Golfsmith Fitting Experience

[brianmontgomery2000]

Sharing some thoughts...

I thought I'd relate my experiences for others like me who are new to the world of launch monitors...I had some time yesterday morning at Golfsmith. Got on their launch monitor with Ping i20, Adams Fast 12 LS, RBZ Tour, Cobra ZL Encore and Callaway Razr Fit.

First, I'd been measured at 101 swing speed a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday, I was as high as 111. Average around 107. The person helping me told me to not pay attention to the ball flight on the monitor, just swing speed, spin and launch angle. Certainly the monitor gave some interesting ball flight directions. A lot of them didn't match what I felt. Monitor said that the Cobra and Callaway were hook machines. Didn't feel that way. Both felt very good. Solid, dull "thud" with each. The Adams was just ordinary whereas before it was clearly the best. The i20 was okay. Felt good, but again, the monitor said just okay. In this session, the RBZ was clearly the winner. Felt good, results looked good, etc. I'd certainly be happy with it.

So, my take goes something like this:

DO get fit, but I'd try to find someone with a higher quality monitor. I've got a good fitter locally.
DO use the monitor session to get down to two or three driver/shaft combinations.
DON'T rely solely on the monitor -- take those two or three to an outdoor range!

At least for me, I think I have to see some outdoor ball flight to really pick. A lot of the shots I hit yesterday felt great but the monitor put up some dicey flight directions. I'd swear that some would have been really, really good, but the monitor claimed otherwise. Makes me want to hit all of them outdoors actually and THEN get on a monitor to fine tune. Except it's hard to find an outdoor range with the same selection as the indoor monitor guys (at least around here).

Anyway, thought I'd pass on that if you feel like the monitor isn't the complete answer at least someone else feels the same way that you do...

[Whispering Eye]

I totally agree with you on wanting to hit the club outside before deciding. I have never bought a club that I have only hit on a monitor. Even if I am getting great numbers on the monitor, I tend to take it with a grain of salt until I can see how it performs outside. There is a lot to be said for being able to see the ball flight for yourself. Being fit on the monitor can be a great way to fine tune, but I think a lot of people who don't test their clubs outside are doing themselves a disservice.

[orangebang]

I think the most important numbers on a monitor should be launch, spin, and smash factor, not in any particular order. Aside from those numbers, subjective factors like feel, look, and sound are also just as important. I'd rather hit a club that I like looking at, like the sound of impact, than hit something that looks and sounds terrible with marginally better numbers.

[heggy]

ive been wanting to get fitted and this seems like the best option until i started reading horror stories.

[6thFairway]

Sounds like an awful fitting, IMHO. "Don't pay any attention to where the ball goes. Just make sure you get the right launch conditions."

Yep, that sounds like a great way to be confident in your launch conditions while hitting a provisional from the tee.

[Carolina Golfer 2]

[quote name='orangebang' timestamp='1335736350' post='4811244']
I think the most important numbers on a monitor should be launch, spin, and smash factor, not in any particular order. Aside from those numbers, subjective factors like feel, look, and sound are also just as important. I'd rather hit a club that I like looking at, like the sound of impact, than hit something that looks and sounds terrible with marginally better numbers.
[/quote]

Agreed. Swing Speed is way overrated if you're not able to hit the ball solid. I can swing over 100mph and have no idea where it's going. But my best controlled swings are in the 93 to 94 mph range.

So SMASH factor is definitely more important than SS.

[Dizz]

[quote name='jwrogers' timestamp='1335737274' post='4811306']
Sounds like an awful fitting, IMHO. "Don't pay any attention to where the ball goes. Just make sure you get the right launch conditions."

Yep, that sounds like a great way to be confident in your launch conditions while hitting a provisional from the tee.
[/quote]

Especially because ball flight has a dramatic effect on launch conditions.