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How do you interpret numbers from a fitting

Nippon Shafts
Alez367

Alez367

Formerly Carlos C.
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Some talk lately in a couple threads has me questioning how I myself interpret numbers I get from a monitor versus numbers I get on course. I know the need to find distance is always there in a fitting but when I'm on course I'm playing to a number. I'm wondering now, how do you interpret numbers you get in a fitting or from a launch monitor so that you can take them to the course and not fail reproducing what you know you're capable of?
 
I think this would depend on how the fitting was done. Grass or mat? Indoors or out? I view the fitting as a one time comparison of club heads and shafts. Once I’m fit, I’ll get to the ranges and hit off grass, outdoors to get my numbers.

Any distance numbers from the fitting are just baseline that I’ll need to adjust.


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Going to depend on the fitting. For irons I’m not chasing distance. I’m looking for a specific feel, an acceptable ball flight, optimizing launch abd spin do that I get consistent distance and land angle that will allow me to hold greens.

For woods I’m looking for a good feel, ability to hit my stock/go to shot and optimizes carry and total. Chasing numbers here isn’t going to go well for my swing and results. In my testing and fittings the majority of drivers are going to generate similar ball speed for me and I seem to fall within the same launch (+/- 2-3*) and spin (+/- 300rpm). So it usuallly end up boiling down to what looks, sounds, feels best
 
Usually with driver it is carry distance and if it is rolling out or not. With irons I look mainly at "will it hold a green"
 
Driver: Ballspeed, Launch, Carry, peak height/descent angle
Fw: Ballspeed, carry, descent angle
Irons: Carry, spin, descent angle

But after all of those numbers, really I have to take to course to see if I play well with it. My M3 driver is a prime example where in the fitting I got some absurd numbers, but right now it's in the garage. My M3 fairway played so bad on the course I returned it. So even if I get good launch monitor numbers, that isn't the entire story.
 
I want to see consistency, both left to right, and front to back. If a fitter is tossing lots of shots with a certain club, I don't think that is a club I want to game regularly.

Ball speed, spin, launch angle should not be affected indoors vs outdoors with driver so all that should fit. Irons/wedges obviously there will be some differences in turf interaction but I think you can still see if you are hitting one club solidly. Again, goes back to my thinking that if the fitter is dropping lots of shots from a certain combo it probably isn't an option I want to play.
 
When I do a fitting, I try to only give you a couple shots with each combination. If it doesn't work right away, I don't want you to change your swing and get used to the club. I want something that truly works for you and your swing. You don't get 15 tries to hit a good one when you're out on the course so I try not to give you that many shots and force yourself to make it work.

If you are swinging naturally and you're hooking the ball with that club, I don't want you to change your swing and try to make it fade or stay straight.

For everything, I really hope the customer comes in and hits a few shots with their own clubs to form a baseline.

With drivers I'm looking at ball speed, launch angle, spin rate and carry distance. Irons and wedges are a little different to judge because of the turf interaction and the fact that we're hitting off mats but I look at the same numbers. Whenever I go into a fitting, I ask what their goals are. Whether they want more distance or to hit more fairways. If they say they don't care, I try to fit them into the straightest, most consistent combination that is long enough for their liking. If I'm able to, I try to give them a one way miss as well so they have one less thing to think about on the course.
 
Alez367 said:
Some talk lately in a couple threads has me questioning how I myself interpret numbers I get from a monitor versus numbers I get on course. I know the need to find distance is always there in a fitting but when I'm on course I'm playing to a number. I'm wondering now, how do you interpret numbers you get in a fitting or from a launch monitor so that you can take them to the course and not fail reproducing what you know you're capable of?
Click to expand...

I think it's important to avoid the mega distance pitfall that has been sucking so many golfers in for a few years now. Chasing distance usually means chasing low spin, and chasing low spin rarely translates to lower scores for a large segment of golfers IMO.
Also, if you go into a fitting and find yourself hitting a completely different flight or shot shape than you've ever played before - I doubt that fitting will stand up over time.
 
Ball speed, launch, peak, spin, descent.

Distance is the last thing I look at, if the other parameters are good or where I want/need them, distance will take care of itself.
 
I always take my gamers to a fitting and hit them first to get a base line if possible. No two fitting devices will mirror each other location to location. Unless of course you at a custom fitting center then it's possible if they maintain the systems.

This way I know what variances could do out on the course. Whatever swing I bring that day to the fitting ( or testing for new clubs) the swing itself now has meaning for those differences.


Without that base line it could be frustrating when you go live and those numbers you based your decision off were skued.

This is what I tell myself anyway and then if it's all messed up afterwards it has to be the clubs!
 
in order of importance

woods: launch, spin, ball speed, distance, dispersion
irons: dispersion, descent, distance
wedges: dispersion, distance

these key factors are based on me knowing enough about my game to try to make an informed decision.
 
I remember something from one of the THP TV spots with the Club Champion owner that’s really stuck with me and I think it applies here quite well. But if you want your fitting results to carry over from the fitting to the course, go into the fitting with a goal in mind and don’t get caught up with any of the numbers you might not be looking to change.

Secondly, something I learned during my fitting with Danny Le and what TheLetterSee mentioned, don’t try to make something work. Only hit a club a few times and if it doesn’t work move on, any more and you will subconsciously change to make it work and it certainly work carry over to the course long term.
 
J4U said:
I always take my gamers to a fitting and hit them first to get a base line if possible. No two fitting devices will mirror each other location to location. Unless of course you at a custom fitting center then it's possible if they maintain the systems.

This way I know what variances could do out on the course. Whatever swing I bring that day to the fitting ( or testing for new clubs) the swing itself now has meaning for those differences.


Without that base line it could be frustrating when you go live and those numbers you based your decision off were skued.

This is what I tell myself anyway and then if it's all messed up afterwards it has to be the clubs!
Click to expand...
This. I bring my clubs or at least a 6 iron or driver depending on what I'm fitting for. I'll hey that as me baseline before and after to compare. The new numbers have to be measurably better before I go ahead.
 
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