TPI Fitting Experience – Surprising Results as a 16 Handicap

[ahelix]

7 minutes ago, conradoconnell said:

How much did this cost in total? 

 

$750 for full bag (no putter, though): http://www.titleist.com/fitting/golf-club-fitting/titleist-performance-institute

 

or $350 for: driver & fairway only, hybrid & irons only, or wedges only

 

Fitting fee does not apply to purchase of clubs. Sounds pricey, but man it was way better than any other fitting I've done before. TrueSpec was solid for indoors. Foreward golf in SoCal was legit for just really trying TONS of options and optimizing your ball striking--really systematic about trying ALL variables (length, lie angle, even grips, TONS of shafts). But TPI was the full package.

 

Hitting off of grass outside was huge for me. I think I just swing differently indoors on a launch monitor off of turf.

 

After researching this a lot, I saw that there's a TPI in Massachusetts, too (not open year-round, though). Cool Clubs at Grayhawk in Scottsdale looks legit. Obviously, Callaway has Ely (ECPC) and Taylormade has the Kingdom (both in San Diego/Carlsbad) as well. Probably can't go wrong with any of these.

 

I do like a place that doesn't try to rack up the cost with fancy shafts. I feel like TrueSpec nudged me into $$$ shafts more than they had to. Still a great place.

[imagine29028]

1 hour ago, ahelix said:

 

$750 for full bag (no putter, though): http://www.titleist.com/fitting/golf-club-fitting/titleist-performance-institute

 

What was your all-in price? Think that's what was being asked. 

[Johnny Biarritz]

14 hours ago, indianagolf2 said:

16 handicap x stiff ??

When I was a fitter many years ago, I was at a True Temper fitting class and saw them fit a Nationwide Tour player for a Senior flex. He thought the fitter was distorted but the fitter says "let's build the club and you try it. See how it goes. You don't like it, I'll put whatever shaft you want in the club." Guy starts hitting on the range, picks up 20+ yards in distance with no loss in accuracy. There was a guy I worked with in Virginia who was probably a 25 handicap, I probably would have started him with a Double X Stiff because he had no accuracy but had an absolutely violent move from the top. Also knew a fitter once who fit a guy for regular flex shafts and the guy insisted that he needed stiff even though every number possible said regular was better...fitter ordered regular but asked the stiff shaft bands. Clubs came, fitter took the regular bands off, put the stiff ones on, called the guy to say his clubs had arrived. Guy never knew the difference.

[ahelix]

1 minute ago, Johnny Biarritz said:

When I was a fitter many years ago, I was at a True Temper fitting class and saw them fit a Nationwide Tour player for a Senior flex. He thought the fitter was distorted but the fitter says "let's build the club and you try it. See how it goes. You don't like it, I'll put whatever shaft you want in the club." Guy starts hitting on the range, picks up 20+ yards in distance with no loss in accuracy. There was a guy I worked with in Virginia who was probably a 25 handicap, I probably would have started him with a Double X Stiff because he had no accuracy but had an absolutely violent move from the top. Also knew a fitter once who fit a guy for regular flex shafts and the guy insisted that he needed stiff even though every number possible said regular was better...fitter ordered regular but asked the stiff shaft bands. Clubs came, fitter took the regular bands off, put the stiff ones on, called the guy to say his clubs had arrived. Guy never knew the difference.

 

haha those are awesome stories! love it. in addition to swinging at a relatively high swing speed, i have a pretty aggressive transition at the top, too. it all adds up. 

[ahelix]

12 minutes ago, imagine29028 said:

What was your all-in price? Think that's what was being asked. 

 

All-in? Meaning what did the clubs cost? $3,775 before tax for just the clubs.

GT3 driver $661

GT280 mini-driver $511

GT2 5W $411

Irons $227/iron ($1,589 total for 7 irons)

 

Obviously not cheap.

[AzRoger]

The issue I see with irons like the T100's is you will really notice and feel a difference if not hitting the center of the face and most players over a 5 handicap, including myself, just don't hit the center of the face consistently. Does TPI offer any trade in options if the clubs don't perform like you expected?

[ahelix]

44 minutes ago, AzRoger said:

The issue I see with irons like the T100's is you will really notice and feel a difference if not hitting the center of the face and most players over a 5 handicap, including myself, just don't hit the center of the face consistently. Does TPI offer any trade in options if the clubs don't perform like you expected?

 

don't know -- but i hope they'd work with me if i find they don't work out?

[indianagolf2]

On 7/2/2025 at 11:42 PM, ahelix said:

Exactly! I was hitting it way better. I’m sure I’m some kind of outlier, but this is why you can’t just select clubs by handicap, and why a fitting helps so much. 
 

I’ll try to report back after 1-2 months with the new clubs to see if this was all a mistake lol

 

On 7/3/2025 at 10:56 AM, Haleone said:

Since when does handicap dictate swing speed or ability to load a shaft? 🤣

Quite often the handicap correlates to swing speed. I never heard of a handicap that is a 16 being x stiff. Maybe you swing too hard and a good part of that handicap is losing accuracy. Jim furyk played reg flex steel shafts hard stepped. Listen...they are the professional fitters amd know more then myself. I'm just voicing my opinion etc. 

[Pnwpingi210]

11 minutes ago, indianagolf2 said:

 

Quite often the handicap correlates to swing speed. I never heard of a handicap that is a 16 being x stiff. Maybe you swing too hard and a good part of that handicap is losing accuracy. Jim furyk played reg flex steel shafts hard stepped. Listen...they are the professional fitters amd know more then myself. I'm just voicing my opinion etc. 

[Ger21]

1 hour ago, indianagolf2 said:

Quite often the handicap correlates to swing speed. I never heard of a handicap that is a 16 being x stiff.

There are thousands of 20+ handicappers that can swing 110-115 these days. I see it every weekend.

[Pnwpingi210]

3 minutes ago, Ger21 said:

There are thousands of 20+ handicappers that can swing 110-115 these days. I see it every weekend.

Yup, in fact for the untrained, being able to swing it faster makes golfer harder since face and path control are more important at 120 than they are at 80

[ahelix]

6 hours ago, Pnwpingi210 said:

Yup, in fact for the untrained, being able to swing it faster makes golfer harder since face and path control are more important at 120 than they are at 80

but those 300y drives keep us coming back after shooting in the 90s lol

[PedronNiall]

On 7/4/2025 at 6:38 PM, indianagolf2 said:

 

Quite often the handicap correlates to swing speed. I never heard of a handicap that is a 16 being x stiff. Maybe you swing too hard and a good part of that handicap is losing accuracy. Jim furyk played reg flex steel shafts hard stepped. Listen...they are the professional fitters amd know more then myself. I'm just voicing my opinion etc. 

 

Shafts are a timing device. Stiffness and load profiles that match someone's overall tempo and transition are much better than giving weight to swing speed. I've seen a number of guys well over 6 feet with high swing speed only playing stiff or less because it just works with their tendencies; the old hat method would have been to stick them in X or TX simply because they can get well over 115 CHS. Foreward Golf has a buzz going because they're exposing players to setups they'd never otherwise think about, and more fitters are learning to have an open mind about trying players in a variety of shafts rather than asking anything about their norms going in. 

 

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/what-the-latest-data-reveals-about-average-golfers--driving-dist

 

You aren't wrong that in general higher handicaps are shorter off the tee, but potential speed generation isn't really the important factor in shaft profile selection. 

 

[ahelix]

A way too early first impression with the mini-driver, 5w, and 54/58 wedges:
- Mini-driver is AMAZING! Easy to hit off the deck, too! Absolutely love this club--feel confident hitting it (vs my old 3W I NEVER wanted to hit it, off the tee or deck)

- GT2 5W nice and easy to hit

- New wedges are def way better, was able to spin a nice 100y shot right back to the hole. The grinds seem to fit my game better, too. 

 

Driver should be here tomorrow! Ordered clubs 6/30, est ship date on the new irons is 7/21.... I really hope they get sent earlier!

[Lantrino]

If True Spec had been outdoors would that have changed your opinion at all on them vs TPI? They've got 'free' fittings in July and looks like they're outdoors these days. Tempting... 

 

https://truespecgolf.com/san-diego/

[ahelix]

34 minutes ago, Lantrino said:

If True Spec had been outdoors would that have changed your opinion at all on them vs TPI? They've got 'free' fittings in July and looks like they're outdoors these days. Tempting... 

 

https://truespecgolf.com/san-diego/

TrueSpec Beverly Hills where I went was great, and if your location is hitting outdoors, that’s even better!

 

Going to TPI for a full bag was a big treat for myself for a milestone occasion. If that wasn’t the case, I would totally do TrueSpec outside. I would just make sure you have LOTS of time so you’re not rushed. Like a minimum of 3 (maybe even 4) hours for full bag minus putter.

 

For me, we figured out irons pretty quickly. But then took some time figuring out what to do between driver and my longest iron. 

 

Also, TrueSpec pushed some more expensive shafts unnecessarily I think. If you tell them to stay away from $$$ shafts, or at least give you a couple options, they usually will.

 

Their pricing is also marked up quite a bit, and they push “pureing”. Seemed like overkill to me, but I haven’t done the deep dive on that topic here on Golfwrx yet. 

 

To answer your Q, I would totally do TrueSpec fitting outside… if I had both TPI or TrueSpec as options, I’d still go TPI. I think you’re just nearly guaranteed to get a good fitter and result from them. And I was cool with going all Titleist as well.

 

Last time I looked, the fittings at Callaway ECPC were priced very competitively. I’d consider that, too. Nothing quite like feeling you’re going to the mother ship lol

[Lantrino]

Oh sweet, I didn't know Callaway was in Carlsbad as well. Spoiled for choice!

 

Appreciate the detailed reply and hope you enjoy your new set mate 

[ahelix]

29 minutes ago, Lantrino said:

Oh sweet, I didn't know Callaway was in Carlsbad as well. Spoiled for choice!

 

Appreciate the detailed reply and hope you enjoy your new set mate 

 

Actually, the $150-$200 fitting at Callaway that I saw might just be on indoor sim bays. If that's the case, I'd go TrueSpec outside.

 

See this post:

 

 

[ahelix]

2nd update: driver came and i hit some balls

- way better dispersion than my previous setup (it's about about 1/2 to 3/4" shorter), X-stiff vs Stiff

- probably about 10y further than my old driver, avg over 30 shots: 275 carry, 113mph clubhead speed, ~160 mph ball speed

 

The distance gain isn't too significant. I could hit the occasional 300y bomb with old driver, too. Honestly, biggest difference with driver is probably the shorter, stiffer shaft being better suited to my current swing (old shaft was ventus blue 6s, which was starting to feel way too flexible).

 

The GT3 head also feels a bit more forgiving than the AI Smoke triple diamond (head size is 10cc bigger). Feel was prob slightly superior on AI smoke TD on the drives I bombed (louder and just springier feedback).

 

The mini-driver is like an automatic 240-250y carry fairway finder... gonna have some harder choices now that I've got a better driver alternative (would never hit my old 3w)! lol

Edited July 10 by ahelix

[ahelix]

Here’s the full new bag!!!! 
 

 

[opensupoverthere27]

Do you mind sharing your experience with the GT280 while you were there? What kind of insight did the fitter give on this as far as why he recommended it? I'm really struggling with 3w this year and have been interested in entertaining a GT280. It would mostly be a tee club unless there isn't any forced carry or trouble trying to get after a par 5 in two. The 3w (GT2) is a bag decoration and has been all year. I'm just worried about it only being 15 yards shorter than driver which makes me hesitant. 30-40 yards shorter would be ideal.

 

Great looking set 

Edited July 18 by opensupoverthere27

[Mark_Tha_Tinkerer]

On 7/3/2025 at 11:36 AM, ahelix said:

 

All-in? Meaning what did the clubs cost? $3,775 before tax for just the clubs.

GT3 driver $661

GT280 mini-driver $511

GT2 5W $411

Irons $227/iron ($1,589 total for 7 irons)

 

Obviously not cheap.

I can't thank you enough for this thread.  I'm going to print out the above quoted post as well as the one about the fitting cost so I can show them to my wife next time I get a delivery of Maltby heads and she looks at me with disdain.

 

I hope you enjoy the clubs for many years.

 

I 

[Lantrino]

On 7/17/2025 at 8:37 PM, ahelix said:

Here’s the full new bag!!!! 

Stoked for you! 

[ahelix]

On 7/18/2025 at 6:05 AM, opensupoverthere27 said:

Do you mind sharing your experience with the GT280 while you were there? What kind of insight did the fitter give on this as far as why he recommended it? I'm really struggling with 3w this year and have been interested in entertaining a GT280. It would mostly be a tee club unless there isn't any forced carry or trouble trying to get after a par 5 in two. The 3w (GT2) is a bag decoration and has been all year. I'm just worried about it only being 15 yards shorter than driver which makes me hesitant. 30-40 yards shorter would be ideal.

 

Great looking set 

 

Well, this might have been more based on me telling the fitter that I almost never hit my 3W off the deck, and that it hasn't been safer than driver off the tee. 

 

I wouldn't say my GT280 is 15-20 shorter. In the single range session I've had so far with both, I was getting average 275y carry with the driver and probably about 245y with the mini-driver. But biggest difference is that I'm confident in backing off to mini-driver... it used to be hard to mentally commit to my 3w on 1 or 2 tee shots in a full round because i barely used it. don't have that same problem w/the mini-driver.

[opensupoverthere27]

1 hour ago, ahelix said:

 

Well, this might have been more based on me telling the fitter that I almost never hit my 3W off the deck, and that it hasn't been safer than driver off the tee. 

 

I wouldn't say my GT280 is 15-20 shorter. In the single range session I've had so far with both, I was getting average 275y carry with the driver and probably about 245y with the mini-driver. But biggest difference is that I'm confident in backing off to mini-driver... it used to be hard to mentally commit to my 3w on 1 or 2 tee shots in a full round because i barely used it. don't have that same problem w/the mini-driver.

 

Great info! Definitely sounds like a weapon for you. Although you should've never told me any of this........🤣 

 

I'll have to get on a monitor this off season and check one out. Enjoy the new set! 

[ahelix]

so for those of you who are curious: first outing with new irons for 9 holes was AWESOME. these t100s are LEGIT! AMAZING distance control, so workable. hit a nice 7i draw around a tree from the rough to protected green and held it (would've never worked with my old 7i). 

 

but it's not all glorious. i'm working on a swing change with my coach (getting shallower), and now i've totally Fd up my driver and mini-driver swing. 5w was good enough to play, though--about 225y off the tee.

 

distance gaps are pretty good at top of bag: ~275 carry driver, 250 mini driver, 225 5w, ~200y 4i (off tee). i hit the t250 4i a couple times--haven't been able to get the full ~200y carry i need from it every time but i'm sure i'll get there. only clubs i didn't hit were 5i/6i which kind of makes sense.

Edited July 24 by ahelix