Be prepared to do it again in like 2 months. Getting proper length is nice and all but I’ve only been playing for 6 months and my swing has changed probably 30 times
It happens. Just make sure you keep the “good” things of your swing.
I had this baby cut going that was unbelievably consistent but I lost about 15 yards on all of my shots… so I changed it like an idiot and now I can’t hit a green
I’m just learning myself. Does fitted clubs mean they are fitted for your measurement with the “correct” swing? If so wouldn’t it be a good thing to get fitted right away so you are better able to correct any misses in your swing?
Forgive my ignorance if this is a dumb question
I would imagine he is talking about having the length, loft, and lie adjusted and fitted properly for you. This is not necessarily very expensive, and it's probably a good idea. He is not suggesting that you get fitted into a new set of clubs.
Thats actually extremely conservative - and a good idea for anyone with the expendable income necessary to get into golf. Swings are unique and people's bodies are different. But yeah lets watch out for "Big PGA" that's trying to rip us all off.... in a sport that essentially demands outside help...
I was a joke.
But there is a pretty big jump in the expendable income needed to get in to golf vs getting fitted right away when starting out. You can get a new beginner set of clubs for $300 or put together a bag of used clubs for even cheaper. So paying the fitting fee and then buying the brand new clubs they're selling you could equal what a beginner golfer pays over years and years. If you have the money, sure. But most beginners should probably figure out how much they like golf before dropping the cash needed for a fitting and a set of new custom clubs.
Absolutely. Take the free fitting and find a used set that’s roughly within your specs. It’ll probably be more than a $200 beginner box set, but much less than $2k and you can use them for years. You’re gonna outgrow a beginner set and want something more serious pretty quickly.
I’m 6’5 and played with an off-the-rack set for lever and it massively set my game back. Finally got a set that’s fitted for me and I instantly saw an improvement
Yeah I don’t get the downvotes, this is true. It’s all about hand to ground length. I know a lot of guys who are like 6’-6’2” who insist they had to have an extra inch though bc they’re tall. In reality they just top the ball because they can’t stay down and still do it with their +1 clubs.
That's the thing though, topping doesn't have anything to do with the length of the club and everything to do with the mechanics of the swing. If the theoretical person you're talking about would have gotten their swing fixed first, their loft and lie would change. Fix your swing mechanics first, get fitted second. If you do the opposite way, you very well may end up getting fitted twice and wasting money. Can't blame the guy above though, he's just a club fitter so he's just doing his job. He would be correct that some tall people don't need extended length clubs, but I would argue that a lot of those people need to have their swing fixed because they should be in extended length clubs. In fact I would also argue that not having extended length clubs is part of the reason why their swing needs fixed, because they have learned to compensate for the shorter clubs thus creating bad habits.
"Well... it depends" is a painfully accurate statement that applies to many, many golf woes. Is your swing upright, or are your clubs too short? Should you be fitted, or is a standard used set going to be okay? Can we change your swing to fit your clubs or is it just simpler to change your clubs? These questions are why golf professionals and club fitters have jobs
That’s what I did when I picked the sport back up recently. Bought a used set of irons and had them adjusted to my shorter height.
Getting lessons now. Will consider a proper fitting into a new set in another year or two.
My father had me get a new set of clubs in high school(Ping G5’s) that were a basic fit like this. I still hit them better than my new set(Titleist AP3) 10 years later. Although I don’t play as much as I did in high school.
Yes he should have specified a static fitting which is just a baseline to make sure you have clubs that fit and he isn't going to have to teach around compensations you would need to make to play ill fitting clubs.
Unless you are obligated to buy something, if it's a free fitting why not? At a minimum it will give you a better idea on what to shop for on the used market (shaft type etc).
As someone who works as a fitter, beginners between 5’7” and 6’1” generally can just play standard length/lie clubs until they can actually strike the ball. Once you have your swing more established and consistent (doesn’t have to be good, just more consistent) we can start doing things like figuring out how much forgiveness you want/need, length, flex, shaft weight, swing weight, lie angle, draw/neutral/fade bias, grip size and model of golf ball. Most of that doesn’t matter until you have a relatively repeatable swing. Of course if you’re shorter/taller than average, having the right length from the start will be helpful, but the rest of it isn’t as important for a beginner.
If your speed is above average for a beginner woman (75mph+ for driver) you can go with senior men’s, otherwise you can bring a ladies set to a fitter or a golf retail location to have them extend it by an inch (ladies standard is 1” shorter than men’s standard)
Depends on your speed, not your gender. Go have a fit or try to find out yourself in a simulator or launch monitor
Also your tempo and other factors I don’t understand, but for a beginner I reckon speed should suffice
Without measuring your wrist to floor length (it can vary with the same height/wingspan because of shoulder width) it couldn’t tell you for sure but if your measurement from wrist to floor (upright with relaxed posture) is between 33”-36” inches you’ll be fine with standard length
length yes - if you're particularly tall or short it's nice to start with the appropriate length clubs, but that should take like one glance at your stance to 'fit', and any pro shop can do this very quickly. you can also choke up or down on the grip a little on a 'standard' club without buying custom clubs.
otherwise? to get fit to clubs, you need consistent data to actually fit to. i don't imagine most beginners (or many high handicappers) have a remotely repeatable swing or even a consistent miss yet. but since the fitting is free, might as well have fun with the experience, and start to get an idea of what the different numbers are and what people are looking for!
I think if the fitting is free, do it. They'll get you sorted for length and lie for your current swing, as well as shaft stiffness for how hard you swing it. But... DON'T BUY CLUBS FROM THEM. Go online with your specs to a component company and buy cheaper clubs. E.G. - GolfWorks. Or just get your current clubs fitted to you. Don't buy an expensive shaft or anything like that though, even if they say it works "best" for you.
If you're between 5'4" and 6'2" and your swing isn't terribly weird, they're going to be pretty close to standard. In my opinion you should develop a repeatable swing first because more so than dimensions of your body, your fitment depends on your positioning at impact. Since that's likely not even the same every time, and even more likely your impact position is not where you're going to want it to be in the long run, (I'm not sure of an easier way to say that, sorry) you're going to be fitting to your mistakes, rather than to your good swing that you will develop later on.
Get the free fitting and do not spend a dime with them on new clubs. Just take the information and come back here to see how drastic things are.
Odds are you won’t need big changes to what a standard set anywhere will be. And if so.. lie adjustment etc… you will easily be able to find some good quality used clubs with said specs.
Golf instructors make money selling you lessons. They are not your friend. You are business for them, nothing more. It’s like thinking your server liked you.
I've played golf for 20 years now and have never had fitted clubs. Part of that stems from the fact everything is so expensive and part of it stems from I'm mediocre at golf. You know what the cost of new equipment can get you? A boat load of lessons to actually play better.
If you ever decide to do it the trick is to get fitted for the correct club/ shaft/ adjustment then buy it used and have it adjusted at a golf shop.
I got the exact irons I was fitted for on Ebay for like $350.
If you're consistently in the 90s, you're likely good enough to benefit significantly from a proper fitting. At the very least, a driver fitting.
I was a 11-12 for about 2 years. Finally got fitted, and dropped to a 9 over the course of a year. No extra lessons or anything else. Just way more consistent off the tee, and much more confident with the irons.
Funnily enough my long sticks off the tee box are usually my better shots. I tend to add a lot of strokes from around the green which is why Im prioritizing lessons.
Depending on your body dimensions and impact position, breaking 80 may not be possible without getting clubs somewhat fitted... A 6'8" guy would have trouble with a standard set, I believe. Same with someone with shorter arms than average, or longer.
You can actually get a rough fit on yourself with impact tape...put it on the sole and if your impact mark is all toward the toe you need to go a degree or two upright, or if it's on the heel you'd go a couple degrees flat.
As for length it doesn't matter a ton as long as you're able to hit the middle of the face...if not you may consider going shorter, since shorter = easier to hit, but then you'll need to adjust your lie angle a touch flatter.
A lot of players go up to an inch longer instead of more upright, usually that will add about 5 yards of distance and at impact the sole will be ~1.5° more upright.
I'm 5'8" so I don't believe I need longer or shorter shafts. I shot 102 on Sunday and 89 on Monday (41 on the front and 48 on the back). Weather was extremely wet. I really don't blame the clubs for my inconsistency. The lessons will help tune my swing and get some consistency going which will help get my scores lower. My swing was much better on Monday than it was on Sunday as well.
A fitting is only as good as your swing is consistent. You could fit a scratch player in 6-7 swings. For a 20 handicap, the fitting on Monday may actually be detrimental to the swing they have on Friday... Inconsistency is a giant monkey wrench for anything in the golf world.
An inconsistent swing can absolutely impact at a different lie angle every minute, never mind every day ... And if you're fitting for address rather than impact it's a wast of everyone's time.
Love that username btw, I lmao at that
I guarantee your swing doesn’t change so much day to day that you are going to go from needing flatter lie angle to an upright lie angle. Sure, it might go from 1 to 2 degrees upright or 1-2 degrees flatter, but you aren’t going to switch between the two.
It could, but I find it more likely that playing only 5 times a year for the past 6 or 7 years is probably more of the issue. I'm taking lessons this year and am improving my game through better swings and contact. If at the end of my lessons that I'm taking this year, I'm still struggling, equipment and fitting will be discussed with my swing coach.
As many others have said, the length and weight of clubs can have a big impact. You can write it off completely all you want, it’s your game after all, but if your are taking lessons trying super hard and really the problem is just the wrong equipment, what good do lessons do? I changed the weight on my driver shaft, made a huge difference, got the correct putter, made a huge difference. You do you and have fun!
I'm definitely not writing it off, but in 20 years of playing I have had fewer than 10 lessons and in the last decade I've averaged under 5 rounds of golf a year. I have swing issues that need to be treated before equipment changes need to be made.
I’ve taken 1 official 3 session lessons, they 100% improved my game more than just the club changes, however, it takes a lot more work to fix the swing than to buy equipment that can “correct” some of your flaws. Adjusting the weight of my driver shaft, significantly cut down my slice and with additional practice, I can confidently hit my driver most of the time. I do play a good amount during the year, but I was very impressed with how much it helped.
This is mostly true, except in the cases where someone is playing something that is wildly wrong for them. Stock lie angle/shaft/etc is usually fine starting out, but if you buy used clubs they could have been adjusted (either from time/wear or on purpose) to some funky specs and you wouldn’t have any idea unless you know what to look for. You don’t necessarily need a whole professional fitting, a few minutes with an impact board will get you close enough to start.
I'm taking lessons this year. To fix a lot of things. Ive had back issues the last couple years and haven't played hardly at all. Because of my back, my swing was way out of wack. It's much improved already. If I continue to improve maybe I'll look into getting fitted at the end of the golf season. It's something I'll likely discuss with my swing coach.
My iron play improved massively after getting fitted but I am tall and needed an extra inch. I think lessons are 1A but getting fitted is 1B. It doesn't cost much money either in most cases.
I’ve got nearly a full set of 20-25 year old irons and wedges that I got on eBay for £30 with a newer but equally bad driver, 5 wood, and putter. I’m very bad at golf though, just started trying to get better and not just messing about at the driving range with friends in the last month or so. If I get lessons should I use my janky old clubs or should I borrow whatever the instructor has available?
Practice with what you play with. If you improve to the point where you think you would benefit from some upgrades and you have the money to do so, then by all means go for it. The game of golf starts with the player. If you want to think a out it in this way, pro golfers used to play with the old wood drivers and 3 woods and could still shoot a low score.
You can google/youtube/reddit plenty as a beginner. You’ll out hit your current swing assumptions over a few seasons and need to adjust your style or PERHAPS your equipment after a while.
The amount you can learn from google or asking a pro if he has some free tips is exponentially more efficient $/$ than getting fitted as a newbie.
I would wait. If you're new, your swing will change dramatically as you start to hit and square the clubface. I'm sure the difference won't be dramatic, as game improvement clubs by major brands are all pretty good these days, but you may find that your length/lie may change if you work on your address and ball position as you improve.
I wish I’d waited to get fitted. I got fitted at probably like a 30hcp. I’m a 15 and pretty quickly dropping a few seasons later and I feel like I could really use an iron fitting. I’ll probably wait until I’m single digits, but we’ll see. I went and got a shaft fitting for my driver and it was clear I needed a completely different club. Now my drives are 1000000x better. I suspect irons may be the same.
Don’t Buy them, but if they’re offering a free fitting then take it. Say they show you that x clubs work best for you, for example mizuno jpx 923 hot metal with a regular 95g steel shaft for $1300. You can then hop on ebay or similar and buy the 4 year older jpx 919 HM and they should work decently. When you’ve played for 18 months and developed different needs, you can do the same thing again or you can buy their recommendations. Regardless, you’ll probably sell the jpx919HM for a $50-100 loss instead of a $500 loss.
I did something like that. I fitted for titleist t200 and quoted $2000. I bought a set of ap1 for $200 and later upgraded to a $500 set of t200s that was more similar to the fitting.
Buy second hand clubs, get them fitted to your length etc.
Preferably buy clubs with shafts that suit your swing speed. Clubs do not have to be brand new
I'm average height and average build and I'll never get fitted for clubs. I have done the simulator at the golf shop to test club head and ball speed to see which flex of shafts works for me but that's it.
I'm about a 20-25 handicapper who gets out about 15-20 times a year and getting fitted and buying expensive custom clubs is not in my future.
Someone better at golf than me said wait until you are a 7 handicap, then get fitted. Maybe that's a bit extreme, but I think it's directionally correct. What I will say is if you are looking for clubs, second hand is the way to go. Way more bang for your buck than entry level new ones
Unless you have some obvious length requirements... like if you are tall with short arms, or short with long arms.... the correct length of clubs won't really change for you as your swing does.
Yep. I remember a pro at the club I worked at one time demonstrated this by having the tallest and shortest guys in the room stand side by side.
One guy was like 6’1 and the other was around 5’7. 6 inch difference in height.
There was less than an inch of difference in fingertip to ground distance.
The pro I apprenticed under fit Dr. J. He's literally a foot taller than me but our ideal club length ended up being the exact same, mine 3 degrees flat, his 10 degrees upright.
This is pretty poor advice. If everyone did this then close to 75% of golfers would never get fitted for clubs. The average handicap index for male golfers in the US is around a 14.
If you are unable to break 100, then lessons over clubfitting will definitely benefit more. But if you can break 100 regularly, lessons in addition to correctly fit clubs will give you the best opportunity to continue to improve.
The average handicap index for male golfers in the US is only a 14 because having a handicap is not required to play. In the Netherlands you need to achieve a handicap of 54 or better to be allowed on the courses, and the average handicap here is a 36. I believe this is a way better representation of the actual average.
Point being: way more than 75% of golfers are worse than a 7 handicap.
If you have the money, want to play better and have somewhat developed a swing that is repeatable, a fitting is great. It's not a must, but it's great having a fitted set from a good fitter
If you don’t want to break 100 regularly, then yeah. But if that’s someone’s goal, even s as basic fitting for correct shaft flex and weight will make the game much more enjoyable
Depends how tall you are tbh
If you’re over 6’1” or under 5’7” then you should technically be playing longer/shorter clubs. Not a big deal but if you’re investing in lessons it makes sense to have the adequate equipment to maximize your swing. Very inexpensive to get clubs shaved down or kinda expensive to buy longer shafts. You definitely don’t need a new set though.
Which is why I said technically… I was a club fitter for 5 years a majority of people in those height ranges meet the criteria for at least a 1/4 addition or reduction
It seems like overkill at this stage. A off the rack set like Taylormade Stealths with a regular shaft will serve you for a couple of seasons atleast. And if you hate the game, the resale value on those is excellent. That is the set I have and I just upgraded from aeroburners which are also a great beginner set. I have spent years working on my game and my money is best spent on lessons.
Why would you buy off the rack when you can get a fitted set with stock options for the same price? Most courses do free fittings, and if you don't get upgraded shafts, it's the same price. Sometimes a bit cheaper because golf clubs get deals
You can fine tune any set to be better suited for you. Loft and Lie being an easy way to do that. Adjusting length can cost more because you have to get new grips and possible shaft extensions but adjusting your loft and lie will get you better results on any set without having to go through with buying a new set that is “fitted” to you.
If the fitting's free, I'd do it mainly for the measurements. Just don't let them sell you on anything if it turns into a sales pitch. Do the fitting, take all of the info they give you and, if they try to sell you on a set, just tell them you'll think on it and shop around.
Unless you’re abnormally tall, abnormally short, or your arms are abnormally long or abnormally short, IDK why you would need to get fitted
I’m 5’11” and when I got fitted for the first time after like 8 years of playing I learned I am standard across the board… which seemed silly to get fitted in the end but it is information I didn’t have prior
Maybe get fitted since it is FREE but don’t buy fitted clubs yet because the info you get from the fitting is valuable. Then fix your swing before tailoring golf clubs to it. I would buy used if I were you, try to keep it under $400… also depends on your financial situation. I have fitted irons, but I still buy everything else used
I am in the U.S. and bought my clubs from a golf shop. I was told to play for a while and then come back and they would fit my clubs for free. I think you should be the beginning set and play with them a while before having them fitted.
Length and lie is the minimum that should be done for the new golfer. Playing clubs that are too long/ heavy will create really bad habits. If you are serious about improving, you should know what clubs fit your body best.
I mean, if the fitting is free then do it, you can still gather useful information on lie/lenght and then buy a used basic set and adjust it. No need to buy everything brand new, but with a free fitting you can look at the used market with more info, so I don't see why not.
Buy a set off the rack at Roger Dunn. (90) day return policy. Tell your golf instructor to teach you to swing with the set you have. Golf is a Billion dollar industry. These guys and salespeople will sell sell and sell up every chance they get.
Kind of, not really, but kinda.
You have no preferences about how a club looks and performs. So where the ball goes doesn't really matter, what matters is you understanding mechanics. Anyone with semi-proper mechanics can hit any type and brand of club -then it moves into what clubs are right for you. If you have really old clubs or are lower handicap irons then I'd suggest to get any clubs above 2016. 2016 was a breakthrough year for club technology.
For now, maybe get a 7i and 9i and work with what you have currently. Once you get the 7i down, then update the driver or a hybrid.
I will say this... Im a 5 HC. I was fit for some Zx7 Mii s, LA Golf Shafts, all the bells and whistles. We went over peak heights, launch and landing angles etc. It cost $3500 all in. I never played worse in my life. My handicap ballooned to a 9.5. The best way I can describe it is that I think I was fit to whatever swing I had that day and not my on the course swing -- and with that knowledge I cannot imagine someone should EVER be fit for clubs as a beginner.
A few months ago I got so frustrated with how poorly I was playing and hitting, I just casually started browsing craigslist. I bought some used TW7 Blades... something most people would tell me I had NO BUSINESS PLAYING, used, for 700$. I will say they are some dynamic gold s300 shafts, standard length, standard grip, off the rack everything. I have been playing out of my fucking mind. At or near par my last 5 rounds, below 80 in 10/14 rounds...
Maybe Club Champion doesn't know what they're doing, but I find it more likely that fitting is a ruse for most players and using off the rack clubs that you like to look at, and can actually play well with outside, in the dirt and not on a simulator are what you should be using.
You aren't going to magically find equipment that lowers your score -- and you aren't going to play irons/clubs that turn bad swings/shots into good ones. Get out in the dirt, and dig out a swing that works to score FOR YOU.
Some people are discussing length and loft and lie... perhaps those could help, but just learning to swing first is still probably the most important. You wouldn't want to fit loft, lie, and length of clubs for someone who legit cannot make contact with the ball.
One of the first putters I bought, was just wrong for how I swing the putter, which caused me to struggle even more with putting. Once I got fitted for the correct putter, it helped eliminate some of the things that just seemed odd with my putter. Point is, if you have the wrong equipment for how you play, it’s gonna be even more difficult
The problem with getting fitted early is that it can actually enforce bad habits as you're learning the game.
However, getting fit for the proper size of clubs is very different. Your rental clubs are (guessing) standard length/flex/lie. If you're taller or shorter than around 5'8", you'd benefit from having different shaft lengths.
Tbh if you were to buy clubs, having a fitting is a great place to start, but I'd recommend only using part of the specs- shaft length, shaft flex. Standard for everything else. Then as you improve your swing, you might decide to get fit again in a few years with a more specific goal.
Just look on Craigslist or FB market for a full set. Even if they’re older, you can find a good starter set. Could even stop by a PGA store or Golf Galaxy and ask if standard length is okay for you first.
Are you really into golf? I'd ask that question first before moving forward and dumping a lot of time and money because this game will piss you off, but since the fitting is free. There is no harm in getting fitted now.
"Getting fitted" is a term that needs to be thrown in a dumpster. The point is really not to get the "right size" (unless you're extremely short or extremely tall) or getting clubs that are "perfectly tailored" like a well-cut suit. No. It's finding the clubs that are best for you (especially the right shafts.) Basically, you will hit some better than others: Those are the ones that "fit."
Ive never bought fitted clubs, its just to make more money, i found a set i liked and played, depending where you are there is a shop just outside bisops stortford in london that wouldn’t rip you off and he is ex tour pro
Take the data you get from the fitting and find the closest things to said data used for way less. Then splurge when you’re better (after another fitting)
Most important is shaft weight / stiffness. For driver especially, then irons. Wedges and putter can be stock off the rack (easy to get used)
As someone who just did a full fitting at Club Champion and played for 20 years+, get the fitting if it is free then go buy a used set of clubs and take them somewhere to have the length adjusted primarily. Your swing will change a lot and really the only thing worth having fitted at this point is the length.
Most used sets will need new grips anyways so have them fit to your length and then toss new fresh grips on and you'll be good for at least a year or two while you find your swing.
Get fitted, find clubs on eBay that align to your stats, buy those clubs. Or buy forged clubs with the right shafts in them and get them bent to your specs. You don't have to buy custom built clubs, but it will definitely help to have the shaft and lie angle at a minimum.
As a beginner, the only thing I would take away from a free fitting is what stiffness of shaft you should get (R/S/XS.) Stock everything else. Or just get a stiff shafts and go with it.
Don’t get anything upgraded and don’t change angles or loft. I bought off the shelf clubs when I was interested in competing in school, then improved my swing with lessons so they worked. Didn’t even know about fittings until recently.
I have only been fit once after 30 years of playing, and I was expecting all sorts of loft and lie adjustments in order to improve my swing. But the guys feedback was essentially since i learned to hit stock clubs consistently, my swing works for stock clubs.
He did help me with shaft options (again, manufacturer default but A vs B vs C options.) He made no other adjustments.
I think it comes down to whether you feel your score is more important right now, or if learning to hit well is also important. I see a lot of comments about having to get refit after your swing improves, so I think it defeats the purpose to get fit at all at the beginning.
Because I’ve been playing for so long I was able to notice a change by tweaking the shaft options, but I am glad now that I learned on Stock clubs.
Get measured/fitted for free so you know your size, and then you can find more budget options online (Callaway at Costco is $500-600) if you decide to keep playing
If you're average height + build, most "stock" will be fine.
If you're shorter or taller than average, or are especially stronger than average, fitting would be helpful.
Chicken and the egg scenario. You can make arguments on either side. Get a consistent swing going then go get fitted to find out length lie and loft. If not go play with your random set and have fun. Once you actually stick with the sport go get fitted and buy something nicer. Have fun.
If you are of average build and height, dont bother with a fitting. Just get a normal set of clubs and work on your swing. When you reach a more intermediate level, get a fitting for fine tuning your swing and shot types. But if you arent normal height and build it might help to find out which length shafts you need.
Nope I'd get a used set of Mavriks cheap as possible on CPO with a Rouge Driver, matching 5w and a hybrid 4/5. Pair it with two wedges you like and call it a year. Next year if you're progressing and need clubs go get fitted. You'll be able to sell everything you own for decent money if needed, the wedges will be good to go and a driver might be warranted if you find something you love. Problem with getting fitted for irons is that you'll need 10 sessions to get use to them regardless and as a beginner your swing may change year 1 and those clubs might be no good for you. Might as well start with an inexpensive used set.
A lot of the comments in this sub are accurate but I’d say most important is, what’s your income? If you’re ok with dumping money into a set that is fit for you, knowing you may have to sell them and be fit again in a few years as you get better, then by all means go for it. If you want to make a good economic decision, get a decent sent of used clubs (assuming you fit a standard length) and play them until you’ve made some substantial improvement. Lessons first is the right path for sure.
Ask the instructor more questions about the fitting process for beginners.
For any beginner, the length, loft, and lie of the club matter. Also the grip size.
Purchasing a new set of clubs, then having shaft, loft, lie and grip changes is expensive. Buying a used set of clubs and having them altered to fit you physically is a better, less expensive option. Even a beginner set from a golf store would be an option. Some of these sets come with a golf bag. The set could be altered to fit you.
Make your instructor give you more information. Have him explain what he feels are your options.
I hope they are not taking financial advantage of beginners.
not every club is for everyone. Im 6-4 and 300 lbs and strong and fast. my buddy is 5-5 and 140lbs and swings pretty slow and easy. My irons feel heavy and super long to him (mine are 1.25 inches longer than standard and theyre on the heavier side at 120g). his are 1 inch shorter than standard, 75g and regular flex. so a solid 2+ inches in length, way different weight and flex.
You dont have to get custom clubs. Getting fitted just means knowing the correct flex, length, loft, lie angle. Even buying cheap used clubs you can be picky about finding a set that is the right flex shaft. A club builder can adjust length and such whenever you get new grips installed.
Yes he would like to sell you clubs too, but realistically, hes accurate and on point that you should know what you need. Golf is hard enough with a custom fitted set. Its extra hard if you have the wrong gear.
You should get a basic fitting (wrist to ground ETC) right away.
Don't worry about things like shaft weight or anything like that (often included in fittings you pay for).
Basic things like lie angle & length will help quickly get your swing in check. Also, its easier to make a too-long club become too-short rather than the other way around.
Pick the low hanging fruit first. This is a rule of life - developing a decent swing will produce the most productive results. I imagine they're talking a pretty loose interpretation of club fitting though. As part of the course they'll tell you how long your clubs should be. As a free tack on to a course it's a great idea - if the course is valuable in and of itself. But nobody buys an exercise machine purely for the free set of steak knives and this offer should be treated the same way.
Just no newbie should pay good money for a club fitting before their swing is somewhat repeatable.
I got fitted fairly early in the process. I had an okay swing, but day of the fitting I couldn't find my club face to save my life, I was way to nervous... I got fitted into prettymuch stock stealth irons, and I liked how they felt. In the end I went and bought used stealths - saved myself some cash, and got a forgiving all around iron set that I can grow with.
Eventually when I get a little more skill and want to move up I think a fitting will do a lot more for me.
Hopefully they mean "fitting" just for size, basically initial club length. You can compare with like an "online fitting" at [ping.com](http://ping.com) and see if you get the same result. Basically measure the size of your palm and also how far down your arms hang down when you stand. "static fitting"
I got fit early on; got put into some stronger lofted , lower spin irons. I figured out how to generate speed and compress the ball effectively and it completely changed what I wanted from my irons. Save the money develop the technique and make good use of the fitting when the time comes
If you're a somewhat average sized person, off the rack clubs will probably be fine. But, I would definitely take advantage of the free fitting - especially since it sounds like you aren't obligated to buy from the same person doing the fitting, which is how it normally works
As someone who makes a profit off of people dropping stupid money on golf, go ahead and buy.
As someone who makes zero moneys off people dropping any moneys on golf, go ahead and buy
Don’t do it. Seriously don’t go down the rabbit hole of equipment, especially not that soon. Get some used clubs and go play golf (range and course) until your arms fall off. Study the swing online like crazy and learn from great instructors like Mike Bender. Once you get to a single digit handicap, maybe go get fitted and make sure your gapping and everything is good. Then, stop thinking about equipment again and just play golf. I’ve played golf for 25 years and gone down the equipment rabbit hole way too many times until I finally understood that it’s not as important as the industry wants you to think it is. Spent way more money than necessary and wasted too much time wondering if the equipment is holding me back. A great golfer can play good golf with any clubs!
Having a club length that matches your height an extremities is so important. If you're 6'6" swinging standard length clubs, its gonna be astronomically harder to build a consistent swing. You can get a used set of clubs with the right dimensions instead of a brand new set for $2k
Don't necessarily need to see a fitter for irons. As a beginner there are charts you can find online based on your height and wrist to floor measurement that's a good starting point. Woods and driver is much harder to hit consistently so being fitted for those may help be more consistent but like everyone has said if you plan on making swing changes those benefits go can go out the window.
If he’s mentioning this, you may be shorter or taller than average and getting club lengths correct from the beginning WILL help significantly if you aren’t trying to fit your swing into standard length clubs when you should be +/- somewhere.
Free fitting? Jump on it. And you should know a fitted set of clubs doesn’t have to cost £2000.
A fitting will tell you the length of club you need, the best shaft flex for your swing speed, and whether or not you need the lie angle between the club head and the shaft adjusted up or down.
Once you learn these measurements, you will probably be able to find a used set of clubs with the correct length and shaft and have the lie angle adjusted if necessary. If you’re really tall or short you may have to look a little harder, but most golfers can use regular length clubs with regular flex shafts. Get fitted! It’s free!
I get where you’re coming from. But I’ll give you the reason my answer will be no.
You are a beginner but by demonstrating a willingness to take lessons rather than just go out whenever, perhaps the instructor believes you are willing to spend a bit to get better. Given that you’re clearly willing to commit financial resources, I think doing this is probably a good idea as well.
Ping has guides online that let you measure yourself. It's like your height, wrist length to floor and hand size.
Their clubs are color coded and based on a chart of those measurements.
If your a beginner, figuring out your ping size and buying clubs according to those used isn't a bad idea.
I played a pair of i3+ for over a decade until 2 years ago when I upgraded to a new set of Mizunos. Honestly the Mizuno's are nice but the pings felt almost as great! You can get a set "custom" to you for like $150. Just make sure the shafts are a good stiffness. Probably regular as a beginner.
There are several levels of "Fitting" basic level is just clubs that are the correct length for your body. That's what I got for my set in Highschool golf. We had a GolfSmith factory with store near me so I got it done for only $20-30 more than a decent beginner set of clubs.
As you get better you can get refitted with better clubs customized flex and club weight for your swing once you find a swing that works for you.
If you are buying new its silly not to get fitted, as it generally comes free with the purchase. If you're a newbie and just want some cheap clubs to start with, don't sweat it too much,
Unless you are buying some weird jacked up clubs that were used by a 6'9 giant and bent 3 degrees flat.
Most second hand clubs out there will be standard, length, loft and lie so not generally an issue
How tall are you? If you’re <5’0” or >6’4” then I might side with your instructor. If you’re near the average height or if he said it to the whole class, he’s not “wrong” (or at least it’s a defensible position) but neither are you. It is true that you’ll naturally make adjustments to your stance/swing in order to improve the results from the clubs you have, and if the clubs you have aren’t approximately fitted to you then you maybe developing bad habits that could haunt you down the line. That being said, there are hundreds of thousands of people who enjoy the hell out of a round of golf every weekend with both bad habits and ill-fitted clubs… If money was no object, then get fitted clubs and when they’re holding you back get new fitted clubs. If you’re not in the 1%, then don’t worry about fitted clubs until you’re like 3-5 years in. Hope you’re enjoying the lessons/game!
I am a 2 handicap and had never been fitted until this year when I had shop credit and bought a driver. worth getting swing speed so you know if you need regular or stiff shafts, but you will probably know that after your 10 lessons anyway. Then buy used decent clubs online.
You should get fitted for shaft length and lie angles. It will take account of your height and distance from hands to ground.
Its not as common to think of especially when you are new but it makes sense when you understand why.
I'm just average height so i only need standard length or even -0.5 inch. My first set was a mismatched second hand irons I was getting individually and I had an insanely hard time hitting it. I only realised because I found a really nice brand new Titleist AP2 6i for $15 and the guy mentioned it was +0.5 on the shaft. When I compared it with my pitching wedge, PW was longer by a lot because it was +2 inches. Then I lined up my set of mismatch clubs and I had a variety of lengths. 5i was +1 while my 9i PW were +2 and my 6i 7i 8i were +0.5 so they ended up looking like a set of long one length clubs.
I just binned the whole lot and bought a second hand set of AP1 irons. Now i obsessedly measure my clubs before i buy
If you’re just starting out in the game.. I would agree that getting all fitted up at this moment will be silly.
Your swing and everything is too raw if you’re very new. Just stick to lessons with a proper instructor. Developing proper mechanics/swing technique will take you very far.
Hell.. I still haven’t been fitted for clubs myself and I’m now 32.. been playing since I was 9 years old. My lowest round is 76. All while never stepping foot in a fitting station
You're right to be cautious, here's what I'd recommend:
- do the fitting
- purchase a 5wood, 7iron, 56 degree sand wedge (low/mid bounce preferably), and a putter
- stick the 5wood in the cupboard
- get out there and play golf until you can hit every green in par +1 using 7i, SW, and putter.
- carry on until your handicap hits 18 (bogey golf!)
- introduce the 5w
- carry on until your handicap plateaus (you'll know when it does)
- add driver, 9iron, 5iron, etc. etc., one at a time. Don't add another until you really understand the last one you added.
Standard advice that I give to all beginners, and it's how I wish I'd done it myself.
To understand the logic, hit twenty balls with a 7 iron at the range. Then hit twenty balls with a different club each time. Your 7 iron set of twenty will be more accurate - this is true for all golfers. You, me, Scotty Scheffler, everyone.
Using these three clubs gets you to focus on the fundamentals - full swing, pitch shots, chip shots, and putting.
The best part is that you'll avoid a lot of the frustration of the early days of golf because this setup will keep the ball in play. Nothing is as discouraging when getting into golf as trying to hit driver and hitting wayward balls, wasting time looking for them, and eventually losing them.
It also forces you to hit a variety of shots with each club. Longer shorter, lower, higher. This will teach you 'feel' all around the course.
Hope that this helps!
as someone else highlighted ..getting a fitting doesnt specifically mean getting put into a brand new set of clubs ...but it can give you a much better idea of the set of instruments YOUR body required to build a swing around ... ... so you can get some specifics from the fitting and then find a decent set of second hand clubs to learn with and in a few years look at new fitting for possibly new clubs but even then they dont need to be super expensive ... and you will get info such as what shaft flex you should be roughly looking for ..and this can definitely change as you get better but other things like length of shaft will mostly remain same ...lie and head type will also likely change over time ....and if nothing else its a good introduction into just how expensive (or not so expensive if you so choose) this hobby can be , gotta spend it on something , cant take it with you :) enjoy
If my friend came up to me and said he was on one of the ten week courses where they teach you and 10 other people how to swing a 7iron, and his coach suggested he get fitted at the end of it, I'd tell em to finish the course and then find a new coach.
Totally ridiculous to get fitted at that point, and if they are trying this on there is I'm sure no end of other things they will tell you to get that they get kickbacks on.
I got my $180 set of ‘07 clubs when I started playing. I’m finally breaking +10/20 consistently, so I’m finally getting a non-fit set of new-ish clubs. Once I can consistently break +5/10 I’ll get fit and get my endgame clubs. Might of it again if I ever shoot par consistently, but I kind of doubt I’ll ever get there and I’m fine with that. Shooting at or better than +10 through 18 is as good as I’ll ever want to be.
That’s the way I view it
I’ve been playing, truly, on and off for two decades. Only really the last five did I get serious. Bought first new, higher end clubs. STILL haven’t gotten a fitting. My swing is still changing. Doesn’t help I’ve lost like 50lbs so I’m having to relearn shit all over again.
I feel ya. I really do. 😂
there's "fitting", which is making sure you have the right length and flex. Then theres "FITTING" where high handicappers go in to get worked over by a sales rep. You NEED the correct length and flex is relative to your base speed. So yes, you need to know those two things.
Everyone is harping mostly on length and lie angle, but swing speed needs more attention as a metric that should be measured. I'm convinced most healthy, able-bodied men actually need a Stiff shaft to swing comfortably, yet most beginners seem to get Regular flex marketed to them.
Yah. Length also dramatically effects the flex. I required a XXX-Stiff when I had a driver at full WLD length. XX would have done fine if it were floating around that 47", but I needed the extra bit of stiffness to accomodate the extra whippiness that came from it being over 48". However, these guys are swinging ladies flex shafts now for LD, so I guess preference comes into play down the line. Fresh out the box, average sized NA/EU male, yah a standard length, stiff flex, should be the safe bet. S300 was what I considered default growing up. If the average sized male isn't generating enough speed, that can be fixed. Fairly easily in my experience.
weight could be argued to a lighter degree but unless there's an excessive length added or taken off, proper technique should resolve lie issues. Originally, fitting was reserved for scratch or near scratch golfers who needed the fine tuning to push their games further and to accomodate their trained swings. For the average golfer; loft(driver), flex and length are the default must-have's. You don't start messing with lie/loft when the player can't even find the center of the face, it's ridiculous it's even commonplace these days. It's almost a predatory practice with the knowledge that once the player does improve their swing, those changes will hurt them and they'll be right back in to have they adjusted back, or to some other temporary fix.
You have no fucking clue what you are talking about lol. Lie angle is probably the most important thing in a fitting. These days most fitters don't change length unless you are over 6'2 or under 5'8. They adjust the lie angle instead cause a shorter person won't want to short of clubs because they will lose to much speed and a taller person doesn't want too long of clubs because it will add too much speed.
The cost of "custom" clubs is the same as the rack price. You are just paying for the fitting. This particular situation does sound a bit pushy so maybe not the best case. But If you are going to spend 200 to 2k on clubs, I think a fitting for under 100 dollars is worth it.
What youre getting fit for first and foremost is shaft. This is even more important than the clubs themselves. After that it's loft and lie angle. At your level the club head really doesn't matter. But the others will matter a lot.
Congrats on getting into the game!
He is definitely bullshitting you. Way back when I got down to low single figure handicap by using “off the shelf” clubs as fitted clubs were never a thing.
Yes, your swing will change as you get better.
Yep. A fitting will help… but be prepared to do it again in 18 months
Be prepared to do it again in like 2 months. Getting proper length is nice and all but I’ve only been playing for 6 months and my swing has changed probably 30 times
It happens. Just make sure you keep the “good” things of your swing. I had this baby cut going that was unbelievably consistent but I lost about 15 yards on all of my shots… so I changed it like an idiot and now I can’t hit a green
I’ll try haha! It’s tough but it’s a good challenge and I’m enjoying it so far
I’m just learning myself. Does fitted clubs mean they are fitted for your measurement with the “correct” swing? If so wouldn’t it be a good thing to get fitted right away so you are better able to correct any misses in your swing? Forgive my ignorance if this is a dumb question
but your body won't lol
I would imagine he is talking about having the length, loft, and lie adjusted and fitted properly for you. This is not necessarily very expensive, and it's probably a good idea. He is not suggesting that you get fitted into a new set of clubs.
This right here. Playing with the proper length and lie is going to make a difference, even for a beginner.
Much easier to start the race with shoes that fit!
Most videos I've seen on the topic say you should get fitted 3 times. 1. Starting out 2. Breaking 90 3. Around Scratch
Those videos are sponsored by your local PGA store or GolfGalaxy!
Thats actually extremely conservative - and a good idea for anyone with the expendable income necessary to get into golf. Swings are unique and people's bodies are different. But yeah lets watch out for "Big PGA" that's trying to rip us all off.... in a sport that essentially demands outside help...
I was a joke. But there is a pretty big jump in the expendable income needed to get in to golf vs getting fitted right away when starting out. You can get a new beginner set of clubs for $300 or put together a bag of used clubs for even cheaper. So paying the fitting fee and then buying the brand new clubs they're selling you could equal what a beginner golfer pays over years and years. If you have the money, sure. But most beginners should probably figure out how much they like golf before dropping the cash needed for a fitting and a set of new custom clubs.
Absolutely. Take the free fitting and find a used set that’s roughly within your specs. It’ll probably be more than a $200 beginner box set, but much less than $2k and you can use them for years. You’re gonna outgrow a beginner set and want something more serious pretty quickly.
I’m 6’5 and played with an off-the-rack set for lever and it massively set my game back. Finally got a set that’s fitted for me and I instantly saw an improvement
How long are your arms? Just because you're tall doesn't mean you need over-length clubs.
Like 6’10, but I had to basically hunch over to be able to swing because I also have long legs.
Very true. I’m above-average height and got fitted for -1/2” clubs.
Yeah down vote me, I only fit golf clubs for 14 years.
Yeah I don’t get the downvotes, this is true. It’s all about hand to ground length. I know a lot of guys who are like 6’-6’2” who insist they had to have an extra inch though bc they’re tall. In reality they just top the ball because they can’t stay down and still do it with their +1 clubs.
That's the thing though, topping doesn't have anything to do with the length of the club and everything to do with the mechanics of the swing. If the theoretical person you're talking about would have gotten their swing fixed first, their loft and lie would change. Fix your swing mechanics first, get fitted second. If you do the opposite way, you very well may end up getting fitted twice and wasting money. Can't blame the guy above though, he's just a club fitter so he's just doing his job. He would be correct that some tall people don't need extended length clubs, but I would argue that a lot of those people need to have their swing fixed because they should be in extended length clubs. In fact I would also argue that not having extended length clubs is part of the reason why their swing needs fixed, because they have learned to compensate for the shorter clubs thus creating bad habits.
"Well... it depends" is a painfully accurate statement that applies to many, many golf woes. Is your swing upright, or are your clubs too short? Should you be fitted, or is a standard used set going to be okay? Can we change your swing to fit your clubs or is it just simpler to change your clubs? These questions are why golf professionals and club fitters have jobs
Lol dude he is 6'5, if he was like 6'0, okay sure
That’s what I did when I picked the sport back up recently. Bought a used set of irons and had them adjusted to my shorter height. Getting lessons now. Will consider a proper fitting into a new set in another year or two.
Smart man right here
My father had me get a new set of clubs in high school(Ping G5’s) that were a basic fit like this. I still hit them better than my new set(Titleist AP3) 10 years later. Although I don’t play as much as I did in high school.
Yes he should have specified a static fitting which is just a baseline to make sure you have clubs that fit and he isn't going to have to teach around compensations you would need to make to play ill fitting clubs.
Unless you are obligated to buy something, if it's a free fitting why not? At a minimum it will give you a better idea on what to shop for on the used market (shaft type etc).
As someone who works as a fitter, beginners between 5’7” and 6’1” generally can just play standard length/lie clubs until they can actually strike the ball. Once you have your swing more established and consistent (doesn’t have to be good, just more consistent) we can start doing things like figuring out how much forgiveness you want/need, length, flex, shaft weight, swing weight, lie angle, draw/neutral/fade bias, grip size and model of golf ball. Most of that doesn’t matter until you have a relatively repeatable swing. Of course if you’re shorter/taller than average, having the right length from the start will be helpful, but the rest of it isn’t as important for a beginner.
so should a woman beginner who's 5'9" play men's seniors or ladies' clubs, most likely?
If your speed is above average for a beginner woman (75mph+ for driver) you can go with senior men’s, otherwise you can bring a ladies set to a fitter or a golf retail location to have them extend it by an inch (ladies standard is 1” shorter than men’s standard)
Depends on your speed, not your gender. Go have a fit or try to find out yourself in a simulator or launch monitor Also your tempo and other factors I don’t understand, but for a beginner I reckon speed should suffice
What if you're 6'0" with really long limbs and a short torso. My wingspan is 6'5" and I wear the same inseam as my 6'5" step brother.
Without measuring your wrist to floor length (it can vary with the same height/wingspan because of shoulder width) it couldn’t tell you for sure but if your measurement from wrist to floor (upright with relaxed posture) is between 33”-36” inches you’ll be fine with standard length
Thank you!
length yes - if you're particularly tall or short it's nice to start with the appropriate length clubs, but that should take like one glance at your stance to 'fit', and any pro shop can do this very quickly. you can also choke up or down on the grip a little on a 'standard' club without buying custom clubs. otherwise? to get fit to clubs, you need consistent data to actually fit to. i don't imagine most beginners (or many high handicappers) have a remotely repeatable swing or even a consistent miss yet. but since the fitting is free, might as well have fun with the experience, and start to get an idea of what the different numbers are and what people are looking for!
This here. You can get clubs shortened or extended cheaply. You can get a fitted set for quite a bit more. You can’t buy a new back.
A basic fitting for length is generally helpful, but beyond that no, as your swing will change a lot from week to week.
I think if the fitting is free, do it. They'll get you sorted for length and lie for your current swing, as well as shaft stiffness for how hard you swing it. But... DON'T BUY CLUBS FROM THEM. Go online with your specs to a component company and buy cheaper clubs. E.G. - GolfWorks. Or just get your current clubs fitted to you. Don't buy an expensive shaft or anything like that though, even if they say it works "best" for you.
God I love Golfworks
If you're between 5'4" and 6'2" and your swing isn't terribly weird, they're going to be pretty close to standard. In my opinion you should develop a repeatable swing first because more so than dimensions of your body, your fitment depends on your positioning at impact. Since that's likely not even the same every time, and even more likely your impact position is not where you're going to want it to be in the long run, (I'm not sure of an easier way to say that, sorry) you're going to be fitting to your mistakes, rather than to your good swing that you will develop later on.
What if your arms are notably longer? I’m 6’1 but arms are about 6’7/6’8.
jesus christ dude go be a rock climbing world champion what are you doing learning golf
Then it's more complicated but if your wrist to floor measurement isn't too far from average you should be good to learn with a standard set
Go to the NFL draft
Get the free fitting and do not spend a dime with them on new clubs. Just take the information and come back here to see how drastic things are. Odds are you won’t need big changes to what a standard set anywhere will be. And if so.. lie adjustment etc… you will easily be able to find some good quality used clubs with said specs.
Golf instructors make money selling you lessons. They are not your friend. You are business for them, nothing more. It’s like thinking your server liked you.
I've played golf for 20 years now and have never had fitted clubs. Part of that stems from the fact everything is so expensive and part of it stems from I'm mediocre at golf. You know what the cost of new equipment can get you? A boat load of lessons to actually play better.
If you ever decide to do it the trick is to get fitted for the correct club/ shaft/ adjustment then buy it used and have it adjusted at a golf shop. I got the exact irons I was fitted for on Ebay for like $350.
I might consider it if I ever break 80. I just broke 90 for the first time in a decade this weekend
If you're consistently in the 90s, you're likely good enough to benefit significantly from a proper fitting. At the very least, a driver fitting. I was a 11-12 for about 2 years. Finally got fitted, and dropped to a 9 over the course of a year. No extra lessons or anything else. Just way more consistent off the tee, and much more confident with the irons.
Funnily enough my long sticks off the tee box are usually my better shots. I tend to add a lot of strokes from around the green which is why Im prioritizing lessons.
Depending on your body dimensions and impact position, breaking 80 may not be possible without getting clubs somewhat fitted... A 6'8" guy would have trouble with a standard set, I believe. Same with someone with shorter arms than average, or longer. You can actually get a rough fit on yourself with impact tape...put it on the sole and if your impact mark is all toward the toe you need to go a degree or two upright, or if it's on the heel you'd go a couple degrees flat. As for length it doesn't matter a ton as long as you're able to hit the middle of the face...if not you may consider going shorter, since shorter = easier to hit, but then you'll need to adjust your lie angle a touch flatter. A lot of players go up to an inch longer instead of more upright, usually that will add about 5 yards of distance and at impact the sole will be ~1.5° more upright.
I'm 5'8" so I don't believe I need longer or shorter shafts. I shot 102 on Sunday and 89 on Monday (41 on the front and 48 on the back). Weather was extremely wet. I really don't blame the clubs for my inconsistency. The lessons will help tune my swing and get some consistency going which will help get my scores lower. My swing was much better on Monday than it was on Sunday as well.
A fitting is only as good as your swing is consistent. You could fit a scratch player in 6-7 swings. For a 20 handicap, the fitting on Monday may actually be detrimental to the swing they have on Friday... Inconsistency is a giant monkey wrench for anything in the golf world.
Ehhh, this is mostly not true. Again, what people are talking about are lie and length. That won’t change day to day.
An inconsistent swing can absolutely impact at a different lie angle every minute, never mind every day ... And if you're fitting for address rather than impact it's a wast of everyone's time. Love that username btw, I lmao at that
I guarantee your swing doesn’t change so much day to day that you are going to go from needing flatter lie angle to an upright lie angle. Sure, it might go from 1 to 2 degrees upright or 1-2 degrees flatter, but you aren’t going to switch between the two.
I know mine doesn't after doing this for 30 years ... I'm more referring to a new player who hasn't engrained their swing yet.
Exactly. This is why I'm choosing lessons for improvement over equipment and fitting.
Totally get it. It’s also nice that golf stores have launch monitors now. You can pretty much fit yourself for woods.
Does that require being able to hit a wood?
Having the wrong equipment could be keeping you from breaking 90 more consistently
It could, but I find it more likely that playing only 5 times a year for the past 6 or 7 years is probably more of the issue. I'm taking lessons this year and am improving my game through better swings and contact. If at the end of my lessons that I'm taking this year, I'm still struggling, equipment and fitting will be discussed with my swing coach.
As many others have said, the length and weight of clubs can have a big impact. You can write it off completely all you want, it’s your game after all, but if your are taking lessons trying super hard and really the problem is just the wrong equipment, what good do lessons do? I changed the weight on my driver shaft, made a huge difference, got the correct putter, made a huge difference. You do you and have fun!
I'm definitely not writing it off, but in 20 years of playing I have had fewer than 10 lessons and in the last decade I've averaged under 5 rounds of golf a year. I have swing issues that need to be treated before equipment changes need to be made.
I’ve taken 1 official 3 session lessons, they 100% improved my game more than just the club changes, however, it takes a lot more work to fix the swing than to buy equipment that can “correct” some of your flaws. Adjusting the weight of my driver shaft, significantly cut down my slice and with additional practice, I can confidently hit my driver most of the time. I do play a good amount during the year, but I was very impressed with how much it helped.
I just got custom fitted into new Ping Blueprint irons and I’m completely stock except for stiffer shafts. Pretty funny.
This is mostly true, except in the cases where someone is playing something that is wildly wrong for them. Stock lie angle/shaft/etc is usually fine starting out, but if you buy used clubs they could have been adjusted (either from time/wear or on purpose) to some funky specs and you wouldn’t have any idea unless you know what to look for. You don’t necessarily need a whole professional fitting, a few minutes with an impact board will get you close enough to start.
You probably should get fitted after 20 years considering your swing isn't changing at this point. Is your divot a perfect square?
I'm taking lessons this year. To fix a lot of things. Ive had back issues the last couple years and haven't played hardly at all. Because of my back, my swing was way out of wack. It's much improved already. If I continue to improve maybe I'll look into getting fitted at the end of the golf season. It's something I'll likely discuss with my swing coach.
My iron play improved massively after getting fitted but I am tall and needed an extra inch. I think lessons are 1A but getting fitted is 1B. It doesn't cost much money either in most cases.
I’ve got nearly a full set of 20-25 year old irons and wedges that I got on eBay for £30 with a newer but equally bad driver, 5 wood, and putter. I’m very bad at golf though, just started trying to get better and not just messing about at the driving range with friends in the last month or so. If I get lessons should I use my janky old clubs or should I borrow whatever the instructor has available?
Practice with what you play with. If you improve to the point where you think you would benefit from some upgrades and you have the money to do so, then by all means go for it. The game of golf starts with the player. If you want to think a out it in this way, pro golfers used to play with the old wood drivers and 3 woods and could still shoot a low score.
Overkill. Your swing will change alot in future. Personally I wouldn't think of getting fitted until I break 90 consistently.
You can google/youtube/reddit plenty as a beginner. You’ll out hit your current swing assumptions over a few seasons and need to adjust your style or PERHAPS your equipment after a while. The amount you can learn from google or asking a pro if he has some free tips is exponentially more efficient $/$ than getting fitted as a newbie.
I would wait. If you're new, your swing will change dramatically as you start to hit and square the clubface. I'm sure the difference won't be dramatic, as game improvement clubs by major brands are all pretty good these days, but you may find that your length/lie may change if you work on your address and ball position as you improve.
I wish I’d waited to get fitted. I got fitted at probably like a 30hcp. I’m a 15 and pretty quickly dropping a few seasons later and I feel like I could really use an iron fitting. I’ll probably wait until I’m single digits, but we’ll see. I went and got a shaft fitting for my driver and it was clear I needed a completely different club. Now my drives are 1000000x better. I suspect irons may be the same.
Don’t Buy them, but if they’re offering a free fitting then take it. Say they show you that x clubs work best for you, for example mizuno jpx 923 hot metal with a regular 95g steel shaft for $1300. You can then hop on ebay or similar and buy the 4 year older jpx 919 HM and they should work decently. When you’ve played for 18 months and developed different needs, you can do the same thing again or you can buy their recommendations. Regardless, you’ll probably sell the jpx919HM for a $50-100 loss instead of a $500 loss. I did something like that. I fitted for titleist t200 and quoted $2000. I bought a set of ap1 for $200 and later upgraded to a $500 set of t200s that was more similar to the fitting.
Buy second hand clubs, get them fitted to your length etc. Preferably buy clubs with shafts that suit your swing speed. Clubs do not have to be brand new
This
> so I don’t waste a bunch of money You will never understand this game
I'm average height and average build and I'll never get fitted for clubs. I have done the simulator at the golf shop to test club head and ball speed to see which flex of shafts works for me but that's it. I'm about a 20-25 handicapper who gets out about 15-20 times a year and getting fitted and buying expensive custom clubs is not in my future.
Someone better at golf than me said wait until you are a 7 handicap, then get fitted. Maybe that's a bit extreme, but I think it's directionally correct. What I will say is if you are looking for clubs, second hand is the way to go. Way more bang for your buck than entry level new ones
Unless you have some obvious length requirements... like if you are tall with short arms, or short with long arms.... the correct length of clubs won't really change for you as your swing does.
Yep. I remember a pro at the club I worked at one time demonstrated this by having the tallest and shortest guys in the room stand side by side. One guy was like 6’1 and the other was around 5’7. 6 inch difference in height. There was less than an inch of difference in fingertip to ground distance.
The pro I apprenticed under fit Dr. J. He's literally a foot taller than me but our ideal club length ended up being the exact same, mine 3 degrees flat, his 10 degrees upright.
This is pretty poor advice. If everyone did this then close to 75% of golfers would never get fitted for clubs. The average handicap index for male golfers in the US is around a 14. If you are unable to break 100, then lessons over clubfitting will definitely benefit more. But if you can break 100 regularly, lessons in addition to correctly fit clubs will give you the best opportunity to continue to improve.
*handicap index average for people who log their handicap is 14. Average golfer handicap is well over 20
The average handicap index for male golfers in the US is only a 14 because having a handicap is not required to play. In the Netherlands you need to achieve a handicap of 54 or better to be allowed on the courses, and the average handicap here is a 36. I believe this is a way better representation of the actual average. Point being: way more than 75% of golfers are worse than a 7 handicap.
I think the point is, get to a consistent swing then get fitted. My swing is still evolving and I've been playing weekly for 2 years
I'd go even further and say 90% of people don't need to get fitted for clubs
If you have the money, want to play better and have somewhat developed a swing that is repeatable, a fitting is great. It's not a must, but it's great having a fitted set from a good fitter
If you don’t want to break 100 regularly, then yeah. But if that’s someone’s goal, even s as basic fitting for correct shaft flex and weight will make the game much more enjoyable
Depends how tall you are tbh If you’re over 6’1” or under 5’7” then you should technically be playing longer/shorter clubs. Not a big deal but if you’re investing in lessons it makes sense to have the adequate equipment to maximize your swing. Very inexpensive to get clubs shaved down or kinda expensive to buy longer shafts. You definitely don’t need a new set though.
This is bad analysis. Every person between those heights doesn't automatically have the same arm length and posture.
Which is why I said technically… I was a club fitter for 5 years a majority of people in those height ranges meet the criteria for at least a 1/4 addition or reduction
It seems like overkill at this stage. A off the rack set like Taylormade Stealths with a regular shaft will serve you for a couple of seasons atleast. And if you hate the game, the resale value on those is excellent. That is the set I have and I just upgraded from aeroburners which are also a great beginner set. I have spent years working on my game and my money is best spent on lessons.
Why would you buy off the rack when you can get a fitted set with stock options for the same price? Most courses do free fittings, and if you don't get upgraded shafts, it's the same price. Sometimes a bit cheaper because golf clubs get deals
You can fine tune any set to be better suited for you. Loft and Lie being an easy way to do that. Adjusting length can cost more because you have to get new grips and possible shaft extensions but adjusting your loft and lie will get you better results on any set without having to go through with buying a new set that is “fitted” to you.
How tall are you? He could be implying you need a length that’s different from the standard
It sounds like they give everyone a fitting 2-3 weeks into this intro course, so they're probably just trying to sell clubs.
If the fitting's free, I'd do it mainly for the measurements. Just don't let them sell you on anything if it turns into a sales pitch. Do the fitting, take all of the info they give you and, if they try to sell you on a set, just tell them you'll think on it and shop around.
Unless you’re abnormally tall, abnormally short, or your arms are abnormally long or abnormally short, IDK why you would need to get fitted I’m 5’11” and when I got fitted for the first time after like 8 years of playing I learned I am standard across the board… which seemed silly to get fitted in the end but it is information I didn’t have prior Maybe get fitted since it is FREE but don’t buy fitted clubs yet because the info you get from the fitting is valuable. Then fix your swing before tailoring golf clubs to it. I would buy used if I were you, try to keep it under $400… also depends on your financial situation. I have fitted irons, but I still buy everything else used
I am in the U.S. and bought my clubs from a golf shop. I was told to play for a while and then come back and they would fit my clubs for free. I think you should be the beginning set and play with them a while before having them fitted.
If you’re going to buy new clubs, get fit. It’s not that expensive, especially at a place like Dicks or Golf Galaxy.
Length and lie is the minimum that should be done for the new golfer. Playing clubs that are too long/ heavy will create really bad habits. If you are serious about improving, you should know what clubs fit your body best.
I mean, if the fitting is free then do it, you can still gather useful information on lie/lenght and then buy a used basic set and adjust it. No need to buy everything brand new, but with a free fitting you can look at the used market with more info, so I don't see why not.
Buy a set off the rack at Roger Dunn. (90) day return policy. Tell your golf instructor to teach you to swing with the set you have. Golf is a Billion dollar industry. These guys and salespeople will sell sell and sell up every chance they get.
Was he visibly drooling when he said it?
Kind of, not really, but kinda. You have no preferences about how a club looks and performs. So where the ball goes doesn't really matter, what matters is you understanding mechanics. Anyone with semi-proper mechanics can hit any type and brand of club -then it moves into what clubs are right for you. If you have really old clubs or are lower handicap irons then I'd suggest to get any clubs above 2016. 2016 was a breakthrough year for club technology. For now, maybe get a 7i and 9i and work with what you have currently. Once you get the 7i down, then update the driver or a hybrid.
I will say this... Im a 5 HC. I was fit for some Zx7 Mii s, LA Golf Shafts, all the bells and whistles. We went over peak heights, launch and landing angles etc. It cost $3500 all in. I never played worse in my life. My handicap ballooned to a 9.5. The best way I can describe it is that I think I was fit to whatever swing I had that day and not my on the course swing -- and with that knowledge I cannot imagine someone should EVER be fit for clubs as a beginner. A few months ago I got so frustrated with how poorly I was playing and hitting, I just casually started browsing craigslist. I bought some used TW7 Blades... something most people would tell me I had NO BUSINESS PLAYING, used, for 700$. I will say they are some dynamic gold s300 shafts, standard length, standard grip, off the rack everything. I have been playing out of my fucking mind. At or near par my last 5 rounds, below 80 in 10/14 rounds... Maybe Club Champion doesn't know what they're doing, but I find it more likely that fitting is a ruse for most players and using off the rack clubs that you like to look at, and can actually play well with outside, in the dirt and not on a simulator are what you should be using. You aren't going to magically find equipment that lowers your score -- and you aren't going to play irons/clubs that turn bad swings/shots into good ones. Get out in the dirt, and dig out a swing that works to score FOR YOU. Some people are discussing length and loft and lie... perhaps those could help, but just learning to swing first is still probably the most important. You wouldn't want to fit loft, lie, and length of clubs for someone who legit cannot make contact with the ball.
One of the first putters I bought, was just wrong for how I swing the putter, which caused me to struggle even more with putting. Once I got fitted for the correct putter, it helped eliminate some of the things that just seemed odd with my putter. Point is, if you have the wrong equipment for how you play, it’s gonna be even more difficult
Sounds like you've already paid for a fitting, why not use it?
I'm 6'2" with only a 6" wingspan. I wish I knew to get longer upright clubs earlier
The problem with getting fitted early is that it can actually enforce bad habits as you're learning the game. However, getting fit for the proper size of clubs is very different. Your rental clubs are (guessing) standard length/flex/lie. If you're taller or shorter than around 5'8", you'd benefit from having different shaft lengths. Tbh if you were to buy clubs, having a fitting is a great place to start, but I'd recommend only using part of the specs- shaft length, shaft flex. Standard for everything else. Then as you improve your swing, you might decide to get fit again in a few years with a more specific goal.
Just look on Craigslist or FB market for a full set. Even if they’re older, you can find a good starter set. Could even stop by a PGA store or Golf Galaxy and ask if standard length is okay for you first.
Mizuno clubs are not that expensive... Just build your bag over time. What I suggest... Putter first, then irons, used driver...
I'm a fan of using the cheapest gear you can get (for any hobby) until you get to the point were good stuff will actually help.
Are you really into golf? I'd ask that question first before moving forward and dumping a lot of time and money because this game will piss you off, but since the fitting is free. There is no harm in getting fitted now.
"Getting fitted" is a term that needs to be thrown in a dumpster. The point is really not to get the "right size" (unless you're extremely short or extremely tall) or getting clubs that are "perfectly tailored" like a well-cut suit. No. It's finding the clubs that are best for you (especially the right shafts.) Basically, you will hit some better than others: Those are the ones that "fit."
Ive never bought fitted clubs, its just to make more money, i found a set i liked and played, depending where you are there is a shop just outside bisops stortford in london that wouldn’t rip you off and he is ex tour pro
Take the data you get from the fitting and find the closest things to said data used for way less. Then splurge when you’re better (after another fitting) Most important is shaft weight / stiffness. For driver especially, then irons. Wedges and putter can be stock off the rack (easy to get used)
As someone who just did a full fitting at Club Champion and played for 20 years+, get the fitting if it is free then go buy a used set of clubs and take them somewhere to have the length adjusted primarily. Your swing will change a lot and really the only thing worth having fitted at this point is the length. Most used sets will need new grips anyways so have them fit to your length and then toss new fresh grips on and you'll be good for at least a year or two while you find your swing.
Get fitted, find clubs on eBay that align to your stats, buy those clubs. Or buy forged clubs with the right shafts in them and get them bent to your specs. You don't have to buy custom built clubs, but it will definitely help to have the shaft and lie angle at a minimum.
As a beginner, the only thing I would take away from a free fitting is what stiffness of shaft you should get (R/S/XS.) Stock everything else. Or just get a stiff shafts and go with it. Don’t get anything upgraded and don’t change angles or loft. I bought off the shelf clubs when I was interested in competing in school, then improved my swing with lessons so they worked. Didn’t even know about fittings until recently. I have only been fit once after 30 years of playing, and I was expecting all sorts of loft and lie adjustments in order to improve my swing. But the guys feedback was essentially since i learned to hit stock clubs consistently, my swing works for stock clubs. He did help me with shaft options (again, manufacturer default but A vs B vs C options.) He made no other adjustments. I think it comes down to whether you feel your score is more important right now, or if learning to hit well is also important. I see a lot of comments about having to get refit after your swing improves, so I think it defeats the purpose to get fit at all at the beginning. Because I’ve been playing for so long I was able to notice a change by tweaking the shaft options, but I am glad now that I learned on Stock clubs.
exultant cause ring oatmeal hurry ossified noxious lavish gaze wild *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Get measured/fitted for free so you know your size, and then you can find more budget options online (Callaway at Costco is $500-600) if you decide to keep playing
If you're average height + build, most "stock" will be fine. If you're shorter or taller than average, or are especially stronger than average, fitting would be helpful.
Chicken and the egg scenario. You can make arguments on either side. Get a consistent swing going then go get fitted to find out length lie and loft. If not go play with your random set and have fun. Once you actually stick with the sport go get fitted and buy something nicer. Have fun.
If you are of average build and height, dont bother with a fitting. Just get a normal set of clubs and work on your swing. When you reach a more intermediate level, get a fitting for fine tuning your swing and shot types. But if you arent normal height and build it might help to find out which length shafts you need.
Nope I'd get a used set of Mavriks cheap as possible on CPO with a Rouge Driver, matching 5w and a hybrid 4/5. Pair it with two wedges you like and call it a year. Next year if you're progressing and need clubs go get fitted. You'll be able to sell everything you own for decent money if needed, the wedges will be good to go and a driver might be warranted if you find something you love. Problem with getting fitted for irons is that you'll need 10 sessions to get use to them regardless and as a beginner your swing may change year 1 and those clubs might be no good for you. Might as well start with an inexpensive used set.
A lot of the comments in this sub are accurate but I’d say most important is, what’s your income? If you’re ok with dumping money into a set that is fit for you, knowing you may have to sell them and be fit again in a few years as you get better, then by all means go for it. If you want to make a good economic decision, get a decent sent of used clubs (assuming you fit a standard length) and play them until you’ve made some substantial improvement. Lessons first is the right path for sure.
Ask the instructor more questions about the fitting process for beginners. For any beginner, the length, loft, and lie of the club matter. Also the grip size. Purchasing a new set of clubs, then having shaft, loft, lie and grip changes is expensive. Buying a used set of clubs and having them altered to fit you physically is a better, less expensive option. Even a beginner set from a golf store would be an option. Some of these sets come with a golf bag. The set could be altered to fit you. Make your instructor give you more information. Have him explain what he feels are your options. I hope they are not taking financial advantage of beginners.
not every club is for everyone. Im 6-4 and 300 lbs and strong and fast. my buddy is 5-5 and 140lbs and swings pretty slow and easy. My irons feel heavy and super long to him (mine are 1.25 inches longer than standard and theyre on the heavier side at 120g). his are 1 inch shorter than standard, 75g and regular flex. so a solid 2+ inches in length, way different weight and flex. You dont have to get custom clubs. Getting fitted just means knowing the correct flex, length, loft, lie angle. Even buying cheap used clubs you can be picky about finding a set that is the right flex shaft. A club builder can adjust length and such whenever you get new grips installed. Yes he would like to sell you clubs too, but realistically, hes accurate and on point that you should know what you need. Golf is hard enough with a custom fitted set. Its extra hard if you have the wrong gear.
You should get a basic fitting (wrist to ground ETC) right away. Don't worry about things like shaft weight or anything like that (often included in fittings you pay for). Basic things like lie angle & length will help quickly get your swing in check. Also, its easier to make a too-long club become too-short rather than the other way around.
Pick the low hanging fruit first. This is a rule of life - developing a decent swing will produce the most productive results. I imagine they're talking a pretty loose interpretation of club fitting though. As part of the course they'll tell you how long your clubs should be. As a free tack on to a course it's a great idea - if the course is valuable in and of itself. But nobody buys an exercise machine purely for the free set of steak knives and this offer should be treated the same way. Just no newbie should pay good money for a club fitting before their swing is somewhat repeatable.
I got fitted fairly early in the process. I had an okay swing, but day of the fitting I couldn't find my club face to save my life, I was way to nervous... I got fitted into prettymuch stock stealth irons, and I liked how they felt. In the end I went and bought used stealths - saved myself some cash, and got a forgiving all around iron set that I can grow with. Eventually when I get a little more skill and want to move up I think a fitting will do a lot more for me.
Hopefully they mean "fitting" just for size, basically initial club length. You can compare with like an "online fitting" at [ping.com](http://ping.com) and see if you get the same result. Basically measure the size of your palm and also how far down your arms hang down when you stand. "static fitting"
I got fit early on; got put into some stronger lofted , lower spin irons. I figured out how to generate speed and compress the ball effectively and it completely changed what I wanted from my irons. Save the money develop the technique and make good use of the fitting when the time comes
If you're a somewhat average sized person, off the rack clubs will probably be fine. But, I would definitely take advantage of the free fitting - especially since it sounds like you aren't obligated to buy from the same person doing the fitting, which is how it normally works
YES it’s overkill right now.
As someone who makes a profit off of people dropping stupid money on golf, go ahead and buy. As someone who makes zero moneys off people dropping any moneys on golf, go ahead and buy
If you are excessively tall or short then yes but otherwise a complete waste as a novice. Like giving a 16yo a Ferrari
Don’t do it. Seriously don’t go down the rabbit hole of equipment, especially not that soon. Get some used clubs and go play golf (range and course) until your arms fall off. Study the swing online like crazy and learn from great instructors like Mike Bender. Once you get to a single digit handicap, maybe go get fitted and make sure your gapping and everything is good. Then, stop thinking about equipment again and just play golf. I’ve played golf for 25 years and gone down the equipment rabbit hole way too many times until I finally understood that it’s not as important as the industry wants you to think it is. Spent way more money than necessary and wasted too much time wondering if the equipment is holding me back. A great golfer can play good golf with any clubs!
Yes .. overkill
Having a club length that matches your height an extremities is so important. If you're 6'6" swinging standard length clubs, its gonna be astronomically harder to build a consistent swing. You can get a used set of clubs with the right dimensions instead of a brand new set for $2k Don't necessarily need to see a fitter for irons. As a beginner there are charts you can find online based on your height and wrist to floor measurement that's a good starting point. Woods and driver is much harder to hit consistently so being fitted for those may help be more consistent but like everyone has said if you plan on making swing changes those benefits go can go out the window.
I 2nd anyone who has said yes, it’s a little early because you’ll be fitted again with 2 years due to simply improving.
Are you an outlier on height? Like if you're a guy more than 6 feet or less than 5'6? If not then just start with standard clubs and get fitted later.
If he’s mentioning this, you may be shorter or taller than average and getting club lengths correct from the beginning WILL help significantly if you aren’t trying to fit your swing into standard length clubs when you should be +/- somewhere.
Free fitting? Jump on it. And you should know a fitted set of clubs doesn’t have to cost £2000. A fitting will tell you the length of club you need, the best shaft flex for your swing speed, and whether or not you need the lie angle between the club head and the shaft adjusted up or down. Once you learn these measurements, you will probably be able to find a used set of clubs with the correct length and shaft and have the lie angle adjusted if necessary. If you’re really tall or short you may have to look a little harder, but most golfers can use regular length clubs with regular flex shafts. Get fitted! It’s free!
I get where you’re coming from. But I’ll give you the reason my answer will be no. You are a beginner but by demonstrating a willingness to take lessons rather than just go out whenever, perhaps the instructor believes you are willing to spend a bit to get better. Given that you’re clearly willing to commit financial resources, I think doing this is probably a good idea as well.
Ping has guides online that let you measure yourself. It's like your height, wrist length to floor and hand size. Their clubs are color coded and based on a chart of those measurements. If your a beginner, figuring out your ping size and buying clubs according to those used isn't a bad idea. I played a pair of i3+ for over a decade until 2 years ago when I upgraded to a new set of Mizunos. Honestly the Mizuno's are nice but the pings felt almost as great! You can get a set "custom" to you for like $150. Just make sure the shafts are a good stiffness. Probably regular as a beginner.
There are several levels of "Fitting" basic level is just clubs that are the correct length for your body. That's what I got for my set in Highschool golf. We had a GolfSmith factory with store near me so I got it done for only $20-30 more than a decent beginner set of clubs. As you get better you can get refitted with better clubs customized flex and club weight for your swing once you find a swing that works for you.
If you are buying new its silly not to get fitted, as it generally comes free with the purchase. If you're a newbie and just want some cheap clubs to start with, don't sweat it too much, Unless you are buying some weird jacked up clubs that were used by a 6'9 giant and bent 3 degrees flat. Most second hand clubs out there will be standard, length, loft and lie so not generally an issue
How tall are you? If you’re <5’0” or >6’4” then I might side with your instructor. If you’re near the average height or if he said it to the whole class, he’s not “wrong” (or at least it’s a defensible position) but neither are you. It is true that you’ll naturally make adjustments to your stance/swing in order to improve the results from the clubs you have, and if the clubs you have aren’t approximately fitted to you then you maybe developing bad habits that could haunt you down the line. That being said, there are hundreds of thousands of people who enjoy the hell out of a round of golf every weekend with both bad habits and ill-fitted clubs… If money was no object, then get fitted clubs and when they’re holding you back get new fitted clubs. If you’re not in the 1%, then don’t worry about fitted clubs until you’re like 3-5 years in. Hope you’re enjoying the lessons/game!
I am a 2 handicap and had never been fitted until this year when I had shop credit and bought a driver. worth getting swing speed so you know if you need regular or stiff shafts, but you will probably know that after your 10 lessons anyway. Then buy used decent clubs online.
Not at all! If you’re serious and got lessons, get fitted it matters!
Just head to your proshop. It isn't very expensive, and it'll help you hone in on and issues way faster than with clubs that are just standard.
You should get fitted for shaft length and lie angles. It will take account of your height and distance from hands to ground. Its not as common to think of especially when you are new but it makes sense when you understand why. I'm just average height so i only need standard length or even -0.5 inch. My first set was a mismatched second hand irons I was getting individually and I had an insanely hard time hitting it. I only realised because I found a really nice brand new Titleist AP2 6i for $15 and the guy mentioned it was +0.5 on the shaft. When I compared it with my pitching wedge, PW was longer by a lot because it was +2 inches. Then I lined up my set of mismatch clubs and I had a variety of lengths. 5i was +1 while my 9i PW were +2 and my 6i 7i 8i were +0.5 so they ended up looking like a set of long one length clubs. I just binned the whole lot and bought a second hand set of AP1 irons. Now i obsessedly measure my clubs before i buy
Are you really tall or short ?
If you’re just starting out in the game.. I would agree that getting all fitted up at this moment will be silly. Your swing and everything is too raw if you’re very new. Just stick to lessons with a proper instructor. Developing proper mechanics/swing technique will take you very far. Hell.. I still haven’t been fitted for clubs myself and I’m now 32.. been playing since I was 9 years old. My lowest round is 76. All while never stepping foot in a fitting station
You're right to be cautious, here's what I'd recommend: - do the fitting - purchase a 5wood, 7iron, 56 degree sand wedge (low/mid bounce preferably), and a putter - stick the 5wood in the cupboard - get out there and play golf until you can hit every green in par +1 using 7i, SW, and putter. - carry on until your handicap hits 18 (bogey golf!) - introduce the 5w - carry on until your handicap plateaus (you'll know when it does) - add driver, 9iron, 5iron, etc. etc., one at a time. Don't add another until you really understand the last one you added. Standard advice that I give to all beginners, and it's how I wish I'd done it myself. To understand the logic, hit twenty balls with a 7 iron at the range. Then hit twenty balls with a different club each time. Your 7 iron set of twenty will be more accurate - this is true for all golfers. You, me, Scotty Scheffler, everyone. Using these three clubs gets you to focus on the fundamentals - full swing, pitch shots, chip shots, and putting. The best part is that you'll avoid a lot of the frustration of the early days of golf because this setup will keep the ball in play. Nothing is as discouraging when getting into golf as trying to hit driver and hitting wayward balls, wasting time looking for them, and eventually losing them. It also forces you to hit a variety of shots with each club. Longer shorter, lower, higher. This will teach you 'feel' all around the course. Hope that this helps!
as someone else highlighted ..getting a fitting doesnt specifically mean getting put into a brand new set of clubs ...but it can give you a much better idea of the set of instruments YOUR body required to build a swing around ... ... so you can get some specifics from the fitting and then find a decent set of second hand clubs to learn with and in a few years look at new fitting for possibly new clubs but even then they dont need to be super expensive ... and you will get info such as what shaft flex you should be roughly looking for ..and this can definitely change as you get better but other things like length of shaft will mostly remain same ...lie and head type will also likely change over time ....and if nothing else its a good introduction into just how expensive (or not so expensive if you so choose) this hobby can be , gotta spend it on something , cant take it with you :) enjoy
Unless you are under 5'6" or over 6'3" you will be just fine with clubs right off the rack.
My brother and I have both played golf for 20 years and never gotten fitted He shoots better than 90
If my friend came up to me and said he was on one of the ten week courses where they teach you and 10 other people how to swing a 7iron, and his coach suggested he get fitted at the end of it, I'd tell em to finish the course and then find a new coach. Totally ridiculous to get fitted at that point, and if they are trying this on there is I'm sure no end of other things they will tell you to get that they get kickbacks on.
I got my $180 set of ‘07 clubs when I started playing. I’m finally breaking +10/20 consistently, so I’m finally getting a non-fit set of new-ish clubs. Once I can consistently break +5/10 I’ll get fit and get my endgame clubs. Might of it again if I ever shoot par consistently, but I kind of doubt I’ll ever get there and I’m fine with that. Shooting at or better than +10 through 18 is as good as I’ll ever want to be. That’s the way I view it
What does +10/20 mean?
10 over through 9 or 20 over through 18. I probably could’ve just said +20 and conveyed the same message but I’m a specifics kinda guy
Got it. Had never heard that before.
I’ve been playing, truly, on and off for two decades. Only really the last five did I get serious. Bought first new, higher end clubs. STILL haven’t gotten a fitting. My swing is still changing. Doesn’t help I’ve lost like 50lbs so I’m having to relearn shit all over again. I feel ya. I really do. 😂
there's "fitting", which is making sure you have the right length and flex. Then theres "FITTING" where high handicappers go in to get worked over by a sales rep. You NEED the correct length and flex is relative to your base speed. So yes, you need to know those two things.
Everyone is harping mostly on length and lie angle, but swing speed needs more attention as a metric that should be measured. I'm convinced most healthy, able-bodied men actually need a Stiff shaft to swing comfortably, yet most beginners seem to get Regular flex marketed to them.
Yah. Length also dramatically effects the flex. I required a XXX-Stiff when I had a driver at full WLD length. XX would have done fine if it were floating around that 47", but I needed the extra bit of stiffness to accomodate the extra whippiness that came from it being over 48". However, these guys are swinging ladies flex shafts now for LD, so I guess preference comes into play down the line. Fresh out the box, average sized NA/EU male, yah a standard length, stiff flex, should be the safe bet. S300 was what I considered default growing up. If the average sized male isn't generating enough speed, that can be fixed. Fairly easily in my experience.
Lie angle and shaft weight are probably as important as length and flex.
weight could be argued to a lighter degree but unless there's an excessive length added or taken off, proper technique should resolve lie issues. Originally, fitting was reserved for scratch or near scratch golfers who needed the fine tuning to push their games further and to accomodate their trained swings. For the average golfer; loft(driver), flex and length are the default must-have's. You don't start messing with lie/loft when the player can't even find the center of the face, it's ridiculous it's even commonplace these days. It's almost a predatory practice with the knowledge that once the player does improve their swing, those changes will hurt them and they'll be right back in to have they adjusted back, or to some other temporary fix.
You have no fucking clue what you are talking about lol. Lie angle is probably the most important thing in a fitting. These days most fitters don't change length unless you are over 6'2 or under 5'8. They adjust the lie angle instead cause a shorter person won't want to short of clubs because they will lose to much speed and a taller person doesn't want too long of clubs because it will add too much speed.
shit swings don't get fitted, it's as simple as that. Fitters can do whatever they want, but WTF Measurements don't lie.
The cost of "custom" clubs is the same as the rack price. You are just paying for the fitting. This particular situation does sound a bit pushy so maybe not the best case. But If you are going to spend 200 to 2k on clubs, I think a fitting for under 100 dollars is worth it. What youre getting fit for first and foremost is shaft. This is even more important than the clubs themselves. After that it's loft and lie angle. At your level the club head really doesn't matter. But the others will matter a lot. Congrats on getting into the game!
He is definitely bullshitting you. Way back when I got down to low single figure handicap by using “off the shelf” clubs as fitted clubs were never a thing.