Question:
Last year I got some irons fitted and noticed a huge difference in my game this past year. This winter, I’d like to get a new driver fitted. Right now I play a club right off the rack that might not be right for me in all respects. I understand the iron fitting process but would like some advice on getting fitted for a driver. – I hear people talk about launch analysis and I found a place nearby that will do it for a cost of $125. Seems like a lot of cash. Is this typical cost? Is it usually recommended that I do this with my current driver or do they have different gear there to try to find the right setup?
I paid $100 in Sanford NC, so you;re in the ballpark. I hit around 40 balls with 6 or 8 driver/shaft combinations and another 100 balls with a dozen or so iron/shaft combinations, including my own clubs and theirs. The result? Well, the data suggested for a mere $1000 (cost of 10 Nippon steel shafts and 2 Fujikura graphites) I could optimize the launch conditions for my swing… at that point I *truly* realized how much I had been neglecting the "short-game" as a means to improve… Actually the launch data was superior for those high-end shafts, but almost as good was the data for Dynamic Gold S300s (much cheaper) and some other graphite shaft I cannot recall offhand. – Would it be just as good to just hit the retail shop and have someone watch the swing and use a little impact tape to find the right driver or is launch monitoring the only real way to get things right?
IMO the launch monitoring is excellent if you have a consistent swing and have already achieved proficiency in ball striking. It might not make any great conclusions for someone who is still working on building a fundamentally sound swing. Lumpy.
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Last year I got some irons fitted and noticed a huge difference in my game this past year. This winter, I’d like to get a new driver fitted. Right now I play a club right off the rack that might not be right for me in all respects. I understand the iron fitting process but would like some advice on getting fitted for a driver. – I hear people talk about launch analysis and I found a place nearby that will do it for a cost of $125. Seems like a lot of cash. Is this typical cost? Is it usually recommended that I do this with my current driver or do they have different gear there to try to find the right setup? – Would it be just as good to just hit the retail shop and have someone watch the swing and use a little impact tape to find the right driver or is launch monitoring the only real way to get things right? – I see that Ping offers custom fitting service for length, loft, lie, shaft flex, kick point, grip, etc. Do any other manufacturers offer this or is it just mainly loft and shaft? Any other recommendations for finding the right fitting driver?
$125 seems a bit steep to me unless that amount is credited against purchase of a club or clubs. My experience is that the launch monitor approach is very helpful but that it is important to do it outdoors where you can confirm what the monitor says about spin rate and velocity by seeing the actual ball flight. You should certainly start out with your existing driver but I would expect them to have many (!!) clubs for you to try since you’ve looking for the optimal combination of club length, loft, weight, and shaft flex characteristics for your swing. Titleist has an outdoor launch monitor fitting program that they run (dozens of shaft/loft combinations for 983K and E) and a number of the big-time golf schools have driver and iron fitting as part of their operations. Mine was done by the guys down at the Rick Smith School at Tiburon. They seemed to really know what they were doing and ending up building me a set of custom irons and making some modifications to my existing driver. I ended up with great (!) clubs; and, when I miss a shot, I know it’s ME! Jeff
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Last year I got some irons fitted and noticed a huge difference in my game this past year. This winter, I’d like to get a new driver fitted. Right now I play a club right off the rack that might not be right for me in all respects. I understand the iron fitting process but would like some advice on getting fitted for a driver. – I hear people talk about launch analysis and I found a place nearby that will do it for a cost of $125. Seems like a lot of cash. Is this typical cost? Is it usually recommended that I do this with my current driver or do they have different gear there to try to find the right setup? $125 seems a bit steep to me unless that amount is credited against purchase of a club or clubs. My experience is that the launch monitor approach is very helpful but that it is important to do it outdoors where you can confirm what the monitor says about spin rate and velocity by seeing the actual ball flight.
One that I looked at was about $45 with a $20 portion refunded when purchasing a driver of $300 or more. I haven’t done it yet…but I am considering. http://www.tacomafirsgolf.com/GolfAchiever.html — Washington State University "That shot is impossible!…Jack Nicholson himself couldn’t make it!"– Homer Simpson
Response:
Last year I got some irons fitted and noticed a huge difference in my game this past year. This winter, I’d like to get a new driver fitted. Right now I play a club right off the rack that might not be right for me in all respects. I understand the iron fitting process but would like some advice on getting fitted for a driver. – I hear people talk about launch analysis and I found a place nearby that will do it for a cost of $125. Seems like a lot of cash. Is this typical cost? Is it usually recommended that I do this with my current driver or do they have different gear there to try to find the right setup? – Would it be just as good to just hit the retail shop and have someone watch the swing and use a little impact tape to find the right driver or is launch monitoring the only real way to get things right? – I see that Ping offers custom fitting service for length, loft, lie, shaft flex, kick point, grip, etc. Do any other manufacturers offer this or is it just mainly loft and shaft? Any other recommendations for finding the right fitting driver?