Do clubs, shafts, custom fitting actually matter

[Johnny Biarritz]

The basic answer is yes. As many have said, it depends greatly on the fitter. You pay $125 for 90 minutes in a simulator? That's not a fitting, that's a sales pitch. But it'll probably do some good either way. 

 

**Addition: I'd say a solid way to determine if you're at a fitting or a sales pitch is to say you have no interest in buying new clubs and you want to optimize your current set, checking lie angles, checking to see if shafts are correct, etc. If they try to continually bump you into something else, some other clubs, you're at a sales pitch with a guy who either doesn't know how to fit or isn't allowed to fit because of some company policy.

Edited July 15 by Johnny Biarritz
add

[GoGoErky]

1 hour ago, BSI99 said:

Do they? Maybe with their swing path sure but strike point, low point, and face angle vary wildly shot to shot. 

Thats what I said. Their swing is the same aka repeated each time despite what many think. The inconsistent strike comes from the changing path, face angle but the swing itself is still the same.

 

A low digit handicap isn’t as consistent with path and face management as many think either. It’s may not be as big as a deviation as a mid or high handicap but it’s still has more variation than people think.

 

also despite what many think mid and high handicaps benefit more from a fitting than low handicaps

 

https://golf.com/gear/1-stat-fitting-matters-fit-factor/

 

https://www.golfmonthly.com/features/10-reasons-why-club-fitting-is-a-game-changer-for-high-handicappers

Edited July 15 by GoGoErky

[BSI99]

10 minutes ago, GoGoErky said:

Thats what I said. Their swing is the same aka repeated each time despite what many think. The inconsistent strike comes from the changing path, face angle but the swing itself is still the same.

 

A low digit handicap isn’t as consistent with path and face management as many think either. It’s may not be as big as a deviation as a mid or high handicap but it’s still has more variation than people think.

 

also despite what many think mid and high handicaps benefit more from a fitting than low handicaps

 

https://golf.com/gear/1-stat-fitting-matters-fit-factor/

 

https://www.golfmonthly.com/features/10-reasons-why-club-fitting-is-a-game-changer-for-high-handicappers

No offense man but that golf monthly article isn't exactly a great datapoint. Will a high handicap player get better if they get a fitting? Probably. Will they become hindered by their fitted equipment if they make notable changes to improve their swing? Yes. 

[tx_bayou]

I think fitting is interesting. Often times, it appears one could go do multiple fittings with different fitters on consecutive days and come away with different results each time.

 

That said, I do think there is benefit if even just ensure you’re in the right “ballpark” for launch, spin, shaft weight etc. 

 

I definitely would agree that Driver is probably the most beneficial club to have fitted and in my experience, the one that has resulted in a significant improvement versus what I played prior to the fitting. 
 

As other have stated, it also comes down to the fitter. If they’re just someone with a Trackman trying to get you an additional 15-20 yards on your 7i without care for any of the other data, that’s probably not going to translate effectively to the course.

[Johnny Biarritz]

6 minutes ago, tx_bayou said:

IIf they’re just someone with a Trackman trying to get you an additional 15-20 yards on your 7i without care for any of the other data, that’s probably not going to translate effectively to the course.

Funny that you say that because I was going to use a similar example. Fitter says "that's awesome, you just gained 25 yards with your 7 iron, see what fitting can do?" Meanwhile, the long suffering player doesn't realize that the "7 iron" has the same loft as his 5 iron and the shaft is the length of his 4 iron, they just stamped a different number on the bottom. So he's really picked up like 2 yards. 

[Pepperturbo]

23 hours ago, FootWedge16 said:

My handicap (I don't keep an official one) would hover in the 4 to 5 range. I drive the ball well. I'm a decent iron player. I'm good around the greens and my putting is inconsistent (good speed but I struggle in the 3 to 6 foot range). 

I currently play a set of clubs I found on ebay. 21 apex pros with project xio shafts. Epic max ls driver in x stiff stock shaft. Epic speed fairway woods with stock x stiff shaft. Some SM5 wedges I found for cheap. 

 

Never cared if any of these clubs or shafts are actually correct for me. Am I good enough golf to actually see any benefit from being custom fit for clubs? I've always thought it was BS for anyone that wasn't scratch or better but I'm now opening up to the idea. I've been playing for 28 years and have always played random clubs. 

Yes, all matter to people that feel the need to know or have a golf goal. But to the average Joe, maybe the only piece of equipment that really matters is properly fit shafts. I had some fitting experiences, two not good and one excellent.

[GoGoErky]

19 minutes ago, BSI99 said:

No offense man but that golf monthly article isn't exactly a great datapoint. Will a high handicap player get better if they get a fitting? Probably. Will they become hindered by their fitted equipment if they make notable changes to improve their swing? Yes. 

Club champion has data that shows the samething. 
 

high handicaps benefit more from a fitting. Better golfers adapt better to bad specs compared to not so good golfers 

[PedronNiall]

3 hours ago, LongNwrong27 said:

But if you’re an average ish size guy let’s say 5’8 - 6’1 with relatively normal proportions think largely not significant and infinitely less important than lessons/improving your swing.

 

I mean, yes, if you are perfectly in the center of the bell curve, then things optimized to fit the average will work. Many who are average in height have odd proportions for torso or legs. Many who have normal proportions for the body have long or short arms. I will give you that most people have a window for length they can play within, but working with someone knowledgeable or learning on your own how to choose a length that will let you stand comfortably at address in the proper position makes a worthwhile difference.

 

A huge part of correct self fitting or working with a skilled fitter can also be in choosing the right shaft profile. There's a range that works for most, but some people greatly change their tempo depending on the shaft they're swinging, and as a new player you're not going to have any idea which side of that coin you're on without trialing some different profiles. Ignore it, and you possibly end up building a swing and tempo around how the club loads, around not liking the feel of the club loading so throwing timing off to keep it out of things, rushing or slowing in the downswing to avoid or force a certain feel, and so on.

  

3 hours ago, LongNwrong27 said:

if you’re already taking lessons regularly , doing good stuff in the gym and practicing multiple times a week, then I think I would rec fitting just to make sure not missing anything there but I would say it’s generally much less important than either of the prior 3 things. 

For fine results fitting is most important for pros; for high-level results and overall consistency it's far more important for new players who are going to be shaping all the things that work or don't work long term in those first few months. Whatever they ingrain then is going to take far longer to undo if it's bad, and it's likely for it to be on the bad side of things if they're making unnecessary compensations because of equipment.

Edited July 15 by PedronNiall

[Ri_Redneck]

It's also important to consider what PART of fitting matters most. IMHO, weight and balance matching of the club to the golfer is one of the most important fitting parameters. Oddly, it's also one of the most misunderstood parameters for most "fitters".

 

The club should have enough heft to promote a proper swing, but yet not be too heavy as to be cumbersome. If you can't easily control the club while swinging it in your lead hand only, there's a good chance the total weight is too heavy for you.

 

BT

[golferdude54]

It’s really just proper length and grip size at first, then shaft flex then a lie angle change if one feels their swing changes warrants a lie angle change. 
 

Stuff like bend profile, swing weight/MOI/frequency matching, FLOing/SST Puring, etc. that’s for scratch or better in my opinion. 

[GoGoErky]

29 minutes ago, golferdude54 said:

It’s really just proper length and grip size at first, then shaft flex then a lie angle change if one feels their swing changes warrants a lie angle change. 
 

Stuff like bend profile, swing weight/MOI/frequency matching, FLOing/SST Puring, etc. that’s for scratch or better in my opinion. 

Flex has no standard. There are some significant differences in some

brands.

 

shaft weight is an important aspect. Once the weight is found then dial in profile. 

[tx_bayou]

6 minutes ago, GoGoErky said:

Flex has no standard. There are some significant differences in some

brands.

 

shaft weight is an important aspect. Once the weight is found then dial in profile. 

The point about no standard for shaft flex is so important to understand. 
 

A stiff Modus 120 is probably going to feel like a noodle to someone who really goes after it with a stiff Project X. 
 

That’s where trial and error comes in. Finding that shaft you like the feel of while maintaining the ball flight you’re looking for. A fitting obviously helps with that but it’s certainly something someone could more or less accomplish on their own. 

Edited July 15 by tx_bayou

[LongNwrong27]

2 hours ago, PedronNiall said:

 

I mean, yes, if you are perfectly in the center of the bell curve, then things optimized to fit the average will work. Many who are average in height have odd proportions for torso or legs. Many who have normal proportions for the body have long or short arms. I will give you that most people have a window for length they can play within, but working with someone knowledgeable or learning on your own how to choose a length that will let you stand comfortably at address in the proper position makes a worthwhile difference.

 

A huge part of correct self fitting or working with a skilled fitter can also be in choosing the right shaft profile. There's a range that works for most, but some people greatly change their tempo depending on the shaft they're swinging, and as a new player you're not going to have any idea which side of that coin you're on without trialing some different profiles. Ignore it, and you possibly end up building a swing and tempo around how the club loads, around not liking the feel of the club loading so throwing timing off to keep it out of things, rushing or slowing in the downswing to avoid or force a certain feel, and so on.

  

For fine results fitting is most important for pros; for high-level results and overall consistency it's far more important for new players who are going to be shaping all the things that work or don't work long term in those first few months. Whatever they ingrain then is going to take far longer to undo if it's bad, and it's likely for it to be on the bad side of things if they're making unnecessary compensations because of equipment.

I swing around 120 MPH, hit the ball ok and have never really felt the shaft load. I really don’t think a shaft profile is going to affect someone’s mechanics. It *may* feel different to them ( to me it absolutely does not) but think the mechanics themselves will be largely unchanged. 
 

this feels a lot like the mythical 10 handicapper who hits 14 greens a round and doesn’t know how to putt. I think if you gave most scratch golfers a starter set from a sporting goods store their results aren’t going to be tremendously different and their swings certainly won’t change 

[BSI99]

18 minutes ago, LongNwrong27 said:

I swing around 120 MPH, hit the ball ok and have never really felt the shaft load. I really don’t think a shaft profile is going to affect someone’s mechanics. It *may* feel different to them ( to me it absolutely does not) but think the mechanics themselves will be largely unchanged. 
 

this feels a lot like the mythical 10 handicapper who hits 14 greens a round and doesn’t know how to putt. I think if you gave most scratch golfers a starter set from a sporting goods store their results aren’t going to be tremendously different and their swings certainly won’t change 

The swings won't change but if I was swinging a standard Dick's set I'd be spinning my driver at 4,000 rpm and losing a ton of distance. That's going to affect your score pretty heavily. 

[ShortGolfer]

A 7 iron or driver swing weighted to D0 is too heavy for me.  It is one easy way for me to start hooking the ball.

I am very short but have fairly well balanced proportions.  I went to Brooks Brothers to buy a suit when I was starting to work at my first job and the salesman suggested I consider other options.

Edited July 15 by ShortGolfer

[GoGoErky]

2 hours ago, tx_bayou said:

The point about no standard for shaft flex is so important to understand. 
 

A stiff Modus 120 is probably going to feel like a noodle to someone who really goes after it with a stiff Project X. 
 

That’s where trial and error comes in. Finding that shaft you like the feel of while maintaining the ball flight you’re looking for. A fitting obviously helps with that but it’s certainly something someone could more or less accomplish on their own. 

Yeah trial and error will work. A fitting can and in a lot of cases will narrow that down pretty quickly 

[GoGoErky]

45 minutes ago, LongNwrong27 said:

I swing around 120 MPH, hit the ball ok and have never really felt the shaft load. I really don’t think a shaft profile is going to affect someone’s mechanics. It *may* feel different to them ( to me it absolutely does not) but think the mechanics themselves will be largely unchanged. 
 

this feels a lot like the mythical 10 handicapper who hits 14 greens a round and doesn’t know how to putt. I think if you gave most scratch golfers a starter set from a sporting goods store their results aren’t going to be tremendously different and their swings certainly won’t change 

The feel can and usually does affect mechanics for those who are more sensitive to changes in weight, a profile, lenght.

 

i went thru a fitting with Titleist for the 917 driver. We settled on 3 shafts and one of them the feel had em changing my swing to achieve the ball flight I wanted. The fitter noted that when we were deciding what shaft to settle on. 
 

even a face angle change can alter someone’s swing based on want they’re see at address 

Edited July 15 by GoGoErky

[bladehunter]

6 hours ago, KMeloney said:

What does that mean? (What does "fitted...successfully" mean?)

I’ve never been fit into a club that I bought and kept more than a month or so.  A fitting should stick.  I’ve never experienced that.  All the clubs that stuck with me. I’ve found myself.   

[bladehunter]

6 hours ago, BSI99 said:

If you're a single digit handicap you probably have a repeatable swing and fitting will probably benefit you. In my opinion, the order of clubs going from most important to least important to have fitted is:

 

Driver

Wedges (never fit these indoors)

Woods

Irons

Putter

 

Driver you could be losing a lot of distance with suboptimal launch conditions. Wedges are your scoring clubs and bounce and grind matter a heck of a lot more than you think. Woods also benefit from the launch conditions but distance is less important than driver. Irons become less of a big deal and I personally am of the opinion that putter fitting is almost useless. If you want to save money I know the PGA superstore does events where they do free fittings into a specific new club release (IE they did a free GT fitting last year when titleist released the GT line). Could go do something like that and just find a used driver with similar specs to what they fit you in. 

Put putter above driver.  You use it way more.  

[BSI99]

8 minutes ago, bladehunter said:

Put putter above driver.  You use it way more.  

Statistically putting is the least important part of your game. Also putter "technology" doesn't affect your scores nearly as much as driver. Unless you have abnormal proportions and need a weird lie angle or something just find a putter you like and roll with it. 

[bladehunter]

7 minutes ago, BSI99 said:

Statistically putting is the least important part of your game. Also putter "technology" doesn't affect your scores nearly as much as driver. Unless you have abnormal proportions and need a weird lie angle or something just find a putter you like and roll with it. 

Not the stats argument.  How’s -4.9 strokes gained a round for stats ?  That’s my worst running average.  Back around 2018. I carried a +2.9 handicap at that time.  🤣.  
 

I do not understand why folks say this , when you use the club twice or 3 times as often  as driver. ?   I play with alll skill levels. And the amount of good putters I play with is very very few.  You can find a straight driver any day of the week with today’s tech … and he might be a 12 handicap.  You can maximize his driver and gain , maybe , 8 yards.  But I doubt even that.  Making 3 more putts a round will drop that guys handicap way faster. 
 

agree to disagree I guess. I get that  context changes opinions.  

[SNIPERBBB]

2 hours ago, BSI99 said:

Statistically putting is the least important part of your game. Also putter "technology" doesn't affect your scores nearly as much as driver. Unless you have abnormal proportions and need a weird lie angle or something just find a putter you like and roll with it. 

Such an odd statement. While there might not be a lot of "tech" involved with a putter, but theres certainly is a lot of technical stuff that goes on with putting.  Toe hang, weighting, shaft length, lie angle, heel/center shaft, grip, etc.  

[BSI99]

27 minutes ago, SNIPERBBB said:

Such an odd statement. While there might not be a lot of "tech" involved with a putter, but theres certainly is a lot of technical stuff that goes on with putting.  Toe hang, weighting, shaft length, lie angle, heel/center shaft, grip, etc.  

I'm not saying it's not important, i'm saying its the least important in your bag. The majority of putter choice is feel/preference. Unlike driver you're not really fitting to stats. Guys on tour change their putters as often as they change their underwear, often going through radically different styles. You're going to improve way more from a putting lesson than a fitting

[GoGoErky]

2 hours ago, bladehunter said:

Not the stats argument.  How’s -4.9 strokes gained a round for stats ?  That’s my worst running average.  Back around 2018. I carried a +2.9 handicap at that time.  🤣.  
 

I do not understand why folks say this , when you use the club twice or 3 times as often  as driver. ?   I play with alll skill levels. And the amount of good putters I play with is very very few.  You can find a straight driver any day of the week with today’s tech … and he might be a 12 handicap.  You can maximize his driver and gain , maybe , 8 yards.  But I doubt even that.  Making 3 more putts a round will drop that guys handicap way faster. 
 

agree to disagree I guess. I get that  context changes opinions.  

Well we have data from millions and millions of shots that say distance is king. Broadie has his data published, @iacas has his data and wrote a book on it.

 

closer to the hole is better for scoring.

 

Even guys who make a living don’t spent as much time on putting as they do long game.

 

[SNIPERBBB]

7 minutes ago, BSI99 said:

I'm not saying it's not important, i'm saying its the least important in your bag. The majority of putter choice is feel/preference. Unlike driver you're not really fitting to stats. Guys on tour change their putters as often as they change their underwear, often going through radically different styles. You're going to improve way more from a putting lesson than a fitting

As I said earlier with the clubs, you can adjust your stroke to the putter but id rather shortcut it by getting something that works without manipulation.  

[KevCannon]

A fitting is very useful for a large segment of golfers. As others have stated; going to a knowledgeable qualified fitter can be a game changer (it was for me). Sadly the title of “club fitter” has become the same as “nutritionist”, just a self given title that wasn’t earned. This has become main problem with “club fitting”, and too much of the time it’s “club selling”. At the very least, hopefully someone can learn what they don’t like/do well with. Eliminating variables is a good starting point.

[bluedot]

Threads like this never fail to amaze and amuse me, and to make me feel fortunate.

 

Amazed because it’s mid-2025, and the technology that’s available to help find the right clubs is so accessible that I wonder why anyone who is serious about wanting to play well would spend big money for clubs without at least having an idea whether or not there were improvements to be had.

 

Amused because there are people saying low handicaps benefit more, and others that say that they benefit less, while still others are saying that high handicaps benefit more, or less.  All of those, of course, can’t be true.  
 

And fortunate because I must have had just great luck over the last 35 years in working with a succession of great clubfitters.  In my first fitting in 1990, I had a set of off-the-rack Eye 2’s adjusted to 2* upright, and it was a revelation.  I remember the first fitting I did on Trackman, and the first fitting I did with interchangeable shafts, and the first fitting I did with adjustable hosels.  I’m 73 and still playing competitive golf, and I’ve had a succession of fitters help me regain lost distance.  
 

I start every fitting the same way; I tell the fitter that if he can get me improvements over what I’m currently using, I’ll buy.  Sometimes they can, and sometimes they can’t.  
 

But here’s the thing: fitted clubs are about eliminating variables, and mainly that’s bout better misses. They are NOT a substitute for lessons (which I also still do), or practice (which I do a LOT) or any other aspect of what goes into playing your best golf.  Anyone who says that it is lessons vs fitted clubs, or practice vs fitted clubs, or anything like that, is setting up false choices that have ZERO to do with the way good golf is played.

 

Same question I asked earlier in the thread.  If you watch the pros, ALL of them are playing properly fitted equipment.

 

So do you need MORE or LESS help from your equipment than they do?

[KMeloney]

14 hours ago, bladehunter said:

I’ve never been fit into a club that I bought and kept more than a month or so.  A fitting should stick.  I’ve never experienced that.  All the clubs that stuck with me. I’ve found myself.   

How'd you find the clubs that "stuck"? I'm assuming you did it by trial-and-error. I think that's exactly what the fitting process SHOULD be -- trial-and-error, all at one time, and without having to buy/rent the clubs you're trying. 

 

...But if you come away with clubs that don't immediately feel good on the course, it can be really disappointing. I'm finally in an irons head/shaft combo from a great fitting in May that instantly translated to the course (which, in retrospect, has shown me that I probably wouldn't have come up with this combo on my own -- and that some of my past fittings haven't "fit" me very well at all).

 

[bladehunter]

3 hours ago, KMeloney said:

How'd you find the clubs that "stuck"? I'm assuming you did it by trial-and-error. I think that's exactly what the fitting process SHOULD be -- trial-and-error, all at one time, and without having to buy/rent the clubs you're trying. 

 

...But if you come away with clubs that don't immediately feel good on the course, it can be really disappointing. I'm finally in an irons head/shaft combo from a great fitting in May that instantly translated to the course (which, in retrospect, has shown me that I probably wouldn't have come up with this combo on my own -- and that some of my past fittings haven't "fit" me very well at all).

 

I simply bought , tried.  Sold the culls. Kept the maybes.  Tried some more. Sold those failures . Kept the good. After 4-5 years you notice the pattern of what works. So it narrows down the “ test “ subjects to begin with.  
 

im not making any huge indictments etc. im not anti fitter etc . I know im an outlying picky player ( person ).  But the video  of Tiger saying “ takes  one swing “  … I said “ yup”.  I know exactly how that feels. Sometimes That’s very literally it. I’m hard headed so I might hit 4-5 balls. But a hard no is very easy to see. For me.  Same for a hard yes.  1 ball. My 4 wood. Was a perfect fit after 1 ball. From there I just enjoyed putting it through its paces. Wedges and irons same.   I’d give my right big toe to feel that way about a driver. I never have.  But I chalk that up to a ME problem.  
 

part of this is me liking heavy shafts.  I’ll play a 70 in my driver a lot. 80 in my 3 wood etc. 120-130 in irons.  Anymore that’s hard to find at a fitter.  But like I said I’ve narrowed it down to as narrow as “ I like Nippon iron shafts” which is why pings stock shaft also works. Made by Nippon. Kicks etc same .  I like GD in woods.  They launch easy. Suit my release and feel.  The HD and ADDI being favorites.   I prefer the blue board profiles in a driver.  Tensie blue suits that. Mitsubishi almost always feels the best there.  Kurokage XT being another.  I haven’t really dabbled much since 2023 or so.  Just stayed where I am.  Except that damn driver.  🤣
 

 

Edited July 16 by bladehunter

[bladehunter]

16 hours ago, GoGoErky said:

Well we have data from millions and millions of shots that say distance is king. Broadie has his data published, @iacas has his data and wrote a book on it.

 

closer to the hole is better for scoring.

 

Even guys who make a living don’t spent as much time on putting as they do long game.

 

I’m not sure I said anywhere that distance wasn’t king. I said that most won’t maximize and gain much over what they already hit straight.  .  But from players I see there’s much to gain from cleaning up putting. The amount of 3 putts and missed 3 footers I see every round greatly out numbers the balls we look for in the  woods.  I played Saturday with a 14 a 5 and 21 handicap. And we didn’t search the woods one time. On a tree lined course.  
 

im not making the argument you think i am.  Im speaking of the everyday player. Not the top tier guy.  Which I thought was the mantra around here?  Don’t count outliers as rule of law.  What I mean by that is. Take your average 60 year old 15 handicap.  You aren’t going to find 20 yards in his driver. Won’t happen. Need 5 mph plus more speed to get it. But you can absolutely cut his 3 putts to less than 1 a round on average.( or in that neighborhood ).   Lessons and a good fitting will do that.  No speed needed. 
 

this is where we get into the theoretical vs  practical argument.  All those stats aren’t shotlink on the local muni.  Right ?  It’s shotlink of the outliers.  By ALL means maximize driver.  But why do we put the most used club as an afterthought ?  Dead last as the poster put in his list .