ag custom fitting

Im going to get some new irons and want to go custom fitted. Im a 18 handicap and have played with the same clubs for about 7 years now. Wilson wt100 fat shafts.the nearest custom fit place Near me in northampton is american golf. Are they any good when it comes to sizing you up for custom fit or will they just try to sell me off the shelf clubs? Any experiences shared will be gratefully received as this is quite a big investment for someone who has little money usually. ( a fair bit of saving been happening to be able to think about buying new) thanks for reading

Totally dependant on the staff in the store. I had a great set of guys, very knowledgeable, allowing me to make my own decisions without any pressuring. I walked in with an idea of 2 irons and tested both before being fitted for my choice. Going through the various option shafts and testing for lie angle etc etc.

Eventually deciding and making own decisions I bought them.

If you feel pressured then don't buy, and find somewhere independent .... or decide what clubs you want to buy and use the facilities from the manufacturer themselves.

AG are, in my opinion and experience, a bit hit and miss depending on a) the quality and integrity of the staff and b) what they've been told to shift before the month or year is out. So it's a bit of a lottery on who's in the particular store at the time. I've known people to come out with some real bargains, on the other hand I know someone who had a set of very expensive irons custom fitted only to take them to a real club builder who puts them right. The man who builds my clubs** (Melvyn at 4 counties golf near the Belfry) has rectified sets of freshly built clubs from manufacturers and barns like AG, with problems such as wrong swing weights, shafts trimmed at the wrong end and inconsistent lengths.

Of course, the best way is to have a set custom built by a proper builder, but just getting an off the shelf set of the internet and getting them modified may be more cost effective in the end.

** Sounds horrifically expensive, but I bought my clubs (SW-4I) for less than £400 the set, which included lots of post-sale tweaking. OK, you may never have heard of Maraging XKR400 heads (but they are nicely post forged stainless), but they are fitted to Nippon NS Pro 950 shafts. And when I bent my 7 iron he stuck a new one in for £30...

go to golfers choice . i had a driver fitting there very good at fitting you to the clubs for you .

http://www.designergolf.co.uk/head-office.html

I practised at your golf centre for several years before moving to Wales. As you know A.G. have their own two fitting bays on the range and quite often I found myself practising in the adjoining bay. I will cite you true examples of what I witnessed:-

GOLFER A:

Had been testing their irons and was more knowledgable than most golfers;

"I like these irons but the lie angles don't suit me. Can you fix that?"

"Of course sir. The best way is for us to simply reduce the length of these irons by one inch."

GOLFER B:

Appeared as though he had only just taken up golf. His balls were travelling around eighty yards, hardly, off the gound and with a big slice.

"I like these irons, but its a great deal of money. They seem to be top of your range. Do they suit me?"

"Sir, they are ideal. They will help your game considerably. But you really should also buy that manufactuer's matching woods. They have offset hosels which will suit your slight fade."

There were around five such appalling incidents which I witnessed, but I can't readily recall the others.

My own personal experience with A.G. was at their Kettering centre a few years earlier.

It was early in 2007. I had recently returned to golf after a forty one year absence and was lost. I did not even appreciate that the bag of used clubs I had purchased for £22. from a local household auction centre were fitted with lady's graphite shafts.

The short overweight 56 year old took a deep breath and walked up to their counter which was manned by two youths in their early 20s I guess. My mind flashed back several decades to when I rewired my first house, going to the electrical warehouse and not knowing the correct technical language. Wondering if they would ever understand me.

"Can you help me please? This is my driver. The head loft seems OK but I'm overpowering the shaft. My balls are flying all over the place. Could you change the shaft to something much stiffer?"

The two youths eyed me up and down and smirked.

"How far do you drive then?" One enquired.

"Well, when I borrow a pal's driver the ball carries just over 300 yards."

"In that case you should be on tour mate!"

They laughed and I flushed with embarrassment. I walked out of A.G. with my head bowed in shame. Perhaps I had accidentally exaggerated?

Shortly afterwards I found a proper club fitter / builder, before later becoming one myself.

Funnily enough, within months I was on tour - the 'Longdrivers of Europe' (Senior Div.) Tour and picked up three national titles in 2007.

So, my own experience with A.G. both as a customer and as an observer is that they either treat you as a complete idiot, or contemptably.

They do not fit clubs, simply tinker with them and usually not in the right way.

My advice is to find a local qualified club builder. But, not easy as John Whitehead has left Northampton for Scotland and the others I used were disasterous. But possibly there is new blood there now?

Good luck.

There is a fault on Golfshake's system today. I have had two failed attempts at amending my above thread. I wish to add:

Andrew Ash (Designer Golf) sounds a good bet. I have met Andrew on several occasions, and know that he has around twenty years experience. But alas I only heard of him after I qualified myself. I was impressed that he also offered a ball fitting service.

Get yourself to Golfers Choice in Northampton. Great experience every time and they are keen to help ensure you are fitted correctly.