, I'll pass.

I'm sorry, when numbers off a good launch monitor they do not lie.

Simulators are a different story.

But checking actually ball flights doesn't mean that a launch monitor is lying

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

I'm sorry, when numbers off a good launch monitor they do not lie.

Simulators are a different story.

But checking actually ball flights doesn't mean that a launch monitor is lying

I agree on the launch monitor, but I went thru a Trackman fitting last week when I was trading my Pings to Callaway X Hot clubs, and the Trackman looked good for me with a 9.5 degree driver, but it didn't work in real play. I was lucky they had a outdoor range so we worked over the driver fitting and I ended up at 11.5 degrees and the difference was night and day. This makes me a believer in still double checking before going home with new clubs.

 

[tahoebum]

I'm sorry, when numbers off a good launch monitor they do not lie.

Simulators are a different story.

But checking actually ball flights doesn't mean that a launch monitor is lying

Good launch monitors don't lie but there are quite a few bad launch monitors. I think many people are using a good launch monitor with a different ball or different tee height than they would use on the course. I hit outside with a Trackman launch monitor on Memorial Day and changing the tee height a little bit changed my launch angle a couple degrees and my backspin numbers a few hundred rpms. I was able to increase my carry Distance from 260 yds to 272 by changing the tee height! That's the best way to do a fitting - outside with a good monitor.

 

[Patriots1]

I won't be buying anything else until I'm actually able to hit it outside on the range. I must swing differently or tee it up differently because the hybrids I bought seemed pretty good inside using the monitors but they do not work very good outside. I think just being indoors throws me off because I can't see the ball flying through the air to see what it's really doing.