bellairemi
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- Dec 22, 2012
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As some of you know, I perform clubfitting on a contractual basis for our local shop. Several years I stopped trying to fit myself, partially because what little time I get at the shop I need for fittings and to test all the new equipment that comes in the door. Also, you can imagine how time-consuming the process is when you have to run the launch monitor, continually change the club set-ups, etc by yourself. Finally, I really wanted to see how other fitters go about their business.
Anyway, here at the end of our season I finally gave up on my Rapture V2 driver. The last full fitting I did for myself was 3 years ago and this club had the best launch monitor numbers (by far at times). I have hit some drives at lengths I should not be able to given my 102-103 SS. That said, this year I started to see two way misses and eventually lost total confidence in the club.
So I set up a fitting with a friend of friend, who owns a shop and has a huge number of used drivers. I figured I would just buy something cheap from his used collection to finish up this season and see what kind of numbers/ideas he had for my fit. It was a really strange fitting as he kept handing me used clubs and watching me swing, every once in awhile consulting the launch monitor. About 1/2 hour later he wanders away and reappears with a white Adams driver. Since my shop stopped carrying Adams a few years ago due to their QC problems, I was not familiar with their newer lines - heck, didn't even realize they had a white driver. My initial reaction was "yuck" - not a fan of white, thought Adams made poor quality clubs and saw no need for adjustability if I was being fitted.
He sees the look on my face and asks me politely to hit it for awhile while he helps another customer. I got about a dozen swings in before he comes back and asks to look at the face contact. Now I knew that I had been centering the ball pretty well but had no clue how well - impact marks would have all fit within a quarter at the dead center of the face. Really at that point I knew as a fitter that unless the launch/spin was way out of whack this was the club for me. We tested it a bit on the launch monitor and the launch was a bit low at 10.5 but decent while the spin was pretty close to optimal.
Obviously buy the club - 10.5 Super LS with a stiff Fubuki Alpha. I immediately take it to my home course and then had a chance to play it on two of our area's toughest courses. Wow, what a difference having a club I'm confident to pull out on just about any hole. I love how the white top/black face frame the ball and the adjustability proved valuable as my on course experience prompted me to move it up to 11.5. Now my miss is my preferred one (right) and I have a slight fade as my stock shot. Not it is not as long on center hits as the Rapture V2 but the accuracy trade off is well worth it.
One additional note on the fitting - I bought it not realizing that the Fubuki was not the stock shaft. I called the fitter a few days later to ask why the Fubuki and not stock the Kuro Kage. He said he could tell by watching that the KK would spin too much. So in essence he nailed the head and shaft in the first club he handed me. Boy I wish I was that gifted as a fitter!
Anyway, here at the end of our season I finally gave up on my Rapture V2 driver. The last full fitting I did for myself was 3 years ago and this club had the best launch monitor numbers (by far at times). I have hit some drives at lengths I should not be able to given my 102-103 SS. That said, this year I started to see two way misses and eventually lost total confidence in the club.
So I set up a fitting with a friend of friend, who owns a shop and has a huge number of used drivers. I figured I would just buy something cheap from his used collection to finish up this season and see what kind of numbers/ideas he had for my fit. It was a really strange fitting as he kept handing me used clubs and watching me swing, every once in awhile consulting the launch monitor. About 1/2 hour later he wanders away and reappears with a white Adams driver. Since my shop stopped carrying Adams a few years ago due to their QC problems, I was not familiar with their newer lines - heck, didn't even realize they had a white driver. My initial reaction was "yuck" - not a fan of white, thought Adams made poor quality clubs and saw no need for adjustability if I was being fitted.
He sees the look on my face and asks me politely to hit it for awhile while he helps another customer. I got about a dozen swings in before he comes back and asks to look at the face contact. Now I knew that I had been centering the ball pretty well but had no clue how well - impact marks would have all fit within a quarter at the dead center of the face. Really at that point I knew as a fitter that unless the launch/spin was way out of whack this was the club for me. We tested it a bit on the launch monitor and the launch was a bit low at 10.5 but decent while the spin was pretty close to optimal.
Obviously buy the club - 10.5 Super LS with a stiff Fubuki Alpha. I immediately take it to my home course and then had a chance to play it on two of our area's toughest courses. Wow, what a difference having a club I'm confident to pull out on just about any hole. I love how the white top/black face frame the ball and the adjustability proved valuable as my on course experience prompted me to move it up to 11.5. Now my miss is my preferred one (right) and I have a slight fade as my stock shot. Not it is not as long on center hits as the Rapture V2 but the accuracy trade off is well worth it.
One additional note on the fitting - I bought it not realizing that the Fubuki was not the stock shaft. I called the fitter a few days later to ask why the Fubuki and not stock the Kuro Kage. He said he could tell by watching that the KK would spin too much. So in essence he nailed the head and shaft in the first club he handed me. Boy I wish I was that gifted as a fitter!
. Heck, I'm mid launch/mid spin and need the 11.5 setting to get the height I want. Strangely I do not mind the sound/feel and I'm usually pretty particular about it.
