I have a lot of friends who are HG fitters down under so take this as a "I know both sides of the story" bit of input.
I spend so much time cutting HGs 2" overs down to a size that players can hit off grass an not a board its not funny. Everyone wants length so an extra bit of controllable clubhead speed is handy. The key word there is controllable. I see many players who can nail a club off a matt or lie board but have no chance in play of grass with +2". Most of those players are too embarrassed to go back to HG and ask for the chop as they have lost faith in not just the product but the fitting method too.
HG clubs and their fitting carts are magic. I even show the lads how to use a LM to prove some of their sales pitches but boy rather like TGM swing docs and 'the rest' there is a big difference in knowledge of real fitting. Answer is to find a TGM savy fitter be it an HG or any other fitting system
I have a lot of friends who are HG fitters down under so take this as a "I know both sides of the story" bit of input.
I spend so much time cutting HGs 2" overs down to a size that players can hit off grass an not a board its not funny. Everyone wants length so an extra bit of controllable clubhead speed is handy. The key word there is controllable. I see many players who can nail a club off a matt or lie board but have no chance in play of grass with +2". Most of those players are too embarrassed to go back to HG and ask for the chop as they have lost faith in not just the product but the fitting method too.
HG clubs and their fitting carts are magic. I even show the lads how to use a LM to prove some of their sales pitches but boy rather like TGM swing docs and 'the rest' there is a big difference in knowledge of real fitting. Answer is to find a TGM savy fitter be it an HG or any other fitting system
You make it sound like HG's "fitting method" is to fit everyone with longer clubs and that you can't play out of grass with 2" over. Please remember that the HG cart gives options that other manufacturers simply will not do. I have fit many players long and upright, short and flat, short and upright, long and flat, and yes even standard. Whatever it takes to make the student hit the ball better.
I appreciate your knowlege but I think that presenting doubt to someone who is obviously happy with his changed appearance and swing motion is wrong. The player made a point of of referencing his teacher's lineage and its TGM roots so why question the club. Have you seen him swing? Do you know his physical size and/or limitations? Why can't a player play in grass with +2"? Isn't a 5 iron 2 inches longer than a 9 iron?
Just like TGM, HG believes in options. I really wish that "standard" would go away and we could all deal with the real.
The reason my instructor/fitter suggested the longer shafts, was not for distance. That is not an issue. I have fairly short arms and videos of my swing revealed that I was way too bent over at address, and I would compensate with each succeeding swing by widening my stance in an attempt to reach the ball. We tried shafts at 1/2", 1", 1 1/2', 2", and 2 1/2" over before determining that 2" over 5* flat worked best (off the ground, not just the board by the way). I got the best ball flight with a nice slight draw.
I am very aware of the slagging HG takes on the Australian golf boards (such as I Seek Golf). It reminds me of the beating that Adams Golf took over at Bombsquadgolf before the proprietors at that site got in bed with Adams. Now they and their lemming readership sing the praises of Adams drivers, irons, wedges, and hybrids. As I said in my first post, I will keep you posted on how things work out, and what adjustments are made to tweak the irons, if necessary.
As for the recommendation of finding a TGM savy fitter, HG likes their fitters to be TGM authorized (many are), and their head honcho, who posts on this board is an AI, right? I already alluded to my instructor's TGM connections. The very first feedback I got at my first lesson was "we need to correct your finish swivel." The demonstration was straight out of the book.
Just some comments. I've been fitted for HG irons 3 times and woods once. Didn't buy any cause I tinker with making my own concepts on maybe 60 sets. When out of town my wife got fitted some 15 years ago and loves them still. I guess she couldn't weight for me to finish my tinkering which I still do?? Two issues with HG suprised me. When doing one iron fitting and I was not hitting the ball dead center, the fitter added 1 inch to the club and instantly I was hitting it perfect. On the wood fitting by who is now HG's CEO who also knew I changed stroke concepts almost daily (Thanks Homer) he finally had me hit about 30 degrees left with a club. I hit it straight down the middle. He changed clubs and had me hit it 30 degrees right. Again straight down the middle. Lastly, he changed clubs and asked me to aim it straight down the middle which I did for the next 5 shots. All down the middle. He then wouldn't sell me the club as he knew I would change my swing the next day anyway. Don't tell me HG doesn't know their business. Additionally, has anyone tried Wishon's MOI mateched clubs and what do they think???
Okay, I got the sticks today. They felt great. A very balanced feeling. Did not feel too heavy or hard to control. Nice trajectory, and most importantly, they went where I aimed them. Easy to draw and fade as well. Poor swings still had decent results (straight with some distance loss). Will have to refigure my distances (to be expected with the longer shafts). And frankly, I have NEVER carried a 5 iron 200 yards in my life. I did today. Repeatedly. And don't ever let anyone tell you that SST Puring isn't worth it in irons. IT IS.
I will take them to the course tomorrow and report back.
You make it sound like HG's "fitting method" is to fit everyone with longer clubs and that you can't play out of grass with 2" over. Please remember that the HG cart gives options that other manufacturers simply will not do. I have fit many players long and upright, short and flat, short and upright, long and flat, and yes even standard. Whatever it takes to make the student hit the ball better.
I appreciate your knowlege but I think that presenting doubt to someone who is obviously happy with his changed appearance and swing motion is wrong. The player made a point of of referencing his teacher's lineage and its TGM roots so why question the club. Have you seen him swing? Do you know his physical size and/or limitations? Why can't a player play in grass with +2"? Isn't a 5 iron 2 inches longer than a 9 iron?
Just like TGM, HG believes in options. I really wish that "standard" would go away and we could all deal with the real.
I was not referring to the fellow above as having been fitted wrongly at all as his fitter DID know what he was doing. The HG cart is magic options wise and because of it a player gets to TRY so much more than any OEM cart has a chance to offer. Indeed their post purchase service should be second to none product wise for those not getting the intended result.
Sadly fitting down under is very much a bottom rank set of skills with many a player not being fitted for all the variables you mentioned above. Clubs are more about the sales than the playability for the individual player (and I stress this is not a comment on HG fitting there!!!!) .
Having been fitted by Hg in the past my experience was bordering on laughable,yet i was fitted by the no1 or no 2 HG man in this country.
The sad thing is the system i was fitted by is so far behind what a modern club fitter can do with a range of clubs it is laughable.
Do hg own the world rights to sst no plenty of people use them for those who wish to buy the service.
Are hg the only company that cpm shafts and match them before use no.
But then if they were using premium shafts they would not need to after all a number of graphite shaft manufacturers have a plus or minus 1 cpm tolerance on their shafts and they state what the cpm is in manufature ie 245 cpm 250etc etc they have a quality control that Hg have not achieved yet they supposedly analyse all their shafts.
When i get fitted with a reg flex soft tip shaft with a swing over 100 mph and hitting the ball high and a fast transition i know their system is breaking down.
Hg need to get rid of the guys who sell rather than fit clubs.
I have a lot of friends who are HG fitters down under so take this as a "I know both sides of the story" bit of input.
I spend so much time cutting HGs 2" overs down to a size that players can hit off grass an not a board its not funny. Everyone wants length so an extra bit of controllable clubhead speed is handy. The key word there is controllable. I see many players who can nail a club off a matt or lie board but have no chance in play of grass with +2". Most of those players are too embarrassed to go back to HG and ask for the chop as they have lost faith in not just the product but the fitting method too.
HG clubs and their fitting carts are magic. I even show the lads how to use a LM to prove some of their sales pitches but boy rather like TGM swing docs and 'the rest' there is a big difference in knowledge of real fitting. Answer is to find a TGM savy fitter be it an HG or any other fitting system
The first time I came in contact with HG was through this site. Never heard of it. I begun asking questions and it did not take long time to see the benefits a fitter/teacher have with this system.
So I put myself in contact with HG Europe, one thing lead to another and last week I had the pleasure to attend a seminar in Germany, runned by HG, and also spend a day with HG´s CEO. During that time I learned more about the system, I could "pick his brain" and see some fitting session with some players.
After that day, little more than a week ago, I have been surfing around the internet to get so much information/input regarding HG.
Some are positive to HG, and some, especially in iseekgolf, are very negative.
The thing that strikes me is that it is the company, HG, who gets the negativ comments. NOT THE FITTER!!!
HG only build the clubs that the fitter has ordered. They DO NOT CHANGE those specs.
AND, all those unsatisfied customers, WHY did they not go back to the fitter with their complaints. To my knowledge, HG is THE ONLY company that gives the customer the opportunity to change the specs on the clubs after receiving them WITHOUT COST, the only catch is that you have to do it within the first 100 days.
I said: within the first 100 days!!
You dont like the head - change
You dont like the shafts - change
You dont like the grips - change
Seems to me that all the "unsatisfied" HG customers didn´t get this info.
Is it HG´s fault - NO
They should talk to the fitter.
Btw, my fitting cart is on its way.
__________________
Golf is an impossible game with impossible tools - Winston Churchill
The first time I came in contact with HG was through this site. Never heard of it. I begun asking questions and it did not take long time to see the benefits a fitter/teacher have with this system.
So I put myself in contact with HG Europe, one thing lead to another and last week I had the pleasure to attend a seminar in Germany, runned by HG, and also spend a day with HG´s CEO. During that time I learned more about the system, I could "pick his brain" and see some fitting session with some players.
After that day, little more than a week ago, I have been surfing around the internet to get so much information/input regarding HG.
Some are positive to HG, and some, especially in iseekgolf, are very negative.
The thing that strikes me is that it is the company, HG, who gets the negativ comments. NOT THE FITTER!!!
HG only build the clubs that the fitter has ordered. They DO NOT CHANGE those specs.
AND, all those unsatisfied customers, WHY did they not go back to the fitter with their complaints. To my knowledge, HG is THE ONLY company that gives the customer the opportunity to change the specs on the clubs after receiving them WITHOUT COST, the only catch is that you have to do it within the first 100 days.
I said: within the first 100 days!!
You dont like the head - change
You dont like the shafts - change
You dont like the grips - change
Seems to me that all the "unsatisfied" HG customers didn´t get this info.
Is it HG´s fault - NO
They should talk to the fitter.
Btw, my fitting cart is on its way.
Javier, Great to have you on board!! I appreciate the fact that you realize the clubs are only as good as the fitter and that the FOLLOW-UP process is a key part of the equation. When you as a fitter/teacher remember to teach the imperatives and essentials and fit to BALANCE, you will do a great job.
I already alluded to my instructor's TGM connections. The very first feedback I got at my first lesson was "we need to correct your finish swivel." The demonstration was straight out of the book. 
Hybrid Mode
