I'm a Master fitter/builder. There is no way in hell I could have a customer hitting pw 6 and 4 in a fitting. Just doing a normal iron fitting is 60ish swings, add a driver and long game to it and we're looking at over 120 swings. Now you want me to add 2 other irons for them to try out, no way in hell the average or even truely addicted golfer has that many "good" swings in them. Most people don't even make it through a full bag fitting and have to reshcedule the long game part. Now I have access to every aftermark brand + all the shafts for OEM and every brands heads so maybe if I was just an OEM fitter I could get away with it. But as a true custom fitter adding 2 more irons into the mix would be way to many swings. I also use a 6 iron instead of a 7 iron. Reason is anyone can hit a 7 well, it's all anyone ever uses on the range. Lets see what you can do with a club you don't normally use, if I can get you hitting that well I know you can hit the rest well.
I couldn’t agree more. But to meet in the middle, (because it would be a big expense for the manufacturers) I would love to see them send the 4 iron, 7 iron and the PW. That way you’re getting both end of the spectrum plus the mid area.
Never had a fitting when I’ve come away really happy and convinced, after a few rounds even less happy, but what else can you do! Best clubs I have were off eBay and a shot in the dark,!!
My mate got fitted for irons last year at SGGT near Edinburgh and they fit all major brands using a 4, 6, 8 and PW. They charge around £100 for an iron fitting but knock the price off if you buy from them!
Great information, as i am considering a fitting and the fit being based on the 7 iron only is what i want to avoid. I wonder how much improvment is gained from the mntal side of feeeling right with the the clubs.
Best fitting ever--Henri-Griffins back in 1998 every club in the bag part of a three day process run by a pga pro who actually taught fitting at H-G seminars. Came away total of 10 degrees upright playing to a six handicap at the time. 76 years old now and going for new fitting this Monday, wish me luck.
The best fitting by far that I’ve had was at SGGT in Edinburgh. They can interchange every shaft into all iron / driver heads. Plus they have multiple iron heads (4, 6,8 & PW) in each model.
After being fitted for my MP20s based on the 7iron, I insisted they let me tape up the 4iron on the shelf and hit that to ensure I could! Have been burnt previously not being able to strike the long irons after hitting dreamy shots with the fitted 7.
I would say that the two most important fittings I’ve ever been to were for my putter and for my wedges. I would encourage all golfers to do the same. As for the remainder of my bag, I prefer demo days where I can go hit lots of different clubs outside. I buy primarily on look and feel and I find the outdoor experience preferable to hitting indoors.
I've had my last two sets of irons fitted. I can honestly say it didn't make the slightest difference. Judging by where the ball goes, my swing changes with the phase of the moon, the time of day, what I had for breakfast etc.
Peter - Which phase of the moon did you find best for your swing? What's your optimum performance time? And of course what breakfast produces your best results? Nicely stated and totally agree with your comments. 👍
I've had nothing but terrible or inadequate fitting experiences - private fitter, GolfTec, Club Champion - doesn't matter. No concern over actual "fit" - just trying to jam clubs down my throat and pick my pocket. I've had driver/fairway fittings where the fitter would try nothing but the standard manufacturer's shafts, despite claims that "100s of custom shafts are available"; I've never been able to be fit with anything other than a 7-iron; my favorite pet peeve - fitter refusal to put anything other than a standard-sized grip on the shaft despite the fact that I play a mid-size grip with 2 additional wraps underneath. I have big hands with bad arthritis and tendency to pull-hook - what do you think happens to my ball flight when I swing an undersized grip? Also had fitters explain to me in great detail that swing-weight and lie angle really don't matter (I hate light-weight clubs and it screws up my timing). I've also had fitters refuse to write down and give me my so-called specs.What a wonderful experience for $200 - $300 fitting costs plus an additional ~$1500.00 for a set of irons that really weren't fit to me but I'm pressured into buying just to shut the fitter up and get out of there... I now fit myself, don't change clubs often, and very happily play to a 6 handicap.
Good call, another excellent Vlog and insightful episode. I think you've hit the nail right on the head! I believe you need to be fitted for every iron as your swing and speed changes slightly for each club for most club golfers. Plus, you can then get proper gapping between clubs. That's my thoughts anyhow!
Just to see the difference last year I got fit twice at 2 different locations. One on Friday and one Saturday. For driver and irons. Both places fit me differently. How can clubs be fit for you when not all fitters agree on what’s best for your game
The problem I see with the fitting process for irons (besides that single iron flaw that James points out) also includes. 7 Irons off a crappy mat that looks like the grand canyon. Better bring your own balls that you game to mark up for the launch monitor. Time pressure with the fitter and half the store looking over your shoulder waiting for the next in line to get fit. Years ago, NY Golf would let you take a few irons out to demo at your own range / course for a week. That's done. Heard this year in the states that Golf Galaxy will begin a charge of $100 for a "fitting" that is charged in ADDITION to your purchase. Now that's over the top. Mizuno at least uses gyroscopic technology that is more objective but still needs to be taken with a grain of salt when hitting off a crappy mat.
What was the point? Were you trying to get fit for a set of clubs or trying to compare the competence of the fitters? Everyone's game is different from day to day, so why would you expect the fitters to have the same results. I honestly think getting fitted is just a beginning to a long process of fine tuning until you have the absolutely best clubs for you BUT, that takes time and patience and PRACTICE on and off the course.
My best fitting experience was when I brought a second hand set on FB marketplace. 😁 I couldn't even take a swing with any of the clubs at the seller's house. 🙄 But the clubs work fine for this hacker!
Tottaly understand that, I got fitted last year just before the first lock down, same thing only the 7i. I carry a 4h so wanted to try the 5i just see the numbers but couldn't. I ended up getting pw 6i and a 5h and got the lot gapped to suit.
Totally agree with your take. Not a fan of only hitting a 7i or 6i. What happens if you want a combo set? And if you want a combo set, at what point to do the combo? Hard to figure with only hitting a 7i. Also your point on the 4i is very true as well. This goes back to the combo issue as well as should I go to a hybrid or something else, etc.
I’m glad to see that you and a few other TH-cam instructors are starting to ask this question. It deserves a robust discussion. What I would like to understand is whether there is any data that shows that fittings reduce someones handicap / scores as opposed to online fitters or simply purchasing a quality set of irons in your category (e.g. blades vs game improvement). Without unbiased, accurate data showing it’s worth the cost, should the industry really be pushing fittings as hard as they do? The fact is that every manufacturer builds clubs to the same mandated spec so I would hazard the guess that most amateurs would shoot the same score regardless of which manufacturer’s clubs they select. Adding to the overall cost for consumers without understanding that there is a definitive advantage only benefits the industry (fitters), not the consumer.
Took my son to Woburn Golf club for his 21st, it was a completely blind fitting for him. He had no idea about heads & shafts. No purchase pressure. It was great
Ping fitting centre was impressive, however, my best experience was c20 years ago with Taylormade. It was a tour van to be fair but my set were made for me there and then and tested a couple of hours later and I wasn’t happy with the 4 iron. They checked lie and loft (which were both fine) and simply swapped out the shaft and it fixed the dead feeling from before. I was so lucky to have had this opportunity and I played those irons for 15years. Only loss of swing speed made me look at an alternate and I have to say Ping delivered. The lad that fitted me was ex-tour truck and was spot on (twice - long story).
I had a titleist driver fitting and have to say I was shocked at how good they were. I left 2 hours later with a full spec for driver 3&5 wood. No pressure to buy. I tried numerous shafts and heads. Spent 6 months looking on eBay and bought them. Well worth the trip
Got an iron fitting this week, I know what I am looking for, I know what my bad shots tell me about my delivery and swing, so even with only hitting max. 100 balls I am sure I will get a set I am comfortable with :s i just want a players iron with bit more forgiveness than I currently have a.k.a P770!
James. This is the best straight talking video on fittings out there which addresses a valid point. You hit the nail on the head. 5 7 9 would be good enough.
I once went to the Callaway fitting centre in Surrey. A brilliant experience and well worth the time and expense. They had absolutely every configuration
I got fitted by Andy at Snainton Golf and after trying nearly ten sets we narrowed it down and finally settled on 790s which I tried a variety of clubs, not just the seven iron. I was very impressed indeed and ended up doing same with wedges which were taped up, driving iron, driver and 5 wood. When I picked them up a few weeks later I also got fitted for a putter. Bravo Snainton for doing what James is suggesting is the ultimate fitting. 😊
We have Austads here in South Dakota which has all options for fittings. You can get a full set or focus on irons or even hybrids. Got my first set of clubs as a kid at Austads and 40 years later I just got a set of irons as I got back into golf after 25 years of not playing. Thanks for your videos.
Spot on. Just got fitted and while it was good to try lots of 7 irons not being able to test other clubs was a pain, hard to know where to gap and doesn’t really allow you to combo sets! Has to be the way forward in the long run
Best experience for golf club fitting was at Royal Birkdale. After being allowed to warm up in my own time the head professional interviewed me to what my expectations were and what I wanted from the fitting. We spent just over a hour and a half indoors looking at heads, shafts, lofts and lies and analysing the results. Once a combination had been selected indoors hitting top quality balls we went outside to the range, using Trackman and again using quality balls to ensure that there were no discrepancies to the indoor testing. Brilliant.
Wedge fitting at Precision Golf, in West Byfleet, Surrey. Amazing hour spent with Pete Lockett, who showed an awful lot of patience with me! 3 Ping Glide Forged wedges, with altered swingweight and 56° bent to 55° to keep the gaps consistent.
I'm booked in for a driver fitting with Pete, found him on TH-cam and he looks to be more of a swing coach than a fitter. Would you say based on experience that he's a decent fitter too?
New subscriber and just come across this video - couldn't agree more with your assessment; just be thankful you're not a left handed golfer like me where choice is even more limited.
Great video, I am so glad you have raised this issue. I have been playing this great game for over fifty years and still play off single figures, I can honestly say in all those years and many so called fittings I have yet to walk out of a fitting and felt ALL the clubs suited my dame at that time. I good club fitting is not a cheap experience with costs ranging in the hundreds of pounds range, we should be fitted for all clubs we intend to buy not fobbed off with performances based on a 7 iron. I think fitters/ manufacturers have been getting away with a second rate service, with irons now averaging around £1000 for forged irons, you want every club in your bag fitted to suit you, With the emphasis moving to combo sets, what chance of getting a really accurate fit ??
Hey James, I'm a mini tour pro and I've been through a bunch of fittings... you're 100% correct. There's also a myriad of other problems I've encountered. If you want to chat, DM me. Love your channel mate. Thanks.
I had a full bag fitting at Precision Golf in Surrey, March 2020. They were absolutely brilliant! there was no bias to a particular brand and the fitters were extremely professional. I felt I was back at school (in a good way) as it was very much a learning experience as well as just a fitting. They first sought out exactly what I wanted from my experience, as well as what I wanted from my clubs and tailored everything from how the clubheads, shafts & grips felt to me, rather than them recommending a certain brand/club etc. I was amazed at how distance and dispersion altered from subtle changes in shafts & stuff, so I ended up with Ping G410 driver, 3 wood & hybrid, followed by Callaway Apex CF19 3i-PW and Mizuno T20 51 degree gap wedge & 56 degree sand wedge... all with custom shafts and the grips I chose/preferred. I was then impressed at how the additional gapping session went once I'd collected the clubs 3 weeks afterwards. I'd recommend precision Golf to absolutely anyone!
I agree, James. I was fortunate with my fitting recently. While they only had the 7-iron to try for the fitting, they also had a store with a large variety of iron sets (4-PW) that you could take out to their range to try. While the iron sets were all a standard spec (that may not apply to you) you could at least get an idea about the other clubs in the set. Like you, I wanted to know what the 4-iron was like. Being able to test that club did make a difference for me, as it was a deciding factor between two irons I was considering.
Completely agree everything here James! Problem is, it’s a business and people already complain about fitting cost. If every fitter had to multiply their inventory, they’d also have to multiply the cost. As long as places like Club Champion are raking in the cash, booked 7 days a week, not much will change. Unless you want to book a vacation to Toronto and visit TXG.
Having recently been fit at Club Champion I asked this exact question. Why are we unable to swing a short iron or a long iron. The answer was due to the number of shaft lengths they would need to stock. They currently have hundreds of shafts in variable lengths all positioned around the iron they test (6 iron in CC's case).
Golf Town, Barrie Ontario. Had all of my fittings there. 2 sets of AP1’s plus 3 drivers over the years - including a re-fit for a different shaft. Previously I was just buying off the rack. Get fitted. It makes a big difference, especially with expert fitters.
Nail on head James. I’m a 1 handicapper but only moderate swing speed (100 mph with driver) Was looking at irons last year before lockdown. Picked up with used MP18 SC PW-6i with FLi HI 5 iron. Purchased Mizuno FLi Hi 4i. Gap between 5i & 4i only 6 yards so bought a 4h. Shows that fitting for just the 7i isn’t giving golfers what they need
Great report James, totally agree. If there is no 1, 2 and 3 iron, i"m not going. You hearing that Wilson, Mizuno And Titleist? Get your act together as you are charging enough. Oh!, i also want proper lofts
My last fitting was at a trackman center where they had a wide range of manufacturers - albeit only 7 irons. I came away with a set of irons that I'm really happy with. But . . . before I booked the fitting, I had a some refresher lessons with a local pro to make sure my swing was in reasonable shape before the fitting. I was also lucky that I could seek his advice about club fittings. I think it made the fitting more effective being confident in my swing and being aware of the fitting process.
Spot on, James! I mean...How do I get fitted for a combo set? Where should the split be? I like the concept of AMT shafts cuz I play heavier shafts on my wedges and would probably like heavier shafts on my 9-P. But how do I get fitted for that? A custom fitting doesn’t give me all the answers I want and I feel kinda cheated to be honest.
Years ago was fitted at American Golf. Ended up with Taylor Made Rocketbladez graphite after hitting only 7 iron. When I hit lower irons the clubs made a cheap sound and I couldn’t hit them. Eventually went back to my old irons and sold the Rocketbladez, losing £400 in the process. Put me off buying new clubs and I’m still nervous about laying out for new clubs, especially given the increases in club prices.
This is a great video on the problems with fittings. How do you know whether to use a hybrid instead of a 4i, 5i and 6i. What if you were buying wedges at the same time. How can you gap a wedge to a PW when you can't try a PW. You have to buy the irons first and go from there. You can then end up with irons you never use because you've bought hybrids and wedges to replace them.
I completely agree with this. I also have felt that my fitters have had an agenda with brands. I watch these videos that say pick your ball from the green back because we can set the driver up to fit the ball then why am I not fitting my irons the same way.
It's an interesting topic for sure. I used to work in a retail store and asked that exact question. The answer I got back was "it costs too much to get the 5, 7 and PW heads in RH and then get the LH models too". Its is absolutely a flawed system but most options are actually available from the OEMs, people just want to keep costs to a minimum which I understand.
Got fitted for my SIM MAX driver at TXG. It was a great experience and I can't wait for lockdown to end here in Toronto so I can get some practice in and book an iron fitting.
Best experience I had was at Urban Golf back when Zane Navie was there. Enjoyed the experience and very knowledgeable. Not quite, but nearly TXG standard. We ended up retro-fitting irons I already had. No product push. Quality
Years ago ping fitting van had me at plus one inch. I didn't measure up for that but my upright swing put me there. For many years after I was fitted much shorter length and struggled. Back to plus one and huge improvement.
I went through a lot of golf shops and looked at club sets and put the clubs behind the ball on the floor to see if I liked the look of it. Got to hit a few that I really liked to help narrow down what I wanted to try for my fitting, but yes, the fitting did only have the 7 or 6 iron.
James, I don't have any fitters near me. When I started (1969) there was no such thing as a fitting . When I get next set (last set of clubs) I may travel to get fitted ( i don't even have a launch monitor that is near me). I kind of fitted my own driver and it works great. I took the reviews from mygolfspy and looked at the best drivers for seniors. There were 3 or 4 possibilities I got the Mizuno ST190 HL Fujikura Atmos 5R red A flex and set the driver head at 11.5º I gained about 20 yards over my old driver. All my buddies try to buy that club from me and it will never be for sale! But for irons I don't think I could do the same. Great video
I got fitted for my mizuno irons by my coach Simon Garner . It was over 2 sessions and I took a couple of 7 irons out on the course to test before we made the final decision. Very thorough and it made some much difference,
I agree. I have circumvented this in my head by just sticking to Mizuno irons. I know how their clubs look every 5 - 6 years when I do change my irons ...
At my old club we had a ping demo day where you could book your time slot and they had the longer irons and shorter irons to see what they looked like which was so good because it helped me choose which I liked the look of
Hi James, I’ve had Ping, TaylorMade, Mizuno and Callaway in the last 10 years, all fitted off just the 7 iron. I’ve now had PXG for two years, at their fitting I tried everything from the 2 iron all the way to the lob wedge, absolutely super. No idea why the others can’t.
I went to get fitted for a driver at fitter. The person that fitted me was representing Callaway that year and after trying a few brand of drivers he said the Maverick was the best. I decided to wait but went back a 2 months later to the same fitting place. A different worker who rep Titleist now figured the TSI3 was the best.. Seems like people suggest what there comfortable with.
I completely agree James. I am currently going through club fitting and I am quite keen to look at a blended set of irons. However, I cannot try the long irons, so how on earth do I know which iron version to go for on the 4/5 irons? I think the manufacturers need to change their approach.
2nd Swing in Colombia for anyone in the Maryland/DC area was a great experience for me! My fitter Jim was very funny and insightful, taught me loads in only 1 hour.
I know this video is a little over a year old, but I'm going to get a club fitting at Club Champion. I've talked with them on the phone and watched a few videos of others getting fitted there. That place looks top notch. I have never been fitted for clubs before. I'm excited and can't wait to have my fitting. I agree 100%; I don't care if you're a scratch golfer or a high-handicap golfer, go get a fitting!
This is becoming even more prevalent as manufacturers are pushing for combo sets. How you can you honestly know when one club ends and the transition begins by hitting the same club? Agree James, if someone supports their customers in this way I fell a lot of people will buy due to nothing more then additional confidence.
James, great video which actually shows that club fitting is not the be all abd end all of club buying. I spent a fortune getting fitted for ping g irons then couldnt hit them.
Agree completely, James. How someone can be properly fitted for an entire set of irons when all you're hitting is a 7, is beyond me. On the other hand though, even if a fitting cart had all the odd OR even numbered clubs, the fitting cart would be enormous. I've seen TH-cam fitting videos performed by vloggers at the manufacturer's own location, way over there, in the UK. When visiting those locations, I wonder if they have you hit EVERY club that will be going in your bag.
Every time I go in to hit new irons, I hit 10 shots or so with them just to even see if I like them. Then if I do, I ask to get custom fit, and basically every time, the stock shaft fits me just fine, and I always fit to standard.
I totally agree got fitted last year like you said only hit 7 iron went for 4-pw and could have saved money as 4 iron isn't used as never seem to be able to strike it like I can the rest of the clubs.
I thought this was a GREAT video James. As clubs are becoming WAY more expensive, manufacturers should be offering MORE to make sure, we as consumers, are spending our money correctly and it would be worth their while as if it was a GREAT & in depth experience you would be more likely to see greater brand loyalty! My best fitting was by Ping and I have stuck with them for 30 years now but I am old enough to remember when nobody was fitted, you just bought “they feel nice” clubs off the shelf, NO try before you buy, then you went out and made them work!! I was a novelty in that my golf shop had to order stiff steel shafts for me in both woods AND irons!
I agree. When I got fitted my fitter recommend KBS 120 shaft + 1/2 in. The problem was they only had the + 1/2 in the KBS taper. So I couldn't swing the exact club I was ordering. Seeing that I was spending a lot of $$ I was a little nervous. The good news is everything turned out well. Also they did have a full set on the floor so I was able to see all the clubs, except for the 50°. Talking to my fitter he did say most of his clients are in the higher handicap and don't really care about seeing the whole set only a few generally the lower handicap players want to see all the clubs. I agree with you, I want to see and feel everything I'm getting especially when big paying for premium clubs. How is inventory over there? Here in the US it's slim picking used clubs are almost the same cost as new because there's no new stock. Cheers!
I couldn't agree more, some retail locations allow you to hit certain clubs from the selling wall, so I use that for the heads and then I fit myself for the shafts....that combination works for me evrytime
Went for 2 iron fittings last year. One fitted me into 2 degrees flat another wanted to fit me into 3 degrees upright?? Ended up withe standard life and length.
12 years ago (62 years of age) I got down to 13 handicap. Looking to get down to single figures I started looking for better equipment. I tried some basic fitting in a few shops, I read all the reviews possible, I listened to lots of marketing speak, and several friends who played golf better than I did. From that point onwards my golf went downhill. Now I play off 21 and last week I was thinking about giving up golf all together. As a last resort a friend brought me a nearly new Cobra F9 driver with a super light senior shaft (helium 3F2). I was hopeless with it. For the last week or so I had watched quite a few TH-cam golf videos. Three guys published some significant common sense. Of course there was James here on shafts and ball trajectories and some other topics. Then there was Lee Whitaker on tee height plus the discussion he and I had on launch monitor alignment for nets and screen hitting. Finally Mark Crossfield put things together with his recent videos on teaching yourself about your own swing and ball striking. So twelve years later - just this last week, I've hit hundreds of balls on my simulator in the garden bearing in mind the input from Messrs. Robinson, Whitaker and Crossfield. I've tried out my latest driver, and the three previous drivers (TM, Mizuno, and Ping - oldest to latest), with several different ball placements, tee heights, and swing concepts provided by several different teaching pros over the last 12 years. The old Taylor Made driver was head and shoulders the better choice. So have I wasted the last 12 years in a pointless search for some sort of holy grail equipment solution? To some degree yes I have. But if I had not gone through this experience, I would not have been able to benefit from the content produced by Messrs Robinson, Whitaker and Crossfield. I simply would not have known what to look for, what to be aware of. If you don't know where you're going how will you know when you've arrived. I'm not sure that inexperienced golfers can benefit from a detailed fitting. If you can't hit the same shot several times over, how can you compare the different shafts or club heads? In this video James demonstrated that an experienced pro can adapt to a club vastly different to his preferred specs. But can we, the young beginners, the old has beens, and the never quite made its benefit from fitting? May be these days the answer could be yes if you find a fitter you can trust, because the technology in launch monitors can now offer data that was impossible to to detect some years ago. I believe, after 20 years of golf, I've finally got to the point where I can really benefit from a fitting, and with the help of Robinson, Whitaker and Crossfield, protect myself from sales and marketing confusion. So here I am golfer reborn and looking forward to yet one more attempt to lower the handicap. Thank you James, Lee and Mark.
never get fitted, do it yourself.. find some clubs that look good, and just practice.. You have to like what you see, not what people are doing, swing what makes you feel good and just practice..
Spot on james mate of mine got Rogue pro irons 2years ago I hit 8 and 9 iron perfect with them but tried the 5 iorn and did not hit one decent strike of a tee with 8 attempts on the course. Last clubs I bought were Cobra F 7's were on offer £309. I went into shop and asked could I try 5 iron into net they said the had only demo 7iron . I said if they taped a five iron and i could hit it solid i did not care about numbers I would buy them as I knew I would be able to hit rest of clubs. They taped one for me and I am happy with these clubs 3 years later.
Fitted myself when I worked at American Golf, and used the standard clubs off the rack with exactly this in mind. Used lie boards and face tape and spec'd the shaft from other stock clubs. Was very happy with the end result of a stunning set of MIZUNO MP30's with S300 shafts, 2 deg up +half an inch and midsized grips. Ball striking was much more consistent afterwards too!
100 percent agree. My "game" is adapted to my clubs, not the other way around. Yes I have been fitted and every time I am told to use standard lie, loft and length irons with a regularshaft. At 5'5" and 72 years old you would think my shafts should be shorter, lie angle more upright and shafts senior. Nope. Of course, I have been playing clubs of standard loft, length, etc. for years so I have adapted!! That doesn't mean I am that good, but that is me, not my clubs.
Totally agree mate, what I have done in the past is go and have a look at a set first to see what all the irons look like before I go to see my fitter, but I would definitely like to try the wedge and a long iron just to make sure
Hey James, Please have Laura experiment with TSi 1! Do it!!!!!!! You hitting full send doesn’t help my 80 mph swing. You are my only hope. Congratulations you two! Thanks.
James, great video. I spent £1k in December 2020 on Mizuno JPX921s forged and I don't like the 4 iron or the wedge, Yes I did a fit with my local pro. I used the wedge in my last set alot round the green, this one is chunky. Manufacturers should be providing 4 iron and wedge as fittings. How do fitting centres fit people for wedges ?
I have to agree! I play a 4 hybrid, so with stronger lofted clubs being the norm, I would be left guessing whether or not I needed up to a 6 iron or 5 iron? Surely with all the data that is around, a manufacturer can extrapolate playing distances for all the clubs in a set based on your swing speed and how far you hit the demo iron. This way, combo setting or hybrid/fairway wood players could accurately buy a set based on the distances they need.
100% agree. I only hit the 7 iron too. And found it took me 3 years to learn to hit the 4 iron. It might be time they don't feel is valuable. But 15 more minutes hitting two other clubs would have made it a much better experience
Also went to Silvermere and got fitted for me new 770s. Got to try the full set including the equivalent in P7MB and MC to see if a combo worked better.
SGGT Edinburgh. Pw,8,6,4 iron heads in most brands with multiple shaft options. All hand built in their property to their high standards. No bias, no influence, just the best individual fitting for you with top customer service.👍
Hi James, A friend of mine went for some new irons 3 or 4 years ago and a fitting to American Golf, and 2 Pro different shops. He is 6ft 2 tall. One said 1" longer clubs, one said 1/2" longer clubs, one said standard length. Needless to say he still has his old irons after the confusion............
One local Pro at St Austell GC had two full sets of demo Titleist irons, which I thought was a brilliant idea, at the time!. I tried a set and it was really good to try the full set of AP3's. I get what your saying though James. Good video.
Good point. Suggest 5,7 & PW to give you a better overall fitting for a set of clubs. Vital you need an honest fitter keen to really help you than concentrate on getting a sale. Also older players often need more hybrids & fairway woods to make up for a slower swing speed. Hope honest James will add his valuable opinion on my suggestion..
Once had a fitting in 2010 where tried just 7 irons. one of the clubs i was hitting the best was titleist AP1 710. Std loft and lie and regular shafts. The club pro had a demo set of the Ap1s so i had them for a month then ordered them. What a difference that made. This was my Local club pro
Definitely a good idea but sometimes having too many options to test can be overwhelming for some. It’s good to have an great relationship with your golf shop / fitter and be honest with where you need help or any concerns with the results of the fitting. A lot of fittings take over 80 shots if testing a few brands and now adding additional clubs could make it more and tired golfers make for poor fittings.
Went to Titleist National Fitting Centre at St. Neots,Cambridgeshire last summer. Trialled 4 iron and 7 iron in T100,T100s and T200 with various spec shafts.Numbers came out best with T200 although I hit the other models O.K. Very good experience and service there with great fitters.
I'm a Master fitter/builder. There is no way in hell I could have a customer hitting pw 6 and 4 in a fitting. Just doing a normal iron fitting is 60ish swings, add a driver and long game to it and we're looking at over 120 swings. Now you want me to add 2 other irons for them to try out, no way in hell the average or even truely addicted golfer has that many "good" swings in them. Most people don't even make it through a full bag fitting and have to reshcedule the long game part. Now I have access to every aftermark brand + all the shafts for OEM and every brands heads so maybe if I was just an OEM fitter I could get away with it. But as a true custom fitter adding 2 more irons into the mix would be way to many swings. I also use a 6 iron instead of a 7 iron. Reason is anyone can hit a 7 well, it's all anyone ever uses on the range. Lets see what you can do with a club you don't normally use, if I can get you hitting that well I know you can hit the rest well.
I couldn’t agree more. But to meet in the middle, (because it would be a big expense for the manufacturers) I would love to see them send the 4 iron, 7 iron and the PW. That way you’re getting both end of the spectrum plus the mid area.
Never had a fitting when I’ve come away really happy and convinced, after a few rounds even less happy, but what else can you do! Best clubs I have were off eBay and a shot in the dark,!!
Yep, this. 👍🏻
My mate got fitted for irons last year at SGGT near Edinburgh and they fit all major brands using a 4, 6, 8 and PW. They charge around £100 for an iron fitting but knock the price off if you buy from them!
Great information, as i am considering a fitting and the fit being based on the 7 iron only is what i want to avoid. I wonder how much improvment is gained from the mntal side of feeeling right with the the clubs.
Best place to get fitted in Scotland Scott -- top class!
Best fitting ever--Henri-Griffins back in 1998 every club in the bag part of a three day process run by a pga pro who actually taught fitting at H-G seminars. Came away total of 10 degrees upright playing to a six handicap at the time. 76 years old now and going for new fitting this Monday, wish me luck.
The best fitting by far that I’ve had was at SGGT in Edinburgh. They can interchange every shaft into all iron / driver heads. Plus they have multiple iron heads (4, 6,8 & PW) in each model.
After being fitted for my MP20s based on the 7iron, I insisted they let me tape up the 4iron on the shelf and hit that to ensure I could! Have been burnt previously not being able to strike the long irons after hitting dreamy shots with the fitted 7.
I would say that the two most important fittings I’ve ever been to were for my putter and for my wedges. I would encourage all golfers to do the same.
As for the remainder of my bag, I prefer demo days where I can go hit lots of different clubs outside. I buy primarily on look and feel and I find the outdoor experience preferable to hitting indoors.
I've had my last two sets of irons fitted. I can honestly say it didn't make the slightest difference. Judging by where the ball goes, my swing changes with the phase of the moon, the time of day, what I had for breakfast etc.
Totally agree.
Same here can’t justify to get fitted knowing my swing is inconsistent...
@@aminemansouri4903 fitting is free at most places. What do you have to lose
@@TeeBoxTobies If the fitting is free, it means it's used as a sales tool. Not as a proper fitting.
Peter - Which phase of the moon did you find best for your swing? What's your optimum performance time? And of course what breakfast produces your best results? Nicely stated and totally agree with your comments. 👍
I've had nothing but terrible or inadequate fitting experiences - private fitter, GolfTec, Club Champion - doesn't matter. No concern over actual "fit" - just trying to jam clubs down my throat and pick my pocket. I've had driver/fairway fittings where the fitter would try nothing but the standard manufacturer's shafts, despite claims that "100s of custom shafts are available"; I've never been able to be fit with anything other than a 7-iron; my favorite pet peeve - fitter refusal to put anything other than a standard-sized grip on the shaft despite the fact that I play a mid-size grip with 2 additional wraps underneath. I have big hands with bad arthritis and tendency to pull-hook - what do you think happens to my ball flight when I swing an undersized grip? Also had fitters explain to me in great detail that swing-weight and lie angle really don't matter (I hate light-weight clubs and it screws up my timing). I've also had fitters refuse to write down and give me my so-called specs.What a wonderful experience for $200 - $300 fitting costs plus an additional ~$1500.00 for a set of irons that really weren't fit to me but I'm pressured into buying just to shut the fitter up and get out of there...
I now fit myself, don't change clubs often, and very happily play to a 6 handicap.
Good call, another excellent Vlog and insightful episode. I think you've hit the nail right on the head! I believe you need to be fitted for every iron as your swing and speed changes slightly for each club for most club golfers. Plus, you can then get proper gapping between clubs. That's my thoughts anyhow!
This is spot on been saying this for years, fitting is flawed
Just to see the difference last year I got fit twice at 2 different locations. One on Friday and one Saturday. For driver and irons. Both places fit me differently. How can clubs be fit for you when not all fitters agree on what’s best for your game
The problem I see with the fitting process for irons (besides that single iron flaw that James points out) also includes. 7 Irons off a crappy mat that looks like the grand canyon. Better bring your own balls that you game to mark up for the launch monitor. Time pressure with the fitter and half the store looking over your shoulder waiting for the next in line to get fit. Years ago, NY Golf would let you take a few irons out to demo at your own range / course for a week. That's done. Heard this year in the states that Golf Galaxy will begin a charge of $100 for a "fitting" that is charged in ADDITION to your purchase. Now that's over the top. Mizuno at least uses gyroscopic technology that is more objective but still needs to be taken with a grain of salt when hitting off a crappy mat.
What was the point? Were you trying to get fit for a set of clubs or trying to compare the competence of the fitters? Everyone's game is different from day to day, so why would you expect the fitters to have the same results. I honestly think getting fitted is just a beginning to a long process of fine tuning until you have the absolutely best clubs for you BUT, that takes time and patience and PRACTICE on and off the course.
I'm not an expert by a very, very long way. But could it be possible that there is more than one way to skin a cat and get the same result?
@Lonnie JM Moon What's wrong Lonnie? You don't see the brilliance of Alex Corbett's response ? LOL !
@@bugscorb Explain your rational sir. How did you come to that subjective conclusion? It appears you have Lonnie JM Moon stupefied.
My biggest beef has always been grip size .. why are the demo shafts always fitted with skinny grips??
My best fitting experience was when I brought a second hand set on FB marketplace. 😁 I couldn't even take a swing with any of the clubs at the seller's house. 🙄 But the clubs work fine for this hacker!
Tottaly understand that, I got fitted last year just before the first lock down, same thing only the 7i. I carry a 4h so wanted to try the 5i just see the numbers but couldn't. I ended up getting pw 6i and a 5h and got the lot gapped to suit.
Totally agree with your take. Not a fan of only hitting a 7i or 6i. What happens if you want a combo set? And if you want a combo set, at what point to do the combo? Hard to figure with only hitting a 7i. Also your point on the 4i is very true as well. This goes back to the combo issue as well as should I go to a hybrid or something else, etc.
I’m glad to see that you and a few other TH-cam instructors are starting to ask this question. It deserves a robust discussion. What I would like to understand is whether there is any data that shows that fittings reduce someones handicap / scores as opposed to online fitters or simply purchasing a quality set of irons in your category (e.g. blades vs game improvement). Without unbiased, accurate data showing it’s worth the cost, should the industry really be pushing fittings as hard as they do? The fact is that every manufacturer builds clubs to the same mandated spec so I would hazard the guess that most amateurs would shoot the same score regardless of which manufacturer’s clubs they select. Adding to the overall cost for consumers without understanding that there is a definitive advantage only benefits the industry (fitters), not the consumer.
Took my son to Woburn Golf club for his 21st, it was a completely blind fitting for him. He had no idea about heads & shafts. No purchase pressure. It was great
TXG in Toronto, Canada. The full experience. It's expensive, but worth it.
No fitting should cost as much as a set
When they had their Burlington location, i was only able to hit 7i!
@@thekid5345 Dude it’s 400 dollars. What kind of set could you buy with that? 😂
Ping fitting centre was impressive, however, my best experience was c20 years ago with Taylormade. It was a tour van to be fair but my set were made for me there and then and tested a couple of hours later and I wasn’t happy with the 4 iron. They checked lie and loft (which were both fine) and simply swapped out the shaft and it fixed the dead feeling from before. I was so lucky to have had this opportunity and I played those irons for 15years. Only loss of swing speed made me look at an alternate and I have to say Ping delivered. The lad that fitted me was ex-tour truck and was spot on (twice - long story).
It’s more than that. It’s like 800
I had a titleist driver fitting and have to say I was shocked at how good they were. I left 2 hours later with a full spec for driver 3&5 wood. No pressure to buy. I tried numerous shafts and heads. Spent 6 months looking on eBay and bought them. Well worth the trip
At a club? Or store
@@nick2232 it was titleist over in Cambridge
@@nick2232 I’ll go back for wedge fitting this summer
Just a thought on Alex's fitting process at Orca golf. I watched Liams fitting and thought it was pretty thorough
Got an iron fitting this week, I know what I am looking for, I know what my bad shots tell me about my delivery and swing, so even with only hitting max. 100 balls I am sure I will get a set I am comfortable with :s i just want a players iron with bit more forgiveness than I currently have a.k.a P770!
James. This is the best straight talking video on fittings out there which addresses a valid point. You hit the nail on the head. 5 7 9 would be good enough.
I agree, I just did a club fitting and chose the Mizuno Jpx 921 forged but would loved to have tried something other than the 7 iron just to be sure
I once went to the Callaway fitting centre in Surrey. A brilliant experience and well worth the time and expense. They had absolutely every configuration
I got fitted by Andy at Snainton Golf and after trying nearly ten sets we narrowed it down and finally settled on 790s which I tried a variety of clubs, not just the seven iron. I was very impressed indeed and ended up doing same with wedges which were taped up, driving iron, driver and 5 wood. When I picked them up a few weeks later I also got fitted for a putter. Bravo Snainton for doing what James is suggesting is the ultimate fitting. 😊
Thanks James for keeping my sanity this lockdown - played golf all my life but never bothered looking at YT golfers - I've been missing out!
We have Austads here in South Dakota which has all options for fittings. You can get a full set or focus on irons or even hybrids. Got my first set of clubs as a kid at Austads and 40 years later I just got a set of irons as I got back into golf after 25 years of not playing. Thanks for your videos.
Spot on. Just got fitted and while it was good to try lots of 7 irons not being able to test other clubs was a pain, hard to know where to gap and doesn’t really allow you to combo sets! Has to be the way forward in the long run
Best experience for golf club fitting was at Royal Birkdale. After being allowed to warm up in my own time the head professional
interviewed me to what my expectations were and what I wanted from the fitting. We spent just over a hour and a half indoors looking at heads, shafts, lofts and lies and analysing the results. Once a combination had been selected indoors hitting top quality balls we went outside to the range, using Trackman and again using quality balls to ensure that there were no discrepancies to the indoor testing. Brilliant.
Wedge fitting at Precision Golf, in West Byfleet, Surrey. Amazing hour spent with Pete Lockett, who showed an awful lot of patience with me! 3 Ping Glide Forged wedges, with altered swingweight and 56° bent to 55° to keep the gaps consistent.
I'm booked in for a driver fitting with Pete, found him on TH-cam and he looks to be more of a swing coach than a fitter. Would you say based on experience that he's a decent fitter too?
New subscriber and just come across this video - couldn't agree more with your assessment; just be thankful you're not a left handed golfer like me where choice is even more limited.
Great video, I am so glad you have raised this issue. I have been playing this great game for over fifty years and still play off single figures, I can honestly say in all those years and many so called fittings I have yet to walk out of a fitting and felt ALL the clubs suited my dame at that time. I good club fitting is not a cheap experience with costs ranging in the hundreds of pounds range, we should be fitted for all clubs we intend to buy not fobbed off with performances based on a 7 iron. I think fitters/ manufacturers have been getting away with a second rate service, with irons now averaging around £1000 for forged irons, you want every club in your bag fitted to suit you, With the emphasis moving to combo sets, what chance of getting a really accurate fit ??
Hey James, I'm a mini tour pro and I've been through a bunch of fittings... you're 100% correct. There's also a myriad of other problems I've encountered. If you want to chat, DM me. Love your channel mate. Thanks.
I had a full bag fitting at Precision Golf in Surrey, March 2020. They were absolutely brilliant! there was no bias to a particular brand and the fitters were extremely professional. I felt I was back at school (in a good way) as it was very much a learning experience as well as just a fitting. They first sought out exactly what I wanted from my experience, as well as what I wanted from my clubs and tailored everything from how the clubheads, shafts & grips felt to me, rather than them recommending a certain brand/club etc. I was amazed at how distance and dispersion altered from subtle changes in shafts & stuff, so I ended up with Ping G410 driver, 3 wood & hybrid, followed by Callaway Apex CF19 3i-PW and Mizuno T20 51 degree gap wedge & 56 degree sand wedge... all with custom shafts and the grips I chose/preferred. I was then impressed at how the additional gapping session went once I'd collected the clubs 3 weeks afterwards. I'd recommend precision Golf to absolutely anyone!
I agree, James. I was fortunate with my fitting recently. While they only had the 7-iron to try for the fitting, they also had a store with a large variety of iron sets (4-PW) that you could take out to their range to try. While the iron sets were all a standard spec (that may not apply to you) you could at least get an idea about the other clubs in the set. Like you, I wanted to know what the 4-iron was like. Being able to test that club did make a difference for me, as it was a deciding factor between two irons I was considering.
Completely agree everything here James! Problem is, it’s a business and people already complain about fitting cost. If every fitter had to multiply their inventory, they’d also have to multiply the cost. As long as places like Club Champion are raking in the cash, booked 7 days a week, not much will change. Unless you want to book a vacation to Toronto and visit TXG.
Great video, 4/7/PW for me would be ideal for iron fittings - how can you gap properly otherwise?
Having recently been fit at Club Champion I asked this exact question. Why are we unable to swing a short iron or a long iron. The answer was due to the number of shaft lengths they would need to stock. They currently have hundreds of shafts in variable lengths all positioned around the iron they test (6 iron in CC's case).
Golf Town, Barrie Ontario. Had all of my fittings there. 2 sets of AP1’s plus 3 drivers over the years - including a re-fit for a different shaft. Previously I was just buying off the rack. Get fitted. It makes a big difference, especially with expert fitters.
Nail on head James. I’m a 1 handicapper but only moderate swing speed (100 mph with driver) Was looking at irons last year before lockdown. Picked up with used MP18 SC PW-6i with FLi HI 5 iron. Purchased Mizuno FLi Hi 4i. Gap between 5i & 4i only 6 yards so bought a 4h. Shows that fitting for just the 7i isn’t giving golfers what they need
Great report James, totally agree. If there is no 1, 2 and 3 iron, i"m not going. You hearing that Wilson, Mizuno And Titleist? Get your act together as you are charging enough. Oh!, i also want proper lofts
My last fitting was at a trackman center where they had a wide range of manufacturers - albeit only 7 irons. I came away with a set of irons that I'm really happy with. But . . . before I booked the fitting, I had a some refresher lessons with a local pro to make sure my swing was in reasonable shape before the fitting. I was also lucky that I could seek his advice about club fittings. I think it made the fitting more effective being confident in my swing and being aware of the fitting process.
2nd swing, only a few stores however, started in Minnesota only in US though
Spot on, James! I mean...How do I get fitted for a combo set? Where should the split be? I like the concept of AMT shafts cuz I play heavier shafts on my wedges and would probably like heavier shafts on my 9-P. But how do I get fitted for that? A custom fitting doesn’t give me all the answers I want and I feel kinda cheated to be honest.
James, I agree with a 5, 7 and 9 irons for fittings.
Years ago was fitted at American Golf. Ended up with Taylor Made Rocketbladez graphite after hitting only 7 iron. When I hit lower irons the clubs made a cheap sound and I couldn’t hit them. Eventually went back to my old irons and sold the Rocketbladez, losing £400 in the process. Put me off buying new clubs and I’m still nervous about laying out for new clubs, especially given the increases in club prices.
Good topic James. Completely agree with most fittings only using 7 irons. Keep up the good work..
This is a great video on the problems with fittings. How do you know whether to use a hybrid instead of a 4i, 5i and 6i. What if you were buying wedges at the same time. How can you gap a wedge to a PW when you can't try a PW. You have to buy the irons first and go from there. You can then end up with irons you never use because you've bought hybrids and wedges to replace them.
I completely agree with this. I also have felt that my fitters have had an agenda with brands. I watch these videos that say pick your ball from the green back because we can set the driver up to fit the ball then why am I not fitting my irons the same way.
It's an interesting topic for sure. I used to work in a retail store and asked that exact question. The answer I got back was "it costs too much to get the 5, 7 and PW heads in RH and then get the LH models too". Its is absolutely a flawed system but most options are actually available from the OEMs, people just want to keep costs to a minimum which I understand.
Got fitted for my SIM MAX driver at TXG. It was a great experience and I can't wait for lockdown to end here in Toronto so I can get some practice in and book an iron fitting.
Best experience I had was at Urban Golf back when Zane Navie was there. Enjoyed the experience and very knowledgeable. Not quite, but nearly TXG standard. We ended up retro-fitting irons I already had. No product push. Quality
Years ago ping fitting van had me at plus one inch. I didn't measure up for that but my upright swing put me there. For many years after I was fitted much shorter length and struggled. Back to plus one and huge improvement.
Hi James
Belfry , got fitted for 718 ap2
Tried various clubs 4,7 ,pw and hybrid, and they price match .
Great setup 👍
Most shops in Australia have no idea, just focused on selling...
I went through a lot of golf shops and looked at club sets and put the clubs behind the ball on the floor to see if I liked the look of it. Got to hit a few that I really liked to help narrow down what I wanted to try for my fitting, but yes, the fitting did only have the 7 or 6 iron.
James, I don't have any fitters near me. When I started (1969) there was no such thing as a fitting . When I get next set (last set of clubs) I may travel to get fitted ( i don't even have a launch monitor that is near me). I kind of fitted my own driver and it works great. I took the reviews from mygolfspy and looked at the best drivers for seniors. There were 3 or 4 possibilities I got the Mizuno ST190 HL Fujikura Atmos 5R red A flex and set the driver head at 11.5º I gained about 20 yards over my old driver. All my buddies try to buy that club from me and it will never be for sale! But for irons I don't think I could do the same. Great video
I got fitted for my mizuno irons by my coach Simon Garner . It was over 2 sessions and I took a couple of 7 irons out on the course to test before we made the final decision. Very thorough and it made some much difference,
I agree. I have circumvented this in my head by just sticking to Mizuno irons. I know how their clubs look every 5 - 6 years when I do change my irons ...
At my old club we had a ping demo day where you could book your time slot and they had the longer irons and shorter irons to see what they looked like which was so good because it helped me choose which I liked the look of
Hi James, I’ve had Ping, TaylorMade, Mizuno and Callaway in the last 10 years, all fitted off just the 7 iron. I’ve now had PXG for two years, at their fitting I tried everything from the 2 iron all the way to the lob wedge, absolutely super. No idea why the others can’t.
I went to get fitted for a driver at fitter. The person that fitted me was representing Callaway that year and after trying a few brand of drivers he said the Maverick was the best. I decided to wait but went back a 2 months later to the same fitting place. A different worker who rep Titleist now figured the TSI3 was the best..
Seems like people suggest what there comfortable with.
I completely agree James. I am currently going through club fitting and I am quite keen to look at a blended set of irons. However, I cannot try the long irons, so how on earth do I know which iron version to go for on the 4/5 irons? I think the manufacturers need to change their approach.
2nd Swing in Colombia for anyone in the Maryland/DC area was a great experience for me! My fitter Jim was very funny and insightful, taught me loads in only 1 hour.
I know this video is a little over a year old, but I'm going to get a club fitting at Club Champion. I've talked with them on the phone and watched a few videos of others getting fitted there. That place looks top notch. I have never been fitted for clubs before. I'm excited and can't wait to have my fitting. I agree 100%; I don't care if you're a scratch golfer or a high-handicap golfer, go get a fitting!
This is becoming even more prevalent as manufacturers are pushing for combo sets.
How you can you honestly know when one club ends and the transition begins by hitting the same club?
Agree James, if someone supports their customers in this way I fell a lot of people will buy due to nothing more then additional confidence.
James, great video which actually shows that club fitting is not the be all abd end all of club buying. I spent a fortune getting fitted for ping g irons then couldnt hit them.
Agree completely, James. How someone can be properly fitted for an entire set of irons when all you're hitting is a 7, is beyond me. On the other hand though, even if a fitting cart had all the odd OR even numbered clubs, the fitting cart would be enormous.
I've seen TH-cam fitting videos performed by vloggers at the manufacturer's own location, way over there, in the UK. When visiting those locations, I wonder if they have you hit EVERY club that will be going in your bag.
Every time I go in to hit new irons, I hit 10 shots or so with them just to even see if I like them. Then if I do, I ask to get custom fit, and basically every time, the stock shaft fits me just fine, and I always fit to standard.
I totally agree got fitted last year like you said only hit 7 iron went for 4-pw and could have saved money as 4 iron isn't used as never seem to be able to strike it like I can the rest of the clubs.
I thought this was a GREAT video James. As clubs are becoming WAY more expensive, manufacturers should be offering MORE to make sure, we as consumers, are spending our money correctly and it would be worth their while as if it was a GREAT & in depth experience you would be more likely to see greater brand loyalty! My best fitting was by Ping and I have stuck with them for 30 years now but I am old enough to remember when nobody was fitted, you just bought “they feel nice” clubs off the shelf, NO try before you buy, then you went out and made them work!! I was a novelty in that my golf shop had to order stiff steel shafts for me in both woods AND irons!
I agree. When I got fitted my fitter recommend KBS 120 shaft + 1/2 in. The problem was they only had the + 1/2 in the KBS taper. So I couldn't swing the exact club I was ordering. Seeing that I was spending a lot of $$ I was a little nervous. The good news is everything turned out well. Also they did have a full set on the floor so I was able to see all the clubs, except for the 50°. Talking to my fitter he did say most of his clients are in the higher handicap and don't really care about seeing the whole set only a few generally the lower handicap players want to see all the clubs. I agree with you, I want to see and feel everything I'm getting especially when big paying for premium clubs. How is inventory over there? Here in the US it's slim picking used clubs are almost the same cost as new because there's no new stock. Cheers!
Best fitting I had was for driver and irons, was at the belfry with taylormade, great day
I couldn't agree more, some retail locations allow you to hit certain clubs from the selling wall, so I use that for the heads and then I fit myself for the shafts....that combination works for me evrytime
Went for 2 iron fittings last year. One fitted me into 2 degrees flat another wanted to fit me into 3 degrees upright?? Ended up withe standard life and length.
12 years ago (62 years of age) I got down to 13 handicap. Looking to get down to single figures I started looking for better equipment. I tried some basic fitting in a few shops, I read all the reviews possible, I listened to lots of marketing speak, and several friends who played golf better than I did. From that point onwards my golf went downhill. Now I play off 21 and last week I was thinking about giving up golf all together.
As a last resort a friend brought me a nearly new Cobra F9 driver with a super light senior shaft (helium 3F2). I was hopeless with it. For the last week or so I had watched quite a few TH-cam golf videos. Three guys published some significant common sense. Of course there was James here on shafts and ball trajectories and some other topics. Then there was Lee Whitaker on tee height plus the discussion he and I had on launch monitor alignment for nets and screen hitting. Finally Mark Crossfield put things together with his recent videos on teaching yourself about your own swing and ball striking.
So twelve years later - just this last week, I've hit hundreds of balls on my simulator in the garden bearing in mind the input from Messrs. Robinson, Whitaker and Crossfield. I've tried out my latest driver, and the three previous drivers (TM, Mizuno, and Ping - oldest to latest), with several different ball placements, tee heights, and swing concepts provided by several different teaching pros over the last 12 years.
The old Taylor Made driver was head and shoulders the better choice. So have I wasted the last 12 years in a pointless search for some sort of holy grail equipment solution? To some degree yes I have. But if I had not gone through this experience, I would not have been able to benefit from the content produced by Messrs Robinson, Whitaker and Crossfield. I simply would not have known what to look for, what to be aware of. If you don't know where you're going how will you know when you've arrived.
I'm not sure that inexperienced golfers can benefit from a detailed fitting. If you can't hit the same shot several times over, how can you compare the different shafts or club heads?
In this video James demonstrated that an experienced pro can adapt to a club vastly different to his preferred specs. But can we, the young beginners, the old has beens, and the never quite made its benefit from fitting? May be these days the answer could be yes if you find a fitter you can trust, because the technology in launch monitors can now offer data that was impossible to to detect some years ago.
I believe, after 20 years of golf, I've finally got to the point where I can really benefit from a fitting, and with the help of Robinson, Whitaker and Crossfield, protect myself from sales and marketing confusion. So here I am golfer reborn and looking forward to yet one more attempt to lower the handicap.
Thank you James, Lee and Mark.
never get fitted, do it yourself.. find some clubs that look good, and just practice.. You have to like what you see, not what people are doing, swing what makes you feel good and just practice..
Spot on james mate of mine got Rogue pro irons 2years ago I hit 8 and 9 iron perfect with them but tried the 5 iorn and did not hit one decent strike of a tee with 8 attempts on the course. Last clubs I bought were Cobra F 7's were on offer £309. I went into shop and asked could I try 5 iron into net they said the had only demo 7iron . I said if they taped a five iron and i could hit it solid i did not care about numbers I would buy them as I knew I would be able to hit rest of clubs. They taped one for me and I am happy with these clubs 3 years later.
Fitted myself when I worked at American Golf, and used the standard clubs off the rack with exactly this in mind. Used lie boards and face tape and spec'd the shaft from other stock clubs. Was very happy with the end result of a stunning set of MIZUNO MP30's with S300 shafts, 2 deg up +half an inch and midsized grips. Ball striking was much more consistent afterwards too!
Yeah for a minute and then you will be doing what you were doing before all of that..
100 percent agree. My "game" is adapted to my clubs, not the other way around. Yes I have been fitted and every time I am told to use standard lie, loft and length irons with a regularshaft. At 5'5" and 72 years old you would think my shafts should be shorter, lie angle more upright and shafts senior. Nope. Of course, I have been playing clubs of standard loft, length, etc. for years so I have adapted!! That doesn't mean I am that good, but that is me, not my clubs.
Totally agree mate, what I have done in the past is go and have a look at a set first to see what all the irons look like before I go to see my fitter, but I would definitely like to try the wedge and a long iron just to make sure
Well done James for challenging the fitting process. Perhaps you should also challenge if the clubs build specs actually match the fitting specs!
Hey James,
Please have Laura experiment with TSi 1! Do it!!!!!!! You hitting full send doesn’t help my 80 mph swing.
You are my only hope.
Congratulations you two!
Thanks.
James, great video. I spent £1k in December 2020 on Mizuno JPX921s forged and I don't like the 4 iron or the wedge, Yes I did a fit with my local pro. I used the wedge in my last set alot round the green, this one is chunky. Manufacturers should be providing 4 iron and wedge as fittings. How do fitting centres fit people for wedges ?
I have to agree! I play a 4 hybrid, so with stronger lofted clubs being the norm, I would be left guessing whether or not I needed up to a 6 iron or 5 iron? Surely with all the data that is around, a manufacturer can extrapolate playing distances for all the clubs in a set based on your swing speed and how far you hit the demo iron. This way, combo setting or hybrid/fairway wood players could accurately buy a set based on the distances they need.
Did a Titleist Thursday, and they had 5s and 9s in the T-100s. Really liked to be able to see how each end of the spectrum was.
100% agree. I only hit the 7 iron too. And found it took me 3 years to learn to hit the 4 iron. It might be time they don't feel is valuable. But 15 more minutes hitting two other clubs would have made it a much better experience
Also went to Silvermere and got fitted for me new 770s. Got to try the full set including the equivalent in P7MB and MC to see if a combo worked better.
SGGT Edinburgh. Pw,8,6,4 iron heads in most brands with multiple shaft options. All hand built in their property to their high standards. No bias, no influence, just the best individual fitting for you with top customer service.👍
Agreed James, especially for combo sets. For now, you gotta buy them and go back for a gap session to make adjustments. Not ideal.
100% agree I think you need to have the whole set to try all the different irons.
Hi James, A friend of mine went for some new irons 3 or 4 years ago and a fitting to American Golf, and 2 Pro different shops.
He is 6ft 2 tall. One said 1" longer clubs, one said 1/2" longer clubs, one said standard length. Needless to say he still has his old irons after the confusion............
One local Pro at St Austell GC had two full sets of demo Titleist irons, which I thought was a brilliant idea, at the time!. I tried a set and it was really good to try the full set of AP3's. I get what your saying though James. Good video.
Good point. Suggest 5,7 & PW to give you a better overall fitting for a set of clubs.
Vital you need an honest fitter keen to really help you than concentrate on getting a sale.
Also older players often need more hybrids & fairway woods to make up for a slower swing speed.
Hope honest James will add his valuable opinion on my suggestion..
Once had a fitting in 2010 where tried just 7 irons. one of the clubs i was hitting the best was titleist AP1 710. Std loft and lie and regular shafts.
The club pro had a demo set of the Ap1s so i had them for a month then ordered them. What a difference that made.
This was my Local club pro
Definitely a good idea but sometimes having too many options to test can be overwhelming for some. It’s good to have an great relationship with your golf shop / fitter and be honest with where you need help or any concerns with the results of the fitting. A lot of fittings take over 80 shots if testing a few brands and now adding additional clubs could make it more and tired golfers make for poor fittings.
Went to Titleist National Fitting Centre at St. Neots,Cambridgeshire last summer. Trialled 4 iron and 7 iron in T100,T100s and T200 with various spec shafts.Numbers came out best with T200 although I hit the other models O.K. Very good experience and service there with great fitters.
Srixon. Fitted 2 years ago for 785s and was able to try every iron.Went for a combo set due to this.
Rips my knitting this also.
Spot on , club manufacturers have to take notice, had a recent Taylormade fitting half an hour with crap range balls, very poor