My Club Champion Fitting Experience

[thaar]

Warning, long read ahead! :)

 

Club Champion recently opened here in the Denver metro area and were offering a 50pct off full bag fitting, so I jumped on the opportunity since I had read so many positive reviews. My fitting appointment was at 3pm today with Mitch. Arrived just before 2:30. Earlier than I expected, but I wanted some time to warm up. After 5-10 minutes of warming up, I felt like I was good to go. We started off hitting my current clubs - Mizuno MP-33's with DG S300's...I guess I should start with my background.

 

I used to be a decent golfer prior to kids. I never kept an official handicap, but if I were to guess, I was probably around a 11 or 12, shooting fairly consistently in the mid 80's. I wasn't a club ho, but played a few different sets. I finally became obsessed with my Mizuno MP-60's with Rifle 5.5's. Loved the feel and their playability. After about a 7-8 year hiatus, I finally found the time/opportunity to play again, though it wasn't until the end of last year that I got completely bit by the bug again and took the game seriously. In the meantime, I had picked up a set of Nike VR_S forged combo irons...I can't recall the shaft, but loved the feel and performance. Then the skies parted and I was able to obtain my holy grail - Mizzy MP-33's in amazing condition for cheap. Admittedly, my game wasn't good enough to hit these beauties, but I was stubborn and kept on, hitting them pretty well overall for a hack. Nonetheless, my handicap (which I finally started tracking) was a painful 17.1 in September. While the handicap may be telling, it's not my ball striking that is holding me back - it's my dreadful putting for the most part. My driver (and lack of a brain at times) lately has also been a culprit. My instructor last fall had told me he thought I was a 6 handicap based on my swing...I thought he was simply making me feel good, but apparently he wasn't as Mitch (CC fitter) said I've got a solid swing as well, and he would never play me for money. I told him he never had seen me putt yet lol...but I digress.

 

So on to the fitting! After I warmed up, he wanted to establish some baseline numbers to work from with my 6-iron. For reference, I swing my 6-iron about 92-93mph. I don't recall the numbers in detail, but I think I had a ball speed in the low 120's and was flying my current 6-iron roughly 195 yards, with a decent launch angle and spin, but marginal ball speed, so my smash factor was low - roughly around 1.33 or so. Once we established a baseline, it was time to figure out which shaft would fit me best, but had to figure out which head to use to do so. Mitch picked out a similar head to what I was using now - a Mizzy MP-5. I was a bit confused on why he would pick out such an aggressive head particularly after we discussed that I had hit it last weekend, and thought it was too much club for me, but went along for the ride nonetheless. He picked out the Project X LZ, KBS C-Taper (a couple different models), and eventually the DGS S400 Tour (there may have been one more model, but I can't recall for sure). All three models performed similarly, even with dispersion. Initially, I felt the C-Tapers felt best, but I was getting better numbers from the LZ. Then we threw in the S400's, and I was smoking the ball. The feel didn't change all that much, but my ball speeds were in the 130's with a smash factor in the low 1.40's with optimal launch angle and spin, not to mention I was carrying the ball roughly 210yds, an additional 15 yards from my current gamer! If I were to do it based on feel alone, the C-Tapers probably would have won, but not by much. All in all, I figured the numbers were just going to get better once I dialed in the head.

 

So now that we established which shaft to work with, it was on to the head. We picked out a decent selection while being reasonable - Callaway Apex Pro forged (Mitch thought these were going to be the clubs for me), Mizzy MP-25's (I thought these were going to be the winner), Cobra Forged, Titleist CB Forged, and something else. I also hit the PXG's for fun - wasn't impressed. I wanted to hit the Srixon 765's, but someone had broken the head earlier that day unfortunately. I avoided Epon and Miura to protect my bank account lol. Last weekend, I had hit a bunch of clubs at the golf expo, and thought the MP-25's were the clubs for me. While I had no numbers to back it up, they felt great overall. So we start with the Callaway's. I just couldn't enjoy them, even on solid ball strikes. Then the same result for the Titleist. The Cobras had a decent feel for me, but I was nearly a club short over the MP-5's with similar club head speed on solid swings. Now on to the club that was going to change my life - the MP-25's. They felt good, but surprisingly enough, I had defied physics lol. My numbers with the MP-5 were considerably better overall - similar launch angle and spin, but I was flying it a good 10 yards further. I kept questioning myself and asked to go back to the MP-25 several times to confirm and kept getting the same results. All in all, I was astonished, but sold on the MP-5's at the same time. Now on to the wedges.

 

The wedge fitting wasn't as scientific - slightly disappointed, but I can't complain. I have always been a bit confused on which wedge, bounce and grind would work best for me here in Colorado and I was hoping some Trackman numbers would be able to tell me that, but I was wrong. Mitch did a good job explaining on the various grinds and bounce impacts everything, but it seemed as though the only things we focused on was ensuring I had the optimal spin numbers, and appreciated the feel of the club. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing since I have never been one to use a club for several different shot types. All in all, it was tough to choose between the Mack Daddy Forged, Mizuno T7, and Vokey SM6 wedges. I also hit the Cleveland RTX, but liked the other three better based on feel. In the end, I think I liked the T7's best, but i wouldn't be disappointed to play any of those wedges. We determined it would be best for me to play a 50, 55 and 60 in my bag since I'm not hurting for distance overall in my longer clubs.

 

Last (for today), was my SAM fitting. I currently use a Yes Tracy putter, cut down to 33" (I think). I have never been a putter ho, so I've had this for quite some time. It seems to work ok, but I have never thought my game would tremendously improve with another putter. The measurement system and metrics are interesting. My stroke is decent, but the SAM system suggests I need a toe hang of roughly 45-60 degrees. Loft and lie is good for the most part. I think the thing I was most surprised at is my stance looking down on the ball. Mitch showed me that my eyes are way past the ball looking down on it. A lot of this is due to my short putter, but this is what has always been comfortable to me. So essentially, I need a longer putter, with a toe hang to hopefully solve some of my putter woes.

 

All in all, I had a great time doing this. I learned a lot about my swing and equipment, not to mention had a good time chatting about the game with Mitch. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. He spent A LOT of time with me (we wrapped up at 530pm), without even addressing my driver and woods. While the build sheet at the end of the day was quite pricey, I never felt pressured to buy anything from CC, though I wouldn't have an issue trusting their work at all. I'm super excited to see how the top of my bag pans out. We discussed it briefly, and he thought since I'm already a decently long hitter, we speculated that I should go 5-pw with a driver, 4w, and a 7w or hybrid. I'm certainly looking forward to that portion of the fitting. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get that squared away until the 3rd week of March. At least that will give me a few weeks to figure out how to hit a driver! lol

 

I'm determined to get my game back in shape this year, and would love to reach single digits. It's a lofty goal, but i think I can do it!

 

TLDR - Had fitting for irons, wedges, and putter (driver and woods are next); had a lot fun; ended up with MP-5's over MP-25's somehow (numbers don't lie!)

[wybrh]

Great write up. I'm thinking of doing the full bag fitting at the same location. You just can't beat the deal. I think they offer 50% off at the Denver location until March 31st.

[thaar]

Yep, the deal is good until 3/31. I believe the one caveat is you have to have the entire fitting complete by then. I have my top of bag fitting scheduled for 3/22.

[masamitsu]

Great write up. I'm thinking of doing the full bag fitting at the same location. You just can't beat the deal. I think they offer 50% off at the Denver location until March 31st.

 

When is your fitting?

[wybrh]

Great write up. I'm thinking of doing the full bag fitting at the same location. You just can't beat the deal. I think they offer 50% off at the Denver location until March 31st.

 

When is your fitting?

 

I haven't scheduled it yet. Planning to schedule it this weekend and looking at mid-late march.

[masamitsu]

Great write up. I'm thinking of doing the full bag fitting at the same location. You just can't beat the deal. I think they offer 50% off at the Denver location until March 31st.

 

When is your fitting?

 

I haven't scheduled it yet. Planning to schedule it this weekend and looking at mid-late march.

 

Someone on mentioned in the Rockies forum thread that appointments were getting scarce. You may want to call sooner rather than later.

[sm_watts]

I called yesterday and got an appt for a driver fitting the last week of March, he told me that was about the last time slot they had available for their special pricing, 33% off a driver fitting = $100.

[gsrjc]

So did you purchase anything or are you planning to just take the specs and try to get the clubs somewhere else.

[thaar]

I haven't purchased anything yet. After talking it over with some people on this site and my instructor, I needed to do some more exploring to find a combo that brings my spin up a bit. I think the project x lz paired with the 716 CB may be the best route or perhaps the 765,which I've asked to hit when I do my driver fitting in a few weeks.

 

I also want to hit the setup outdoors to make sure I'm happy with the ball flight and turf interaction. Ultimately I'm not sure that's where my bag needs it most right now though since I can't afford to do a full bag replacement right now. I certainly would love new irons, but that's a pricey investment. And not to knock CC, but their prices are somewhat steep overall. If they credited the fitting, even partially, I think it would make the trigger easier to pull.

 

I'm on my phone right now, and will be gone through the weekend, but I'll try to update the thread with more details Sunday or Monday.

[apprenti23]

And not to knock CC, but their prices are somewhat steep overall. If they credited the fitting, even partially, I think it would make the trigger easier to pull.

The pricing they gave you was for them to actually custom build your clubs. Obviously there is a premium on that. When you go back in, ask for pricing to have the OEM build the clubs and you'll see their pricing is the same as everyone else.

[Albusdumble831]

Thanks for the review, I just returned from my Club Champion fitting here in the Atlanta area and it went pretty much to script as others have said before. I setup my time about 2 weeks ago and had some email exchanges with the staff. Once I arrived onsite at the fitting, I met with my Fitter and went over their services and to answer any questions that I may have. After that we went to my bag and got started on the irons. He let me warm up and told me to get loose. My fitter told me to warm up how I would on the range, so I grabbed my 54 Degree wedge and hit some warm up shots. Once I was good and loose, I grabbed my 6 iron to establish a baseline and went to work. My fitter was very attentive to my swing and we chatted about the numbers. I recently purchased my irons (Ping i200's) and I wasn't satisfied with the play of them and knew that I had the incorrect shafts, and lie angles on my clubs.

 

After a few swings he changed the shaft and I could immediately feel a huge difference from my OEM shaft. Disclaimer, I was swinging a Regular Flex AWT 2.0 shaft and it honestly felt like I was swinging a toothpick. Just one of the many reasons I was here to get properly fitted. After a few swings with the Recoil F4 shaft I could immediately see a difference in the Club and Ball speed and I gained 13 yards in my carry. Then the shaft was changed to the Oban CT 115X shaft and again Club and Ball speed improved as well as my carry. The Oban CT 115X felt just right with my speed so it was on to trying different irons. The first iron I tried was the Mizuno JPX 900, felt nice and smooth. With this Oban and Mizuno combo I averaged 88 Club Speed and 118 Ball speed with a carry of 162. I was very pleased with this setup. I tried the Taylormade M1 with the Oban shaft and Club Speed was 90 and Ball Speed was 115 with a 159 yd carry. I have to admit the Taylormade's didn't feel as nice as the Mizuno's. Finally I tried the Titleist AP1's and they felt smoother and better than the Mizuno's. My average Club Speed was 91 and Ball Speed was 125 with an average carry of 176. I thought the Mizuno's felt good but the Titleist just felt smoother and the ball jumped off the club face for me. I felt great with the Titleist and moved on to the drivers. By the way, just for fun I swung the PXGs and they carried the farthest but the price tag on those we just too high for me.

 

Next up was the driver. Now currently I swing a Titlelist 917 D3 10.5 Degree with a Regular Shaft 50g. To say that the shaft feels like a Noodle to me is an understatement. My fitter watched me swing a couple of times with my current set up and immediately changed the shaft. I went to a Paderson Ammorpheus 30+ shaft and the ball went from 200 carry to 236 carry with the PA shaft. I then moved on to the Taylormade M1 and saw better results with that combo. My Carry average went from 236 with the Titleist to 256 with the Taylormade M1. I hit a few others the Callaway Epic, Cobra F7 and Callaway Fusion but loved the results of the M1. The driver fitting didn't take as long as the irons and I knew that the Taylormade M1 was the one for me. We moved on to the Hybrid fitting and I only swung the Titleist Hybrid. Not much to say around this one as I don't currently carry a hybrid in my bag.

 

Next up was the 3 wood fitting and I requested the Project X Hzrdous Yellow 6.0 shaft with the Taylormade M1 and M2 3 woods. I have to say that I attended a fitting with my Father in Law a few weeks ago and played around with this particular setup and enjoyed my results. For the M1 3 Wood, my Club Speed averaged 94 and Ball Speed was 131 with an Average Carry of 179 and the M2 was slightly better with Club Speed of 97 and Ball Speed of 129 and an Average Carry of 189. I told my fitter that I liked the versatility of the M1 and would go with that one.

 

I finished up with my Putter fitting. I currently use the Taylormade Daddy Long Legs putter and during this fitting I sank all 7 of my putts. I'll admit that I can typically putt very well, however during the fitting the computer recommended that I go with a Blade style putter. The only recommendations that I received from my Fitter on my putter is to cut my shaft down about an inch. I was actually planning on doing that anyway for my putter as I choke down and feel more comfortable putting with a 34 1/2 shaft.

 

All in all I thoroughly enjoyed my fitting session and would highly recommend it to anyone who'd like to know more about the equipment and also improve your game. As others have mentioned the price was pretty steep for the setup and I will take a few days to think it over and make my moves from there. Hope this helps!!

[4puttJohnny]

 

For the M1 3 Wood, my Club Speed averaged 94 and Ball Speed was 131 with an Average Carry of 179 and the M2 was slightly better with Club Speed of 97 and Ball Speed of 129 and an Average Carry of 189. I told my fitter that I liked the versatility of the M1 and would go with that one.

 

 

 

 

Something seems way off here. You should be carrying the ball a helluva lot farther than 179 and 189 given those numbers with a three wood.

[Albusdumble831]

 

For the M1 3 Wood, my Club Speed averaged 94 and Ball Speed was 131 with an Average Carry of 179 and the M2 was slightly better with Club Speed of 97 and Ball Speed of 129 and an Average Carry of 189. I told my fitter that I liked the versatility of the M1 and would go with that one.

 

 

 

 

Something seems way off here. You should be carrying the ball a helluva lot farther than 179 and 189 given those numbers with a three wood.

 

I agree with you on that but I currently don't play with a 3 or 5 wood. I only swung it a few times just to get a feel of the club. I plan on purchasing one soon but right now my focus is my irons, driving and putting.

[HoselRocket65]

I went to the Club Champion location in St. Louis recently after hearing a bunch of members at my club talking about how much the true fitting experience has helped their game. I had never been through a professional fitting with the number of shaft options available to me at Club Champion. I never really understood how important the minute numbers are configuring a setup that fits someones swing. Honestly, I don't know how I have played competitively for his long without doing this sooner. Amazing place. Will return

[mocokid]

so what is the cost of the fitting??

[ASak10]

so what is the cost of the fitting??

 

Here's the link to their pricing.

 

https://clubchampiongolf.com/pricing

 

Here in Denver they ran a 50% off promotion since it was a new location.