40 replies to this topic

[citizensdiscount]

I did some research on golf club fitters in the chicagoland area and came across a top 100 club fitter by golf digest.  Since I am in the market for for some new irons (currently have Ping G20s and looking at Ping I20s) I gave them a call.  The cost to get fit is $185 for one hour.  I am fine with paying that for a thurough fitting.

This is where things get wierd.  I was quoted a cost per club of $185-$210 per club.  This sounded outragous at $1600 for a set plus $185 for the fitting.

I honestly think that I will be better off with a Ping fitting at a demo day.  Thoughts?

[hacker101]

Had a similar experience. There is pro not far from here that has had a couple tour players as students in the past. Also, has been in the major publications with a tip or two and listed in the top 100 teachers at one time or another. I called and made an appointment for a driver fitting.($200). I was not disappointed with the fitting. He seemed very thorough and I was satisfied. We went into the deal with the understanding there was no agreement to purchase the club through him. At the time, it was a 910d3. The shaft ended up being a shaft that did not require an up charge from Titleist. I was so satisfied with his service, I inquired about buying through his school. He quoted me $560 dollars. I would have paid him a small premium, but I thought that was ridiculous. I ordered from a local retailer $399.

[JakeBarnes]

citizensdiscount, on 13 August 2012 - 09:10 PM, said:

I did some research on golf club fitters in the chicagoland area and came across a top 100 club fitter by golf digest.  Since I am in the market for for some new irons (currently have Ping G20s and looking at Ping I20s) I gave them a call.  The cost to get fit is $185 for one hour.  I am fine with paying that for a thurough fitting.

This is where things get wierd.  I was quoted a cost per club of $185-$210 per club.  This sounded outragous at $1600 for a set plus $185 for the fitting.

I honestly think that I will be better off with a Ping fitting at a demo day.  Thoughts?

If you haven't called them, call Club Champion.  They will do the fitting for $150, are amazing builders, and if you are interested in more than just PING irons, they will let you try every head and shaft combo under the sun (including Scratch, Miura, and if I recall correctly, they just started carrying some Royal Collection stuff).  Might as well have a little fun with it and try everything if you can under the sun in the process.

[peterpro130]

IDK about thoes ultra expensive fittings... what is ur handicap citizendisc?? Unless you are a really good played i dont think it would make that much of a difference??

[citizensdiscount]

Thank you everyone for your feedback and suggestions.   I am at a 9.7 HC and have hovered b//t 7-11 over the past year.  Looking to make the change from game improvement (G20s) to a club that will give me both feedback and allow me to dial in the irons as opposed to every shot feeling great with little feedback and various distances.
I will update with the route I take after hitting up the demo day this sat in Hanover Park IL.

[JakeBarnes]

peterpro130, on 13 August 2012 - 10:59 PM, said:

IDK about thoes ultra expensive fittings... what is ur handicap citizendisc?? Unless you are a really good played i dont think it would make that much of a difference??

To paraphrase Tom Wishon: it actually matters more to go to get fit properly as a higher handicapper rather than a scratch golfer.

[peterpro130]

JakeBarnes, on 13 August 2012 - 11:28 PM, said:

peterpro130, on 13 August 2012 - 10:59 PM, said:

IDK about thoes ultra expensive fittings... what is ur handicap citizendisc?? Unless you are a really good played i dont think it would make that much of a difference??

To paraphrase Tom Wishon: it actually matters more to go to get fit properly as a higher handicapper rather than a scratch golfer.

Sure..his agenda was to sell clubs..i have given thousands of fitting and know it won't help the average to below average golfer like people think it will.  Why does it matter more?

[pencilwhipper]

Does this $1600 dollars you're talking about come with the WHOLE shabang? as in fitting each shaft from wedge to irons to woods to driver, and fitting you for the correct putter with what stroke you have, along with spining and flo'ing your clubs? If that was the case it would make that price sound reasonable.. but i'm not one to go spending over $200 at once for my golf game.

[rybo]

Unless you were looking at some high Japanese clubs,  $185 - $210/each is simply ridiculous. And even for some of the high end Japanese stuff that is a bit much and unnecessary.

Honestly, just go with Ping or any of the normal manufacturers and you will be just as happy.  There is no magical club out there.  Find something you like the look of in the playing position and the way it sounds/feels and work on getting the right shaft for your swing.  Most of the manufacturers have a pretty good selection of shafts in their fitting carts so you should have no issue being able to hit the same club with different shafts.  

Just out of curiosity, what type of clubs were quoted at that price?

[RJRJRJ]

Thats crazy expensive.  Basically double the retail price for each club...plus the fitting on top.   If you think he's a good fitter, id just get fit and make sure he fit you into equipment that Ping can build you themselves.  If you can get the specs from him, you can place an order with Ping for the exact specs that you want, and it wont cost you any extra.  Get your length, loft, lie, SW, shaft, stiffness, hard/softstep, grip etc.  A Ping dealer will have no problem ordering it for you.

[JakeBarnes]

peterpro130, on 14 August 2012 - 12:06 AM, said:

JakeBarnes, on 13 August 2012 - 11:28 PM, said:

peterpro130, on 13 August 2012 - 10:59 PM, said:

IDK about thoes ultra expensive fittings... what is ur handicap citizendisc?? Unless you are a really good played i dont think it would make that much of a difference??

To paraphrase Tom Wishon: it actually matters more to go to get fit properly as a higher handicapper rather than a scratch golfer.

Sure..his agenda was to sell clubs..i have given thousands of fitting and know it won't help the average to below average golfer like people think it will.  Why does it matter more?

http://www.golfwrx.c...en#entry5037204

[peterpro130]

Sure, put people into a shorter driver...they might hit it a better/straighter, but do they really lower thir score that much? No way... i have went out and hit balls with ladies shafts and even played a few holes... fitting is not going to help a 95 shooter shoot 85... but that is what people think?

What are your thoughts JakeBarnes?

[citizensdiscount]

pencilwhipper, on 14 August 2012 - 12:18 AM, said:

Does this $1600 dollars you're talking about come with the WHOLE shabang? as in fitting each shaft from wedge to irons to woods to driver, and fitting you for the correct putter with what stroke you have, along with spining and flo'ing your clubs? If that was the case it would make that price sound reasonable.. but i'm not one to go spending over $200 at once for my golf game.

Nope, thats just the iron fitting.   I asked about fitting through the set 4-W and was told that I would only be hitting a 6 iron.   Its alot of coin to drop for 8 irons.

[3step]

citizensdiscount, on 13 August 2012 - 09:10 PM, said:

I did some research on golf club fitters in the chicagoland area and came across a top 100 club fitter by golf digest.  Since I am in the market for for some new irons (currently have Ping G20s and looking at Ping I20s) I gave them a call.  The cost to get fit is $185 for one hour.  I am fine with paying that for a thurough fitting.

This is where things get wierd.  I was quoted a cost per club of $185-$210 per club.  This sounded outragous at $1600 for a set plus $185 for the fitting.

I honestly think that I will be better off with a Ping fitting at a demo day.  Thoughts?

It all depends on what your goals are, financial situation, etc.

A demo day fitting and a factory built set works for many golfers, but there is a wonderful world out there beyond the normal pedestrian choices. My set of irons is more than $1600 and it absolutely performs better, (for me), than any set I have ever played with. Both my consistency and distance control have improved, and even though I am moving on in years, my index is as low as it has ever been, and it is crazy fun to play with my iron set.

I am lucky to be in the golf business and have access to to fitting and capabilities that are deluxe in nature, so I am quite biased, but I will never play with any equipment that is a traditional fit, factory custom anything.

3step

[citizensdiscount]

rybo, on 14 August 2012 - 03:51 PM, said:

Unless you were looking at some high Japanese clubs,  $185 - $210/each is simply ridiculous. And even for some of the high end Japanese stuff that is a bit much and unnecessary.

Honestly, just go with Ping or any of the normal manufacturers and you will be just as happy.  There is no magical club out there.  Find something you like the look of in the playing position and the way it sounds/feels and work on getting the right shaft for your swing.  Most of the manufacturers have a pretty good selection of shafts in their fitting carts so you should have no issue being able to hit the same club with different shafts.  

Just out of curiosity, what type of clubs were quoted at that price?

Thanks for your input.  The price quoted for Ping I20 irons.  Scheduled a fitting this afternoon for Saturday out at Sportsmans CC for Saturday afternoon after the demo day with the nFlight system.  Looking forward to it hitting the ball outside and with the monitor.

[rybo]

I have never heard of a Ping fitter charging for a set of Ping clubs.  That's the beauty of going with Ping, they have a great system that can fit everybody in a short amount of time.

$1,600 for I20's?!?!  WOW......they were trying to rip you off.  Good idea to go with someone else.

[HAWKEYE77]

For I20s? Run in the opposite direction to someone who will fit you and not hook you into paying double for the irons what they are worth.

[jabroni23]

That's ridiculous.  I have a Ping fitter in my area (was national Ping retailer of the year a few years ago) and they don't charge for fittings.  You make an appointment, they tell you what you should play, and you decide to order it or not.  From what I know, Ping has a no competitive price policy, so all retailers have to sell them for the same price.  That is why they don't allow you to use coupons on Ping products at places like Dick's or GG.  You do have to pay any upcharges for shafts that cost extra, but that's a cost that Ping decides, not the fitter.  Furthermore, places that do charge for a fitting usually credit you that towards your purchase if you buy a set of irons from them.  Sounds like price gouging to me.

[ladahl]

citizensdiscount, on 14 August 2012 - 11:10 PM, said:

pencilwhipper, on 14 August 2012 - 12:18 AM, said:

Does this $1600 dollars you're talking about come with the WHOLE shabang? as in fitting each shaft from wedge to irons to woods to driver, and fitting you for the correct putter with what stroke you have, along with spining and flo'ing your clubs? If that was the case it would make that price sound reasonable.. but i'm not one to go spending over $200 at once for my golf game.

Nope, thats just the iron fitting.   I asked about fitting through the set 4-W and was told that I would only be hitting a 6 iron.   Its alot of coin to drop for 8 irons.

And a complete fitting checks lie on several irons (not just 6 iron)

For example, I am 1*-1.5* upright in my 7-PW while my 4-6 irons are standard lie.....  If I were you I;d take a pass on this fitting.  For that $, you could buy two sets

[Ri_Redneck]

peterpro130, on 14 August 2012 - 11:08 PM, said:

Sure, put people into a shorter driver...they might hit it a better/straighter, but do they really lower thir score that much? No way... i have went out and hit balls with ladies shafts and even played a few holes... fitting is not going to help a 95 shooter shoot 85... but that is what people think?

What are your thoughts JakeBarnes?

Not jakeBarns, but I have done quite a bit of fitting in the past and what I always found was that fitting always helps those who play with poor fitting equipment. BUT, If a player has major swing flaws, I've found that it is best to work on those prior to a fitting since their swing can change considerably when the flaws are eliminated. Perhaps an initial fitting, then lessons followed by fine tuning? At any rate, I think the guy the OP is talking about may just be weeding out those he thinks are not worth his time.

BT

[3step]

rybo, on 15 August 2012 - 06:21 AM, said:

I have never heard of a Ping fitter charging for a set of Ping clubs.  That's the beauty of going with Ping, they have a great system that can fit everybody in a short amount of time.

$1,600 for I20's?!?!  WOW......they were trying to rip you off.  Good idea to go with someone else.

OK..., here's some things to think about.

Most of these responses in this thread are assuming that someone is charging twice the amount of money in exchange for the same set. I promise you, my equipment needs to be FIT and BUILT by a  highly skilled club technician, and the benefit is easier contact, better feel, more control... Therefore, I expect to pay more to gain the better performance.

What if I want Ping irons, but they don't offer the shaft I play best with?  (NOTE: they don't offer my shaft). What if I want a different sole grind? What if I play 3 times better with my set, versus the standard factory built set? Should I choose the factory set, and play worse, just because the price is better?

And what if I go to a Ping fitter, who naturally fits me into Ping irons, but then it turns out that I could have spent the $185 on a fitting that showed that, while Pings are high performance equipment, that they were not high performance for me? And if by spending the $185, I have a skilled professional guide me to the right combination of elements, isn't that $185 well worth spending to avoid having to sell that Ping set, (most likely at a loss), and then having to spend more time and money to find the right thing? How many bad sets at a discount price do you want me to buy before I am allowed to find MY set?

The great thing about this particular forum, is that all of us can exchange ideas and hear about our individual experiences. Knowing what I know about equipment, I think it is crazy odd when I read of someone buying a "TOUR ISSUE" Taylor Head for a gazillion dollars... (I am thinking- "They are kidding themselves and hoping for a miracle"), but if they actually find some better performance, or feel like their soul is closer to the TOUR, or whatever they get out of that experience...,  more power to them.  So I understand it when someone says- $185 Fitting? $1600 irons "WOW, Rip off".

However- I saw this picture of Cool Clubs, in Scottsdale, AZ, on their Facebook site, of their club building work area, and I was at their grand opening 2 or 3 years ago, and their original work area was big enough to handle maybe 2 or 3 or 4 club builders comfortably. Go take a look at their new work area - and you will see quite a different story.  The new work area is huge, and was not built on the profits from FREE Fitting sessions or "standard" irons sets.

Most of us can understand the differences between a car that costs $25,000 and $60,000, or a hotel room that is $80 or $225, but unfortunately, our golf community is having a difficultt time learning the difference between a traditional set that you buy at a big box store or internet site, or on the internet, versus a set that is super-deluxe in contact, feel, and consistency.

3step

[hardcaliber]

3step, on 16 August 2012 - 05:49 PM, said:

rybo, on 15 August 2012 - 06:21 AM, said:

I have never heard of a Ping fitter charging for a set of Ping clubs.  That's the beauty of going with Ping, they have a great system that can fit everybody in a short amount of time.

$1,600 for I20's?!?!  WOW......they were trying to rip you off.  Good idea to go with someone else.

OK..., here's some things to think about.

Most of these responses in this thread are assuming that someone is charging twice the amount of money in exchange for the same set. I promise you, my equipment needs to be FIT and BUILT by a  highly skilled club technician, and the benefit is easier contact, better feel, more control... Therefore, I expect to pay more to gain the better performance.

What if I want Ping irons, but they don't offer the shaft I play best with?  (NOTE: they don't offer my shaft). What if I want a different sole grind? What if I play 3 times better with my set, versus the standard factory built set? Should I choose the factory set, and play worse, just because the price is better?

And what if I go to a Ping fitter, who naturally fits me into Ping irons, but then it turns out that I could have spent the $185 on a fitting that showed that, while Pings are high performance equipment, that they were not high performance for me? And if by spending the $185, I have a skilled professional guide me to the right combination of elements, isn't that $185 well worth spending to avoid having to sell that Ping set, (most likely at a loss), and then having to spend more time and money to find the right thing? How many bad sets at a discount price do you want me to buy before I am allowed to find MY set?

The great thing about this particular forum, is that all of us can exchange ideas and hear about our individual experiences. Knowing what I know about equipment, I think it is crazy odd when I read of someone buying a "TOUR ISSUE" Taylor Head for a gazillion dollars... (I am thinking- "They are kidding themselves and hoping for a miracle"), but if they actually find some better performance, or feel like their soul is closer to the TOUR, or whatever they get out of that experience...,  more power to them.  So I understand it when someone says- $185 Fitting? $1600 irons "WOW, Rip off".

However- I saw this picture of Cool Clubs, in Scottsdale, AZ, on their Facebook site, of their club building work area, and I was at their grand opening 2 or 3 years ago, and their original work area was big enough to handle maybe 2 or 3 or 4 club builders comfortably. Go take a look at their new work area - and you will see quite a different story.  The new work area is huge, and was not built on the profits from FREE Fitting sessions or "standard" irons sets.

Most of us can understand the differences between a car that costs $25,000 and $60,000, or a hotel room that is $80 or $225, but unfortunately, our golf community is having a difficultt time learning the difference between a traditional set that you buy at a big box store or internet site, or on the internet, versus a set that is super-deluxe in contact, feel, and consistency.

3step

3step, I agree with some of the points you make.  I agree that having a set that really works for you is worth some extra dough.  I also agree that it is somewhat hypocritical for many of the people here to scoff at really expensive fitting sessions when they are buying 3000 dollar Bettanardi or Scotty tour iss ue putters that are essentially pieces of golf jewelry, while at the some time laughing at japanese people for buying gold plated Honma irons.

There is one point you make that i do somewhat disagree with however.  I don't think that just because a club technician charges alot or has a big work area, that somehow means that their work is somehow superior to the point that it will make a tremendous difference in the way your set plays.  Don't get me wrong, i certainly value goodscraftsmanship, but i think that most competent club technicians can assemble a set of irons.

I had a similar experience as the OP a few years back.  Went to a club fitter who charged a significant amount for a session.  The guy basically felt like a sleazy salesman and was trying to upsell me on all kinds of ridiculous crap stuff.  Tried to convince me that i needed to drop crazy dough on a set of Miura's because they are forged from "harder" steel, thus being more durable.  Needless to say, i didn't end up ordering from him.  I did end up buying the shafts he recommended from Golfsmith.  It turns out that he made a great recommendation on the shafts, and it was well worth paying him for his expertise to help pick a shaft.  I just didn't appreciate him trying to convince me that it was essential to pay 3x retail from him and 3x standard labor charges and somehow if i didn't pay those exorbitant prices that the shafts wouldn't perform.

Let me bring it back to your example.  If you were fit for a set of irons (PING for example) and you played 3 times better with those specs, i think you would play 3 times better with those specs whether they came from the manufacturer, whether you bought them from a high end fitter/builder who charges huge premiums, or whether you sourced the components on BST and had them assembled by a competent tech at a chain store (the key word being competent, not some part time high schooler).

The problem with the fitters, is that they are ultimately in the business to sell you clubs and you have to sort out the good advice from the sales pitch.  If i could find a good fitter that only did fittings but did not sell clubs and thus had no conflict of interests, i would gladly pay him several times the going rate, because i would truly have 100% confidence in his suggestions

[rybo]

3step, on 16 August 2012 - 05:49 PM, said:

rybo, on 15 August 2012 - 06:21 AM, said:

I have never heard of a Ping fitter charging for a set of Ping clubs.  That's the beauty of going with Ping, they have a great system that can fit everybody in a short amount of time.

$1,600 for I20's?!?!  WOW......they were trying to rip you off.  Good idea to go with someone else.

OK..., here's some things to think about.

Most of these responses in this thread are assuming that someone is charging twice the amount of money in exchange for the same set. I promise you, my equipment needs to be FIT and BUILT by a  highly skilled club technician, and the benefit is easier contact, better feel, more control... Therefore, I expect to pay more to gain the better performance.

What if I want Ping irons, but they don't offer the shaft I play best with?  (NOTE: they don't offer my shaft). What if I want a different sole grind? What if I play 3 times better with my set, versus the standard factory built set? Should I choose the factory set, and play worse, just because the price is better?

And what if I go to a Ping fitter, who naturally fits me into Ping irons, but then it turns out that I could have spent the $185 on a fitting that showed that, while Pings are high performance equipment, that they were not high performance for me? And if by spending the $185, I have a skilled professional guide me to the right combination of elements, isn't that $185 well worth spending to avoid having to sell that Ping set, (most likely at a loss), and then having to spend more time and money to find the right thing? How many bad sets at a discount price do you want me to buy before I am allowed to find MY set?

The great thing about this particular forum, is that all of us can exchange ideas and hear about our individual experiences. Knowing what I know about equipment, I think it is crazy odd when I read of someone buying a "TOUR ISSUE" Taylor Head for a gazillion dollars... (I am thinking- "They are kidding themselves and hoping for a miracle"), but if they actually find some better performance, or feel like their soul is closer to the TOUR, or whatever they get out of that experience...,  more power to them.  So I understand it when someone says- $185 Fitting? $1600 irons "WOW, Rip off".

However- I saw this picture of Cool Clubs, in Scottsdale, AZ, on their Facebook site, of their club building work area, and I was at their grand opening 2 or 3 years ago, and their original work area was big enough to handle maybe 2 or 3 or 4 club builders comfortably. Go take a look at their new work area - and you will see quite a different story.  The new work area is huge, and was not built on the profits from FREE Fitting sessions or "standard" irons sets.

Most of us can understand the differences between a car that costs $25,000 and $60,000, or a hotel room that is $80 or $225, but unfortunately, our golf community is having a difficultt time learning the difference between a traditional set that you buy at a big box store or internet site, or on the internet, versus a set that is super-deluxe in contact, feel, and consistency.

3step

3step

Did you read the OP's opening information?  He owns G20's and was looking into I20's.  The cost of $185 and $1,600 is absurdly overpriced for a set of Ping's.  The $185 was to fit the Pings.

So I will stand by my comments of they are trying to rip him off.  There is no doubt this is the case.

As for Ping not having some obscure shaft you use, I guess it's possible but unlikely.  They carry every shaft from Nippon, True Temper, KBS, etc.  If it's some rare graphite iron shaft, I'm sure they can get it.  Also, Ping is about the only company that actually has custom grinds available as an option.

There is no magic in how clubs are built.  There are some variables that need to be accounted for and after that it's a pretty simple assembly for anyone with even modest skills.  There's a video on here of a driver being built be the Taylormade Tour van and the entire club is built in about 5 minutes.  3 minutes of that was to cure the epoxy.  Club building is not rocket science.



EDIT:

here is the video

http://www.golfwrx.c...an#entry4533381

Edited by rybo, 17 August 2012 - 09:19 AM.

[accufitgolf]

A well trained monkey can assemble a single golf club. Now does the club fit the golfer and can the monkey build a 2nd one to match are very different subjects.

Edited by accufitgolf, 18 August 2012 - 08:34 AM.

[sergizmo]

$185 for an iron fitting only hitting 6 iron? That is terrible and a rip off.

Fitting and building a set of irons just isn't that complicated. Stick with a shaft and grip that works well for you. Hitting a few shots at different lengths will help determine optimal length. Tape on the sole of the iron for lie angles (For $185, each iron should be fit for this individually). That is 90% of it right there.

Assembly is cutting, weighting, gluing and bending. Maybe spine align, but steel shafts have minimal spines.

Ping will give you the length, lie, shaft, grip size and swingweight you want. There really isn't that much more.

[3step]

hardcaliber- I appreciate your comments. Regarding your point about a large work area NOT being an indication of good workmanship- yes, you are absolutely correct.  I was just trying to respond to several posters who are denying that high end clubfitters/clubmakers exist. The Cool Clubs group is just one example of a company enjoying business success because of their business model- high end fittings and high performance golf clubs. some of their sales are just "shiny jewelry", but their growth into California and Japan is predominantly due to the fact that they are able to deliver better performance than a traditional OEM set.

sergizmo- if you want something that plays reasonable, there are several good options out there. But if you want to move your equipment to another level and get the most out of your swing, then what's wrong with working with a premium fitter and builder? Just because I can take a picture, or can afford an expensive camera, it doesn't mean that Sports Illustrated will be hiring me any time soon. There are good doctors and there are specialists that can really make a wonderful difference in ones life. there are good lawyers and really special lawyers. And good fitters, and absolutely great fitters that can guide their golfing client to equipment that is superior in power and playability.

rybo- if one chooses to pay a lawyer several hundred dollars to help resolve a personal matter and the result is gaining restful sleep, or if one pays thousands to a medical specialist, and takes away some chronic pain, and they can  better enjoy their retirement, or one pays $185 to a premium clubfitter, and then $1600 to a premiium clubmaker, and hits the ball more crisper, and gains distance and accuracy, and thus gains more enjoyment from their hobby, is that such a terrible thing?

I have been lucky enough to be on the inside of many parts of the golf industry, and have experienced working in tour vans and elite shops, and have built clubs for highly skilled players, as well as for everyday golfers like ourselves, and have worked on the fitting side as well, and I have met all kinds of good, bad, and yes, great fitters and builders, and if, someday, you ever happen upon one of these great fitters, I recommend that you treat yourself to a detailed fitting- it will be the nicest golf gift you ever give to your swing.

3step

[citizensdiscount]

Just returned from the Ping Demo Day.  I was stoked to find out the Ping Tour Van was there.   It was the best 2.5 hours in the golf environment in quite some time.  The fitter (Peter) was from Ping HQ based in Phoenix AZ.  Started off by hitting my irons to get an idea of ball flight/direction.  We started with the 7iron, then 4 iron then wedges.  Keep in mind previously was fit for Ping G10 black dot std/std reg AWT flex, Ping G20 Green Dot std/std reg flex stepped stiff.  While there, I also tried the following with the assistance of Peter:

Ping I20 Irons CFS Stiff shaft-  very happy with the clubs, 1/2 club to a full club longer than my G20s
    DG S300- did not get the feel/ball flight I was looking for

Ping Tour wedges - these felt soft off the face and I had a difficult time controlling them

Ping Anser driver 10 degree (stiff)-  tried 5 different shafts with this club, had a difficult time keeping the ball on line as it kept tailing right on me.

Ping G15 driver (stiff)- was able to get the ball flight I was looking for however not the carry distance.

Ping Anser 3wd (stiff)- hit this club well with a good ball flight, not as good as other clubs

Ping Anser Hybrid 20 degree (stiff)- loved this club,  nice high trajectory with a great feel

Ping Anser Irons (stiff) - good looking club,  felt great when I hit it clean and

S56 Irons (stiff) - this was a solid club.  If I was rocking a 0-5 handicap, I would strongly consider.  Very forgiving and great feel


What I purchased:
Ping I20 Yellow Dot CFS Stiff Shafts 4-P wedge D1 SW
Ping I20 Black Dot CFS Stiff Shafts UW SW LW D3 SW
Ping Anser 20 degree Hybrid Stiff Stock shaft
All with Golf Pride Black/White New Decade Grips

The Ping staff was very courtious and helpfull.  Answered all of my questions about the clubs and let me hit anything.  It was nice as they were the only club manufacutre at the place I was at.

[citizensdiscount]

I also wanted to thank the WRX formum and for all of the responses/comments from people.  This made the fitting process much more rewarding.
Keep it in the fairways,
T

[dunn]

You can pretty much self fit yourself....... The ballflight, distance, feel, and divot will tell you pretty much everything you need to know........ Most have a general idea already as to what flex and iron they need if their honest wit themselves

There is plenty of info on Internet as well if your
really tall or really short....

Not rocket science.......I was fit one time and it was all pretty much what I already learned from educating my self, and paying attn to my ball and contact on ground

Edited by dunn, 18 August 2012 - 06:30 PM.

[rybo]

3step, on 18 August 2012 - 12:09 AM, said:

rybo- if one chooses to pay a lawyer several hundred dollars to help resolve a personal matter and the result is gaining restful sleep, or if one pays thousands to a medical specialist, and takes away some chronic pain, and they can  better enjoy their retirement, or one pays $185 to a premium clubfitter, and then $1600 to a premiium clubmaker, and hits the ball more crisper, and gains distance and accuracy, and thus gains more enjoyment from their hobby, is that such a terrible thing?

I have been lucky enough to be on the inside of many parts of the golf industry, and have experienced working in tour vans and elite shops, and have built clubs for highly skilled players, as well as for everyday golfers like ourselves, and have worked on the fitting side as well, and I have met all kinds of good, bad, and yes, great fitters and builders, and if, someday, you ever happen upon one of these great fitters, I recommend that you treat yourself to a detailed fitting- it will be the nicest golf gift you ever give to your swing.

3step

3step

So after he pays the $185 and gets this 'superior' fit who is going to build those Ping clubs?  Ping is!!!  I know of one custom club builder in the USA who gets Ping heads unassembled, and they are not in the Chicago area.  So $1,600 for a set of Pings is a rip off; and a custom built set of Pings wouldn't cost that much from the custom fitter who gets just the heads. Hell, you could buy the Ping's at full retail, disassemble, reassemble with whatever you like and they shouldn't cost $1,600.   Now some diatribe about doctors and lawyers has nothing to do with what the OP was asking.  Custom fitting has its place and will help most everyone, but ripping people off is something completely different.

I'm very fortunate and have been on staff with two OEM's and have been through Tour fittings with both.  Honestly at the end of the day I ended up with exactly the same specs.  Not surprising really.  No magic here, again dealing with a known set of variables, account for the variables and move on.



You wouldn't by any chance be the builder from the Chicago area would you?