It is an interesting discussion for sure. As someone who built clubs for many years, I always FLOed my shafts. It was not unusual in older graphite shafts to see 1/2 flex or even full flex differences depending on which way you aligned the shaft. The last few years I built, the quality improvements were noticeable and the "bad" shafts were fewer. If I were still building, I would still do it as it does not take long but I'm not sure how much of a playability difference there is on today's shafts.
Full Bag Fittings - Have they helped your game?
It is an interesting discussion for sure. As someone who built clubs for many years, I always FLOed my shafts. It was not unusual in older graphite shafts to see 1/2 flex or even full flex differences depending on which way you aligned the shaft. The last few years I built, the quality improvements were noticeable and the "bad" shafts were fewer. If I were still building, I would still do it as it does not take long but I'm not sure how much of a playability difference there is on today's shafts.
- Thread starter
- #27
I wouldn't be going through Club Champion, as there are no locations near me, but Modern Golf, which is essentially the same concept, in suburban Vancouver, BC. I plan on following them on Twitter though to see if they have any promotions, but they charge CA$325 right now for the entire bag fitting, driver through putter. Due to the exchange rate with the Canadian dollar right now though, it only works out to about $260 for me.
-CRW-
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2013
- Messages
- 10,399
- Reaction score
- 1,977
If money were no object, I'd say do it. I haven't read any studies that said it could negatively affect the club. So it can't hurt, right?
Yep, that's what I am thinking. Might even help mentally and I need all the help there I can get.
kc720
Active member
A good and thorough fitting is an absolute must for any serious golfer. It will lead to understanding your game and equipment. While it can and perhaps WILL lead to buying more equipment if you find out the current set doesn't fit you, you will be looking to buy equipment that DOES fit you more or less so that you will "waste" less money. For ex. If you are fit to a certain shaft and find out its characteristics are low launch low spin, you won't buy the new driver you've been eyeing that has high/high shaft. It's a double edged sword but I believe the benefits outweigh the cons
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2012
- Messages
- 21,477
- Reaction score
- 13,505
- Location
- Parker, Colorado, United States
- Handicap
- 5.4
Have been through one thanks to good friend and can open your eyes and/or confirm what you thought. I'm not at a "good swing" stage and have already noticed changes from that fitting as the swing improves. With as much correction and improvement needed in this area for me, I would put off another fitting until lessons or acceptable improvement was obtained. I really enjoyed the full bag fitting, but I'm not in a consistent enough position to know that the fitting results will last for however long the time line for improvement might be for me.
If the swing remained constant, or as constant as a swing can stay the same and are happy with it...by all means a full bag is enlightening.
If the swing remained constant, or as constant as a swing can stay the same and are happy with it...by all means a full bag is enlightening.
- Staff
- #32
I've never had a full fitting. Last year I did go to a TaylorMade Performance Lab for iron fittings. I don't think it helped my game much at all. In fact I think the only fitting that really helped my game out was a putter fitting. Outside of that I've done a few shaft fittings and stuff along that lines, but fittings don't change the swing.
- Thread starter
- #33
I figured out why the Vancouver location charges less than the $400 they charge at their Ontario locations - no putter fitting there. That's a dealbreaker, as that's the main club I'd like to get fit as I understand it the least. I am going to confirm with them, but if there's no putter fitting I'll be headed elsewhere.
If you would be willing to consider clubs other than the main OEMs or just want a really good fitting, I can highly recommend Von's Golf in Seattle. One of my high school golf teammates who played D1 golf has been fit by them and just raves about how good it was. No idea on cost though.
- Thread starter
- #35
Thanks a lot man, sounds like a great recommendation. I see they carry Miura, which definitely says something on it's own (since Miura is so picky about who they license as fitters). My main goal is a great fitting - I'm more concerned about specs than getting fit to specific brands, so it could be a great option.
EDIT: For those curious I just looked info on Von's. $75 iron fitting, $50 driver fitting, $75 putter fitting. They use TrackMan Pro and TOMI Putter Fitting Studio, and all bending/adjustments are included in the price. Works out to $200 for all three, although I'm not sure how wedges and fairways work into the equation.
I think they have (or had) a full line of Wishon clubs for fitting as well which could expand your head choices. Matt (my friend) ended up with Miura irons/wedges but went Wishon in the woods. I'm pretty sure he bought his putter there as well but do not remember what brand that was.
- Thread starter
- #37
Looks like they carry Miura putters (didn't even know Miura made putters) and he makes custom ones as well.
- Thread starter
- #38
Have you ever heard of this place? http://www.grgolfperformance.com/our-equipment.html
They've got Trackman and putter fitting equipment as well, and are a Golf Digest America's Best Clubfitter. More choices than I thought, apparently. :confused2:
I'll e-mail Matt and ask him - he lived in Seattle for maybe 5 years and just moved to Atlanta last year. He told me almost all the serious golfers he played with were fit at Von's.
- Thread starter
- #40
There's also this place that is 10 mins awway from my house and only charges $120 for a full bag fitting:
http://www.joeprogolflab.com/club_fitting.htm
They run FlightScope instead of Trackman - not sure on the difference. They are very local and the price is right, but I can't find a ton of reviews on the clubfitting. Although I do remember playing with a guy last summer who had a full set of fitted clubs from him, and he seemed very pleased. My only challenge is he only stocks components, though can order from any manufacturer. I just don't want to get bad info. What I see on his site sounds very good though - the site just looks like it's from 1995 hahaha
http://www.joeprogolflab.com/club_fitting.htm
They run FlightScope instead of Trackman - not sure on the difference. They are very local and the price is right, but I can't find a ton of reviews on the clubfitting. Although I do remember playing with a guy last summer who had a full set of fitted clubs from him, and he seemed very pleased. My only challenge is he only stocks components, though can order from any manufacturer. I just don't want to get bad info. What I see on his site sounds very good though - the site just looks like it's from 1995 hahaha
-CRW-
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2013
- Messages
- 10,399
- Reaction score
- 1,977
How much time had you been playing golf before the fitting? Maybe you already found close the ideal club/shaft/etc. through your own trial and error before the fitting. Or maybe you fit well into the range of shafts most commonly sold on stock set ups? Or maybe you adapt well? Any of which could be the same for SkiBumGolfer and I guess is part of the personal valuation of a fitting.
I was the opposite. I got the least help out of my putter fitting and think it's the least important item in an environment like Club Champion because there isn't as many moving parts in a putter stroke compared to a full swing, so (in my opinion) the putter design has less of an effect on your putting stroke. I had the SeeMore FGP and dropped 8 of 10 putts at Club Champion during my putter fitting. They were 10' putts on a perfectly level mat. The SAM Lab system suggested adjusting the loft and the lie angle like 1* or less (I can't remember). I putted with the changes and dropped 8 of 10 putts again and the changes felt no different. I'm not a good putter by any sense of the word, but the fitting was just so basic. I think I would benefit much more from a lesson/fitting with SeeMore, and preferably on an actual putting green from positions that would require a read.
Again, if money is no object, I'm all for a putter fitting too. But if money was no object I'd probably fly to Dallas and have an SPI lesson/SeeMore fitting with Pat O'Brien.
- Thread starter
- #42
I think for me, the main allure of the putter fitting is CONFIDENCE. I have a terrible way of changing putters constantly and thereby not having confidence in what I've chosen. With a fitting, I feel like I would have the assurance that the putter was adjusted for my specs and that I've chosen the right headshape for my stroke.
- Staff
- #43
How much time had you been playing golf before the fitting? Since I was 8, started playing regularly when I was 12-13
I think I can play almost any type of shaft out there and it can work. I have played stock shafts, exotic shafts, steel, graphite, all sorts of combinations. For me, all the fittings in the world aren't going to help me a noticeable difference when it comes to just learning to put the ball in the hole with as many strokes as I can. It's why given the choice of spending $500 on a fitting or lessons I would choose lessons practically every time. Now I'm not saying don't go and get fit, there are things in fittings that I think are important.
As for the SPi part, again speaking for me, it helped me with technique, it helped with lie angle, and just gave me some confidence. To me the short game/putting area is where my scores get better. As for your experience, like you said it seemed basic. There are certainly different types of fittings out there and fitters that do things differently. I think the TM fitting and SPi fitting threads that's pretty evident. My putter SPi fitting was about 2 hours and talked and worked on a bunch of things. For me it was really really good.
You are right, there is always personal validation in fittings. I'm just not a guy that chases numbers. I don't know exactly what my spin rate or launch angle is with the driver(both are higher than they should be though). However there's not a fitting tweak that is going to drop those numbers down to ideal, because that's the swing.
- Staff
- #44
An interesting poll would be how much peoples' scores changed pre fitting/post fitting. From what I'm seeing, very few comments in this thread have indicated a meaningful change post fitting.
dhartmann34
Well-known member
I'm REALLY hoping for some meaningful change 
Certainly seeing a lot different ball flight. That's for sure.
I also wonder if a fitting is more useful for certain handicap ranges.
And then of course I also wonder if folks really get what they want out of a full bag fitting when they are constantly changing up clubs in their bag. I've always felt a lot of folks have troubles grooving their games because they had a different driver, wedge, putter, etc in their bag every other month.
Certainly seeing a lot different ball flight. That's for sure. I also wonder if a fitting is more useful for certain handicap ranges.
And then of course I also wonder if folks really get what they want out of a full bag fitting when they are constantly changing up clubs in their bag. I've always felt a lot of folks have troubles grooving their games because they had a different driver, wedge, putter, etc in their bag every other month.
- Thread starter
- #46
This would be a hugely interesting detail to me as someone who has never been fit.
- Staff
- #47
I guess my question is what is your goal?
-If it's a fitting to maximize your performance, there's a good chance you're going to get recommendations on other clubs. Are you prepared to buy them? If not, what's the point?
-If it's to lower your scores, I'll just be frank and say that the chances of that happening based on equipment alone are probably quite small. Might help individual outcomes here and there of course, but based on what I've read here over five years, the outcome is going to be a bunch of new clubs and the same scores. Taking improvement through practice and lessons out of the equation. We hear all kinds of posts about how this setup is going to be the one that cures whatever ails people, yet that's just not happening very often from what I see.
-If it's to pay $250 to go hit a lot of things, learn some stuff, have a cool experience, get some ideas about new stuff to possibly buy, maybe improve some launch conditions a little, etc - I think you're probably more in line with what the reality is.
The fact of the matter is that detailed/intricate fitting scenarios have a much smaller effect on bad swings. At least if we are defining 'effect' as improving scores. People will surely argue that point with me until exhaustion (especially those with a vested interest - aka fitters or former fittees), but I'd stand by that statement any day. I'm not talking lie/length changes here.
I'm not discouraging anything of course. I'm just a realist and an observer.
-If it's a fitting to maximize your performance, there's a good chance you're going to get recommendations on other clubs. Are you prepared to buy them? If not, what's the point?
-If it's to lower your scores, I'll just be frank and say that the chances of that happening based on equipment alone are probably quite small. Might help individual outcomes here and there of course, but based on what I've read here over five years, the outcome is going to be a bunch of new clubs and the same scores. Taking improvement through practice and lessons out of the equation. We hear all kinds of posts about how this setup is going to be the one that cures whatever ails people, yet that's just not happening very often from what I see.
-If it's to pay $250 to go hit a lot of things, learn some stuff, have a cool experience, get some ideas about new stuff to possibly buy, maybe improve some launch conditions a little, etc - I think you're probably more in line with what the reality is.
The fact of the matter is that detailed/intricate fitting scenarios have a much smaller effect on bad swings. At least if we are defining 'effect' as improving scores. People will surely argue that point with me until exhaustion (especially those with a vested interest - aka fitters or former fittees), but I'd stand by that statement any day. I'm not talking lie/length changes here.
I'm not discouraging anything of course. I'm just a realist and an observer.
- Thread starter
- #49
Honestly, biggest thing is I have never been fit and I have no idea what my specs are. I know what SEEMS to work best for me based on trial and error, but that's about it other than one self served session with a lie board and some impact tape. I've also heard stories about folks getting some pretty big gains through fitting (example: #PersonalDistance fittings, some guys gained 20 yards), and would love to explore that and see if I'm leaving anything on the table. And I'm genuinely interested in getting a nice putter, being confident in it, and NOT switching, so I want to know my specs there as well.
I'm not expecting miraculous scoring drops, I know better than many that ultimately, it's the Indian and not the arrow haha. I'm prepared to buy depending on the size of the improvements - for example, if I were to gain 20 yards in a driver fitting, I don't know if I could leave that on the table.
arydolphin
GTHC!
After going through a Club Champion fitting last year, I can say this with regards to club tinkerers: you may spend a bit more money early on after the fitting, but in the long run, you'll come out ahead. What I mean is that you've have the urge to upgrade soon after the fitting when you hit clubs that are better fit to your game, which will cost you. However, after that you'll know what type of shafts/clubs you fit in to, so the urge to tinker with shafts/clubs of all different types will be lower. For me, I know that I need a heavier swingweight as well as I'm a really good fit for PXi 6.0 iron shafts and am middle of the road in terms of wood shafts (why I like the Blueboard/Kai'li profile so much). The other big part about a full bag fitting is that when you get those clubs in your bag, the doubt about whether your clubs are a good fit is gone. Who knows how many strokes per round that means, but it was important to me.
FWIW, I'm pretty much done tinkering with my bag for 2015 apart from maybe testing some hybrids. I'm going to put more money into lessons and playing rounds once the golf season arrives here.
One last thing: if you are doing a full bag fitting, ask if you can break it up into 2 sessions on different days. My full bag fitting started with irons and wedges, and my swing was GONE when I tried to hit drivers after that. I decided to come back 2 weeks later to hit the drivers and fairways, and it was a great decision.