***Official 2025 Golf Thread, tbd*** (4 Viewers)

[TLEF316]

Yeah.....I assume that's a typo. Or our GB is using the metric system and it's 130 kilometers

 

[TLEF316]

Put together a couple decent rounds last week. Putting was awful. Heading to Pinehurst Tuesday

Very jealous.

 

[Phil Elliott]

bought a new driver yesterday 9 degree callaway rogue, regular flex. my swing speed is averaging 130 now so was losing yards with a stiff shaft, weird to not hear a ping noise when i hit it but so far liking it. tomorrow will be a real test on a longer course, played an executive today and only hit it twice but already noticed a big difference in yardage.

My ball speed is 130+

 

[belljr]

What's got 2 thumbs and is 45 minutes from Pinehurst. ...... This ****ing guy

 

[Zow]

My last five rounds have all been between 76 and 78. Game is fun that way. Still looking for that magical day where I break par finally.

Played against my good buddy on Sunday, we both drank and bet quite a bit and talked about a bunch of ****, and he beat me despite me getting 8 stroke 67 - 76.

 

[Zow]

bought a new driver yesterday 9 degree callaway rogue, regular flex. my swing speed is averaging 130 now so was losing yards with a stiff shaft, weird to not hear a ping noise when i hit it but so far liking it. tomorrow will be a real test on a longer course, played an executive today and only hit it twice but already noticed a big difference in yardage.

Yeah and I threw a football over those mountains.

 

[Zow]

Yeah.....I assume that's a typo. Or our GB is using the metric system and it's 130 kilometers

Probably means ball speed.

 

[belljr]

So everyone has seen my woes of this year. The last 2 rounds I started to figure things out.

Pinehurst #4....... Shot 79 hit 4 bad shots all day. I also walked the course, first time I walked in 10 years. I'm 40 pounds overweight and I knew I was out of shape but I feel like I'm going to die..... pretty sure I won't break 90 the rest of the trip how sore I am lol

 

[Zow]

So everyone has seen my woes of this year. The last 2 rounds I started to figure things out.

Pinehurst #4....... Shot 79 hit 4 bad shots all day. I also walked the course, first time I walked in 10 years. I'm 40 pounds overweight and I knew I was out of shape but I feel like I'm going to die..... pretty sure I won't break 90 the rest of the trip how sore I am lol

Epsom bath and advil, stat!

Then whisky.

 

[3 hour lunch]

So everyone has seen my woes of this year. The last 2 rounds I started to figure things out.

Pinehurst #4....... Shot 79 hit 4 bad shots all day. I also walked the course, first time I walked in 10 years. I'm 40 pounds overweight and I knew I was out of shape but I feel like I'm going to die..... pretty sure I won't break 90 the rest of the trip how sore I am lol

You staying on property? I’d love to get down there sometime. So many bucket list places, so little time…..

 

[belljr]

So everyone has seen my woes of this year. The last 2 rounds I started to figure things out.

Pinehurst #4....... Shot 79 hit 4 bad shots all day. I also walked the course, first time I walked in 10 years. I'm 40 pounds overweight and I knew I was out of shape but I feel like I'm going to die..... pretty sure I won't break 90 the rest of the trip how sore I am lol

You staying on property? I’d love to get down there sometime. So many bucket list places, so little time…..

Yes holly inn it was cheaper than Carolina, but you can just walk over there

 

[belljr]

I'm giving the Golf Forever a try myself..... need to get back into some type of golf shape after this past year.

Only 2 weeks in and starting slow.

As a former athlete - not sure this would be great for me
As an extremely out of shape, fat - older guy - I think its perfect

 

[Zow]

I'm giving the Golf Forever a try myself..... need to get back into some type of golf shape after this past year.

Only 2 weeks in and starting slow.

As a former athlete - not sure this would be great for me
As an extremely out of shape, fat - older guy - I think its perfect

The way you describe yourself matches how I'd describe myself. As such, please kindly keep us posted.

Right now, I lift weights at the gym a few times a week and try to do some core exercises. But that's about it and I worry that I won't be able to swing like Daly much longer and lose a significant advantage to my game (distance).

 

[TLEF316]

I also wonder if my golf game would improve if I got into really good shape.

I'm 39 and not overweight. 5'11 175. Not off the charts flexible but it doesn't hinder me from making a decent turn.(despite having a somewhat iffy back)Still play basketball weekly and do some rowing. And I walk 90% of my rounds carrying a bag. So stamina isn't an issue.

But I'm left wondering if some extra core strength (which has been a weakness of mine for a while) or even more flexibility would get me a few more yards of distance (which certainly wouldn't hurt)

I've thought about trying one of those speed training systems. I've been seeing a bunch of Facebook and YouTube ads for Stacked recently

But then I usually get distracted by my 3rd slice of pizza and move onto something else

 

[belljr]

I'm giving the Golf Forever a try myself..... need to get back into some type of golf shape after this past year.

Only 2 weeks in and starting slow.

As a former athlete - not sure this would be great for me
As an extremely out of shape, fat - older guy - I think its perfect

The way you describe yourself matches how I'd describe myself. As such, please kindly keep us posted.

Right now, I lift weights at the gym a few times a week and try to do some core exercises. But that's about it and I worry that I won't be able to swing like Daly much longer and lose a significant advantage to my game (distance).

I have done zero to little exercise the past 3 years and gained 25 pounds - so now instead of needing to lose 20 i need to lose 45

Age and lack of exercise I definitely feel hurt this year. And when I say little to none - I mean like mowing the grass was the most i would do in a week

 

[Zow]

I also wonder if my golf game would improve if I got into really good shape.

I'm 39 and not overweight. 5'11 175. Not off the charts flexible but it doesn't hinder me from making a decent turn.(despite having a somewhat iffy back)Still play basketball weekly and do some rowing. And I walk 90% of my rounds carrying a bag. So stamina isn't an issue.

But I'm left wondering if some extra core strength (which has been a weakness of mine for a while) or even more flexibility would get me a few more yards of distance (which certainly wouldn't hurt)

I've thought about trying one of those speed training systems. I've been seeing a bunch of Facebook and YouTube ads for Stacked recently

But then I usually get distracted by my 3rd slice of pizza and move onto something else

I'll give you the same advice that my former (RIP) long-drive occasional playing partner used to give me: get a $5 piece of PVC pipe, cut it to the length of your driver, and swing as hard and as often as you can with it after taking lessons to ensure your swing maximizes proper lag.

 

[gump]

I'm giving the Golf Forever a try myself..... need to get back into some type of golf shape after this past year.

Only 2 weeks in and starting slow.

As a former athlete - not sure this would be great for me
As an extremely out of shape, fat - older guy - I think its perfect

I'm 2 months in now, regularly doing a Rotational Strength routine 3 times/week (20-25 min). I usually pick one that's upper body focused, as i also ride a bike and my legs are good. It's noticeable in my game now, to the point my playing partners bring it up. I'm hitting it higher and harder...getting more spin on irons...etc. I also haven't gotten wild outside of the first 2 weeks...feels like i'm mentally thinking of rotating and using my core now, and it's helping keep everything else quiet. I'm only playing 9 holes at a time with my son (5) but will start playing 18 once a week in Feb/March.

 

[CGRdrJoe]

This may have already been covered but does anyone have a good book to help deal with the mental side? Last Sunday I had a personal best round going heading into 16, I was sitting at 5 over and had only one semi tricky hole left. Welp, I proceeded to just miss the green on 16 (par 3) and make an awful bogey and the pipe a drive and go middle of the green on 17 to have my first 3 putt of the day (BS sunday flag position). Welp, with a par I shoot a 79 and tie my best round ever and after a great drive I'm sitting at just 122 to the pin. Now, the green is protected by water but the reality is that the water shouldn't be in a play at that distance and there is plenty of room to bail out on the left. I should have clubbed up one and just went middle of the green and ignored the front pin but I'd been so dialed with my wedges all day that I didn't hesitate to pull my wedge. As I'm getting ready to go I mention to my buddy that I've played the same ball all day and that if I par it's a 79, welp I catch it a little fat and literally land on the bank only to watch the ball roll back into the water . I go tin cup and drop there and swing with a bit of heat and put it to 3 feet, tap in my 5 and then begin to try and heal my mental woes with beer and whiskey. I know I should expect a good score and not keep trying to figure out if a blow up hole is coming but with my brain it's not that simple. Maybe just bitching about it here will be therapeutic enough

 

[belljr]

This may have already been covered but does anyone have a good book to help deal with the mental side? Last Sunday I had a personal best round going heading into 16, I was sitting at 5 over and had only one semi tricky hole left. Welp, I proceeded to just miss the green on 16 (par 3) and make an awful bogey and the pipe a drive and go middle of the green on 17 to have my first 3 putt of the day (BS sunday flag position). Welp, with a par I shoot a 79 and tie my best round ever and after a great drive I'm sitting at just 122 to the pin. Now, the green is protected by water but the reality is that the water shouldn't be in a play at that distance and there is plenty of room to bail out on the left. I should have clubbed up one and just went middle of the green and ignored the front pin but I'd been so dialed with my wedges all day that I didn't hesitate to pull my wedge. As I'm getting ready to go I mention to my buddy that I've played the same ball all day and that if I par it's a 79, welp I catch it a little fat and literally land on the bank only to watch the ball roll back into the water . I go tin cup and drop there and swing with a bit of heat and put it to 3 feet, tap in my 5 and then begin to try and heal my mental woes with beer and whiskey. I know I should expect a good score and not keep trying to figure out if a blow up hole is coming but with my brain it's not that simple. Maybe just bitching about it here will be therapeutic enough

Golf is not a game of perfect

Check this out! https://a.co/d/9pE9lKA

 

[belljr]

@gump so I started with forward tees since I'm slowly getting back into and have been struggling with back issues. My last 2 rounds at Pinehurst were just injured

Anyway just finished week 3 of the recommend workouts. It's usually one fundamental and one rotational...

I am only doing 2 a week for now ...will the difficulty level increase on its own? Do you just pick random exercises?

Tia

 

[Instinctive]

I also wonder if my golf game would improve if I got into really good shape.

I'm 39 and not overweight. 5'11 175. Not off the charts flexible but it doesn't hinder me from making a decent turn.(despite having a somewhat iffy back)Still play basketball weekly and do some rowing. And I walk 90% of my rounds carrying a bag. So stamina isn't an issue.

But I'm left wondering if some extra core strength (which has been a weakness of mine for a while) or even more flexibility would get me a few more yards of distance (which certainly wouldn't hurt)

I've thought about trying one of those speed training systems. I've been seeing a bunch of Facebook and YouTube ads for Stacked recently

But then I usually get distracted by my 3rd slice of pizza and move onto something else

I'll give you the same advice that my former (RIP) long-drive occasional playing partner used to give me: get a $5 piece of PVC pipe, cut it to the length of your driver, and swing as hard and as often as you can with it after taking lessons to ensure your swing maximizes proper lag.

What does this mean?

 

[Instinctive]

Have been in NZ for a while, figured folks might be interested in highlighting two of the courses I got to play:

1. Arikikapakapa in Rotorua: beautiful setting, and apparently one of only 2 geothermal courses in the world. Went out solo walking in the morning, first off the tees on a BEAUTIFUL day. You can see steam geysers, thermal pools, etc throughout the course, and like the rest of NZ the whole place is just crazy green and lush. Grass was very different from the U.S. across this country, hard to say exactly how...less tight maybe is the right phrasing? Rough was more punishing, but not thick like punishing rough, just tall and wispy kind of? Anyway, they have this local rule that because the ground shifts so much that you can pick up and drop within a clublength anywhere on the fairway to attempt to find more level footing.

2. Queenstown Golf Club: the most picturesque course I've ever played, and probably the most picturesque I've ever seen on youtube too (and that's a LOT of courses). Absolutely gorgeous, set in the far end of the peninsula jutting into Lake Wakatipu in the middle of Queenstown, surrounded by the lake with the mountains surrounding the lake itself. Just drop dead gorgeous. If folks are interested, I'll try to upload some pictures and link here.

Rented clubs throughout the trip, and have decided I definitely need to add a couple longer irons to my bag. Right now I don't have a full 14 clubs, and since I have always struggled on the longer I have no 5-iron and only a 4-hybrid. I think I'm going to go to a 4 and a 5 iron and add a 3 hybrid and that'll round out my bag. I was striping the 4/5 irons I had rented when I connected, and when I wasn't connecting they were still flying fairly far and straight, which was quite nice.

Looking forward to some good driving range time this winter, a couple more lessons to keep ironing things out, and making strides on the scorecard.

 

[Zow]

I also wonder if my golf game would improve if I got into really good shape.

I'm 39 and not overweight. 5'11 175. Not off the charts flexible but it doesn't hinder me from making a decent turn.(despite having a somewhat iffy back)Still play basketball weekly and do some rowing. And I walk 90% of my rounds carrying a bag. So stamina isn't an issue.

But I'm left wondering if some extra core strength (which has been a weakness of mine for a while) or even more flexibility would get me a few more yards of distance (which certainly wouldn't hurt)

I've thought about trying one of those speed training systems. I've been seeing a bunch of Facebook and YouTube ads for Stacked recently

But then I usually get distracted by my 3rd slice of pizza and move onto something else

I'll give you the same advice that my former (RIP) long-drive occasional playing partner used to give me: get a $5 piece of PVC pipe, cut it to the length of your driver, and swing as hard and as often as you can with it after taking lessons to ensure your swing maximizes proper lag.

What does this mean?

I’ll answer better sober but Rory the best at it. Rudimentary explanation is that it’s basically the generated whip on the club that should take place from the point the club-head gets to about the swinger’s waist to contact with the ball. It helps generate more club-head speed than just the swing speed and significantly increases the smash factor.

In short, it’s how Rickie can hit a driver farther and with more ball speed than Lebron James.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Terms used to describe a well struck ball.

 

[3 hour lunch]

Have been in NZ for a while, figured folks might be interested in highlighting two of the courses I got to play:

1. Arikikapakapa in Rotorua: beautiful setting, and apparently one of only 2 geothermal courses in the world. Went out solo walking in the morning, first off the tees on a BEAUTIFUL day. You can see steam geysers, thermal pools, etc throughout the course, and like the rest of NZ the whole place is just crazy green and lush. Grass was very different from the U.S. across this country, hard to say exactly how...less tight maybe is the right phrasing? Rough was more punishing, but not thick like punishing rough, just tall and wispy kind of? Anyway, they have this local rule that because the ground shifts so much that you can pick up and drop within a clublength anywhere on the fairway to attempt to find more level footing.

2. Queenstown Golf Club: the most picturesque course I've ever played, and probably the most picturesque I've ever seen on youtube too (and that's a LOT of courses). Absolutely gorgeous, set in the far end of the peninsula jutting into Lake Wakatipu in the middle of Queenstown, surrounded by the lake with the mountains surrounding the lake itself. Just drop dead gorgeous. If folks are interested, I'll try to upload some pictures and link here.

Rented clubs throughout the trip, and have decided I definitely need to add a couple longer irons to my bag. Right now I don't have a full 14 clubs, and since I have always struggled on the longer I have no 5-iron and only a 4-hybrid. I think I'm going to go to a 4 and a 5 iron and add a 3 hybrid and that'll round out my bag. I was striping the 4/5 irons I had rented when I connected, and when I wasn't connecting they were still flying fairly far and straight, which was quite nice.

Looking forward to some good driving range time this winter, a couple more lessons to keep ironing things out, and making strides on the scorecard.

Sounds awesome. I have a list of bucket list courses and NZ is definitely on there. Kauri Cliffs, Kidnappers etc. Not sure I’ll ever make it there but looks incredible.

 

[Harry Frogfish]

Played golf last week and it was one of the worst rounds of my life, but we had fun.

I have played with a set of Ping Eye II's for 3 decades now. I only play 3 or 4 times a year and they've done the job. But I didn't have them with me and rented some new Pings instead, yet couldn't hit a ball for the life of me, for the most part anyway.

I was there for a wedding, btw, so no need to travel with my old clubs. But my friend knows the club Pro who played the first couple of holes with us and this guy (the head Pro) convinced me -- after the round -- to hit some balls on the range with a club he thought would fit me better. It was a Taylor Made "hybrid" (I think) 7-iron and I hit it as well as I can hit a ball. Then the same thing happened with the driver he handed me. They sell both Ping and TM, btw, so there's not any incentives here, whatsoever.

I'm sold. But my question is this. Is there any reason I should not switch to these graphite-ish shafts? I have no idea the difference, except for the 15 balls or so I hit.

What are the cons of going to a graphite shaft and/or TM, I guess is my biggest question.

Thanks.

 

[CGRdrJoe]

Played golf last week and it was one of the worst rounds of my life, but we had fun.

I have played with a set of Ping Eye II's for 3 decades now. I only play 3 or 4 times a year and they've done the job. But I didn't have them with me and rented some new Pings instead, yet couldn't hit a ball for the life of me, for the most part anyway.

I was there for a wedding, btw, so no need to travel with my old clubs. But my friend knows the club Pro who played the first couple of holes with us and this guy (the head Pro) convinced me -- after the round -- to hit some balls on the range with a club he thought would fit me better. It was a Taylor Made "hybrid" (I think) 7-iron and I hit it as well as I can hit a ball. Then the same thing happened with the driver he handed me. They sell both Ping and TM, btw, so there's not any incentives here, whatsoever.

I'm sold. But my question is this. Is there any reason I should not switch to these graphite-ish shafts? I have no idea the difference, except for the 15 balls or so I hit.

What are the cons of going to a graphite shaft and/or TM, I guess is my biggest question.

Thanks.

there is no downside to going taylormade irons, they make some great clubs and you shouldn't have any issue. How old are you? I only ask because graphite is more geared to the slower swing speed player since they are lighter which will let you swing faster and in theory hit the ball further. They are more expensive though and your misses will be greater than something hit with a steel shaft.

 

[BeTheMatch]

Graphite shafts are typically referred to as "old man" clubs. They have a bunch of whip to them compared to steel shafts. They're suited for people that can't swing as hard. But they're not good for people that do.

 

[CGRdrJoe]

I'm in so cal for what was supposed to be a quick trip with only one round of golf played so I left my clubs at home and am using my old set that I gave my dad, the irons are fine but the driver is an old ping G 20 that I didn't really want to play with. I asked the pro shop if they had any demo drivers available and got to play with a taylormade stealth plus driver, 9 degree like my new Rogue but with a stiff shaft, and was hitting the ball further than my Rogue by almost 20 yards . The fairways were a bit muddy so roll out wasn't really factoing into the extra distance, luckily I bought my driver at a place that allows for 90 day exchanges because I'm definitely sold on the stealth now.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

My scratch golfer buddy has recommend I get irons with graphite shafts. I think I'll take his recommendation to heart.

Need to sell my Mizuno 921 Hot Metals before I did though. Shouldn't be hard.

 

[Zow]

My scratch golfer buddy has recommend I get irons with graphite shafts. I think I'll take his recommendation to heart.

Need to sell my Mizuno 921 Hot Metals before I did though. Shouldn't be hard.

The initial financial cost of getting fitted for clubs at a professional fitter (who doesn't a brand loyalty) can be steep, but if you play at all regularly it's just so worth it.

I tell this to anybody who will listen. It improved my game immediately.

 

[Zow]

Played golf last week and it was one of the worst rounds of my life, but we had fun.

I have played with a set of Ping Eye II's for 3 decades now. I only play 3 or 4 times a year and they've done the job. But I didn't have them with me and rented some new Pings instead, yet couldn't hit a ball for the life of me, for the most part anyway.

I was there for a wedding, btw, so no need to travel with my old clubs. But my friend knows the club Pro who played the first couple of holes with us and this guy (the head Pro) convinced me -- after the round -- to hit some balls on the range with a club he thought would fit me better. It was a Taylor Made "hybrid" (I think) 7-iron and I hit it as well as I can hit a ball. Then the same thing happened with the driver he handed me. They sell both Ping and TM, btw, so there's not any incentives here, whatsoever.

I'm sold. But my question is this. Is there any reason I should not switch to these graphite-ish shafts? I have no idea the difference, except for the 15 balls or so I hit.

What are the cons of going to a graphite shaft and/or TM, I guess is my biggest question.

Thanks.

Without knowing your specs, nobody here can (nor should) answer your question.

Think of getting fitted like Lance Armstrong racing a toddler on trikes. He may be the best cyclist in the world, and he may be riding the most premium trike, but since it's not fit to him he's still going to lose to the 4 year old. And, conversely, you put the 4 year on top of the most expensive, well designed bike the 4 year old still falls off.

Brands and shafts (shafts are more important) are really irrelevant given that golf technology is pretty much maxed out and all the top brands (TM, Titleist, Ping, Callaway, Cobra, PXG, Mizuno, Muira, etc.) and top shafts are objectively good. As such, it really just depends on which combination of the two is good for you.

Using myself as an example, I fit best across the board into TM clubs and this specific type of KBS shaft. Now, this doesn't mean that TM is the best club manufacturer and that KBS shafts (I forget the specs on mine) is the best shaft, they're just the best club and shaft combination for me because they generate the least spin while maintaining the desired low, piercing ball flight.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

My scratch golfer buddy has recommend I get irons with graphite shafts. I think I'll take his recommendation to heart.

Need to sell my Mizuno 921 Hot Metals before I did though. Shouldn't be hard.

The initial financial cost of getting fitted for clubs at a professional fitter (who doesn't a brand loyalty) can be steep, but if you play at all regularly it's just so worth it.

I tell this to anybody who will listen. It improved my game immediately.

My guy does it himself. Has built several sets for our friend brook group.

 

[Schmeabs]

I will say I got fitted this year for new clubs and I don't share the confidence that Zow does. Possibly because the guy who fitted me seemed new and didn't provide any real reason as to what clubs to get.

 

[Tom Hagen]

I haven't played golf in 20 years (and was never good back then) but am thinking about starting to play again in the Spring. Does anyone have suggestions on how to even figure out what type or brand of clubs might work best for me?

 

[Zow]

My scratch golfer buddy has recommend I get irons with graphite shafts. I think I'll take his recommendation to heart.

Need to sell my Mizuno 921 Hot Metals before I did though. Shouldn't be hard.

The initial financial cost of getting fitted for clubs at a professional fitter (who doesn't a brand loyalty) can be steep, but if you play at all regularly it's just so worth it.

I tell this to anybody who will listen. It improved my game immediately.

My guy does it himself. Has built several sets for our friend brook group.

Oh he's got like one of those $30k Trackmans?? Damn.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

My scratch golfer buddy has recommend I get irons with graphite shafts. I think I'll take his recommendation to heart.

Need to sell my Mizuno 921 Hot Metals before I did though. Shouldn't be hard.

The initial financial cost of getting fitted for clubs at a professional fitter (who doesn't a brand loyalty) can be steep, but if you play at all regularly it's just so worth it.

I tell this to anybody who will listen. It improved my game immediately.

My guy does it himself. Has built several sets for our friend brook group.

Oh he's got like one of those $30k Trackmans?? Damn.

I both doubt it nor would it surprise me.

 

[gump]

@gump so I started with forward tees since I'm slowly getting back into and have been struggling with back issues. My last 2 rounds at Pinehurst were just injured

Anyway just finished week 3 of the recommend workouts. It's usually one fundamental and one rotational...

I am only doing 2 a week for now ...will the difficulty level increase on its own? Do you just pick random exercises?

Tia

Sorry @belljr just noticed this. It does naturally escalate if you go in order. But since i'm looking for upper-body and rotational focus, I've been looking for specific sessions using Middle/Back Tees, in Rotational, using the bar, and focused on upper body...then I note them as favorites. I plan to build a bank of 15-20 or so and then rotate between those.

 

[Zow]

I will say I got fitted this year for new clubs and I don't share the confidence that Zow does. Possibly because the guy who fitted me seemed new and didn't provide any real reason as to what clubs to get.

I want to clarify my post and what I mean by "professional fitter." To be clear, I'm not talking about going down to Van's or the PGA Superstore or whatever. I'm talking about professional fitters that the pros use as well where that's their thing and the fitting takes literal hours to complete. They also have this tech that does a tone of shaft testing during your fitting (frankly, about 3/4 of the fitting is spent on determining the best shaft).

For example, I go to Cool Clubs in Scottsdale. https://coolclubs.com/ I've gone there twice for lengthy, formal fitting (irons + putter then woods) and the first time the guy getting fitting simultaneously was Hale Irwin. My second fitting I followed Aaron Baddeley.

Other examples include Aloha out of Vegas, or True Spec Golf and Club Champion out of SoCal.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I will say I got fitted this year for new clubs and I don't share the confidence that Zow does. Possibly because the guy who fitted me seemed new and didn't provide any real reason as to what clubs to get.

I want to clarify my post and what I mean by "professional fitter." To be clear, I'm not talking about going down to Van's or the PGA Superstore or whatever. I'm talking about professional fitters that the pros use as well where that's their thing and the fitting takes literal hours to complete. They also have this tech that does a tone of shaft testing during your fitting (frankly, about 3/4 of the fitting is spent on determining the best shaft).

For example, I go to Cool Clubs in Scottsdale. https://coolclubs.com/ I've gone there twice for lengthy, formal fitting (irons + putter then woods) and the first time the guy getting fitting simultaneously was Hale Irwin. My second fitting I followed Aaron Baddeley.

Other examples include Aloha out of Vegas, or True Spec Golf and Club Champion out of SoCal.

Just curious...what does that type of fitting cost?

 

[Zow]

I will say I got fitted this year for new clubs and I don't share the confidence that Zow does. Possibly because the guy who fitted me seemed new and didn't provide any real reason as to what clubs to get.

I want to clarify my post and what I mean by "professional fitter." To be clear, I'm not talking about going down to Van's or the PGA Superstore or whatever. I'm talking about professional fitters that the pros use as well where that's their thing and the fitting takes literal hours to complete. They also have this tech that does a tone of shaft testing during your fitting (frankly, about 3/4 of the fitting is spent on determining the best shaft).

For example, I go to Cool Clubs in Scottsdale. https://coolclubs.com/ I've gone there twice for lengthy, formal fitting (irons + putter then woods) and the first time the guy getting fitting simultaneously was Hale Irwin. My second fitting I followed Aaron Baddeley.

Other examples include Aloha out of Vegas, or True Spec Golf and Club Champion out of SoCal.

Just curious...what does that type of fitting cost?

A complete fitting (woods, irons, putter) is $500. You can then do them individually for I think ~$175 or something. I believe at my fitter there's a slight discount if you agree to be fit indoors versus outdoors. I can't recall then if there's a cost for them to build and spine your clubs.

My understanding is that those costs go to the fitter himself and/or the and the business makes money because essentially you're buying custom clubs and each club/shaft/grip is at MSRP. So, while it's nice that your fitter isn't, to my knowledge, incentivized to upsell you, paying for customized clubs gets expensive quick. For example, at my woods fitting the best fit for me was the TM Titanium 3 wood with this Speeder shaft that in total made the club cost about $1000. Obviously that's a lot for one club. So, my fitter will explore other fits where the numbers (spin rate, carry distance, flight) are pretty close/negligible to your ideal fit and let you make the choice. Both fittings I went with my second-best shaft choices because they were just more economical and my fitter was confident the drop would be negligible.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I'm not trying to pick a fight or make fun of anyone - sincerely - but....

Very, very, very, VERY few golfers are going to drop $500 on club fitting. It's just not even a reasonable suggestion IMO. But my opinion plus $5 gets you a coffee at Starbucks so...

 

[belljr]

I'm not trying to pick a fight or make fun of anyone - sincerely - but....

Very, very, very, VERY few golfers are going to drop $500 on club fitting. It's just not even a reasonable suggestion IMO. But my opinion plus $5 gets you a coffee at Starbucks so...

I agree - if you are a novice or don't have cash to burn - get the fitting that comes with the set of clubs you are buying from a golf galaxy/pga superstore. They will check you lie and length and that will be good enough to start.

If you are really new just buy a cheap set in a box or off the rack

ETA: And I am someone that has done a custom fitting.

 

[Zow]

I'm not trying to pick a fight or make fun of anyone - sincerely - but....

Very, very, very, VERY few golfers are going to drop $500 on club fitting. It's just not even a reasonable suggestion IMO. But my opinion plus $5 gets you a coffee at Starbucks so...

I agree - if you are a novice or don't have cash to burn - get the fitting that comes with the set of clubs you are buying from a golf galaxy/pga superstore. They will check you lie and length and that will be good enough to start.

If you are really new just buy a cheap set in a box or off the rack

ETA: And I am someone that has done a custom fitting.

I agree with both of you. Just last week I took my wife to get a new driver and we just went to Vans and it was fine. The "fitter" was some 20 year old kid and he basically looked to me for the analysis. For my wife, she found a driver that both felt good and her stats with it were perfectly fine compared to the rest. So, nothing fancy, and it was only like $300, even with it being cut down, and she'll have the thing for like 5 years because she plays maybe 10 times per year and will occasionally go to the range.

For me, though, I probably get in ~75 rounds this year and that number should go up because this past summer we moved onto the first hole of my course (so I'll have a lot more evening 9 hole rounds). I also play in cash games and tournaments throughout the year where there's probably a total pot available to me at least >$10k or whatever. So, with that in mind, $500 to improve my score by even just a stroke per round? $500 is a bargain.

The above notwithstanding, if I could just give four takeaways here:

1. Thinking about buying a particular brand is a huge mistake. Don't think "my buddy is good and he plays Ping so I'll buy Ping!" If you only play a handful of times per year, go to a second hand swing store and hit a bunch and see what feels and flies the best for you.
2. All high-ends brands are good. In a vacuum, none are objectively significantly better than another.
3. The correct shaft for your swing is more important than anything else (except, you know, lessons and regular practice).
4. If you truly want to know what golf club (clubhead + shaft + grip) is best for you, the only way to do so if via professional fitting. There are cheaper but far lesser alternatives, and those are fine if, again, you don't play much, but just understand that you really didn't get "fitted" and will have no clue whether Ping or TM is better for you than some other brand.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

4. If you truly want to know what golf club (clubhead + shaft + grip) is best for you, the only way to do so if via professional fitting. There are cheaper but far lesser alternatives, and those are fine if, again, you don't play much, but just understand that you really didn't get "fitted" and will have no clue whether Ping or TM is better for you than some other brand.

We may be arguing semantics here but I also disagree with the bolded. If you get "fitted" at a Golf Galaxy (for me or was at a 2nd Swing) they'll have you got a few sets with a Trackman or the like. If it's like my experience it'll be pretty obvious which set fits your swing best. I sprayed much less with Mizuno and I feel that's held true on the course.

What I do agree with is shaft type, especially with the driver. I played with the stock shaft in my Ping 425 Max for most of the summer with good not great results. When I switched to a more proper shaft, the ballooning stopped and I practically couldn't miss the fairway. It's so great being able to count on being middle of the fairway after hitting it 250ish.

 

[belljr]

I'm not trying to pick a fight or make fun of anyone - sincerely - but....

Very, very, very, VERY few golfers are going to drop $500 on club fitting. It's just not even a reasonable suggestion IMO. But my opinion plus $5 gets you a coffee at Starbucks so...

I agree - if you are a novice or don't have cash to burn - get the fitting that comes with the set of clubs you are buying from a golf galaxy/pga superstore. They will check you lie and length and that will be good enough to start.

If you are really new just buy a cheap set in a box or off the rack

ETA: And I am someone that has done a custom fitting.

I agree with both of you. Just last week I took my wife to get a new driver and we just went to Vans and it was fine. The "fitter" was some 20 year old kid and he basically looked to me for the analysis. For my wife, she found a driver that both felt good and her stats with it were perfectly fine compared to the rest. So, nothing fancy, and it was only like $300, even with it being cut down, and she'll have the thing for like 5 years because she plays maybe 10 times per year and will occasionally go to the range.

For me, though, I probably get in ~75 rounds this year and that number should go up because this past summer we moved onto the first hole of my course (so I'll have a lot more evening 9 hole rounds). I also play in cash games and tournaments throughout the year where there's probably a total pot available to me at least >$10k or whatever. So, with that in mind, $500 to improve my score by even just a stroke per round? $500 is a bargain.

The above notwithstanding, if I could just give four takeaways here:

1. Thinking about buying a particular brand is a huge mistake. Don't think "my buddy is good and he plays Ping so I'll buy Ping!" If you only play a handful of times per year, go to a second hand swing store and hit a bunch and see what feels and flies the best for you.
2. All high-ends brands are good. In a vacuum, none are objectively significantly better than another.
3. The correct shaft for your swing is more important than anything else (except, you know, lessons and regular practice).
4. If you truly want to know what golf club (clubhead + shaft + grip) is best for you, the only way to do so if via professional fitting. There are cheaper but far lesser alternatives, and those are fine if, again, you don't play much, but just understand that you really didn't get "fitted" and will have no clue whether Ping or TM is better for you than some other brand.

I don't want to go too far off the rails here but I was a 6 HCP for the longest time and the only fittings I ever did was the guy would pull out his swing board/tape and check my lie and length. You don't need a trackman. We would use a launch monitor for swing speed for shaft. I agree 100% correct shaft stiffness if very important. My point is if you do research you will know you benefit more from a player iron vs game improvement or forged vs cast. For probably 90% of golfers its really not going to matter what brand they have. Its going to be look and feel and how consistent the monitor feels. And if the lie matches their path imo.

As Andy mentioned - you can hit a few sets and the guy will have his fancy club to adjust lies and WALA fitted

 

[Zow]

I'm not trying to pick a fight or make fun of anyone - sincerely - but....

Very, very, very, VERY few golfers are going to drop $500 on club fitting. It's just not even a reasonable suggestion IMO. But my opinion plus $5 gets you a coffee at Starbucks so...

I agree - if you are a novice or don't have cash to burn - get the fitting that comes with the set of clubs you are buying from a golf galaxy/pga superstore. They will check you lie and length and that will be good enough to start.

If you are really new just buy a cheap set in a box or off the rack

ETA: And I am someone that has done a custom fitting.

I agree with both of you. Just last week I took my wife to get a new driver and we just went to Vans and it was fine. The "fitter" was some 20 year old kid and he basically looked to me for the analysis. For my wife, she found a driver that both felt good and her stats with it were perfectly fine compared to the rest. So, nothing fancy, and it was only like $300, even with it being cut down, and she'll have the thing for like 5 years because she plays maybe 10 times per year and will occasionally go to the range.

For me, though, I probably get in ~75 rounds this year and that number should go up because this past summer we moved onto the first hole of my course (so I'll have a lot more evening 9 hole rounds). I also play in cash games and tournaments throughout the year where there's probably a total pot available to me at least >$10k or whatever. So, with that in mind, $500 to improve my score by even just a stroke per round? $500 is a bargain.

The above notwithstanding, if I could just give four takeaways here:

1. Thinking about buying a particular brand is a huge mistake. Don't think "my buddy is good and he plays Ping so I'll buy Ping!" If you only play a handful of times per year, go to a second hand swing store and hit a bunch and see what feels and flies the best for you.
2. All high-ends brands are good. In a vacuum, none are objectively significantly better than another.
3. The correct shaft for your swing is more important than anything else (except, you know, lessons and regular practice).
4. If you truly want to know what golf club (clubhead + shaft + grip) is best for you, the only way to do so if via professional fitting. There are cheaper but far lesser alternatives, and those are fine if, again, you don't play much, but just understand that you really didn't get "fitted" and will have no clue whether Ping or TM is better for you than some other brand.

I don't want to go too far off the rails here but I was a 6 HCP for the longest time and the only fittings I ever did was the guy would pull out his swing board/tape and check my lie and length. You don't need a trackman. We would use a launch monitor for swing speed for shaft. I agree 100% correct shaft stiffness if very important. My point is if you do research you will know you benefit more from a player iron vs game improvement or forged vs cast. For probably 90% of golfers its really not going to matter what brand they have. Its going to be look and feel and how consistent the monitor feels. And if the lie matches their path imo.

As Andy mentioned - you can hit a few sets and the guy will have his fancy club to adjust lies and WALA fitted

As a current 6 handi, we'll have to just agree to disagree regarding the bold and whether a full, professional fitting is significantly better.

 

[belljr]

I'm not trying to pick a fight or make fun of anyone - sincerely - but....

Very, very, very, VERY few golfers are going to drop $500 on club fitting. It's just not even a reasonable suggestion IMO. But my opinion plus $5 gets you a coffee at Starbucks so...

I agree - if you are a novice or don't have cash to burn - get the fitting that comes with the set of clubs you are buying from a golf galaxy/pga superstore. They will check you lie and length and that will be good enough to start.

If you are really new just buy a cheap set in a box or off the rack

ETA: And I am someone that has done a custom fitting.

I agree with both of you. Just last week I took my wife to get a new driver and we just went to Vans and it was fine. The "fitter" was some 20 year old kid and he basically looked to me for the analysis. For my wife, she found a driver that both felt good and her stats with it were perfectly fine compared to the rest. So, nothing fancy, and it was only like $300, even with it being cut down, and she'll have the thing for like 5 years because she plays maybe 10 times per year and will occasionally go to the range.

For me, though, I probably get in ~75 rounds this year and that number should go up because this past summer we moved onto the first hole of my course (so I'll have a lot more evening 9 hole rounds). I also play in cash games and tournaments throughout the year where there's probably a total pot available to me at least >$10k or whatever. So, with that in mind, $500 to improve my score by even just a stroke per round? $500 is a bargain.

The above notwithstanding, if I could just give four takeaways here:

1. Thinking about buying a particular brand is a huge mistake. Don't think "my buddy is good and he plays Ping so I'll buy Ping!" If you only play a handful of times per year, go to a second hand swing store and hit a bunch and see what feels and flies the best for you.
2. All high-ends brands are good. In a vacuum, none are objectively significantly better than another.
3. The correct shaft for your swing is more important than anything else (except, you know, lessons and regular practice).
4. If you truly want to know what golf club (clubhead + shaft + grip) is best for you, the only way to do so if via professional fitting. There are cheaper but far lesser alternatives, and those are fine if, again, you don't play much, but just understand that you really didn't get "fitted" and will have no clue whether Ping or TM is better for you than some other brand.

I don't want to go too far off the rails here but I was a 6 HCP for the longest time and the only fittings I ever did was the guy would pull out his swing board/tape and check my lie and length. You don't need a trackman. We would use a launch monitor for swing speed for shaft. I agree 100% correct shaft stiffness if very important. My point is if you do research you will know you benefit more from a player iron vs game improvement or forged vs cast. For probably 90% of golfers its really not going to matter what brand they have. Its going to be look and feel and how consistent the monitor feels. And if the lie matches their path imo.

As Andy mentioned - you can hit a few sets and the guy will have his fancy club to adjust lies and WALA fitted

As a current 6 handi, we'll have to just agree to disagree regarding the bold and whether a full, professional fitting is significantly better.

That wasn't the argument you started with lol..... you said you aren't fitted if you go to a golf galaxy. I simply stated that, shaft , loft and lie are really only the 3 pieces you need for a fitting for 90% of the golf population. As myself and many single digits I play with have only done that. Heck after my professional fitting and I'm playing worse now (i am but has nothing to do with that )

Of course a true professional fitting > a big box store > no fitting at all.

However, just like everything in golf MARKETING has convinced the world you need A.B.C to become better. You don't. A competent person at a big box store fitting will get you everything you need to be a better consistent golfer (shaft, clubhead, length, lie). I played most my adult life with "general fittings" and have played just fine The guys at golf galaxy used to have to pass training to certify they could fit you.

So i will concede yes a professional fitting is better but its not needed for the majority of golfers.

ETA: You do need some device to measure swing speed 100% it just doesn't need to be a full simulator. We would hit into a net and check the computer screen and numbers after each swing

 

[Andy Dufresne]

And everyone would look better in Ermenegildo Zegna.

But if you're an accountant in a basement office you should just get some Dockers and a Nautica shirt and call it good.

 

[Zow]

I'm not trying to pick a fight or make fun of anyone - sincerely - but....

Very, very, very, VERY few golfers are going to drop $500 on club fitting. It's just not even a reasonable suggestion IMO. But my opinion plus $5 gets you a coffee at Starbucks so...

I agree - if you are a novice or don't have cash to burn - get the fitting that comes with the set of clubs you are buying from a golf galaxy/pga superstore. They will check you lie and length and that will be good enough to start.

If you are really new just buy a cheap set in a box or off the rack

ETA: And I am someone that has done a custom fitting.

I agree with both of you. Just last week I took my wife to get a new driver and we just went to Vans and it was fine. The "fitter" was some 20 year old kid and he basically looked to me for the analysis. For my wife, she found a driver that both felt good and her stats with it were perfectly fine compared to the rest. So, nothing fancy, and it was only like $300, even with it being cut down, and she'll have the thing for like 5 years because she plays maybe 10 times per year and will occasionally go to the range.

For me, though, I probably get in ~75 rounds this year and that number should go up because this past summer we moved onto the first hole of my course (so I'll have a lot more evening 9 hole rounds). I also play in cash games and tournaments throughout the year where there's probably a total pot available to me at least >$10k or whatever. So, with that in mind, $500 to improve my score by even just a stroke per round? $500 is a bargain.

The above notwithstanding, if I could just give four takeaways here:

1. Thinking about buying a particular brand is a huge mistake. Don't think "my buddy is good and he plays Ping so I'll buy Ping!" If you only play a handful of times per year, go to a second hand swing store and hit a bunch and see what feels and flies the best for you.
2. All high-ends brands are good. In a vacuum, none are objectively significantly better than another.
3. The correct shaft for your swing is more important than anything else (except, you know, lessons and regular practice).
4. If you truly want to know what golf club (clubhead + shaft + grip) is best for you, the only way to do so if via professional fitting. There are cheaper but far lesser alternatives, and those are fine if, again, you don't play much, but just understand that you really didn't get "fitted" and will have no clue whether Ping or TM is better for you than some other brand.

I don't want to go too far off the rails here but I was a 6 HCP for the longest time and the only fittings I ever did was the guy would pull out his swing board/tape and check my lie and length. You don't need a trackman. We would use a launch monitor for swing speed for shaft. I agree 100% correct shaft stiffness if very important. My point is if you do research you will know you benefit more from a player iron vs game improvement or forged vs cast. For probably 90% of golfers its really not going to matter what brand they have. Its going to be look and feel and how consistent the monitor feels. And if the lie matches their path imo.

As Andy mentioned - you can hit a few sets and the guy will have his fancy club to adjust lies and WALA fitted

As a current 6 handi, we'll have to just agree to disagree regarding the bold and whether a full, professional fitting is significantly better.

That wasn't the argument you started with lol..... you said you aren't fitted if you go to a golf galaxy. I simply stated that, shaft , loft and lie are really only the 3 pieces you need for a fitting for 90% of the golf population. As myself and many single digits I play with have only done that. Heck after my professional fitting and I'm playing worse now (i am but has nothing to do with that )

Of course a true professional fitting > a big box store > no fitting at all.

However, just like everything in golf MARKETING has convinced the world you need A.B.C to become better. You don't. A competent person at a big box store fitting will get you everything you need to be a better consistent golfer (shaft, clubhead, length, lie). I played most my adult life with "general fittings" and have played just fine The guys at golf galaxy used to have to pass training to certify they could fit you.

So i will concede yes a professional fitting is better but its not needed for the majority of golfers.

ETA: You do need some device to measure swing speed 100% it just doesn't need to be a full simulator. We would hit into a net and check the computer screen and numbers after each swing

Okay, fine, I disagree with this bold - though I think we're getting into the semantics of what is "needed."