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Driver fitting: Club Champion? True Spec? PGASS? GG?

Nippon Shafts
DGA3

DGA3

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I' hoping to find a driver with a little more distance in it than my current Callaway Rogue ST Max, and here in central Ohio, I have four choices to get fit.

Here's my take on the four:

* Club Champion and True Spec have the most qualified fitters, but - according to their reputation - they try to upsell you on a very expensive package.

* PGASS and GG will fit you for free, especially if you purchase a driver from them, but the skill of their fitters can be questionable. You may get someone who knows what he is doing, or a kid who just started working there.

I could probably do it myself on a simulator at PGASS or GG, but I would need someone who could find the various shafts for me to swap out and try. Consequently, someone would have to be there with me to help.

Thoughts and/or ideas?
 
I should add that I belong to a private club and they bring in various golf club companies to do fittings. The problem is that they only bring in one at a time, so you cannot pit one company's driver against another. Up until a few years ago, my club would sponsor a demo day and bring all of the club companies in at the same time, which was nice, because you could try one driver from one company, and then go to the next tent, try theirs, and compare.

Now, you can't.

Darn.
 
Going in to CC or TS with the mindset of getting the best possible fit is the more productive option. You’d need to let them know up front if you’re there to buy or get an idea of what you’d be fit into, as well as budget if buying. If just to get numbers be sure to get the static numbers like SW, length and such so you can mimic that the best you can elsewhere if that’s what you choose to do.
 
Don't PGASS and GG do paid fittings as well?
 
That driver is going to be tough to beat -- maybe a shaft change with same head?
 
I just did the “tour van experience” at PGA superstore and came away very impressed. The fitter took my baselines and found a combo that was a mix of slightly more distance but much better dispersion for my irons. They also did their best to find a shaft comparable to the one I was using since it was no longer an option.

Further, they found a shaft that fit the profile with no uncharge.
 
CorvetteGuy said:
That driver is going to be tough to beat -- maybe a shaft change with same head?
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This. If you decide to go this route, then True Spec or CC will probably be the way to go.

I’ll add that I believe at CC you can request to stick to stock options offered by the OEM. I didn’t ask for that in my fitting but it was very low pressure
 
Maybe give PXG or Golftec a look.
Club Champion does a good job but we all know how they roll.
 
DGA3 said:
I' hoping to find a driver with a little more distance in it than my current Callaway Rogue ST Max, and here in central Ohio, I have four choices to get fit.

Here's my take on the four:

* Club Champion and True Spec have the most qualified fitters, but - according to their reputation - they try to upsell you on a very expensive package.

* PGASS and GG will fit you for free, especially if you purchase a driver from them, but the skill of their fitters can be questionable. You may get someone who knows what he is doing, or a kid who just started working there.

I could probably do it myself on a simulator at PGASS or GG, but I would need someone who could find the various shafts for me to swap out and try. Consequently, someone would have to be there with me to help.

Thoughts and/or ideas?
Click to expand...
I have been to Club Champion and True Spec. True Spec was my most recent and favorite. It was a fitting unlike my previous ones and got me into the clubs that needed to happen... Even if it hurt my ego a bit. I got a good education and quality specs.

I had my irons built through True Spec and took my woods specs and had them built through The People's Clubs which was cheaper and still what I wanted.

Really enjoyed my True Spec experience and outcome.
 
DGA3 said:
I should add that I belong to a private club and they bring in various golf club companies to do fittings. The problem is that they only bring in one at a time, so you cannot pit one company's driver against another. Up until a few years ago, my club would sponsor a demo day and bring all of the club companies in at the same time, which was nice, because you could try one driver from one company, and then go to the next tent, try theirs, and compare.

Now, you can't.

Darn.
Click to expand...
Have been to the Columbus Club Champion for 2 different fittings and was up front with them about wanting to stick near no upcharge shaft options and they worked within those guardrails without issue.

Knowing you're in Hilliard, I'd stay away from the Tuttle GG, I've not had good experiences there. I've had better at the Easton GG, but still if I'm serious about getting fit, I'll go to Club Champion there on Sawmill every single time. You're also under no obligation to purchase from them, just get your setup emailed to you and shop elsewhere- (Worldwide Golf Stores comes to mind as they can custom order whatever you want)

OR depending on what club you're a member at (Heritage?) just roll through their club reps at demo days.

Any other questions just let me know!!
 
I love club champion. I would make my decision based on which fitter has the most experience and most up to date technology. The Club Champion I go to could use a refresh. I also wish they provided some amenities. For the price you are paying there should offer snacks and something more than water.
 
PatsFan said:
Maybe give PXG or Golftec a look.
Club Champion does a good job but we all know how they roll.
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I’d second the PXG recommendation. I’ve had a couple of great fittings with them recently. Tried Club Champion as well and have to say, it was a complete and utter waste of time. It was all about the shaft with my fitting and very little time was taken in fixing the right head (which I don’t think we did).
 
I've been fit at CC, Golftec and a few other places for various clubs. They all have their positives and negatives. Find a fitter with good creds & experience. the best local fitters I've found locally have been either highly recommended or were well reviewed online if you can find that info. Definitely had some where I left unsure of the recommendation. Will say that I've had no issue working with fitters to keep things on my budget anywhere really. For driver if at all possible, I greatly prefer a fitting outdoors. It's a me thing though as I've had some struggles with drivers I've been fitted to indoors translating to the course.
 
CorvetteGuy said:
That driver is going to be tough to beat -- maybe a shaft change with same head?
Click to expand...

Possibly.

It's got a stock Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue 55 regular shaft in it, and I've got it set to standard, with the 10.5 head.

When a bought it a few years back, I basically fit myself at GG. I mean, it was a Callaway fitting day, but the guy who helped me didn't really come up with any combination of shafts and heads that worked any better. I pretty much told him what to do. :rolleyes:

Maybe a different shaft would help, or maybe just an adjustment to my setup.

On the other hand, I'd sure like to try the Ai Smoke, as well as the Ping G430 10K. :cool:
 
jlew said:
Have been to the Columbus Club Champion for 2 different fittings and was up front with them about wanting to stick near no upcharge shaft options and they worked within those guardrails without issue.

Knowing you're in Hilliard, I'd stay away from the Tuttle GG, I've not had good experiences there. I've had better at the Easton GG, but still if I'm serious about getting fit, I'll go to Club Champion there on Sawmill every single time. You're also under no obligation to purchase from them, just get your setup emailed to you and shop elsewhere- (Worldwide Golf Stores comes to mind as they can custom order whatever you want)

OR depending on what club you're a member at (Heritage?) just roll through their club reps at demo days.

Any other questions just let me know!!
Click to expand...

Yep, I'm a member at Heritage. However, as I said in my original post, Heritage only schedules fitting days with one company at a time, so if I want to try both the Callaway Ai Smoke and the Ping G430 10K and see which works better, I am out of luck.

I agree with you about the GG at Tuttle. I have not had great luck with fittings there.
 
dhartmann34 said:
I have been to Club Champion and True Spec. True Spec was my most recent and favorite. It was a fitting unlike my previous ones and got me into the clubs that needed to happen... Even if it hurt my ego a bit. I got a good education and quality specs.

I had my irons built through True Spec and took my woods specs and had them built through The People's Clubs which was cheaper and still what I wanted.

Really enjoyed my True Spec experience and outcome.
Click to expand...
Will is awesome. Highly recommend going through The People's Clubs
 
Other
 
i see that as the #1 complaint over and over "CC/True Spec try to upsell".... or "they only fit to Accra"

Personally i dont see it that way. Yes they charge full MSRP and it gets expensive very quickly but they're not purposely trying to put you in the most expensive product. Customers are there to get a unique experience and it comes at a cost. I try to let the fitter do their thing and not interject, but at any given moment the customer can take control. If you want to hit something, then ask. If you want to stay under a price point, then tell them. And ultimately the customer is not obligated to buy anything at all. Plenty of times i've gotten fit to try multiple shafts and end up piecing it together myself through eBay or The Peoples Clubs

To get a feel for the new clubs ill usually go to Golf Galaxy or PGA Store and hit on my own but if im looking to fit for a shaft then ill go to Club Champion. I personally would not pay for or get fit through Golf Galaxy. Free fittings i would easily pick PGA over GG. I've also heard very good things about the PGA Tour Van experience.

This isnt aimed at you in particular, just a general statement, but for anyone getting fit i would say stay out of the fitter's way and let them do their thing. If they're a good fitter they'll ask you all the preliminary questions and get a feel for you as a golfer and what you're trying to accomplish. Take the opportunity to hit shafts you probably would not have a chance to and see how it goes. When it's all over then you can decide if you saw enough improvement to justify buying through CC or piecing it together yourself second hand
 
DGA3 said:
Yep, I'm a member at Heritage. However, as I said in my original post, Heritage only schedules fitting days with one company at a time, so if I want to try both the Callaway Ai Smoke and the Ping G430 10K and see which works better, I am out of luck.

I agree with you about the GG at Tuttle. I have not had great luck with fittings there.
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Understood completely- then I'd vote to hit up CC on Sawmill and have a battle royale for all the clubs you're wanting to hit. I've had good success with Tad if he's still over there.
 
jlew said:
Understood completely- then I'd vote to hit up CC on Sawmill and have a battle royale for all the clubs you're wanting to hit. I've had good success with Tad if he's still over there.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the recommendation.

According to their website, Tad is still there, along with Alex.
 
DGA3 said:
Thanks for the recommendation.

According to their website, Tad is still there, along with Alex.
Click to expand...
Tad did my 225's which have been absolute game changers for me and we worked through the rest of a the bag a bit as well. He also helped with a few tips here or there with the swing etc.
 
I was not happy with my CC driver fitting summer 2021. I won't go into it again here, my then local PGATSS had a full firing area closed off, and it was not free (without purchase), it was just as intensive as the CC fitting, but the results were better, and they did not push me into a more custom item, I made a purchase with the understanding that there was a newer driver coming out in a few weeks (Callaway Rogue), and I would want to be re-fit and if the numbers were better, then make that change, they took care of me and it was pretty painless and easy.

Moral to the story, if you PGATSS has the separate full fitting capability - you may want to try it out. I will say they did try a few higher end shafts but the data was not enough to go that route. We did not try the super high end shafts based on the data. Sometimes I wish I had been more forceful in wanting to see what might have happened, but life goes on.

On the good side, the CC fitting taught me about fittings in general, and that helped with the subsequent fittings.
 
DGA3 said:
Possibly.

It's got a stock Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue 55 regular shaft in it, and I've got it set to standard, with the 10.5 head.

When a bought it a few years back, I basically fit myself at GG. I mean, it was a Callaway fitting day, but the guy who helped me didn't really come up with any combination of shafts and heads that worked any better. I pretty much told him what to do. :rolleyes:

Maybe a different shaft would help, or maybe just an adjustment to my setup.

On the other hand, I'd sure like to try the Ai Smoke, as well as the Ping G430 10K. :cool:
Click to expand...

Good idea on the Ping.. I like those Pings and if they could get rid of those ugly turbulators - I would own one of those too.

You also have a very good shaft in that Tensei Blue... I have quite a few friends playing that shaft including me. My Titleist driver has it and my Callaway Rogue like you have has it.. I do have a few shafts that launch the ball well in those heads but the dispersion is too wide -- the Tensei is the most accurate for me -- dont care if I loose 3-5 yards if I am in the middle all the time.
Good luck - let me know what ya come up with I may want to try it myself. (y)
 
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