Chicago fitting: Cool Clubs, True Spec or Club Champion?

[eric61]

I'm planning to do a full-bag fitting this winter. Cool Clubs, True Spec and Club Champion are all around the Chicago area, so I wanted to ask folks which they'd recommend? 

 

I also want to note it's unlikely I'll buy much, if anything, from the fitter. I'm much more interested in doing this to learn about the specs that work best for my swing, the shaft profiles I best fit into, to get to try stuff I've never had the opportunity to try, etc., and then take that information and use it moving forward, knowing I can get much better prices from Discount Dan's, the BST on here, etc. Would any of the three I mentioned be particularly salty about someone coming in for a full-bag fitting who isn't necessarily going to buy? 

[MountainKing]

I've had good fittings at Club Champion in Willowbrook, they don't really care if you do or don't buy.  The one draw back is they'll tend to try to put you in shafts that fall in the $300+ range, you'll often need to do some pressuring from your side to try shafts on the lower dollar side.   Some of the shafts they'll try to squeeze you into can be tough to find on the retail market. 

 

[Argonne69]

I had a couple of driver fittings at Cool Clubs. 'Very happy with the process and results. Didn't feel any pressure to buy, or to move up to a more expensive shaft. 

 

 

[psygolf]

Pay for a fitting with D.Kusek at PGASS in Downers Grove.  He used to be an OEM tech rep, they give him full reign to order the same exotics as the boutique fitting centers.

 

He will give an honest opinion & advice.

[eagle2838]

I did a driver fitting a few years ago at CC in Willowbrook and it was very average. I did not like their mat system (struggled to get tee height correct) and while the overall fitting seemed OK, over time I felt that what they put me in wasn't really the best fit for me. I had a much better subsequent fitting with a Callaway rep at my club. 

 

I'd second the bias toward $$$ shafts at CC

[bankkur74]

I have only done fittings( driver, irons, putter) at club Champion and none with the rest, so can’t comment on those.  As for cc, I have not been disappointed except I have noticed that for the driver they will try to fit you and push you towards a VA shaft.  But not once did they try to push a Ventus or even higher priced club/shaft towards me.  I even played with an employee who was driving through my area who even stated they will try to push VA shafts. So beware.  But if it works for you, give it a try.

[TerrapinGolfer]

Club champ and true spec are both mediocre. Have not been to cool clubs. Unfortunately Chicago is plagued with not having any good fitters. I would only recommend going there to test stuff out 

[MountainKing]

12 hours ago, TerrapinGolfer said:

Club champ and true spec are both mediocre. Have not been to cool clubs. Unfortunately Chicago is plagued with not having any good fitters. I would only recommend going there to test stuff out 

 

Not really sure what you consider a good fitter, but there are a ton of them in our area, including guys who work with tour players.  

[TerrapinGolfer]

32 minutes ago, MountainKing said:

 

Not really sure what you consider a good fitter, but there are a ton of them in our area, including guys who work with tour players.  

May I ask who? 

[MountainKing]

12 hours ago, TerrapinGolfer said:

May I ask who? 

 

Guys at both Truespec and Club Champion in Willowbrook have worked with tour players.  Mistwood and Cantigny both have great fitting centers.   There's a great fitter up at Kemper Lakes.   Cog is bringing in a big time guy from Florida to add to their great PGA staff. 

 

Not really sure what you're looking for,  but if you consider TS or Club Champion to be mediocre, you're not gonna be happy anywhere. 

 

Edited January 8, 2022 by MountainKing

[TerrapinGolfer]

have been to other fitters and have been happy with them. The experience was much more detail oriented than it was at cc and true spec. They had such great knowledge about fitting and building clubs. Those fitters also built the clubs themselves. Club champion in Chicago has very high turnover, I had a few recommendations about a fitter just to find out they don’t work there anymore. Just my experience with them. CC has a bunch of fitters so I’m sure there are a few good ones there. 

[psygolf]

On 1/7/2022 at 11:00 PM, TerrapinGolfer said:

May I ask who? 

May we ask who has given you the competent club-fitting (?) ...since there has been no one in Chicagoland that has met your satisfaction.

 

*not trying to bait.

[TerrapinGolfer]

if people went to cc and TS and were satisfied that’s awesome and happy they were able to find exactly what they wanted. I personally did not have the best experiences there. 

Edited April 25, 2022 by TerrapinGolfer

[MountainKing]

2 hours ago, TerrapinGolfer said:

For sure, ultimate fit golf in Minneapolis. And if people went to cc and TS and were satisfied that’s awesome and happy they were able to find exactly what they wanted. I personally did not have the best experiences there. 

So you've done two fittings in Chicago, and decided there's not one competent fitter in the Chicago area, that houses about 8 million people?

 

I'm not doubting your experience,  but maybe tell us what you were looking for vs what you got.   There's guys at Tour Spec who have worked with touring pros, so I'm curious.

 

CC in Willowbrook has turn around,  a lot of their guys get swiped up by the OEMs or they move on to become teaching pros.

Edited January 9, 2022 by MountainKing

[psygolf]

3 hours ago, MountainKing said:

So you've done two fittings in Chicago, and decided there's not one competent fitter in the Chicago area, that houses about 8 million people?

 

I'm not doubting your experience,  but maybe tell us what you were looking for vs what you got.   There's guys at Tour Spec who have worked with touring pros, so I'm curious.

 

CC in Willowbrook has turn around,  a lot of their guys get swiped up by the OEMs or they move on to become teaching pros.

+1

High turnaround could equally mean that an operation has highly-qualified fitters are constantly moving onward & upward.

[VinoGolf55]

For those who have had a bad fitting experience In Chicago…who here is specifically speaking about the fitter at True Spec? Any one actually get fit by him? 

[Lefty_3Jack]

I've had good experiences with Dennis Piant at Cool Clubs.  Not sure if he is still there or not?