A few weeks ago I was chatting with my Dad encouraging him to go get fit for a new set of Titleist Clubs (He’s never actually been fit properly in his life – despite having played golf for over 40 years..!) His response?: “I need to practice more before I go get fit.”
It’s the response that is heard from many when prompted to go through a club fitting – whether it be for irons, fairways, drivers, wedges, you name it. Well Team Titleist, I know you all know better – but I’m here to reinforce just how important it is to go through a proper fitting.. by sharing my own fitting experience this past December!
When I came on board at Titleist this fall, I had already been through several club fittings over my 15 years playing golf – from the guys at Golfsmith who automatically pointed me to the pink and floral ‘ladies’ clubs, to my local rep, to grabbing a club at demo day and taking a liking to it.
To start off- I’ll admit, I’ve never been into the specs and technology side of golf equipment. But I do like to play good golf, so having equipment fit for my game is key part of that. Just two weeks into the job (with a bag of mismatched brands..shhhh don’t tell…) I was lucky enough to trade in the New England cold for sunny Carlsbad as I headed out to the Titleist Performance Institute for a full bag fitting of the latest and greatest that Titleist has to offer!
THE DAY OF MY FITTING
As I drove up to the Titleist Performance Institute in Oceanside, CA, I was greeted by vast, lush green grass – a state of the art facility: Think Disney World for #TeamTitleist members! 
I was greeted by Joey, my fitter for the day, who led me outside to a private teeing area engulfed in beautiful Southern Cal sunshine. I started out with a quick warm up and worked my way down from Driver all the way to wedges. I’ll fast forward a bit to my specs, but to sum it up, I was amazed at the amount of options and detail that went into every club I was fit for.
DRIVER + FAIRWAY
Going into the fitting, I had a driver in my bag that at the moment, I would have coined as the ‘GOAT’. I had used a version of it over the past three years, and was convinced that nothing I was fit for could beat this driver. And boy was I wrong.
I ended up with the TS3 9.5° (A1 Hosel) with the HZRDS Smoke 60 S shaft. Not only did I gain about 10 yards of carry distance, but about 5-10 extra yards of roll – which I immediately noticed the first time I took the big dog out on the course (see video below). In addition, Joey adjusted the SureFit weight to promote a fade, since I’ve fought a hook miss for as long as I can remember.
For my three wood, I ended up going with the TS2 16.5° (B1 Hosel) and the same shaft as my driver, HZRDS Smoke 60 S. I’m pretty long off the tee, so this setup provided me with a club option to help go for more par five’s in two.
The Maiden Voyage
UTILITY IRONS
This is the part that really gets me fired up. Rewind to the part where my miss is a hook. I know one thing about my golf swing: If I can hook a driver, I can REALLY hook a hybrid. And sometimes, the images of those hooks can really instill in your mind when you’re faced with a lake hugging the left side of the fairway (positive thoughts.. right?).
In past fittings, I had hit some utility irons but my numbers were never as strong as they were with my hybrids – leaving a big gap in my bag. I was so excited to try out the new U·Series utility irons, and these things delivered.
I ended up going with a 2 and 3 U·500 utility iron to replace my hybrids (both with the HZRDS Smoke 80 S shaft). Let me tell you, Team Titleist. THESE THINGS ARE THE REAL DEAL. Not only do I feel much better standing over them, but the versatility is amazing. High, low, left, right, you name it. I can tell that these utility irons are going to shave some strokes off my game.
IRONS
I have to say, when I first hit the T100 irons, I was in love with them. Thin top-line, but not too thin, and the feel like I was going to do some serious scoring with them. At the end of the day, I went with the T200 irons (NS Pro 950 S shaft) after I gained an extra five yards of carry with my 7-iron (150-155, a big jump just with an equipment change)!
I did have the opportunity to hit the new T100S at the PGA Show this January, and they were another great option – especially for players like myself that like the look of the T100, but need just a little bit more help to get the ball to launch off the club face. So I'd definitely keep your eyes peeled over the course of the month if this is the kind of iron your game is looking for!
WEDGES
My favorite part of the fitting (and most eye opening) was getting fit for the all-new Vokey #SM8 wedges. I was actually fit the previous day during our #SM8 event with some of our Titleist staffers before a storm rolled in (I know what you’re thinking… it rains in Southern Cal?!).
Prior to the fitting, I had played a 50-54-58 setup and had sworn off on a 60 degree wedge in years prior. During the fitting process, Lucas (another Titleist Performance Institute fitter), brought me out to a short game practice area. I hit several wedge shots, and with each one, he wouldn’t let me see what wedge I was hitting – not even a peek at bounce or loft. Instead, he would hand me wedge after wedge, asking how it felt, what I liked/disliked about it.
The most interesting part was how Lucas prompted me to test out the wedges on shots that would typically intimidate or scare me – in this instance, a short-sided flop shot off of a tight lie. I have to say it was a bit intimidating – but the best part is that you end up with a club that is best suited for all shots.
To my surprise – I was fitted for a 48.10 F, 54.12D and a 60.08M. Until this fitting, I never knew how important a wedge fitting was, and how much detail goes into selecting the correct bounce and lofts to properly fill the gaps in my bag. SM8's are in shop THIS FRIDAY(!). Highly recommend you guys check them out if your grooves are in a need of a refresh.
PUTTER
I game a 2013 Scotty Cameron GoLo mallet (center shafted) that has been with me through the good, bad and the ugly. That being said, when touring the Scotty Cameron facilities in Encinitas, I found out that one can send their putter in to be completely refurbished, no matter it’s condition!
Since this putter was run over by my college van back in my glory days (it’s a long story), it’s safe to say it’s been through a lot. I will definitely be sending this bad boy in for a little TLC!
FINAL WITB
- · TS3 9.5° Driver (A1 Hosel) with HZRDS Smoke 60 S shaft
- · TS2 16.5° Fairway (B1 Hosel) with HZRDS Smoke 60 S shaft
- · U·500 Utility Irons (2&3 irons) with HZRDS Smoke 80 S shafts
- · T200 Irons (5-PW) with NS Pro 950 S shafts
- · SM8 Wedges 48.10F, 54.12D, & 60.08M with Pro 950 S shafts
- · Scotty Cameron Putter Select GoLo, Center-shafted
To sum up my experience – I highly recommend you get fitted properly if you haven’t been already. No matter your handicap, or what shape your game is in, ANYONE can benefit from a proper fitting (and…another time for those in the back!). Now that I’m all set for the 2020 season – I just need for this New England weather to warm up! Can’t wait to head out to the course with you all from #TeamTitleist!
All the best,
Emily