Hi Justin, 

Thanks for the question. 

Honestly, both the eye test and launch monitor numbers are important. You can't have a great fit without either. The important question is which one is more important to you. Personally, I care about launch monitor numbers more. I know that if I have a club I can hit within the ideal range of launch and spin, I can make adjustments to hit it high or low on command. However, if I have a driver that I hit too low or too high, I feel I have to make too many compensations.

Also, if you find a club that gives you 20-30 more yards, it would definitely warrant a new shaft and head combination. That is just too much distance to give up. 

Hope this helps. 

Bubba

Thanks for the feedback. It is difficult to find fitters with a launch monitor in my area. When I do, they are indoor so you cannot see the ball flight. I am dying to get the new 915 D3 out on the range and see what it can do.

As usual, I enjoy you insight and knowledge. Thanks, Justin

I go with the eye test and the touch test.  My thought is that I want to like how the club works for me how I like it to rather than what the launch monitor says.

As far as the shaft/club combination, an extra 20-30 yards would be amazing but it still comes back to the feel for me.

I think both the launch monitor and sight and feel of the shot are important.  You can hit shots in an indoor hitting bay with a launch monitor and get your club settings and shafts dialed in for sure, but going out onto the range and observing the ball flight is a critical step as well.  I also think taking the club out onto the course and hitting shots in "real" settings is also important.

In my opinion, both are necessary and how this applies to a player can vary with the individual.  For me, it is really like any decision-making process where you have both objective and subjective components.  the Trackman will give you objective data to identify the club/ball speed, launch angle, spin rate, carry distance, etc. and these amounts are very important when considering a specific club set up.  After you look at all of the objective data and narrow down the setup, you then can go with the more objective data which is how the club feels, what does the ball flight look like, how do you like the shot shape and workability, etc.  You can have two shafts that have very similar characteristic when you look at them on a launch monitor, but feel very different when you get them out into play.

For me, I like to narrow down the options with the launch monitor, spend some time on the range with the more narrow range of options, then spend some time out on the course once I have made a decision into the last 1 or 2 setups for confirmation.

Justin,

At the risk of sounding like a broken record...I think both tests are crucial in the fitting process. When I get fit for clubs I use the Trackman data to settle on 2-4 potential shaft options that all provide similar results. I then use feel / eye tests to come up with the option that I feel most confident hitting in any situation.

I hope this helps.

Fairways & Greens,

Will