IMPORTANT advice for getting golf club custom fit! EP99 clip

[@TimmyP_]

Rick, if your phone is “blowing up”, it means you’re talking about the right subject. The more companies try to hide things, the more those things should be highlighted

[@budschgaa]

Best experience I ever had was last November, I came in for a driver fitting and left with a few exercises for my swing and a new appointment in March to see what suits my new swing. That was impressive!

[@jalalalap-akalala]

Where was that!

[@freepat101]

@@jalalalap-akalalawe’ll never know… 😂

[@andymacduff2]

I paid £30 for a fitting but that was deducted off the clubs if I made a purchase. I was swinging awfully and the fitter politely asked me to come back at another date, free of change. Great service

[@TenPester]

Got fitted recently for T100S at SGGT in Edinburgh. 90 mins. Tried all iron heads. Loved T100S, then tried all the shafts. Settled on Oban, and then weighted the clubs using lead tape until they felt right to me. Hit off mats and on the grass on the range too. Open range with Trackman too. Sent the Trackman data after the fitting to.

[@haznick]

I paid £30 for my first ever iron fitting this July, replacing some 16 year old Adams clubs. He asked me to hit my own 7i to warm up but he left me alone for a good 5 mins before starting the fitting so I could relax and loosen up. Asked me about my budget, let me try several different heads and told me which ones I hit best based on the data. But he let me decide what I wanted (I was already big on Cobra One Lengths beforehand) based on what I liked and felt best with. He got the sale, 5-SW plus a hybrid on top (Radspeed One Lengths). Nearly £1k of gear. Absolutely loved hitting them. Shout out to Ultimate Golf at Calderfields Club in Walsall.

[@vdkk1269]

The exact clubs I am thinking about buying

[@haznick]

@@vdkk1269 Make sure you try them and get fit for the right shaft for you. They're fantastic feeling clubs, you won't be disappointed. And the OL longer clubs are SOOOO easy to hit.

[@chrisevans7119]

Hopefully same service standards still, that’s my local club I was thinking of going.

[@TheOzadventure]

Paid for my last full bag fitting, ended up with Callaway driver, Srixon fairway woods, Ping hybrids, mizuno irons and Callaway wedges. Those were the ones I hit the best.

[@Jjramse1]

That’s insane with the brands lol Do you mind telling me how much you $ for the full bag

[@rwager42]

I wound up in the same boat. lol. Ping driver, Callaway wood, Cobra Hybrid, Taylormade irons, Callaway wedges, Scotty putter.

[@reg8848]

I had a fitting at Silvermere and was very impressed. I went with the intention of buying 3 hybrids but after hitting my one existing hybrid he said there is no point in buying 3 as your existing one meets your need for that distance so just bought 2. I also had a lesson a while ago and asked the pro what irons I should buy and he said take the existing ones out the bag, he then took them to the regripping centre and they took 1inch off the irons and new grips and suddenly it was like having new irons and the cost was £700 instead of £700 - I loved the attitude

[@PaulPiccini]

Love this. I was fitted in the early spring for new Irons. Paid for my fitting. I had a brand in mind when I went in and ended in the Mizuno JPX 921 forged ( which btw I love) . This was my first Iron fitting ever. I loved the experience. I did warm up and we compared not only my existing irons but a few other brands. Love the Podcast, Thanks for the great content.

[@JM-qn3tf]

I had my first fitting today for my driver… I started off with my driver, and the trackman stats were pretty much exactly what I’ve been doing with it…. 215 average, which is terrible. He asked me what brands I’ve been looking at & brought me those. The cobra rad speed & Callaway maverick. I hit terrible with the radspeed, pretty good with the maverick. Then he handed me a ping 410 which I’ve never heard of. & BOOM! Striping it 275 down the middle. After a handful of swings we both laughed & agreed this was obviously the right club. He notched it down to 9 degrees & was hitting it even better. So I lefty very happy.

[@matthewmaguire2738]

I went to retailer last year (Trafford Centre). Didn't have a budget and wanted new irons. A youngish guy from South Africa did my fitting. He didn't push me into particular clubs he was awesome!! I ended up with the cheapest clubs I tried but were the ones I was happiest with (jpx 919 tour). I now need a new putter and find it harder to choose where to go to for a putter fitting

[@fuemanshu]

A fitting is about finding the right combination of shaft(s) and clubhead(s) that will optimize your ball stats to where they should be for each club. My cobra one length 6 iron which i bought off the rack (as part of a set) had a really low ball flight carried 155 yards and rolled out to 175. It has a stiff steel shaft. I tried multiple shafts with the fitter and the shaft that felt easy, right, and optimized my ball flight characterstics was a graphite shaft that changed my ball flight/stats to where they should be for a 6 iron. The swing weight of the shaft also had a big factor and they know which shafts have the right swing weight for your swing based on the swing and ball data. I was able to carry the ball 170 (ball flight went up) and it rolled out to 175 with the same swing. I also did driver and hybrid fittings and we found the right combinations that optimize flight, carry, and feel. Being able to swing multiple shafts and clubhead combinations is a good experience and I think just paying for the fitting appointment/session is worth the price for the information. It's just up to the consumer to do their own research, make their own decisions, and take responsbility for their decisions. Plus golf is an expensive sport anyways. Why spend money on equipment that isn't suited for you. I feel like I've been fighting my swing for so long even though I have taken lessons and practiced/played a lot. The fitting session really showed me that having the right combination makes implementing your swing mechanics and instructions from instructors a lot easier because the clubs feel right when you swing them. Plus, all the pros have custom built clubs so why shouldn't the amateur. Especially since we play it for the enjoyment or to beat our friends.

[@TheShaunsc]

I was fitted for 2 degrees upright as a junior golfer… 30 years later. Still 2 degrees upright 1/2 inch over. Love Apex irons been playing really good! Can’t wait for a driver fitting ;)

[@joelafives]

I was really happy with my Club Champion fitting. Very professional. Also had a good putter fitting at 2nd Swing.

[@LaineDavies]

When i got fit for my irons it was like $100 or whatever to get fit and free if you bought something, which was fine because i was going to buy a set regardless. I told the fitter didn't really have a budget so he just kept handing me clubs to hit without telling me anything about them, and just asked for my honest feedback. Came down to 2 different sets and then i just went with the one i liked most. Turned out to be almost the cheapest set in the shop (wilson D7) but they just felt better than anything else so i got em and I'm stoked!

[@guyr7351]

I have those as well, great to hear a blind test had you liking those best. There is too much badge status with golf, I have always liked Wilson’s, have a Wilson carry bag but it’s all black and hard to see the logo, I am not keen on being an advertising board for companies

[@LaineDavies]

@@guyr7351 mate they're wicked! I'm not gonna lie, when i went in i had my heart set on a set of Titleist or Pings, but I'm stoked i got what i did

[@beng4647]

​@@LaineDaviesI play 1984 Wilson Fluid Feel blades. Amazing clubs. They cost 300 then. They would cost 1500 now.

[@andrewburge2805]

Hi from Australia. Ive now been fitted three times as well as bought clubs from a "big box" store - lots of updating due to back problems that changed my swing. The three fittings were all very different, and the big box "fitting" only meant finding the club that flew the furthest 🙄. The best of the fittings was the most expensive (and most recent). The amount of information that went with the fitting process was enormous, and this was just as helpful as updating clubs. It DID result in replacing driver, hybrid and irons, all with solid explanations of why each of those clubs was an improvement on my current ones - for my individual game. Ive ended up with brands I didn't expect I would ever own (Titleist and Ping) But the fitter was content he couldn't recommend a fairway wood or wedges that would perform better than the ones I had - so we left those alone. How do I know I've been well fitted? The new clubs feel effortless, I'm confident with every single one of them, and Ive come in 3 shots :)

[@TimmyP_]

Where did you get fitted mate?

[@andrewburge2805]

@@TimmyP_ Cool Clubs on the Gold Coast

[@guyr7351]

And his honesty will have you going back should you want to try other wedges / fairway woods

[@garymoovit592]

Spot on advice, Top man Rick. I had a fitting last year for £50, if I bought the clubs I tried I would have the the £50 taken off the price, I had done my home work on clubs, I knew how to hit the ball properly after lessons and a year of full on practice. The pro got all the clubs fitted with the new shaft fitted to me, chopped it down to 3 clubs from about 7, left me with them and the data for an hour on the range. Then I went back to the range the next morning and he got the same 3 7 irons clubs and 3 4 irons and left me for another hour and a half with 100 balls free. I wanted forgiveness and distance, I got both. They weren't the clubs I wanted at the start but they're the best clubs I have ever bought. From start to finish the best fitting I could of asked for.

[@guyr7351]

Sounds great service where was that as they deserve some publicity

[@garymoovit592]

@@guyr7351 Johnny Reays Coventry.

[@CheekyD69]

Recently had a fitting at a well known shop. It was fantastic. I warmed up first on range. I had a budget, we discussed what I was wanting from new irons, meausred height, wrist length etc.tried out 4 different types. Discussed feel of each with standard shift first and actually settled on one which felt the best rather than which I hit the longest (very little difference mind) - these wernt the clubs I had gone in looking at but same price point. Then did multiple shafts. Again went for one which gave better consistency and which I liked. Then lie and length with different grips. In all absolutely amazing experience from someone who had been doing it 15 years. We were having a good laugh and got on well and I would go back again. Saw all the data. Ended up with some beautiful T200's but now have to wait 8 weeks for them to be made. I was replacing 13yr old Wilson DI7s so was a big step up but I could feel the difference immediately. Didn't feel pressured as we knew I was there to buy and wanted what suited me best. I walked out with a set of clubs I liked and which I hit better than the ones I was looking at. No matter which I chose I would have spent the same, they could so easily have just said "they are perfect for you" regarding ones I was looking at and had job done in 30minutes but we spent 90 minutes going through everything. It won't be the same for everyone but it was great for me. I strike the ball well with all clubs which was a great help as meant we could really nail into the detail of launch, spin etc.

[@joshuaking1194]

Why don't you just say where it was? No need to be cryptic in a KZbin comment section 🙄

[@JM-qn3tf]

I had my first fitting today for my driver… I started off with my driver, and the trackman stats were pretty much exactly what I’ve been doing with it…. 215 average, which is terrible. He asked me what brands I’ve been looking at & brought me those. The cobra rad speed & Callaway maverick. I hit terrible with the radspeed, pretty good with the maverick. Then he handed me a ping 410 which I’ve never heard of. & BOOM! Striping it 275 down the middle. After a handful of swings we both laughed & agreed this was obviously the right club. He notched it down to 9 degrees & was hitting it even better. So I lefty very happy.

[@RickShielsPGA]

First

[@stuartbisset1]

Everything

[@WilbanksUSMC]

Not sure if this has been asked or not, but at what point in our golf “skill progression” is it ideal to get a fitting? For example, I know my club face is way too open at impact, and so my shots are horrible slices wothout much distance. So if I were to go into a fitter tomorrow, would my data even be tat valuable to a fitter?

[@ianryan606]

Some great advice, I have possibly been to said golf retailer/store for a club fitting, I went with a budget and a brand in mind, but probably my best thing was that I'm lefthanded so that dramatically reduced the options they had to try and get me into other clubs plus I think they only hand the one lefthanded demo club that just happened to be the brand I was looking at. I new that one day been lefthanded would work to my benefit lol.

[@jayhillman]

Iv just been to said store for a club check and I was very impressed that the pro told me to keep working on my swing with my pro until I’m a lot more consistent then go back in 6-12 months for a fitting I found this amazing to be honest as I just thought they would sell me a new set. But credit to them they didn’t.

[@graememacfarlane7342]

The Ping fitting centre have got fitting correct. A friend and I went last year and there was no pressure to buy. Whilst I did the lads at Ping simply changed the lie on his old clubs to suit him and did advise him that no new clubs were any better than he already had after the adjustment

[@nickpellatt]

Ill add my recent experience. I was fitted for Ping G425 irons, and didnt really feel I'd been well looked after or fitted correctly. Im not very tall, was fitted with a +2 degree set, and they felt super unnatural at address. Iron play got worse, took the 6 and 7 out of the bag. Spoke to Ping about getting them adjusted to a more standard lie. Then I had a quick 10 min sesh with my pro (I was fitted elsewhere) who kindly explained the fitting is based on where I am at impact, not at address. I'd been changing my address position to suit the clubs, rather than allowing the fit to work for me at impact. The irons are much better now. I'm a fairly new golfer, thought this might apply to anyone collecting newly fitted clubs.

[@DJRyanWalker]

I’m just getting back into golf again after several years away. When I last played in about 2004 there was no such thing as a club fitting and I was used to just buying off the shelf. I won a Stealth Driver recently, it was the first ‘modern’ driver I’ve swung since I stopped playing. I wasn’t hitting it particularly great, so I approached my local golf shop for advice as I presumed that I it needed setting for my swing. I saw online they do a free club fitting service so I asked if I could pay for the fitting as I wasn’t looking for anything new. I’d have gladly spent £50 for a 30-60 minute session to set up the head settings for me, but instead I was just told to book a lesson with the pro. I appreciate lessons would help, but I’m by no means a novice and I just wanted a starting point as the technology in the clubs of far more advanced than it was when I was a junior.

[@chadz6728]

I went to test out a new 4 iron at a golf galaxy and definitely felt the pressure. The best club ended up being my current 4 iron and I only paid 5 bucks to get the lie angle adjusted. Fitter told me that I was definitely getting my “moneys worth” and kind of made me feel guilty. Ended up buying a wedge. Wedge is good just felt really pressured.

[@DPK12]

I was fitted and most effort went on shafts. What a difference they have made

[@kenbrown2808]

fair point on paying for the fitting, first, and then if the seller wants, they can offer a rebate on clubs purchased. also fair point on starting with official "warm up" shots before paying attention to the data.

[@christopherwilkinson8796]

Been fitted two weeks ago at Ross Jackson Golf in Boro, £50 for the iron fitting, was in the bag around 3 hours tried loads of clubs various shafts no basis, very good experience. Ended up with DCB 95G stiff shaft. Free gapping session for 1 hour after the irons arrive also

[@davidbrown5152]

Chris, I am a fairly new golfer but I try and buy clubs that I can afford but I never have had my clubs fitted. What do they actually do?

[@christopherwilkinson8796]

They just go through each portion watch you and see what kind of head/shaft combo is best for you, then put you through each brands version of that combo and then finally test the best performing ones against each other

[@davidbrown5152]

@@christopherwilkinson8796 Thanks.

[@guyr7351]

Have been there and did a gapping session when started playing again. Have changed my clubs and will go back and have another session to get a true feel for yardage and see if my new 3 wood is any better than old one. Will be looking at using them to fit for a driver and try to compare standard shaft length v 3 wood shaft length see if the latter gives more control

[@michaelscales5996]

I had a fitting and the pro.told me I needed senior shafts with a light head.I hit some shots with a club with that set up, and I was hitting the ball much further,probably by at least one club. As a pensioner I went along with his advice which seemed to make sense.However I was very disappointed when I took the set out because I found my short game suffered. The whippy shaft was fine on full shots,but it lacked feel on the short shots.My scores were higher ! Fortunately I still had my old clubs and I went back to them and sold the new ones to Golfbidder..

[@petem9392]

My experience at that big golf retail store is very different from who serves you. My last big buy was a ping 425 fairway. I looked at it had a couple of hits on the range hit it brilliantly but I thought I’d come back another day and do the same and make my mind up.(Bearing in mind the shop guy was going to sell me it then and there) I went back a couple of days later and asked about it and a different guy said for that amount of money I would have to book a club fitting to make sure it’s right for me.

[@87toyhighlux]

I love this video. I have PXG Gen 5 and I have been questioning my fitting. My 7i in the fitting showed me hitting the ball about 15 yards farther than I do. NOW, it might be in my head, I get that. I have decided that this year, I will go and pay for a fitting and see what an independent fitter says of my clubs vs other clubs, how are my clubs at set up, and is it the right set up for me, do I have clubs too close to each other. Now to find that good fitter.

[@edp919]

My clubs are like more than 20 years old and the new clubs are so drastically changed then. Went to club champion and we discussed what my goal is. There was no push to sell clubs and shafts, but I had a budget and the clubs will be investment for my golfing days for the next 10 years or so. But making sure research where you want to get fitted, and research the person you want to get fitted with. Look at fitting like an investment and it will help you understand your swing and the needs you want.

[@tigerzoo325]

Never heard a podcast give me so much honesty

[@rufussthoo4083]

Good discussion. Here in Australia fittings are by fee. For that fee you receive data and recommendations, be that for new clubs, changes to your existing clubs or whatever. Fittings are NOT linked to sales, unless the consumer wants them to be. It costs around AUD175 (about 95 pounds) for an iron fitting. For that you get information and knowledge. That's all. Is it good value? Well that's up to you, the consumer. What you don't get is a hard sell from a salesman after a big commission. Most of our fitters are at, or have, ranges too so we can get a thorough warmup before we even get to the fitting bay. Sounds like the UK golf industry needs to get their act together.

[@nigelcooke8590]

I had similar experience with Ping, I went for the i210 but wasn’t told about the i59 release 3 or 4 months later.. In the irons I still would have gone with the i210’s however where it has impacted is with wedges.. I was told there were no forged wedges by ping, bought the Glides only to now have the pro forged come out.. (this was an official ping fitting)… 😳

[@OllieW501]

They always do this, i got fitted for Ping Gs back in the day, 3 weeks later the G400s came out, noone had mentioned it. At the time AG were offering a 30day money back gaurantee, so i did test a couple of 400s on the range, but ultimately, they didn't feel any different, and i prefered the look of the Gs so i kept them. Still use them to this day and they are still solid irons. I don't think the next generation is ever that much better, as it turned out i ended up happy, but them keeping quiet that a new iron was about to be launched did annoy me.

[@guyr7351]

A Few clubs near me there is a fitting charge which is cancelled if you then buy. I am in the middle of a Set of ten lessons, had a fitting for a new three wood as old one starting to fail ( it’s a wood wood!) My pro basically said I was not consistent enough with any of them to warrant buying and he could not justify selling me any of them. Great service. I was planning on a fitting for a set of Wilson D7 forged, then that day someone came in and traded a set for a new set of Wilson staff CB. so I picked up a pristine set of irons greatly reduced and we tweaked the lie angle. I have since bought a ping G400 on clearance hitting it solidly (lessons kicking in) with loft taken down to 13.5 deg. Commission sales are the biggest preventer for genuine honest advice, human nature of the extra cash will influence. I have had shop staff try and sell me stiff shaft / 9 deg loft drivers. I am not a fast swing speed player.

[@G123417]

At Silvermere Golf you pay for the fitting and then you get a credit for the cost of the fitting if you buy clubs of the back of the fitting , think it is a great system

[@Fighting-4-Par]

Important question Im trying to figure out. Everyone has a favorite club they hit, but is it actually the length of club or loft if the iron or the swing-weight? I was trying some new wedges the other day and they had a lighter swing weight. The new Ping 3.0’s are about 2 swingweights lighter than my SM8’s and I was hitting them better. Maybe there is more truth to every iron in the bag having the same swing weight than we realize? You’ve done tons of videos, but anyway you could do a matching swing weight review video? It would be some interesting info for us all.

[@TwitchingHour]

I found club weight to be important. Have discussed this with a couple club filters. They say it’s different for everyone. I prefer a heavier club, I can feel where the club head is better. Note that doesn’t mean it’s better, and I agree, it’s just better for me.

[@nickbrenne2159]

I think that's absolutely true, I have a TM wedge that is lighter than my SM7s, and I feel far less confident swinging that thing. I prefer a little heavier club.

[@guyr7351]

Spot on comment, I have always used lightweight equipment, squash, badminton, cricket etc and golf is no different. If it does not feel comfortable then you will struggle to perform well with it.

[@SlimShady-hk8qp]

Getting fitted is not overrated.. I was swinging standard 7i around 84mph, they put 1" longer shafts on (I'm 6'2") and immediately jumped to 95mph with much more consistent strikes. Few more tweaks of shaft stiffness, lie angle etc.. and my ball flight was so much better. Shaved 6 strokes off my handicap immediately and still dropping

[@SlimShady-hk8qp]

My advice would be getting your lengths and angles... the brand and type of club is almost irrelevant. Just find clubs that have an offset and lofts that you like

[@leescowen6311]

im going for a fitting next week for irons im going an hour before to hit a few before with my clubs just a typical range session i would normally do before the fitting

[@love42productions17]

I’ve worked in the profession as a club pro, as a club fitter, and as a coach. I’ve also been fitted by a club fitting company. Most of the time people who are fitting you don’t know what the hell they are talking about. They give you a bunch of clubs and shafts and see which one you hit the furthest. To be a legitimate club fitter they need to have a good understanding of #1 launch monitor numbers and which aspects of which clubs effect those numbers #2 what your swing is creating as far as relevant launch monitor numbers go and #3 which clubs, if any can improve those numbers. There is a whole lot more to fittings than swing speed and distance.

[@rogertitcombe1870]

Had a fitting the other week at 'that retailer', honestly a 3 out of 10. Told they had plenty of shafts to try but only had the standard reg and stiff. They only had a 7 iron as well and where unable to get more selection of irons 😂. Drove away smiling and just shaking my head.

[@sheepish9538]

Went to American Golf for a Custom fit. Started playing g again after 10 years. Want a set of irons that could last me a long time. I said I had about 800 to spend and wanted a club with a bit of forgiveness for like a medium handicap. The guy was friendly etc but I only tried 3 different irons I said I had looked at the SIM2 and he just gave me the SIM2 and a set of PING and that was it. I had to ask for another club to try and that's all I tried. And I asked his advice and he didn't really say much just that PING were good so I ended up buying the PING which I believe were best for me but now I am unsure after watching this video I haven't got them yet as it was a 12 week wait. Might go back and ask to try a few more.

[@joneastelow3242]

I would cancel the order based on that and go to someone who gives a 💩

[@jamesbrown3302]

Wow, I got fitted last year for my TaylorMade sim os max irons and the Pro said he had to give me a lesson first to look at my swing to build the club for my swing. Great deal free fitting and bargain on the clubs.

[@normanrobson9957]

Hi In Denmark we pay on average £50 to £80 pounds for a fitting. If you order a set of irons for example the cost of the fitting is deducted from the price of the irons or whichever clubs you buy.

[@ChristopherPeakall]

I am an amateur high handicap golfer and didn’t know what I was really buying and wanted something fitted for longevity while I learned. American golf fitted me for a Wilson Dynapower carbon… a product definitely not suitable for my player level. I went to silvermere for my irons and had a completely different experience, much better. Now I have to pay out in changing my driver as it’s just not suitable!…live and learn.

[@atvlouis]

Don’t worry about brands, so many people come in to my store saying they only want to try call away or only want to try titleist but those might not be the best club for you. Don’t try and force a club

[@Classic508Tint]

Rick, Great Advice as always!!!

[@Classic508Tint]

A customer should expect to pay about 2 times the cost per hour as they would for a golf lesson. Sadly the majority of golf club fitters are unqualified.

[@stlc3415]

I paid for my son's fitting and the fitter was unable to achieve better results from his original iron set. The fitter was extremely professional and we have gone back several more times for other clubs. In fact, my son went back a year after purchasing a custom shaft for his driver and his results were still similar with the same results. The fitter did not charge and just told him to come back when he feels he is out growing the shaft.

[@austinhampton7999]

Glad to see we have so many professionals in the chat lol 😅 fittings work people I got people for a living and I can get 95% of people playing better golf with just a one hour and a half of fitting your swing speed won’t change your sing path won’t change much unless lessons and as long as you hit 3 good ones it’s a very good picture of how you will hit it in general

[@davemis40]

First time I was fitted was 35 years ago .. Ping isi clubs .. just been fitted for TM 790’s .. got my money’s worth out of my Pings.

[@erikfriberg8495]

Where I work in Sweden it costs about 70 pounds to do a fitting but you get 50 off if you buy the clubs and it doesn't matter what brand you get and if it's standard clubs you get the store price and you only pay for the upcharge stuff, like grips and shafts.

[@michaeljacksin9367]

this is a really interesting topic cuz it brings up how fast new clubs come out a set of irons used to be the standard for about 4 years but now regardless of how well they perform or even sell it seems a fresh new and improved 1200 set of clubs is here and you need it

[@CheviotHills]

It’s all a gimmick. Change your clubs every 5 years IMO unless you really want something shiny. It rarely makes that much difference. It’s the player not the club.

[@Mboogie69]

I agree with Rick that fitting should not be free in order to stop the sales push some. I just paid $100 for an iron Trackman fitting and the give a rebate of like $25 off that if you actually purchase a set. It wasn’t as thorough as I expected, but to be fair, I already had a pretty good idea of what I wanted and just needed to get the specs right. I had done enough demo testing prior to the fit to know what I wanted. If you can narrow your choices through demos prior to the fit, then I think it kind of forces the fitter to follow you rather than being blindly led by a salesman. Just my experience as a customer and former pro shop salesman.

[@jamieward74]

Went to said store and feel slightly taken advantage of on reflection. Went in with a lower budget of 250-300 for a driver (again yeah low but advised them of this) as had my eye on a couple in that range. The fitters disappeared and came back with 379-400 price point. Didn't hit the first 2 well but on the 3rd which is the 400 one that I believe he wanted me to buy as the only one he told me to change my technique slightly and hit 4/5 straight down the middle 250+ which for me is amazing. So now I can't see past it and bought it. Happy with my purchase if I can translate to the golf course however as explained looking back still feel a bit mislead 😕

[@LemonJelly360]

I’m on the verge of committing to a custom fit. I’ve been looking at going to Silvermere, so I’d value anyone’s experiences. I need a full bag fitting as my irons are 20+ years old and my driver is a hand-me-down square headed club. My only wedges are P and SW. I know it will be an expensive purchase, I’m ok with that but I want to ensure I’m not being duped.

[@tpgam3r100]

Silvermere is top notch big up

[@andy66l97]

I’d explore in advance what clubs & shafts will be available for your fitting - some have many brands of club, some have multi shaft options, not many have both. & that’s before you get on to how good the fitter is. Also what ball will they use for the fitting, & what technology to assess things. Retail stores have weekly sales targets to hit, worth bearing in mind

[@lewismurphy598]

I had a fitting probably just over a month ago at silvermere with David and the overall experience was great , it’s £150 for a fitting and I know when I did it you got that money back if you bought the clubs , they have all the shafts and all the clubs you could possibly think of it’s like being in a sweet shop , and we went through different clubs and both looked at the data together which helped decide what club was best but not only that he was giving me clubs / shafts bast of my feedback and what I was feeling , so for example I liked the feel of the p790 head but I like the weight of the shaft in a titleist iron so he put the two together and was brilliant , but there was no pressure to make a sale as again for example I’m currently working on my driver and hitting it better and he could see that during the fitting so instead of selling me some random club he gave me a little lesson and said work on your driver and when your ready give me a call I won’t charge you but come back and get fitted for it again when your hitting it the best so we can get the most out of the fitting , I recently picked up wedges and irons and couldn’t be more happy

[@LemonJelly360]

@@andy66l97 Thanks Andy, really appreciate the advice. I am definitely leaning towards Taylor Made, but that is purely based on the looks of the SIM2 driver and the P770/790 irons. I could try them and hate them of course :) I will certainly do more research before I commit to going somewhere.

[@andy66l97]

@@LemonJelly360 put club performance ahead of anything else too, though it can be hard to when your heart is set on something 👍

[@ckfoxtrot]

This is something I've actually been thinking a bit about lately. It definitely seems like there needs to be a better fitting methodology to account for a person probably not swinging their best when starting out with their current clubs. Fitters should do a bit more back and forth between new clubs and a persons current clubs during a session.

[@guyr7351]

Or if you can hit 25-30 balls on the range first

[@dbeasleyphx]

Knowing your lofts prior to a fitting is important.

[@mveverka829]

Another big thing I think is over looked is use the golf balls that you play with in the fitting. My local shop just has a bucket of random balls so numbers won’t be as consistent with 3 completely different types of balls

[@firstname2072]

Yes you can go in with no budget. I do it, I say I have unlimited funds however I’m not going to spend 4 times the cost for 2 extra yards. If it’s 30 years and much better desperation then I will.

[@jerryneff6018]

Great discussion gents. Thank you. I think you've coveted it all.

[@dochoilday9117]

Rick I found out I been playing with wrong iron was using Callaway apex pro 16 got fitted last month for Taylormade Sim max iron and it switched my game completely. Been playing my best rounds of golf shooting 83.

[@kevinlock7108]

Hi Rick, here’s a suggestion. I appreciate pros on courses may not have access to every range each year but isn’t there an opportunity to provide an initial fitting service without sales. A generic and independent recommendation could be made for the individual without bias. Not sure what you charge for an hours lesson but it’s money worth spent. They can then go to a shop with a more informed opinion.

[@benjohnson3313]

Love this, looking at going for an iron fitting in early 2022, gave me lots of things to consider

[@guyr7351]

Ben, try seeing if the fitting will involve more than the 7 iron. If your in the UK there are a couple of companies where you get chance to hit more than one club

[@markyoung2981]

Very interesting information, thank you for your time posting this content.

[@andy66l97]

I played with a guy recently who recently was ‘fitted’ at the same retailer - 5 foot 6 & 70 years old - fitted with standard length, standard lie, regular shafted irons that happened to be in stock on the day - hard to believe that lie & length especially should be standard, given his body is in proportion to his height. Appreciate whenever commission & shop sales targets are in place there are pressures to sell in the moment. As for flat commission, if it’s the same % for all brands there is an incentive to sell higher price goods, whereas if it’s a flat £fee the incentive switches to selling the cheaper goods. I went to the same retailer & tried 3 woods - in each flex there was only 1 shaft option - have to be realistic as to what ‘fitting’ includes, this one also used a horrendous rock of a knackered golf ball & a launch monitor whose suggested dispersion (with my own clubs) was massively different to how I am week in week out - not exactly confidence inspiring, didn’t buy & wouldn’t go back. Did then go to a PGA pro & had a great experience

[@andrewbarry5901]

Played today hit my irons really well best for years (or so I thought)decided the time was right to upgrade my old g15s tried a couple of different clubs couldn't hit a barn door coming across the ball every time fading everything the guy at the club fitting said your better off getting a golf lesson than new irons(at least he was honest)walked out gutted lol

[@guyr7351]

A lot cheaper though, it amazes me so many golfers take up the game, get pointers off mates (regardless of handicap) might have a couple of lessons, lots of sessions in the range lashing at the ball trying to smash the driver, you tube tuition. The top professionals all have coaches they work with every week, that says it all really

[@riotarbox7164]

I am said “Professional Fitter” and all of these points that they are making are spot on. Especially the commission point, I love the idea of paying for the fit even £10 would eliminate all of these problems of fitters leading customers on to expensive products. My question is would anyone be willing to pay a fee for a fit ?because in my experience they only come to our store because we do a fit for free

[@michaeljames2117]

Rick and Guy 2 weeks ago I got fitted for new irons mine were over 15 years old. As you said I went there with a budget however what I did was I asked the fitter to not tell me which clubs I was hitting and the irons I felt good hitting was my choice. They were over budget but what the fitter suggested was asked which courses I play regularly and decided I did not need a 5 iron because my 5 Wood would cover. I'm hitting the ball further and the irons came within my budget. Maybe players can have a think about this. Michael

[@guyr7351]

Very good comment, I am playing a pay as you play course that has 5 nine hole courses. The longest two come in at a 6500 yards 18 holes. A good 3 wood is OK even on longest holes, the small greens put more pressure on the short game

[@RandomSpace95]

The problem I’ve had with fitting is the cost of getting fitted. I’m in the states and I am not a member at a club with a pro. the only place around me to get fitted is either Golf Galaxy or Golf Tec. Both are extremely expensive for just a simple club fitting. You’re looking at spending $250 to get fit for all your clubs. I spent $50 for an iron fitting alone.

[@guyr7351]

You don’t need to be a member of the club to buy from the pro, he will almost certainly welcome the potential sale. Have a lesson with him, practice then go back and discuss a fitting

[@andrechin7282]

Subscribed to both and thanks Rick...

[@KaiserVonWilhelm1]

Old video I know. Two huge points I disagree with. 1) Budget, and complaining about being sold an "expensive" set of irons. Most iron sets, main brands, are about the same cost, lets say 1,000 USD to 1,200. Do a bit of effort beforehand, know that PXG sells irons more expensive that other brands, so you can have a red flag if you get fit into those irons. 2) The entire segment here is dependent on this idea that your getting "screwed over" by the fitting. Maybe your clubs are just fine for you and you could be getting upsold by the fitter to buy new clubs. YOU booked the fitting. Most people booking a fitting and are going in ready to buy NEW clubs. And if that's not your intention, you need to state that right away that you're just looking to get the most out of the equipment you have.

[@GavinBull1]

Been to 2 fittings recently (1 for irons, 1 for woods) And the experience was awful, neither measured for the length of clubs, both used standard sized grips (I'm playing thicker grips). Really poor for me as, especially with the woods, I was flipping wrists over and hooking every shot (I wasn't doing that at all when he was gathering databwith my current driver). I hooked every shot (roughly 20) as soon as they gave me a new club with standard grips. Got a however many thousand costing trackman tech but can't afford to let people try clubs with a mid size grip. Joke

[@jacobfry2259]

This episode should be labeled "All the reasons why Rick and Guy hate Professional Club Fitters".

[@kaidonhunt6029]

When I went in to GOLFTEC and got fitted they had me hit my club then when they found the one for me they had me go back to my club and hit and in the end they said “Your clubs now are the best you’ve hit all day but if you want new one get these but I recommend keeping what you have”

[@garyrushfirth3933]

I want to get fitted for some new irons after getting back into golf after 5/6 year out of the game. Replacing my ping eyes 2. Don’t feel I hit the ball consistently enough at the moment though.

[@clivejenner167]

im looking at getting new clubs and been watching these videos and im already convinced i want the wilson d9s but i wont buy umtil i try

[@guyr7351]

Wilson’s are great clubs, I’m with D7 forged, and they look great

[@12port34]

The pro at my local club does charge for fittings & then if you purchase the irons through him he discounts that price off the cost of the clubs you buy through him. I suspect that stops quite a bit of time wasting as well.

[@therealisticgooner8267]

Gents might I ask your advice on a quandary I have ? “ I hate it when they say hit your club first “ but what if you don’t have any clubs ! Jr has taken up golf once more and needs a set of irons, am I stupid taking him to get his first set of ‘ grown up ‘ clubs fitted ? He’s taking lessons of course and he took one of my 10 yr old clubs ( 7 iron ) I bought off the shelf from American Golf ( Mizuno ) with him . I’m was 5’10” at the time of purchase he’s about 5’9” but his coach told him the club was short ! There was nothing irregular about my clubs or so I thought at the time of purchase, regular stiffness, regular length as 5’10” is the average height for a man in the uk. So I was playing all those yrs with a shorter club than normal, is it any wonder I have a bad back now . So is taking a complete novice to get fitted a dumb idea or not and by novice I do mean just that, he’s never been on a golf course of any description. He has a good swing ( says his coach who is according to GM one of the top fifty coaches in the uk ) just needs to groove in his set up & stance. Hits a 7 iron roughly 150yrds which for a 17yr old novice isn’t so shabby I hope . Your thoughts / advice would be most welcome. On a slightly different subject might there be room for conversation on the best fitting service in the uk where ever that might be ?

[@alains751]

I think you should have a budget in mind. but don't stop trying something because it's not in your budget... when I went and had my fit, I knew blades weren't for me, but I tried them anyway. you never know how you going to feel, how you going to hit them, unless you try them. You're paying for that time. you should listen to your fitter, but still try stuff that you want to try.

[@Wkndgolfer]

A proper fitting isn’t using your first swings with your club to just compare against, they have to know you’re club head speed, angle of attack, if your current swing weight is right for your swing, etc.. they have to have a starting point. A proper fitting by club champion or TXG is invaluable.

[@damianrogers2626]

In Halpenny Golf in Ireland, the price of your fitting comes off the price, if you purchase the club.

[@tonysanta3497]

I normally go without my golf clubs and tell them that I always have used a friend's set. I do know the capabilities of my equipment. A lot of times, they won't bother fitting you.

[@browners_28]

My fitter was £50. We decided my shaft was correct. He charged me £25. Highly recommended Jake at Glos Golf Centre

[@davidcole2337]

I have considered a fitting for Shaft. bought a new Drive about 6 Months and feel like I am not hitting it as well as I expected..

[@ThePonytube]

Mid handicapper in the US here.. Do you HAVE to buy brand new clubs from the fitter? or do some fitters offer older brands. The couple of fitters i talked to only sell brand new ones, I was hoping someone would sell new but a previous year's clubs. The hard way im assuming, is to get fitted and then go shop online by yourself.. that worries me since its both time consuming and I really cant be sure what i got is whats recommended for me and of course the odd chance of never finding clubs with the exact spec.....thank you!

[@edwardstroko4665]

I want to get a full bag fitting this winter!! I can’t wait😎🏌️‍♂️

[@waynepark4430]

I love this discussion. I was fitted about 4 years ago, for the very first time and I didn't know what to ask or what to expect. I will say that the fitter told me that the simulator is sponsored by a certain brand. Is first question was there a particular brand that caught my eye, I said no. Then we started, I wasn't rushed, I was there well over an hour I tried numerous brands, including graphite shaft verses steel shafts. We I was done he suggested I take some time to think about it. I left and contacted him a month later.

[@_warren6659]

what did you end up with??

[@waynepark4430]

@@_warren6659 Ping 400

[@_warren6659]

@@waynepark4430 👌 nice. im a ping guy too. only mine are a bit older. swinging i20s.. might upgrade in a year or two. 10 years is a good life for some irons I think. with that said, pings age really well. shoot straight my friend!

[@steelers1500]

Got a fit a club champion and the rep let me warm up for 5-10 minutes with any club i wanted without him watching or taking notice so when we did the comparison with my current clubs it was actual data

[@skid68]

Did go to a cobra fitting and there I was not 100% satisfied. Then I went to a store that sells a lot of different brands and got a fitting with feel like I got good help. Have the wrong Lie on my old clubs, where he proved it in the store with some tajp and me doing some hits with my old clubs and the new ones with other lie.

[@wolverinefife3521]

Was thinking about getting fitted, but unsure now. will i just be helping someone get a nice holiday and I end up with expencive clubs? Or like you said all I need is new crips or change of shaft?

[@bm5192]

I’ve had the same experience from a big local golf store in the states. They put the sale first instead of doing a proper fitting

[@guyr7351]

Commission commission sell sell sell, helps him pay the bills. With a golf store he is not going to be seeing you every time you play so it’s water off a ducks back. If it’s your pro at the course he will be seeing you and if not happy it reflects on him. If we don’t use our golf pro, then we will end up like other products where there are few choices of shops and price gets controlled and service can be garbage

[@chrisduxberry8327]

I went to the same American golf shop in Swansea all three pro over a two week period give me different spec why and how do I get a better fitting as I eventually went with my home club and the pings fitted are awful compared to my off the shelf AP1s

[@markwheeler4245]

How often do u hit ur own clubs and get told the ones u currently have are better for u than the new ones or so similar there’s no reason to upgrade? I’m guessing not often

[@brandonmoore9816]

Only time you should really get fitted MAYBE is if you’re under 5’8 and over 6’2. Everyone else? Standard everything.

[@dubtom11]

I'm an average player,using Wilson gear effect 1200 irons,their 35 years old. Could I expect to see an improvment in my game with a modern set? I hear a lot about improver clubs or clubs with forgivness,has the technology improved that much?

[@Chyeahokay]

Even if you pay just for a fitting, they are still employees. The employer will still push employees to sell clubs. And it is their job at the end of the day.

[@richardthorpe3059]

I'm probably being naive but I think it would be helpful if manufacturers stated the loft angle on the club rather than the number of the iron.

[@dustinwatts1559]

I went to the TaylorMade Kingdom at Reynolds Plantation as a +2 and got a full bag of clubs. The original p790s were shit and for bad players. M4 awful, GAPR awful, wedges the worst I’ve used. Maybe I got screwed but it was an awful experience

[@postman445]

Hi, I’m going to get a fitting I ply of 4 and never had a fitting before. My only issue is I don’t like hitting of the mats. Can I get a fitting of the turf

[@johntwomey7907]

Another one is what ball you play. Would it be better to hit what you play and not one of theirs that has had been hit 4000 times.