There are pros and cons of fittings. First of all, should you wait until you have a solid swing before having a fit done? NO…I was fitted a few years ago when Ping came out with the super game improvement irons called GMAX. (Now, is my old set) My handicap at that time was at 20+. I was a chopper. I was a flipper. A duffing hacker. I had no reason to be on a golf course. It was the first time I had felt how a golf ball should feel when solidly struck. In a fitting, I had learned a lot of valuable information about my swing and especially golf equipment from all of the clubs down to the ball. Yes, you can get fitted for the right ball for your game. (I'm going to get fitted for a putter soon) Fittings are normally done by appointment. Check for fitting costs with and without club purchase. Oh, yeah, don’t forget to bring ALL of your clubs. You may find out why you're hitting pulls, pushes, slices, hooks. It could be the wrong equipment for your swing. Clubs from hand me downs, cheap $100 Walmart clubs (My 2nd set was Walmart brand. 1st was Nancy Lopez signature clubs, bag and all for $5 at thrift store. My 3rd, Adams XTD bought straight off the shelf), as a gift, store or thrift store bought right off the shelf because they are shiny, yard sales, etc. I don't think your swing will change drastically enough in a short period of time for your new fitted clubs to be well, not fitting. A fitting is just that. FIT YOU with the right golf gear. Expect a good hour or 2 for the initial fitting. Be patient. After a fit, which can be more than 1 scheduled session, the fitter will have to order your new customized clubs. Customized...Clubs that are conformed to fit YOU!
There is a difference of a pro fitter and a pro club seller. A pro fitter will take their time with you to ensure you are properly fit with clubs to match you. I had spent 4-5 one hour sessions with my fitter for a full bag. That was just for the irons. My fitting was at no cost if I had purchased clubs from their selection. Yes, find a fitter who has a wide selection of clubs to choose from as well as shafts. A pro fitter will take their time and ask you questions about your health. It is not based on whether if you have heart disease or not. It is about how you feel during and after a round of 18 on a normal day with your current gear. Do you become fatigued easily? I was asked these questions. Then they measure your height and then measure from the cuff of the wrist standing straight up with hands at side to the ground. This is how they get an idea of the club length to match your body size. Your hand is measured for grip fit. That is just a start. Then they will ask about your brand preferences, if applicable, etc. My fitter was a Ping and Mizuno dealer. I was interested in Pings therefore I scheduled a fit with them. The bigger the selection, the better the fit. They will have you try different club head and shaft configurations by hitting a few in a net or simulator. Don't worry about contact. Just note on how the club feels to you throughout the swing. You will hit the ball. When you do, does the club vibrate, etc. etc...Does it feel GOOD to you like it is an extension of your arms. Pay attention to that rather than ball flight. That will come later. Here are the pros and cons I personally had noted from experiences with a fitter and shared with other golf buddies of mine who had fittings...FEEL FREE TO ADD TO THIS POST.
PROS:
-Right golf clubs for your game, which becomes a great tool, NOTE: TOOL, to lower your scores
-Equipment knowledge gained (Lots of it...you'll gain a whole new vocabulary and even a little bit of geometry. Lie angles, offset, loft, toe, heel, hosel, sole, tungsten, titanium, forged, cast, grooves, game improvement, players club, etc. etc.)
-Confidence, this will boost up a little.
-Sometimes, a fitter may show you a basic golf swing, enough for you to hit the ball
-A tsarting point to lowering your scores
-Club selection of different brands and models.
-Clearances, sales, discounts and special deals. Even trade in programs to fit budget.
-Personalized customer service
CONS:
-Knowing the difference between a pro fitter and a pro club seller.
Pro fitter will take their time with you to ensure you are fitted with the right gear as well as fitting within your budget.
Pro club sellers do just that. Sell you clubs. Does not matter. They want your money regardless. You’re lucky if the fitting is longer than an hour or is comprised of more scheduled sessions. If you fall for it, you’ll come home with clubs that are out of your price range, usually the latest models, and unfortunately, clubs you will struggle to hit.
-Swing not solid. Many factors. Some of us become nervous when we have to demonstrate our golf swing. Swing thoughts arise more here than the golf course. You’re trying for perfection to make sure you are confidently fit but there are onlookers.
-Mats. It’s fun to hit in a simulator but hitting off a mat to try out clubs? Sometimes it doesn’t cut it unless you can get on some real grass and hit the balls, taking divots and feel the club moving into pay dirt.
-High expectation. After receiving the clubs, which are usually ordered in your fitters specifications, your confidence turns to cocky thinking you’re going to drop your scores immediately only to be disappointed because you may gain strokes leaving you thinking your new clubs are the problem. You start cussing at the fitter and wrapping your Callaway against a tree thinking about the money and time spent for what? Work the clubs. Go to the range or a field BEFORE taking it to the course the first time and betting against your buddies. You will lose a lot of money that day. TRUST ME! I play a lot of golf on my own where I don't keep score, I use the entire links to practice and evaluate my new clubs, swing, etc.
(A buddy of mine purchased 2 sets of irons within 6 months plus buying gimmick clubs. The first time he played them, never tried them out on the range, is on our next golf outing together. Let me tell you, every shot is a miss hit! He gets mad wondering what he is doing wrong. He has a killer drive. He scored 113 that day where he normally holds in the 80’s. Why the gear change to begin with? Right? Practice new gear before taking it to the field. It will save major disappointment later.)
ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO ADD???
Are all golf clubs the same? Getting fit is just merely a personal preference much like getting lessons to swing a golf club. It just may take you longer to get where you want to be in this cruel game.
See the differences? Ask yourself, do you think a fitting may benefit your game? You're looking at my PXG 2011 7 iron on the left and the Ping Gmax (I was fitted when they first came out a few years ago)
Check out the differences in club face size. Ping Gmax on left, PXG 0211 on right. Both 7-iron.
Everyone should be fit for one simple reason. You listening? MAKE THE CLUB FIT YOUR SWING, OR ELSE YOUR SWING WILL FIT THE CLUB!!! Having an improper fitted club will cause you to make erroneous corrections in your swing. That being said, there are different levels of fitment in golf. What level you needs depends on how long you've been playing and your goals for playing golf. I've done enough research on the subject to write a book, but I'll keep it simple.
Beginner players can benefit from a simple static fit (the PING model). In general, this will get your lie angle very close, so you make good contact with the ground. You can buy whatever brand of clubs you want, but it's generally best to stick to clubs meant for beginners or individuals with slower swing speeds (GAME IMPROVEMENT and SUPER-GAME IMPROVEMENT CLUBS). All brands carry something in this category. These clubs have larger faces and go farther with less spin. Also, they have large offsets (See pictures in previous post) to help square the clubface.
Intermediate and Advanced players can get a dynamic fitting by a professional to optimize their numbers. Without boring anyone, every aspect of ball flight and control is measured here to get the optimal results. BUT, if you are just in the market for new clubs you can still use a static fit, and buy clubs meant for more advanced players. There are pros and cons to different types of clubs.
All players regardless of experience or skill level should be fit for their GRIPS. It's your only contact with the club and it is always overlooked. Just do your research and leave the ego at home when looking for clubs. It will get you easy yardage gains. The honest truth is, you can take any clubs and adjust them to fit any player of any skill level (but I'm not playing blades anytime soon! 😂)
Some store chains offer fitting services in their golf departments but I find them just pro club sellers. Check reviews...if applicable. Do your research.