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The Club Champion Driver Fitting

Nippon Shafts
That setup looks amazing, all the possibilities....and 7 yards is a big deal. I'm a bit surprised you were playing a 70g shaft in driver. Did you your swing speed increase a few MPH going to the lighter shaft?

Also very cool that the fitter was able to help with a couple setup adjustments.
 
JB said:
Honestly, I am not sure. I think its a great place for any fitting, but they are not fitting out of a fitting cart, which is a huge benefit to the golfer, but when an event is tailored to certain choices, it brings in the aspect of getting fit into something that is not going to be offered or available to the participant.
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And haa. OK good point.

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7 yards is a huge pick up! I know CC was running a deal if you mentioned THP. Is that still active?
 
jdtox said:
That setup looks amazing, all the possibilities....and 7 yards is a big deal. I'm a bit surprised you were playing a 70g shaft in driver. Did you your swing speed increase a few MPH going to the lighter shaft?

Also very cool that the fitter was able to help with a couple setup adjustments.
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Honestly? No. It might have slightly, but not something that was seen while there. I think the speed fluctuates in general for most swing to swing and I was pretty consistently with in 2-4 mph range. I do believe that lighter and longer could bring some increases, but that would be golfer dependent on whether or not it brings a negative somewhere else.

An interesting sidebar on this, with my 2 driver setup, the fitter thought I could easily go to 45.5 or even 46" in this one, but comfort level was more ideal with 45".
 
Thanks for the write up. I’ve never been super happy with my 3 driver fittings. I’ve alway wound up with a shaft a month or two after a fitting that gave me better results. I’ve bought at least 15 driver over the past 5 years and have more than one shaft for several of them but the number of combinations I’ve tried is more like 50, not anywhere near 35,000.

A few of my buddies have been fit at the Club Champion in Edina Minnesota and all picked up 6-18 yards after their fitting. Our new home is just 4 miles from that location so I’m going in for a fitting in the new couple months. I’d love to see an extra 7 yards off the tee!
 
I've been toying with the idea of going back to Club Champion for a fitting. I did it a few years back and they do a really good job at finding the right combination with no pressure. I have two to three drivers in my head that I want to try out and this will be the best way to get dialed in.
 
JB said:
Honestly I could have gone lower loft too. We were kind of in between, but the conversation we had about geography and maximizing where I play rather than to fit inside some standard box was pretty cool.
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Where did you get fit? Chicago or a Florida location?
 
PKorf said:
Would this be a perfect place for one lucky Morgan Copper to get their fittings done? (They just opened one in Cleveland)

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i'm not doing it until we know what options are available to us. once we know that, i will probably set something up with club champion and have them work within those parameters. i don't want to get fit for a combo that is not on the table.
 
so here's where i struggle a little bit with this.

on one hand, i 100% agree that people should get fit. i think people can get swept up in internet hivemind mentality and extrapolate some youtube guy's results to their own. low spin was good for him, it must be good for me. i'll take a 8.5* epic sub zero with hzrdus black please!

but on the other hand, we are constantly reminded that oems release clubs in setups that are meant to work best for the masses, straight off the rack.

i guess there is room for both to be true. maybe the fitting mantra should focus less on shafts, and more on finding the right loft, lie and length.

i would really like to see more oems offer components at better price points. when you go to club champion or true spec or other similar fitters, i have found that you pay full price for just the head, then full price for the after market shaft, full price for the grip, plus labor. my 818h1 hybrid from true spec cost me over $600 last year. the answer to your question is "yes, i do have 'sucker' written on my forehead." i think that makes people a little gunshy to go through the fitting when this game is already very expensive to begin with.
 
c.a.eleric said:
so here's where i struggle a little bit with this.

on one hand, i 100% agree that people should get fit. i think people can get swept up in internet hivemind mentality and extrapolate some youtube guy's results to their own. low spin was good for him, it must be good for me. i'll take a 8.5* epic sub zero with hzrdus black please!

but on the other hand, we are constantly reminded that oems release clubs in setups that are meant to work best for the masses, straight off the rack.

i guess there is room for both to be true. maybe the fitting mantra should focus less on shafts, and more on finding the right loft, lie and length.

i would really like to see more oems offer components at better price points. when you go to club champion or true spec or other similar fitters, i have found that you pay full price for just the head, then full price for the after market shaft, full price for the grip, plus labor. my 818h1 hybrid from true spec cost me over $600 last year. the answer to your question is "yes, i do have 'sucker' written on my forehead." i think that makes people a little gunshy to go through the fitting when this game is already very expensive to begin with.
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I actually agree with this. I think there is a performance bubble that can be tackled if one wants to go that route. The flip side is the "curve" that manufacturers are releasing can be solid for a lot of golfers. Then add in the fact that a fitting is done in a sterile environment so to speak. Several swings, all controlled (outside or inside) and it being swing dependent.

One thing I enjoyed during my most recent at Club Champion was less emphasis just on total maximum distance, but also a deep conversation about learning to minimize risk. They are not mutually exclusive, so it was a fun discussion of the ability to still get the best of both worlds.
 
The Club Champion Driver Fitting

c.a.eleric said:
so here's where i struggle a little bit with this.

on one hand, i 100% agree that people should get fit. i think people can get swept up in internet hivemind mentality and extrapolate some youtube guy's results to their own. low spin was good for him, it must be good for me. i'll take a 8.5* epic sub zero with hzrdus black please!

but on the other hand, we are constantly reminded that oems release clubs in setups that are meant to work best for the masses, straight off the rack.

i guess there is room for both to be true. maybe the fitting mantra should focus less on shafts, and more on finding the right loft, lie and length.

i would really like to see more oems offer components at better price points. when you go to club champion or true spec or other similar fitters, i have found that you pay full price for just the head, then full price for the after market shaft, full price for the grip, plus labor. my 818h1 hybrid from true spec cost me over $600 last year. the answer to your question is "yes, i do have 'sucker' written on my forehead." i think that makes people a little gunshy to go through the fitting when this game is already very expensive to begin with.
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One thing I’ve found with Club Champion was they weren’t pushing for the sale once the fitting was done. They give you all the data and you figure out where your budget will allow to buy from.

I agree that at times we can over think things, but we are a small subset of the golfing public with enough knowledge to be dangerous and tinker. Which can lead to an incorrect fitting.

For Joe golfer who is bombarded by “10 more yards” “spin should be X” “Flex should be Y” an unbiased fitting at a place like this can help out a lot. OEM’s are constantly saying to get fit to make the best informed decision, and the brick and mortars don’t do a good job at that imo.
 
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c.a.eleric said:
so here's where i struggle a little bit with this.


i would really like to see more oems offer components at better price points. when you go to club champion or true spec or other similar fitters, i have found that you pay full price for just the head, then full price for the after market shaft, full price for the grip, plus labor. my 818h1 hybrid from true spec cost me over $600 last year. the answer to your question is "yes, i do have 'sucker' written on my forehead." i think that makes people a little gunshy to go through the fitting when this game is already very expensive to begin with.
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I 100% agree with this. Even if OEM's only offered components to preferred fitters I think it would be a fantastic idea. I know we have heard buy the driver get the shaft for free, but there has to be something in there to account for the shaft, even if its $50. IF they want to promote a proper fitting then to me it makes perfect sense.
 
I love these stories. Always feel like kid in a candy store when I go to these places. Glad it worked out so well for you!!
 
I had a full bag fitting last year. Phew, I will never do that again. My driver settings were changed from 12° to 10.5° and my shaft changed from stiff to regular. I gained about 5 yards. It wasn't a huge gain but a gain. If I was to do it again, I would do woods one day and irons another day.

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c.a.eleric said:
so here's where i struggle a little bit with this.

on one hand, i 100% agree that people should get fit. i think people can get swept up in internet hivemind mentality and extrapolate some youtube guy's results to their own. low spin was good for him, it must be good for me. i'll take a 8.5* epic sub zero with hzrdus black please!

but on the other hand, we are constantly reminded that oems release clubs in setups that are meant to work best for the masses, straight off the rack.

i guess there is room for both to be true. maybe the fitting mantra should focus less on shafts, and more on finding the right loft, lie and length.

i would really like to see more oems offer components at better price points. when you go to club champion or true spec or other similar fitters, i have found that you pay full price for just the head, then full price for the after market shaft, full price for the grip, plus labor. my 818h1 hybrid from true spec cost me over $600 last year. the answer to your question is "yes, i do have 'sucker' written on my forehead." i think that makes people a little gunshy to go through the fitting when this game is already very expensive to begin with.
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This is a really great point. While the stock shafts offered in today's clubs are miles ahead of what we have seen in the past they may still not be a good fit for every person which is something I experience firsthand.

I went in to a fitting last winter and I was playing an M1 with the stock shaft and had been seeing good results. During the fitting I found out that the shaft was basically the exact opposite of what I should play (I can't remember exactly why but tip/butt sections were too stiff, kickpoints wrong, etc.). I gave him the stipulation that I was only interested in non upcharge shafts and he was able to find one that added 6 yards and helped eliminate one side of the course. Giving him the stipulation that I only wanted non upcharge was huge, one of my buddies ended up spending $700 on a driver by going with a different option.

On the flip side I bet the stock shafts offered today would fit much of the population nicely. I'm probably more of an outlier as I have a weird swing which resulted in needing a different shaft.
 
Great write-up and experience JB, thank you. I am curious was the Project X HZRDUS Yellow the longest in distance or was it a combination of feel and distance that made the selection. I have found that a certain shaft may be longer if I hit it just right but the problem that "home run" only occurred 50% of the time and the misses were big time misses.

I find that I can typically hit a stiff shaft longer but with my swing which I would characterize as "smooth" that a regular shafted driver is more appropriate and I see more of the benefit of the shaft profile rather than have to continuously muscle a stiff. I did an experiment last year and bought the almost identical shaft as my gamer but about 10 grams heavier but in a stiff shaft (stiff tip also) and I found that at the end of the round I was spent because I had to really muscle the shaft to get the head to come around otherwise I was hitting push shots. Anyway, the shaft only lasted 5 rounds and I sold it for what I purchased so was no loss.

I have never had the luxury of a fitting in the context of a Club Champion, so JB, having the vast selection of shafts available did you find similar results in that the Project X just felt right under every swing?
 
The headquarter facility for Club Champion in Willowbrook is really cool. It's a golfer's playground for sure - The assembly area is in a glassed off and you can watch them assemble the clubs. Some of the Northern Illinois THPer's use the Deerfield store. Tim Naughton, who has fitted a couple of THPer's is amazing to work with, he knows his "Stuff" and conducts a "No pressure" environment to do a club fitting.

I recently went through a Driver fitting at Club Champion and was thoroughly pleased with the process.
Now, I know that I just got back from the GD and best fitters in the world work there, however once the "Adrenaline" left my veins, I started see a ball flight pattern that I didn't like. Even saw it in hindsight at The Hideaway when we were playing. I knew that I had to get it fixed.

I'm fortunate that for the first time I had a set of clubs that were "Mainstream" that CC could work with. So I had the club heads, I just needed a shaft adjustment (Thank you Callaway!) It happens - I'm turning a positive and making it "More Positive"

We tried 6 different shafts before he put the VA Slay in. As soon as he gave me the club with that shaft in it, I knew it was the right shaft. I would have never had the opportunity to try that shaft if I didn't go to CC.

What I gained was faster ball speed, more distance but what I gained even more was better direction and better dispersion. The ball now stays on the left side of the middle instead of leaking to the right. Even my swing coach noticed the difference. First thing he said was "Love the flight of the ball with that new shaft"

I could have had the shaft put in by someone else however I felt the Driver was so important that I wanted the extra care (SST Pure of the shaft) to be done. I also wanted to get a certain swing weight, which he was able to do. Even put a little Tungsten shavings in the epoxy when he glue the adaptor to give me a little extra weight in the heel to help me turn it over. That's service that I could get anywhere else I don't think.

I was never under pressure to have the shafts done at CC. They even gave me a sheet with the shafts he fit me into and let me make my own decision which I did for the Fairway woods.

My Iron shaft "fitting" is today. Really looking forward to it. Maybe we don't changing anything, That's ok. 100% confirmation is a good thing.

As far as fitting goes, the first thing that any Callaway staffer says on a Podcast is "Get Fit and see if our products will fit you" It's always "Get Fit" - So that is what I did.
 
Jimmy3864 said:
Great write-up and experience JB, thank you. I am curious was the Project X HZRDUS Yellow the longest in distance or was it a combination of feel and distance that made the selection. I have found that a certain shaft may be longer if I hit it just right but the problem that "home run" only occurred 50% of the time and the misses were big time misses.

I find that I can typically hit a stiff shaft longer but with my swing which I would characterize as "smooth" that a regular shafted driver is more appropriate and I see more of the benefit of the shaft profile rather than have to continuously muscle a stiff. I did an experiment last year and bought the almost identical shaft as my gamer but about 10 grams heavier but in a stiff shaft (stiff tip also) and I found that at the end of the round I was spent because I had to really muscle the shaft to get the head to come around otherwise I was hitting push shots. Anyway, the shaft only lasted 5 rounds and I sold it for what I purchased so was no loss.

I have never had the luxury of a fitting in the context of a Club Champion, so JB, having the vast selection of shafts available did you find similar results in that the Project X just felt right under every swing?
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The distance difference between shafts is fairly minimal for me. It was about fine tuning at that point for my game and getting something I could square up well.
 
That was a great read. I've had 3 driver fittings over the years, and I wasn't necessarily impressed with each. Some of that is based on me feeling like the fitter wasn't engaged or involved in the process and had better things to do, or there was just limited options. I've toyed with the idea of taking the trek to Club Championship at some point. I think the biggest thing for me is trusting the process and not always feeling like there's "always something better". It was neat to read about your gains and. Also a good reminder that there is so much that goes into a fitting.

Great write-up!
 
Really good stuff JB. (Still considering doing a wedge fitting for titleist sm7s but that’s for another thread)

Great info. Club champion is really really good at what they do.


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Very interesting indeed, definitely enjoyed it. Can't wait for more coverage with Club Champion so we can see all of that data they provide.
 
I've been wanting to do a driver fitting for a long time. It looks like Club Champion will be opening a new location in Miami soon. I'll definitely check it out!!
 
J-Pin said:
I had a full bag fitting last year. Phew, I will never do that again. My driver settings were changed from 12° to 10.5° and my shaft changed from stiff to regular. I gained about 5 yards. It wasn't a huge gain but a gain. If I was to do it again, I would do woods one day and irons another day.

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5 yards is pretty big, and if it is more consistent yardage that is huge in the overall average. If I could cut out the big drop offs with my driver I would probably pick up 15-20 yards on average. I also agree that a full bag fitting is really tough, I am going to do another driver fitting in may. Las year I did driver in one, woods/hybrids in another and irons/wedges on their own. Putter was it's own unique animal.
 
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