At GreyDogGolf, we ask you (okay, we TELL you) to get fit for clubs. We also tell you that starting your equipment fitting should begin with finding the best golf ball for you. Do you guys listen? Hmm.. It’s fine, we’ll continue to preach (even if you’re not always in the pews!)
Last month, I paid a visit to Pete’s Golf out in middle Long Island in Mineola. Pete’s has been doing custom fittings since club fittings were barely a thing. 1979, I think! Astonishing. I had three or four phone conversations with the boss, Woody Lashen, and set a time to get out there and have a look at the operation and answer for myself what makes these guys so renowned. I’m here to tell you, they have a near cult-like following and adherents to their operation. Many of you know that I (Wes writing) have dabbled in the investment side of the club fitting world for a few decades. I’d spoken to a few folks at length about Pete’s, including our pro, Chris Stoudt and some elite level amateurs. I was excited to see what’s going on.
I arrived at the shop and took a tour. Here’s what’s different: they will assemble the clubs there, in the shop, with the spec’s you’ve come to (if that’s what you want!) Oh wow! Any brand of head, shaft, grip. Added weight? Sure. Counterbalanced by the gram? Sure. This is tour level stuff.
Let’s make this about me, shall we?! I arrived with an actual need, and I was hooked up with master fitter, Mike Johnson. I came armed with a driver in my hand and presented the challenge: “Mike, we need to make this as good as we can because it’s imperative that I use it in the filming of an episode in our video series ‘Shoot Your Age’”. It comes from one of the co-sponsors of the video series. I mentioned to Mike I happened to like the driver, but I had ordered it with a loft and shaft combination I thought would work. I’ve been at this for a while, and I’m pretty good at it, but I’m also insecure enough to know what I don’t. I wanted to tweak it or adjust it or re-shaft it or regrip it…anything to make it “as good as it can be.” Unfazed, and up for the challenge, Mike said “let’s go!” At this point, I won’t bore you with the hour and ten minutes that followed but it was comprehensive and eye-opening. Mike got a baseline (embarrassing!) and we talked about those numbers. Launch angle…my horrendous angle of attack…club speed (or lack) and ball speed. Questions about the ball I play. He brought into the mix some of the newer just released models that he thought would be good fits and he used those to measure where the driver I brought performed vis a vis the competition. We swapped shafts around and tried different lofts and some lie adjustments. Heavier. Lighter. Stiffer. Mike asked questions all through the process. Sure, the focus on the screen data-capture was ever-present, but these questions made the difference. A couple points:
- One, the club in your hand shouldn’t just be tossed away…see if it might be tweaked and adjusted…even if it was custom-fit last year. This stuff is expensive! Remember, the big OEMs don’t expect you to upgrade every release. The actual design year-to-year targets are for you to upgrade every two, if not three cycles. The gains from one year to next for an amateur (elite or otherwise) are incredibly difficult to find, particularly if a guy like Mike fit you to begin with!
- Two, really have a definitive goal when you walk in. The conversations with Mike made the difference. Talk to your fitter. Less looking at the numbers, more telling him/her how it feels. These nuances matter.
Now, the driver. I’m sure you’re curious. It’s the Vice Golf VGD01+ (touted as a high-performance, low-spin driver). It is. Frankly, it ranks as one of the fastest drivers on the market. I was a touch worried that it was too much for me. Mike said “not at all Wes…you don’t miss the face too much (ugh) and let’s just work with that. The closest competitor was a few yards shorter and about the same dispersion. Go with this. It’s good. Embrace that pull-draw with your aim-line right side of fairway…don’t try to hit the cut…just don’t. I’m happy.”
And I’m happy too.
Get out to Pete’s if you’re in the NYC or Long Island area. It’s just next level. www.petesgolf.com And as always, if you’re down in New Jersey, our “teammates” at Spring Lake Custom Golf do great work. http://www.springlakecustomgolf.com/