I was a diehard Callaway guy, when I quit over a decade ago. Full set irons, sans one Ping wedge, and all the woods.
Met with a master fitter with several lines of clubs before I came back, purely by chance. Talked in depth about the fitting process and what would be required, of me. Stamina, and a consistent strike and swing. Once that had returned it was time. Of course, thinking Callaway across the board based on history.
Then a friend that had been through the process asked me a question. Are you going to go to get fit for a brand/line, or what is the best clubs for you? Are you going to trust the numbers? (what the monitor and club agnostic fitter relays) This kept hanging in my head. I loved Callaway, it was proven for me. Played my best golf ever with them, and converted my Dad back then to them.
Am I going to trust the numbers?
I went for two fittings, one for irons, one for woods. The fitter fit every major brand, shafts, etc. (not Club Champion fitter). Two hours on irons alone. He asked me to have 4 clubs I thought it might be, which I had told him in advance. He had those and several other heads waiting. A quick measure for length after watching me warm up with my 7 iron and strike location proved longer shafts were needed from my old set. Got shafts ready with heads and off we went. Hit all the ones I had listed with several others mixed in, based on what he saw with numbers and ball strike with each. Some were even "blind" testing. In the midst of it I had good and bad with different lines, and stock irons shafts options with each. I thought for sure it would be one of the two Callaway irons I had listed. Not even close. I ended up hitting what I thought would be a harder to hit iron waayyy better and consistent than anything I had listed and it was not even close. And it was a Titleist.
So, I bought Titleist.
Then came the woods a couple weeks later. Same thing, provided what I thought was a sure and wanted list. Hit those and others. Had two on my list that I did not want based on looks, one of those on sound from a knock around. Gave it my best on every one, because trust the numbers. Wanted the Callaway Paradym, Titleist TSR, etc., even the Cobra Aerojet, just not the other two, but in the mix I hit them as well. Ended up with a driver (not the Ping) that I did not like the looks of whatsoever, but hit it 20-30 yrds farther with less dispersion. With a driver 2 deg. stronger than I thought I could ever hit.
So now my challenge is learning the new stuff on the course and the old addage of technique, which is a lifelong chase.
My score is dropping from my new "new" after all those years and should be back to my best game after a decade or more much more rapidly than I would have thought. If i had tried to slot myself into my old Callaway brand, which is good, but not for me after the fitting, it would be a long time to return to the "old days" based on the fitting.
So, are you going to get fit for a club/line, or go club agnostic and trust the numbers?
If one is going to put the time and effort into a fitting, or two, why not flush the head (your head not the club) and accept what is the best club(s) and stock shaft combo available if it does not cost one dime more than off the shelf? Just a minor wait time to get them ordered to your specs (including grips, tape wraps, etc.) I understand there are places like Club Campion that do this, with specialty shafts, but the upgrades turn into big $$.
Maybe not for all, but going to a master fitter that cared more about the club match to me worked. Of course they would try and fit you into the club/shaft you desired, but what is best for
your game? "Green" is the new RED.
