Upcoming fitting questions

[jbb2388]

I have an iron and driver fitting scheduled to start this Saturday. Diving into this for the past several months anticipating this fitting I have been reading a ton here, watching umpteen videos, talking to a couple friends, including some here, checking out all of the manufacturer websites it has been a bit overwhelming. Pretty sure I have read every single thread on THP on the subject. A couple guys I met who are very low single digit cap players recommended the same fitting shop to me here in CT. They couldn't say enough good things about the guys there. They are brand agnostic and truly invested in helping players improve their games according to them. Talking to him on the phone last week he said we will start with irons this saturday and to driver and fairways next week. He asked me if there was a brand I preferred. I was reluctant for a second to answer but I did tell him I had my eyes on the Mizuno 923s and he had nothing but good things to say about them.

My first question is however, is it in my best interest to just solely rely on him for suggestions and maybe ask him....recommended by Junkyard...to not even tell me what club he gives me and hit them blindly?

Is it possible to spend an hour+ and not find what will work best for me?

Is $2500 enough of a starting budget for irons and driver? I am really hoping to get fit into a TSR driver in addition to the mizunos.

Forgive me that may have bounced around a bit as I am terrible at communicating. Just looking to get the most out of this fitting and would love any advice from you guys. My current irons are 1998 tommy armour 845s and driver is from 2012-13 that was given to me and I absolutely know is the completely wrong shaft for me. I know my current gamers are holding back my game.

 

[BuffaloPlunger]

Your budget sounds more than reasonable to start. It’s definitely not a bad idea to have the fitter hand you stuff without initially telling you what it is. That way you won’t have any bias while you’re swinging the club. The likelihood they don’t find a fit for you is pretty slim. If anything, they might tell you to come back to complete the fitting but even that is unlikely

 

[vgolfman]

While I would have recommended a different brand , there are so many other great things in this post! Doing fitter and product research. Asking for fitter recommendations from friends. Setting a budget and, hopefully, clearly communicating that to the fitter at the start of the fitting. Truly, many could learn from what @jbb2388 has done here.

As for the questions...

> Best interest/blindly hitting - That is entirely up to you! If you think knowing could affect how your swing/react, then ask to hit them blind, but you have to be truly OK with what your fitter recommends then. I don't think there is anything wrong with knowing and even suggesting a couple of models that interest you. And then trust the fitter and your numbers.
> Budget - Again, kudos for thinking about this beforehand. That should be plenty, but could limit a few models and/or shaft options. Still, if that is what you can afford it is more than enough to get a GREAT driver and irons, fit to your game and swing.

One last bit of advice, make sure you (and your fitter) pay attention to hit location when deciding what works for you and what doesn't.

Good luck and you are already on a great path to a great fitting!

 

[jdtox]

@vgolfman nailed it! Let us know how it goes!

 

[jbb2388]

One last bit of advice, make sure you (and your fitter) pay attention to hit location when deciding what works for you and what doesn't.

Yes, I follow you on twitter and know exactly what brand you would recommend. Thank you kindly for the words and advice. By hit location you mean clubface strike?

Slightly more detail I was thinking $1600 irons and $900 driver for budget. A $300ish shaft upcharge (ventus?) should be plenty for driver I'm guessing?

 

[brian7770]

I have a long game fitting this Saturday. It was rescheduled from a couple weeks ago when my swing just wasn't there. My fitter did explain his overall process and goals, but I'd almost prefer not to know 100% what I'm hitting so I'm just swinging and not trying to adjust. In the end, I'm still very open minded and just want what fits me best.

I will say, be prepared to swing a lot and answer questions honestly when they ask. I had gone through about an hour before we rescheduled, and I was already sweating.

 

[hackitup]

I wouldn’t say solely rely on the fitter for recommendations but treat it more as a collaboration. What you like to see, what shots you like to hit, and what you feel like needs to be better in your next set can help inform your fitter’s recommendations. His recommendations will only be as good as the information he has to work with.

Is it possible to spend an hour+ and not find what will work best for me? Looking at all of the available combinations, in theory yes. Realistically unless your swing disappears that day you’ll get dialed in. You may have some decisions to make if there’s not a clear cut choice. I think that’s where a collaborative approach can help you talk through the decision with your fitter.

 

[vgolfman]

Yes, I follow you on twitter and know exactly what brand you would recommend. Thank you kindly for the words and advice. By hit location you mean clubface strike?

Slightly more detail I was thinking $1600 irons and $900 driver for budget. A $300ish shaft upcharge (ventus?) should be plenty for driver I'm guessing?

Following me on Twitter... Another thing everyone should learn from @jbb2388!

Yes, hit location means where the ball strikes/impacts the face. It has a major effect on launch and spin and if you aren't paying attention one head or shaft could be considered high spin, or low spin, based almost entirely on hit location. Example: You try driver combo one and hit all two of the three shots low and towards the heel, resulting in a low launching, high spinning cut shot. You then hit two shots with a different combo and hit two shots high on the face and towards the toe, resulting in higher launching, much lower spinning push draws. I sure wouldn't want to make much of a comparison/recommendation from that, unless that is explicitly factored in and discussed. Now shots don't have to be dead center perfect, especially if you have a face impact tendency, which most players do, to help in a fitting, but the impact location must be known.

As for your budget that sounds about right, though maybe $50-$100 high for the driver. There are A LOT of great driver shafts in the $150-$250 upcharge category.

 

[jbb2388]

I wouldn’t say solely rely on the fitter for recommendations but treat it more as a collaboration. What you like to see, what shots you like to hit, and what you feel like needs to be better in your next set can help inform your fitter’s recommendations. His recommendations will only be as good as the information he has to work with.

Is it possible to spend an hour+ and not find what will work best for me? Looking at all of the available combinations, in theory yes. Realistically unless your swing disappears that day you’ll get dialed in. You may have some decisions to make if there’s not a clear cut choice. I think that’s where a collaborative approach can help you talk through the decision with your fitter.

Really good advice, thanks. Reminds me of another thing I've done over the prior months. I have a bunch of bullet points notes I have accumulated to make sure I discuss with the fitter beforehand.

 

[jbb2388]

Yes, hit location means where the ball strikes/impacts the face. It has a major effect on launch and spin and if you aren't paying attention one head or shaft could be considered high spin, or low spin, based almost entirely on hit location. Example: You try driver combo one and hit all two of the three shots low and towards the heel, resulting in a low launching, high spinning cut shot. You then hit two shots with a different combo and hit two shots high on the face and towards the toe, resulting in higher launching, much lower spinning push draws. I sure wouldn't want to make much of a comparison/recommendation from that, unless that is explicitly factored in and discussed. Now shots don't have to be dead center perfect, especially if you have a face impact tendency, which most players do, to help in a fitting, but the impact location must be known.

As for your budget that sounds about right, though maybe $50-$100 high for the driver. There are A LOT of great driver shafts in the $150-$250 upcharge category.

Makes perfect sense to me. I've played the game long enough to have a good sense of impact location when I miss. I imagine though that it will be somewhat more difficult with newer, more forgiving club faces than my current clubs.

 

[jlew]

A lot of smarter people have weighed in here about what to look for etc. The only other thing I can add, would be to do your research before purchasing. I went to CC and got fit, and then was able to save quite a bit of money by reaching out to the crew at Budget Golf who partners/supports THP. They are able to order just about anything you want at the specs you need from whatever OEM you're fit into.

 

[jbb2388]

A lot of smarter people have weighed in here about what to look for etc. The only other thing I can add, would be to do your research before purchasing. I went to CC and got fit, and then was able to save about quite a bit of money by reaching out to the crew at Budget Golf who partners/supports THP. They are able to order just about anything you want at the specs you need from whatever OEM you're fit into.

Thanks very much jlew. Are you saying that they can build a set I was fit to even though the site only offers one particular shaft with the irons I am looking at? Like for instance, the mizuno jpx 923 pros are listed at a great price but with only one shaft option.

 

[jlew]

Thanks very much jlew. Are you saying that they can build a set I was fit to even though the site only offers one particular shaft with the irons I am looking at? Like for instance, the mizuno jpx 923 pros are listed at a great price but with only one shaft option.

Exactly what I'm saying. They can order whatever you want. I just got my Mizuno's yesterday, on the site they only have Project X IO available. Reached out to them, let them know what I was looking for in shaft/grip etc and they were able to order directly from Mizuno for me. Quoted 2-3 weeks, I got them about 1.5 weeks later- Great communication/price etc.

 

[jbb2388]

Exactly what I'm saying. They can order whatever you want. I just got my Mizuno's yesterday, on the site they only have Project X IO available. Reached out to them, let them know what I was looking for in shaft/grip etc and they were able to order directly from Mizuno for me. Quoted 2-3 weeks, I got them about 1.5 weeks later- Great communication/price etc.

Thats really good to know. The 225s? I imagine there was an upcharge from the advertised price.

 

[jlew]

Thats really good to know. The 225s? I imagine there was an upcharge from the advertised price.

You'd be surprised. Really good folks at Budget Golf

 

[brian7770]

Thats really good to know. The 225s? I imagine there was an upcharge from the advertised price.

Mizuno offers several different shafts and grips without an upcharge. I'd imagine Budget Golf isn't going to charge extra if Mizuno doesn't. When I was fitted for Mizuno irons and wedges at Golftec, the shafts and grips we selected were no additional charge.

 

[dhartmann34]

I went through a fitting at True Spec last week. I went in brand agnostic. I told the fitter to not tell me anything about the shaft, head, or specs of anything I was hitting. I could see the brand, and even picked a few myself to try, but for the most part I stayed out of it completely.

It allowed me to just swing the clubs and see what happens. And honestly, it worked out great... Because if I would have known what I was swinging.... I honestly don't think I would have ended up with what he recommended, especially in the shaft flex and other specs.

 

[brian7770]

I went through a fitting at True Spec last week. I went in brand agnostic. I told the fitter to not tell me anything about the shaft, head, or specs of anything I was hitting. I could see the brand, and even picked a few myself to try, but for the most part I stayed out of it completely.

It allowed me to just swing the clubs and see what happens. And honestly, it worked out great... Because if I would have known what I was swinging.... I honestly don't think I would have ended up with what he recommended, especially in the shaft flex and other specs.

Must. Know. More.

 

[Junkyard]

I went through a fitting at True Spec last week. I went in brand agnostic. I told the fitter to not tell me anything about the shaft, head, or specs of anything I was hitting. I could see the brand, and even picked a few myself to try, but for the most part I stayed out of it completely.

It allowed me to just swing the clubs and see what happens. And honestly, it worked out great... Because if I would have known what I was swinging.... I honestly don't think I would have ended up with what he recommended, especially in the shaft flex and other specs.

I think this is a great way to do a fitting, within limits. Let's call a spade a spade: we all have a bias toward a particular brand and/or product. Heck, even though I wasn't turning the club over/around to see what model it was if you,ve been looking at clubs you're gonna have an idea what you have in your hands just by shape alone.
Numbers are what they are, but feel is such an important factor IMO you can't ignore it. By trying them blind you shouldn't get pigeon-holed into a club that doesn't work for you just because you are hell-bent on a certain model. Ultimately I wound up in the club I was hoping to, but would have zero issue if it had been something else.
Clubs are a fair investment (unless you have powerball type money) so I want to make the most of it, by any means necessary.

Best of luck in your fitting! And should you wind up in Callaway, well there are worse problems to have!

 

[jbb2388]

Thanks all for the replies. To your point Junkyard, the more I think about it the more I wonder how disappointing I would be if I end up getting fitted for irons other than Mizuno. I don't seem to think it would bother me if I end up hitting a stealth+ or a rogue max better than tsr, but for some reason I am really hoping I end up fitting into one of the mizuno's. Between the jpx 923 hm pros or maybe the 223s hopefully we will find some good results. Need to focus on keeping an open mind.

 

[McLovin]

i think your budget is great, and i love that you're going to communicate that up front so the fitter knows what s/he is working with.

as far as blind testing, that's a really good idea. but if there are some products you want to test, communicate that as well. personally i like the idea of the fitter swapping in the products you wanted to test as well as the products s/he thinks may also work, without telling you during the testing phase.

the only other thing i'd add is to be very communicative throughout the process. if you don't like the way something looks or feels, speak up. regardless of how good the numbers look, if you don't like it, you either won't buy it or you're probably not likely to ever fall in love with it. also if something isn't clicking or doesn't feel right during the swing, speak up. there may be subtle tweaks that can be done to really make a product come alive if it's close to working, but not quite there.

and have fun!!! fittings are fun

 

[jbb2388]

i think your budget is great, and i love that you're going to communicate that up front so the fitter knows what s/he is working with.

as far as blind testing, that's a really good idea. but if there are some products you want to test, communicate that as well. personally i like the idea of the fitter swapping in the products you wanted to test as well as the products s/he thinks may also work, without telling you during the testing phase.

the only other thing i'd add is to be very communicative throughout the process. if you don't like the way something looks or feels, speak up. regardless of how good the numbers look, if you don't like it, you either won't buy it or you're probably not likely to ever fall in love with it. also if something isn't clicking or doesn't feel right during the swing, speak up. there may be subtle tweaks that can be done to really make a product come alive if it's close to working, but not quite there.

and have fun!!! fittings are fun

Thanks very much. Did you test the hot metals at all when you got fit into your pros? The regular HMs seem like shovels. The HM pros feel and look better to me

 

[leftshot]

I think you communicated what you are thinking quite well.

As far as the fitting, you've already done most of the heavy lifting in how you went about selecting a fitter. Now on the day of the fitting, I think you are best served...

1. Get warmed up. The fitter needs to see your swing in action, not a poor facsimile or attempt to get better results by changing your swing on the fly. Warm up, swing your gamers. Get ready to repeat your swing so the fitter can fit you.

2. Try anything the fitter hands you without limitation or bias. Remember you hired them for their expertise. Let them use it. You've already selected a good fitter. In my experience, poor results with a good fitter generally only occur when the client puts limits on the fitter, swings with bias, and/or doesn't respond to their questions.

3. Use this as a learning experience. Feel free to ask questions about what they are measuring, what that launch monitor spec. means, what they see in your swing. You can learn a lot about your swing and tendencies, plus a bunch about launch monitors and other things. A lot of players find that learning experience as valuable as the fitting itself.

 

[McLovin]

Thanks very much. Did you test the hot metals at all when you got fit into your pros? The regular HMs seem like shovels. The HM pros feel and look better to me

i actually didn't get fit for the 225s. i did a club champion fitting leading up to the victory cup with mizuno, but based on my launch and spin profile the fitter recommended the 223. i opted for the 225 for the added distance potential and better forgiveness.

we didn't try hot metal, again because for my specific needs it didn't really make sense. i'm sure i could game hot metal pro, but based on a q&a the victory cup participants did with @Vosh68 before the event, i went with the 225s mostly for some added spin.

the victory cup guys who went with the 923 hot metal pros have absolutely loved them. those of us who stayed in the pro line all play the 225 (@Lions81 ordered 223 for the event because he already had 225 and loves them). i think the two are very similar. mizuno has an awesomely complete lineup right now. if you end up testing them, let us know how you like them!

 

[Browndog]

Congratulations on investing your time and effort in getting fit for your new irons and Driver!

It is exciting and a bit nerve wracking even if you’ve been through it a few times. You get to try lots of new stuff and it is fun!

Glad to see you are breaking your fitting up as it is easy to get fatigued after a few dozen swings. Save your swings if you can. If you really don’t like the way something looks, feels or sounds and you know that you can’t live with it then move on quickly to the next option.

A fitting is just a one day snapshot in time of your swing that day and in that moment. It might be your best swing day of your life and it might not. That is ok. As long as your misses reflect your normal tendencies then no worries.

If you are hitting everything to the right that day and your normal miss goes left you better tell your fitter because they’ve never worked with or played with you before to know what your normal tendencies are and they might want you to come back. Or else you’ll be getting a draw biased solution based on that day.

A fitting is a great learning experience. If your fitter has been at their craft for a while they will narrow things down pretty quickly based on your results. They may push the boundaries a little to see what happens or give you something to try that is very different feeling to what you are used to in order to establish what you like and don’t like.

They can’t read your mind so let them know how you feel.

I hope you have that Ah Ha moment when everything lines up and you get the right combination of things and you just know this is the one. It is a great feeling. I have only had it a couple times despite being fit a number of times, and it is cool when it happens.