Priority on club-fitting or private lesson?

[Hork42]

Need some advice... I'm a mid-handicapper. Been golfing for several years now and had slight improvement each year.

That said, I know I have flaws in my full swing at the moment. I have had several lessons in the past and know that I would benefit from more going forward.... BUT....

I have never had my equipment fitted for me and I have no idea if it's suited for my game or not. I'm not going to blame the sticks for my inconsistency but they may not be helping me as much as they can be.

Would I benefit from getting my driver set up on a launch monitor and having the iron lies/angles checked? I'm just concerned that if i do this and then make major changes to my swing, I may have to do it all over again? Or should I go see a pro first and then focus on the equipment after I've made the alterations to my swing? My golf budget can only afford one at the moment.

[thekathrynorchard]

I personally would take some lessons first to get your clubs working for you. Then when you've outworked them and you have the budget, I'd get a new set designed for you. If you've got a set designed for your swing and it's not where you want your swing to be, it seems to me like you've just got a nicer set and the same old bad habbits causing your errors.

It's always great to have someone else's eye take a look at your swing critically and honestly.

[justinn]

Definately lessons, You could get your clubs fitted but what good would that do if you have an incorrect swing to go with that.

[dekker]

There are a couple of things you can easily check yourself as far as your equipment is concerned.You need a large enough plywood board(4x3 ft.) Apply some masking tape to the face and soles of your irons Take your normal stance,and swing with every club,and contact the sole on the board. The scuffed tape on the sole will show you whether your lie is correct. (towards the toe-it's too flat)(nearer the heel-it's too upright) center is good. If your lie is OK you can go ahead and check for face contact. On the face of the club (you'll have to hit balls for this portion of the test)look for the ball mark to be close to the CG(Center of Gravity) This point,regardless of whether it's a blade or cavity back,is usually slightly inside the halfway distance from the heel to the center and a tad more than a third of the way up the face. Assuming your lie was OK- if your ball mark is near the heel the shaft might be too long.Test by choking down 1/4" and see if you make better contact. The reverse is obviously the case if you contact nearer the toe. Once you establish this you can go and take lesson safely knowing that your equipment is suited. Your pro can quickly assess whether your shaft is the correct choice .

[ginrin]

I think you should fit first as your lessons won't help if your clubs are sending the ball left or right.It's similar to taking shooting lessons with a bad gun:)

[guitarman]

I think you should fit first as your lessons won't help if your clubs are sending the ball left or right.It's similar to taking shooting lessons with a bad gun:)

Sounds like a catch 22. Fit before lessons and your swing changes your hitting incorrectly. FIt after lessons and you've been hitting with ill fitting clubs and you'll be hitting incorrectly.:confused:

Whats the professional opinion on this?

[Hork42]

Sounds like a catch 22. Fit before lessons and your swing changes your hitting incorrectly. FIt after lessons and you've been hitting with ill fitting clubs and you'll be hitting incorrectly.:confused:


Exactly my thoughts. Now let me clarify a bit. I have had lessons in the past, and my swing isn't totally horrific to the point where it will need a complete overhaul. My main fault is that I pull the ball due to an out-to-in swing path, and I also have a little extra movement (head, legs) that I need to quiet down to strike the ball a little more consistently.

I have had my iron lies checked at Nevada Bob's, but I don't know if my driver loft or the stiffness of any of my clubs are correct for me.

I remember reading somewhere (I don't remember the source) along the lines of - your swing is unique to you, no matter how much you change it, you will always revert to the same basic swing elements. Not sure if this matters much to fitting or not.

[Golden Bear]

If you've had lessons before, and if your problem is that you have some swing faults but in general don't need a complete teaching / overhaul of your swing, then I'd think a fitting would be safe.

I'm not an expert by any means ... but I would think that lessons won't make such a dramatic difference on your torque or your lie angle or anything else that it would make a difference on your clubs. If we're just talking about some hitches that need to be worked out, there's no reason why that should make a difference on your fitting.

By the same token, I don't see any reason why it would hurt to have the lessons first.

[Anthony]

Since I've done neither I'm the perfect person to answer;).

You have to decide how serious you want to take the game and practice and instruction. My game is ingrained in me and I have no interest in rebuilding my swing or practising a lot and do not play more then 20-25 times/yr (on the outside).

So I'd say fitting is more important as proper equipment will make a difference...... but what it comes down to is a personal choice.

[guitarman]

If you've had lessons before, and if your problem is that you have some swing faults but in general don't need a complete teaching / overhaul of your swing, then I'd think a fitting would be safe.

I'm not an expert by any means ... but I would think that lessons won't make such a dramatic difference on your torque or your lie angle or anything else that it would make a difference on your clubs. If we're just talking about some hitches that need to be worked out, there's no reason why that should make a difference on your fitting.

By the same token, I don't see any reason why it would hurt to have the lessons first.

I would think that your swing would make a difference with lie angle.

Since I've done neither I'm the perfect person to answer;).

You have to decide how serious you want to take the game and practice and instruction. My game is ingrained in me and I have no interest in rebuilding my swing or practising a lot and do not play more then 20-25 times/yr (on the outside).

So I'd say fitting is more important as proper equipment will make a difference...... but what it comes down to is a personal choice.

I think regardless on how serious you take the game, if your playing with any kind or regularity a balance of fitting and lessons or anything that is going to make the game more fun would be beneficial. I can't really decided which is more important, lessons or fitting, but I'm giving the edge to lessons.
I did not have much fun (more frustration) when I was duffing down the fairway or shanking off the tee. After lessons and fitting properly I now can expect my rounds to have a few pars and a birdie or 2. I never shank off the tee, usually finding the middle of the fairway. Now thats fun.


Exactly my thoughts. Now let me clarify a bit. I have had lessons in the past, and my swing isn't totally horrific to the point where it will need a complete overhaul. My main fault is that I pull the ball due to an out-to-in swing path, and I also have a little extra movement (head, legs) that I need to quiet down to strike the ball a little more consistently.


I thought an outside in was more prone to cause a fade/slice. I pull alot of my shorter irons because I think I'm rotating my wrists a little too soon before impact.


I have had my iron lies checked at Nevada Bob's, but I don't know if my driver loft or the stiffness of any of my clubs are correct for me.


Stiffness will matter. I don't think lie on a driver matters as it can't really be adjusted anyway.

[hogannut]

IMO...if your clubs are really crappy....like Canadian Tire Northwestern clubs then I would get some new equipment, and I agree with your thinking to go custom fit. If however you have a decent set of sticks, like a reputable OE brand name then I would get some lessons and work on your mechanics and then think of upgrading next year. My 2 cents worth anyway.

[Hork42]

IMO...if your clubs are really crappy....like Canadian Tire Northwestern clubs then I would get some new equipment, and I agree with your thinking to go custom fit. If however you have a decent set of sticks, like a reputable OE brand name then I would get some lessons and work on your mechanics and then think of upgrading next year. My 2 cents worth anyway.

I have TaylorMade RAC OS irons, which seem to be pretty decent game-improvement clubs. I hit them pretty good. My driver is a Nike Ignite 460. I hit it not so good... all over the place. When i make good contact, i hit it far, but far to the left.

[hogannut]

You probably don't have an exact "match" for your driver, and the modern day graphite shafts are very specific. However your equipment is pretty good. IMO....at this stage spend the $ for lessons. Work on your game for the rest of the year and then you can take the winter to decide exactly what to do.

Also, a local teaching pro may know of a good club assembler to hook you up with, or I'm sure someone in TGN knows someone in your area. Custom fit is the way to go, but your custom built clubs are only as good as the guy putting them together.

I would also like to add that you will get a better value from a component club assembler as opposed to ordering a set of custom built OE heads. Before spending a fair bit of money do the research and go see a club assembler who, if they are good, honest and fair will give you all your options and potential costs. Good luck!!

[avidgolfer]

The rule of thumb is if you are 5'8"... standard spec irons should have the right length/righ lie angle for you. If you are not, I would invest in getting your irons looked at. I am 6'2" and was playing irons that were too short and too flat for 8 years... causing some bad swing habits which took a lot of time to work out (and still working out). Having your irons measured and adjusted will cost you the equivalent of one lesson session. Definitely worth it if you are significantly taller or shorter than 5'8"...

If you are 5'8"... go straight your lessons...

[guitarman]

The rule of thumb is if you are 5'8"... standard spec irons should have the right length/righ lie angle for you.

Is that an industry standard. It would be pretty strange if it was since nothing else seems to be.

[DavidY]

I believe that one's wrist to floor measurement determines the suitable club length...not one's height. My wrist to floor measurement is about 34 inches....my clubs should be standard length which is about 37.75-38 inches for a 5 iron.

Dave

[avidgolfer]

I believe that one's wrist to floor measurement determines the suitable club length...not one's height. My wrist to floor measurement is about 34 inches....my clubs should be standard length which is about 37.75-38 inches for a 5 iron.

Dave

You are right on that... Wrist to floor measurement is the main determinant of the club length and lie angles. Height provides a rough estimate on the wrist to floor but to be 100% sure, the original poster should measure the distance between wrist to floor to determine his static fit.

[ginrin]

The static fitting done by Ping was the distance from the fingertip to the floor and the glovesize.Totally different these days with the advent of launch monitors and such.Most stores or pros would fit you for a small fee.