Looking to purchase a new driver for my 40th birthday in a few weeks.  Will definitely go down the custom fitted route, but does anyone have any recommendations of where to go in the South East as I am based in Surrey.

Not drawn to any particular supplier so open to all brands. 

Thanks

Rich

 

Hi Rich, If your interested in Callaway, they have a custom fitting warehouse just opposite Chessington World of Adventure. Last time I went, it cost £50 (pre bookable) but if you bought a club, or clubs costing more than £100 you got your £50 refunded. They do not sell clubs, but you come away with all your fitting requirements and you can go to your local (or cheapest) supplier to purchase.

An expensive exercise with no guarantee of success. New drivers do not do anything better than a secondhand one can do.

 

John most custom fitting is free and although it doesnt guarantee success surely it gives more chance of success if the club is fitted to your size and swing?!

Definitelty as merit.  Golfshake tested out last year, Adam is 5foot 8 and Phil is 6foot 4 so they could never use the same clubs!

http://www.golfshake.com/news/view/1698/CustomfitsessionatThe_Belfry.html

 

The great thjing about the Belfry (and other similar facilities) is that you are not tied to a manufacturer and can try a variety of different makes of clubs.  What comes as a very pleasant surpise is that the Belfry are also pretty good on their pricing for clubs - not something you would possibly expect!

Richard, what is wrong with your present Driver for you to need to replace it?

Are you looking to change or improve distance, accuracy, trajectory, ball flight?

Do you have any idea what configuration you are loking for in your new driver, as this will need to set up for the ball you presently play which i presume you are also happy with along with your irons and woods.

Do you want a stiffer shaft, longer shaft,

I would recommend that everyone knows the specs of their clubs as this should allow you to understand your game better and play the game to the strengths of the clubs and yourself presuming that you are playing with suitable clubs.

So getting any club custom fitted is a good idea, and your Driver does need to be right for you, once you know what works you can always resort to buying 2nd hand.

I would recommend you try a few custom fitters if possible before making a final decision, and make sure you use the ball you usually play with when trying out different combinations.

If you are going to do this then do it right.

Do not assume those doing the custon fitting will be 100% correct.  I would pick the makers of the clubs to do a custom fitting for me, not a retailer.

To be quite honest, you may want to get all club specs on which driver head suits you far a low ball flight, mid ball flight and high ball flight and all with max distance carry and roll.  There is noting to say you cannot buy 2 different drivers later to do 2 different jobs. 

Get your monies worth.

 

John most custom fitting is free and although it doesnt guarantee success surely it gives more chance of success if the club is fitted to your size and swing?!

So we are banking on chance, then John D. You do realise that the likelihood of you getting the right shaft for you is pretty slim. Your swing speed will be measured and this will put you into a varying speed band with differences of something like 20 mph before you get in to the next swing band. Now if you are not exactly at the speed band to fit a regular or stiff shaft then you will  have no chance at all of getting the exact shaft for you.

I was once told by a Golf Pro that golf is a game of variables, if you can remove or reduce one of the variables it can only be a good thing.  Be that the same ball, the same clubs, the same course.

That same person has 15 putters.

Do we really expect a new set of clubs, driver, hybrid, fairway wood to transform our game ?  In truth you have as much chance of improving your game with a new club as you have of adding 10 yards with a new "all improved" tee.  That does not stop us looking at our bag of sticks and thinking that some shinier ones would be better. 

If you have the money and can afford it then go for it, but if you can reduce the variables by custom fitting then all's the better.

As a large part  of our golf game is played between our ears, I can only assume that if one thinks that custom fitting is going to provide the key to better play, then it probably will (up to a point). With most higher handicap players (myself included) I don't believe that our game is constant enough to make custom fitting that significant. When one holds a club and has a few hits then you quickly get the 'feel' if it is for you or not. Just my thoughts on the subject. No offence intended chaps.....

Why buy a different club when the one you already use can be adjusted to fit you better? There are so many options and people to help you pick them its unreal!

Custom fitting is only as good as the fitter. Get the wrong fitter and you might as well be burning your money. Go on hearsay, reputation. But like Pro's you may get on with your fitter in which case it will be a blast or he may be (excuse me) a bit of a knob in which case your fitting will likely suffer.

If you feel that inconsistancy doesnt come (in part) from clubs that aren't set up properly for you or looked after at regular intervals then thats fine. However CF gives you the best probability that your "rubbish inconsistant swing" will produce something vaugely golf like more often than not.

JP, It's worse than that. The variations in flex from the different companies out there is astounding. A Reg flex in one shaft can be a Stiff in another. I had a callaway in recently that had a "regular" shaft in it but was stiffer than most stiffs! And as you have cited on many occasions "People are using shafts far to stiff for them these days".

In answer to the original question... I dont know anywhere in the south east you can get fitted.

John P yes shaft flex is one of the aspects of custom fitting but not the only one - there's also shaft length, lie angle, grip size etc.

On shaft flex itself, yes they'll measure your swing speed and advise on a particular shaft. if you're obviously in one band they'll advise that particularly shaft if you're near a shaft boundary then if the fitter is worth anything they'll let you try both and see which gives the best results.

Yes there's a chance you'll still pick the wrong shaft but that chance has to be decreased instead of just picking up a second half club off the shelf and thinking to yourself "I fancy a stiff shaft in this club" with absolutely no idea if your swing speed suits that shaft.

 

The argument that no custom fitting is better than a full custom fitting is a nonsense.

You are entitled to your opinion. John D, but I am afraid I just do not agree with you. Throughout your golfing experience you will try many clubs, some will work straight away, some won't, but a good swing can hit anything.

There has not been a club made that can hit the ball for you.

I don't know how you see the game, but every tee shot is different, requires a different trajectory and shape as well as a difference in tempo. No custom fit can cope with that lot.

Thank you to those who responded to my original question.

I won't respond or join in on the 'debate' regarding cutom fitting as I wouldn't want to take these replies further away from the original post of my own question, when I wouldn't do that to someone elses!

There are many combinations of club heads and graphite shafts that you would need to try to find the optimum driver for you, and only trying them out will you find the ultimate driver for you at that time.  How you hit that driver into a head wind, etc will be down to your own ability on hitting a low penetrative ball flight.

As for selecting the right graphite shaft, there are a few makers of these shafts but the specs for these shafts vary between manufacturer so what is deemed to be a stiff flex with a torque rating 3.8, with a low kick point at one brand of shaft may play differently to the same claimed ratings of another brand.  that is why i recommend trying a few different custon fitters before making your decision unless you are lucky enough to drop lucky at your 1st fitting.

Other members on here (sanderslongdrive especially) have more knowledge about this stuff than me but basically, a combination of Shaft Flex and its kick-point will determine the ball trajectory (ball flight will depend on ball used).  The torque is the degree of twisting of the club head on the shaft, this along with the flex and kick-point also determine the feel of the club.  The stiffer the torque and flex the harder the feel.  I personally would require a full breakdown of the shaft specs and not just, 'oh, its got low torque rating', or 'the kick point gives a High Launch to your shots'.  And always try on the course before you buy, in the shop or on the driving range is no good, you need to be off a Tee on grass with your usual balls.

get the right combination for straight accurate drives and ball trajectory so you get the required ball flight for the ball you use, the distance will take care of itself.

One thing i have not mentioned is the importance of having a secure grip,  pick the best suited grip for your driver as you cannot afford to let it twist in your hands.

You also need to have a good reliable and repeatable swing so you maintain consistency in your drives.

Good luck

As a pro who does a lot of custom fitting, i have to say John P has got this very wrong. 20mph swing speed differnces for the same shaft? nonsense. To be perfectly honest, shaft flex is more of a feel issue than a performance one. Far, far more importnat is kick point, torque and shaft length, with loft also playing a huge part. I really cannot stress enough just how important custom fitting is and just how much of a difference it can make. Also, for the majority of the time custom fitting is free, it really is hard to see any arguement against it, just look how long the tour boys spend getting their clubs tuned!

You have a vested interest, Alex, but I have not yet come across any amateur player that has shown any improvement with a custom fit.. They might say that they have, just to justify there expenses but I do not believe it.

You, being a professional can play with anything that is piut in your hands,m so that alone completely poo poos the idea of any substantial benefit.

I attained scratch just by buying off the rack in the very early sixties. No such thing as a custom fit then.

You have no statistics to back up your claims, all you are interested in in selling clubs and the new way to do this is to offer a so called custom fit. Even then the clubs will arrive needed a lot of adjustment to get to measurements you took in the first place. You are wasting your time trying to convince me as I know better.

You are just one of a long line of PGA produced professionals attempting to make money because of a lack of skill yourself. Why on earth do you honestly believe that you have a far greater knowledge of this game and how it is played than me.

I have a vested interest. But I think people can take what they want from golf and all the technology that is now available. Or leave it if they so wish.

I took an ameteur golfer and improved his putts per round by 6 strokes by custom fitting his putter to him (my regular playing partner so even his great drives are due to his putter).

It took him a couple of  weeks or so to tune into his new stick after spending 2 years with it as it was but went from 36/34ish down to consistantly between 28/26 strokes.

The only others Ive fitted are Pro's putters so by default could swing a plank and still do well. They however have also shown improvements.

On fitting my own driver to me (On a good day) I have hit over 60% fairways and at a decent distance. (a significant increase) I even took my old driver out to test them side by side. The difference was VERY noticable. On a bad day however  I couldnt hit a wall with my car if I drove into it! Which John, you have of course witnessed with my GIANT slice...

Custom fitting can help but if you dont have a clue or don't want it to help, is as futile as using a chocolate dam to stop a lava flow.

Matt, your slice was not down to your clubs but your swing, not forgetting that when we last played you told me that you had been having lessons and I would see a marked improvement. To say I was disappointed, is an understatement as I was really hoping that you had moved forward.

I could have put you right straight away but I felt that was not the time. Next time perhaps.

Incidently I have made a mock up of your website, which I believe is a lot better,

That is really kind of you John. Thank you. I'd love to see it.

You are certainly Correct. The last time wasn't right for us to be making changes, but I'm already looking forward to our next game and a receiving some of your knowledge.

I'm also practicing putting up/down/across the stairs ready for those greens!

Ok, so today I took my irons out for the first time since I finished building them.

I have the same swing I had two days ago when I played with my old irons.

I scored 23 points over ten holes (only received 2 strokes on a par 4 on which I scored bogey. 3 pars, 1 double and 6 singles. Most of the dogey balls came from the driver. Think I was trying to hard.

Was it me or my new clubs. I'll never know but I would like to think its the clubs I've just built for myself...

It was you, Matt. The new clubs will have given you a bit of confidence perhaps, but it is you who has to swing them. Well done.

Thanks John. It's a strange course to me which just makes the acheivement greater. I also found lots of bunkers but my sandplay was again very good today, felt very delicate.

I am not sure what to think about custom fitting anymore.

Since being fitted by titleist in November my game ( or should i say my ball striking ) has slowly deteriorated.

I have played ok a couple of times, but even then it has been down to scrambling.

I have titleist mb irons, that are 3/4 inch longer and 1* more upright than standard. They have x100 shafts and 5 layers of extra tape.

All this is boring i know, but it is what was advised during fitting.

The problem is that i just cannot consistantly find the middle of the club !

I shank one right and pull the next one low and left.

I know that it is my swing and not the clubs that are to blame, but here is the problem

I took my Cobra 2400 ixh irons out today and shot a 74 (equal lowest score) for 40 pts.

I missed the middle of one 7 iron all day, which cost me a double by finding water on a par 3.

My regular playing partner commented that it is the straightest he has ever seen me hit the ball.

I know that a lot of it is down to the confidence i have with my old clubs, but i am begining to think there may be more to it.

I really want to persevere with the custom fit blades as opposed to the off the shelf improver irons, but is becoming more difficult to justify.

 

Five layers of tape, Eh!, Tim. must be like holding a cricket bat at that thickness. Golf is a finger grip and one layer of tape is enough. Why did you have the x100 shafts. You do not swing hard enough for a stiff shaft, If that is custom fit then I despair.

Great score with the Cobra's though. Keep it up.

Tim,

the problem with bladed clubs is they offer no forgiveness & unless you hit the sweet spot every time will punish you big time.

saying that can you make sure the tittys are in the bag for the NvS

Tim , cracking round mate well done.  I suspect your cobra's are set up around D0 or 1 swing weight and your Tittys will run about D5 or 6 thats a huge difference to get use to Tim , and 5 layers of tape ? just fit a mid size?

Off to Ping on Thursday for a fitting for some new irons. Yippee !!!

Mart,the cast colour on the new i20's make them look like kids clubs!

 

Well at least they are not called rocketballz...   John P - I have a question: If custom fitting (in all its current forms) had been the norm when you started playing golf, can you 100% honestly say that you would have still just gone and bought whatever off the rack?      

 

Interesting and really hypothetical question, Joe.

We all only relate to the era in which we are born and progress and that is why my youngest son understands a multicultural society where I, was fifteen years old before I saw my first black man and have no time for what has happened in this country.

When I started playing golf, it was far different to now in many respects. The way it is played generally in respect of clubs and membership has gone backwards for whatever reasons. One learnt to play this game at a public course and when proficient then private club membership was sought.

There did not exist any of these new fangled USGA spec courses which, lets face it, are designed for professionals and not the average amateur player, hence their unpopularity, with me anyway.

Custom fitting is another method of taking money from punters used as a bait to aid ones skills. Everyone will swing the club at  completely different tempos throughout any particular round of golf so a stocjh standard swing does not truly exist and would be hard to measure accurately enopugh to say, without any fear of contradiction, that a particular shaft is what will suit you., bearing ihn miond that custom fits are not offering the conmplete range of alternatives, so that a perfect match can be made.

As you well know, I, of course do not subscribe to this, because I became a very good player very quickly with clubs off the rack in a pro shop, as did the majority of players in my early days. The reason for this, of course, is because all irons were blades and everyone soon realised that only a perfect strike was going to be good enough and therefore bothered to take the pain for the gain.

Today of course everyone expects the clubs to come with a guarantee of reducing handicaps.

There are nine different shots that can be played with every iron and each shot is produced by the skill of the player not the design of the club.

Shotmaking is now a dying art because of the readiness to adopt the manufacturers bull**** and use clubs that are not designed for these skills. Easy to use, maybe, but this is one of the main reasons why players who get into single figures just do not make any further progress. One cannot play the same variety of shots with the modern clubs as opposed to a good set of blades.

Joe, be my guest, go down the custom fitting route, spend your money on the latest and greatest and if you are successful then I will be pleased for you, but be prepared for a disappointment.