If you had to play with clubs that were the farthest thing from fitting your game, how much worse would you play? In this video, Bryson DeChambeau played 6 holes with a 4 club set of junior clubs and still shot even par. How much do the clubs really matter?
How much difference do your fitted clubs actually make?
It's person and bad fit dependent. I always remember a quote from @JohnnyCallaway about how he can give Rahm his kids club and by the 3rd one he's smoking it like his own, but for Sam Burns you change one thing and he can't find the face.
I mean I can play a lot of things okay. Better than most. There are some things that I also just can't seem to manage at all. Playing what fits me best makes a huge difference. While also not being some voodoo magic that makes my game bulletproof. We're all still human and it's a hard game.
I mean I can play a lot of things okay. Better than most. There are some things that I also just can't seem to manage at all. Playing what fits me best makes a huge difference. While also not being some voodoo magic that makes my game bulletproof. We're all still human and it's a hard game.
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Sometimes I think only difference is the space between...
Bryson or any PGA Tour Pro (or LPGA) are not normal people.
With an ill-fitted set of clubs I could likely still get it around the course, but I'd probably be 10 strokes worse than normal, maybe more. Getting fit ensures your clubs are not fighting against what you do in your swing and exacerbating your faults.
With an ill-fitted set of clubs I could likely still get it around the course, but I'd probably be 10 strokes worse than normal, maybe more. Getting fit ensures your clubs are not fighting against what you do in your swing and exacerbating your faults.
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Once I was properly fitted, my scoring improved quite a bit. I also continued to improve.
My long time instructor was also a club builder, and fitter. He knew his stuff, and I was fortunate to find him. As I continued to improve, he would identify needed little tweaks, and adjust my clubs accordingly.
On a mental note, before being fitted, I could (falsely) lay some of the blame for bad shots on the clubs. Once properly fitted, I knew, good, or bad, I had to own everything I hit.
My long time instructor was also a club builder, and fitter. He knew his stuff, and I was fortunate to find him. As I continued to improve, he would identify needed little tweaks, and adjust my clubs accordingly.
On a mental note, before being fitted, I could (falsely) lay some of the blame for bad shots on the clubs. Once properly fitted, I knew, good, or bad, I had to own everything I hit.
I've had a few fittings and none have had a positive difference over making decisions on my own. For me, the return on investment only exists when 1) equipment is a bigger issue than ability (probably never going to be a thing), and/or 2) the current equipment being replaced is just a really, really bad fit.
Just watched this video. DeChambeau’s talent level is insane! Also the comment about taking junk to him at a major so he can win was next level.
I just did it and saw immediate rewards in my score. From properly lengthened clubs and grips, I've seen a big dip in scoring and more "good" hits and less flubs.
As I grow as a golfer, maybe that would change. But for now I'm so close to it that I can really see it.
As I grow as a golfer, maybe that would change. But for now I'm so close to it that I can really see it.
A friend of mine is a golf instructor. I was at the range one day and he was giving a little girl a lesson (10 years old). At one point he was hitting her driver to show her something and he was striping it. I've also heard more than one person say while on vacation they rented clubs and those clubs performed as well, or even better, than the clubs they were fit for.
I've had iron fittings and the recommendations ranged from +1-inch and 3º upright, to +2-inches and 5º upright.
I'm not saying getting fit is a bad idea, but now I'm a lot more educated on what to look for in a fitting, i.e., I can interpret the numbers, and know which ones are good and which ones are not, be it spin rate, launch angle, smash factor, etc.
I've had iron fittings and the recommendations ranged from +1-inch and 3º upright, to +2-inches and 5º upright.
I'm not saying getting fit is a bad idea, but now I'm a lot more educated on what to look for in a fitting, i.e., I can interpret the numbers, and know which ones are good and which ones are not, be it spin rate, launch angle, smash factor, etc.
I can tell you with my irons it was 1 of the most eye opening experiences in golf I've had.
I think it would add a handful of strokes to my score.
Would still be able to get it around the course, but I’ve seen the difference between well fitted and not, and it makes the misses much more manageable.
Would still be able to get it around the course, but I’ve seen the difference between well fitted and not, and it makes the misses much more manageable.
tdinbr
Water hazards are tough!
Lie angle was the big eye opener for me when I got fitted. With my swing, I was at 2 degrees up, and the irons I had were 1 down.
Made all the difference in the world when it came to learning how to hit the center of the face consistently.
Made all the difference in the world when it came to learning how to hit the center of the face consistently.
stryper
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Which raises the question: what’s a really, really bad fit? There’s a reason OEM’s put out standard/standard equipment, and that’s because they’ll “fit” the vast majority of golfers, with few minor tweaks. Obvious exceptions apply, but for the most part standard/standard is going to work, and most of our swings and bodies aren’t so unique (special) that we need fully customized setups…or, as you allude to, it’s our equipment that’s holding us back.
I have seen it make a pretty big difference for me. Lie angle definitely makes a pretty big difference. I know some people can adjust, but changing your swing to adjust brings in more potential for inconsistency, i think. Some people can adjust more easily than others, so totally can see it varying greatly by the person.
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I had a scratch golfer take my low profile Orlimar driver and started stripping it after only one swing. I was a 20 handicap at the time and really struggled with that club.
So, yeah who is swinging the club matters.
The other question is what would Bryson have scored on those same 6 holes with his usual custom fitted set?
It’s generally acknowledged the top professional golfers would have a handicap of about +8!
Par doesn’t really matter. The course index from the tees does. Let’s say the scorecard says par is 72, but the course index is 68. That would suggest Bryson would AVERAGE about 4-under par with his equipment over 6 holes. A 12-under 60 for the round—AVERAGE.
Our conclusion? Custom clubs and fitting matters a lot! And these tour pros are VERY, VERY good!
So, yeah who is swinging the club matters.
The other question is what would Bryson have scored on those same 6 holes with his usual custom fitted set?
It’s generally acknowledged the top professional golfers would have a handicap of about +8!
Par doesn’t really matter. The course index from the tees does. Let’s say the scorecard says par is 72, but the course index is 68. That would suggest Bryson would AVERAGE about 4-under par with his equipment over 6 holes. A 12-under 60 for the round—AVERAGE.
Our conclusion? Custom clubs and fitting matters a lot! And these tour pros are VERY, VERY good!
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I think it’s more evident in irons and wedges since you have turf interaction, but it shouldn’t take more than a few swings for a good player to adapt and figure out what works enough to get the ball around in some shape or form.
^^^ this
stryper
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For perspective on lie angle, look at what one or two degrees represents relative to standard, then decide for yourself if it’s even noticeable from swing to swing, shot to shot, given all the other factors that come into play:
There is so much stuff out there and having at least a filter of what could work for someone can be a big help.
Not all fittings are created equal for sure, but a good fitter should defintely create some aha moments maximizing whatever your swing generates.
I have had a couple of those moments, one with a driver shaft that just gave me a perfect ball flight that let me play some better than normal golf for a period of time, and one recently with a wedge shaft that was just perfect (I'll see how perfect in coming weeks). In both of these cases, the club head was constant, so the shafts were the variable.
I feel like the multi-brand fitting may be more complicated as the combinations just increase, but no doubt they theoretically should be able to uncover something better than what I just think I should play.
I have had a couple of those moments, one with a driver shaft that just gave me a perfect ball flight that let me play some better than normal golf for a period of time, and one recently with a wedge shaft that was just perfect (I'll see how perfect in coming weeks). In both of these cases, the club head was constant, so the shafts were the variable.
I feel like the multi-brand fitting may be more complicated as the combinations just increase, but no doubt they theoretically should be able to uncover something better than what I just think I should play.
The best example I can think of would be for me to be gaming older players clubs or blades. Getting fitted for an SGI or GI set might be a tremendous upgrade. Newer driver tech might be an upgrade over a 15 year old driver.
I could get a cheap set of off-the-rack clubs from a box store or anything from a DTC vendor and not lose a stroke - possibly better off - over the fitting of a $1000 set of new OEM irons or a $600 driver.
