Getting my Son a New Driver -- Any Advise?

[jo_bus]

He thinks he can get more distance w/ a new driver

I'm taking my son to EJL Custom Golf (Willowbrook, IL) to get a new driver on Saturday 12/27. I (we) have no experience w/ club fittings. Do you have any suggestions to help us through the fitting? His current driver is a TM R7 Quad HT 425.

I assume launch monitors calculate how far right/left your ball would've gone...true?

[truck13]

is this a launch monitor that is outside so you can see ball flight also? For me that is the only way I will demo clubs anymore. I know that it is not possible for everyone but it really is the best way imo to make sure you get fitted correctly. Depending on the launch monitor it will give you every kind of # imaginable, backspin, sidespin, lauch angle, ball speed, smash factor, swing speed. Hit as many clubs as you can and be open to different lofts, shaft flexes, brands etc. Hopefully you will have a good fitter and your son will have a good experience!

[irishfight4it]

the directional measurements are relatively unimportant... optimizing launch angle and backspin is the main focus. the directional isnt always accurate because aiming perpendicular to the machine is difficult, also, the club doesn't make a shot go crooked...

[e-man]

I'd be interested to hear how it goes. I've heard good things about that place. I work out in Oak Brook, and have been thinking about paying them a visit. I agree with the previous poster who said that launch and spin are the most important factors. Have him try as many different heads and shaft combinations so that he gets as close to his optimum numbers as possible for his swing speed. There is a chart floating around the Internet that tells you what the optimum launch angle and back spin are for certain swing speeds. Good luck and let us know how it works out.

 

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[robbie91]

make sure they give you his spin rate, launch angle, ball speed, swing speed, carry distance, and smash factor. then re post the results and what club and shaft they want to put him into before you buy anything.

[3step]

A good fitter with good equipment and a lot of test clubs is a great start.

 

However, even if you find the club with the "optimal" launch conditions, that feels great, looks great, etc., it is meaningless unless you have a strong performance warranty after the fact.

 

A club with all the right numbers may seem like a can't miss weapon, but once you take that club outdoors into competition, under pressure, you are in an entirely different setting.

 

Your first question should always be- "What happens if this club doesn't work?"

 

If they can't answer that question to your satisfaction..., run...!

 

Regards, 3

[BJG718]

the guys there should let you demo it at a range. i know theres an indoor bubble 10 or so miles up kingery highway. have them fit your son for the optimal launch conditions. then ask if he'd be able to leave your credit card there and actually see the ballflight/control by renting the demo club for 3-4 hrs. they let me rent a club i was interested in buying just so i could see the ballflight and control as opposed to just using the launch monitor.

[jo_bus]

Thanks for the feedback!! Truely appreciate it. I'll post how it goes this weekend.

[JoeF]

I've had EJL do 2 drivers for me. I think you will like the experience. I know I did. these 2 drivers are both fairway finders. Go in with a open mind

[claytonstoker21]

make sure you find the optimal numbers, dirrection does really matter , it could be in your swing or you could get a face angle to compensate for it

[Deerslayer]

On the driver, you MAY want to "buck" the traditional fitting if your son is not a big kid. If you "fit" a driver to my son, it would be POLAR opposite from what he plays. If he can control it effectively, let him hit the longest driver possible. Make sure regardless that the shaft fits his swing at the finished length of the driver. I think the correct shaft selection is the most important thing in fitting him to a driver.

My son is only 5' tall and plays a driver that has a 8.5 degree loft and is 46" long! Yes, one full inch long and he is 5' tall. He is one of the most accurate players you will ever see off the tee in tournament play usually averages missing no more than 1 or two fairways per round at the most. If your son is a bigger stronger player, this is not an issue, but small stature players need all the mechanical advantage they can get off the tee and still handle it effectively. The driver is the only club in the bag I would consider doing this with though.

[Grum]

On the driver, you MAY want to "buck" the traditional fitting if your son is not a big kid. If you "fit" a driver to my son, it would be POLAR opposite from what he plays. If he can control it effectively, let him hit the longest driver possible. Make sure regardless that the shaft fits his swing at the finished length of the driver. I think the correct shaft selection is the most important thing in fitting him to a driver.

 

 

Bang on, one of the fundamentals to fitting for length is that you fit the player for the longest length they can control. Fitting for length/lie is all about hitting it solid/as consistent as possible, not what gives you the longest results.

[jo_bus]

...If he can control it effectively, let him hit the longest driver possible...

 

Thanks for the confirmation! That's what got us started with all of this. My son is 11 - 4'10". He was hitting my driver at the range in October and told me he was hitting it farther than he hits his driver. After watching him, he was consistently flying it past where his drives went - roll included.

 

My driver would occasionally rub against his stomach and he just didn't strike it as consistently as he should. I initially thought about cutting mine down a few inches and letting him use it (may still do it). His instructor suggested having these guys see what they could do for him. It'll be interesting.

[Double Gee]

some interesting and varied replies.

 

I enjoyed my custom fit, but the problem was that on the day I was swinging well... VERY WELL. So the club I chose was good for me on good days and on bad it was not all that foregiving.

 

Seems to me we get fitted for our 'A' game not the game we play for the most part..... the more average or poor your game is, then i ask ...'IS IT WORTH GETTING A TRUE CUSTOM FIT' ? as your game is too in and out.

[jo_bus]

...i know theres an indoor bubble 10 or so miles up kingery highway...

 

Is this the place you're referring to? http://www.whitepinesgolfdome.com/rates.htm

[Deerslayer]

If he is 11 and 4-11, I would go longer on the length if he is consistent with it. My son can hit this setup 240 to 250yds and his old driver that "fits" him 220! Something to consider

[jo_bus]

My 11-year old son was fit at EJL Custom Golf in Willowbrook, IL today. Nick Sherburne (the owner) did the fitting. Overall it was a good experience. He moved so fast it was hard for a rookie like me to keep up w/ why he was doing what he was doing.

 

My son's original driver head is a 40" TaylorMade R7 Quad HT 425 - 11.5 loft. The shaft is a Rapport Recoil 50. I'm not sure the flex since we bought it used -- I'm sure it's pretty wobbly since it was fit for a 9-year old boy.

 

My son was fit into a 43" 2009 TaylorMade Burner HT - 12.0 loft. The shaft is a UST Accra HT 60 M3 (men's regular flex).

 

Nick had him hit a little over half dozen balls with his old driver. He would then have him hit three balls with a head/shaft configuration he believed would give him a higher launch and less backspin. Nick eventually settled into the above configuration.

 

My son's backspin decreased by 15% (old = 3180 -- new = 2707). His launch angle increased by 3.4 (old = 8.9 -- new = 12.3). His carry decreased by 2 yards while his overall yardage increased by 16 yards (old = 162 -- new 178). His ball speed remained exactly the same. His side spin decreased by 69% (old = 568R -- new 178R).

 

He was able to hit it at an indoor dome (100 yards long and a million yards tall). His ball flight was definitely higher with the new setup compared to the old. He was also noticeably straighter with the new one.

 

After reviewing the data, it looked like the same club head w/ the Grafalloy ProLaunch Blue was also a good fit for him. His three shots w/ it had better numbers than what we ended up buying. Compared to his old driver his ballspeed was -2.4, launch was +6.3, carry was +16, overall yardage was +19, sidespin was reduced by 61%.

 

I don't understand why he didn't have him hit the Grafalloy more. Any ideas??

 

Lessons learned....study the data before you leave.

 

We paid $50 for the fitting. $279 for the head and $140 for the shaft.

[irishfight4it]

maybe because the prolaunch blue is way less than $140

[Deerslayer]

Did he ever try a full length driver?

[jo_bus]

Did he ever try a full length driver?

 

He did. After a few hits my son said he didn't feel comfortable. The fitter then had him inch his way down the shaft until he felt comfortable. The fitter's said he considers a "full length" driver to be 45".