Mizuno custom fit v Ping custom fit

[banditkev]

Just over a year ago I was fitted to a set of MP57's by Mizuno. I was a little surprised to be told I'm 2 degrees upright (5'10'' average build etc etc) but figured it must be correct. A golfing buddy purchased a 2nd hand set of Ping Eye 2+ with standard black dot (which I used to play with a few years back,) and so I borrowed the 6 and 9 iron for old times sake and took them to the range. To my amazement I was hitting these old clubs better than my MP57's. When I returned home I put the Ping 6 iron up against the MP57 6 iron and was amazed at how much flatter the Ping was. To add to my confusion I then went online to the Ping webfit page and entered my static details. They suggested I was 1 degree flat ie a red dot. Can it be so different between 2 manufacturers? During the Mizuno fit, the guy did comment on my setup, (hands too far away from body) but I just told him I'd always played that way, and off an 8 handicap wasn't about to start changing my swing as time was against me, I'm in my late 40's.

[bill reed]

Re: Mizuno custom fit v Ping custom fit

hi
most people start playing with a set of the shelf and they adapt to the clubs, when they then go for fitting they often set up the same way to the new clubs as the did with the older ones.
when being fitted you have to trust the fitter in knowing his job and setting you up with the right clubs.
i have been fitted with Ping a few times now and use to be black code (i'm 5.8) but i got a set of "orange" 2% flatter than my fitting. i was going to have them changed to black code but like you i found i was playing better using them.
i took them to my ping fitter and asked why? he tested me using both ther black and orange clubs explaned that i was setting up now with a one plane swing using the orange clubs where before when i was tested i was using a two plane swing.
the clubs had changed my swing. i felt like i was swing the same only better with the "orange" pings.
when i watched my swing on dvd i could see what he was talking about and made so much sense and my swing was flatter and more compact with the flatter clubs.
when tested with both black and red and orange code the orange came out best for my open style of swinging.
with ping they often test you with a 6 iron of diffrent colour codes grips and shafts and check the lie board and computer but often you can ajust to the diffrent clubs and still get a good lie result. the sping raqte and ball flight has to be taken into what club shaft works best so really you want to have a least 6 diffrent shaft types to try like they do with ping.
i know with ping that its not just the club head but the shaft and grip all make a diffrence. a thicker grip takes a few yards off my fade a thionger grip can turn my fade into a slice as there fitting showed.
i have never been to a Mizuno fitter so have no idea how good they are but have been impresed by the two ping fitters i have been with and the last guy spent over 2 hours with me and i was not buying new clubs.
also check if there is a open day near you as you get free fitting even if you dont intend to buy pings.
cheers
bill

[banditkev]

Re: Mizuno custom fit v Ping custom fit

That all makes sense and indeed I've been back to Mizuno on the lie board and presto nice scratch marks dead centre of the irons. I've just returned from the range with the ping black dots and am 100% convinced they feel and perform much better than the Mizunos. All said and done Mizuno measured me as 2 degrees upright on that particular day! I guess I'm not quiet good enough a player to use the Mizunos. At the time of my fitting a year ago, I personally didn't like the look of the Ping irons (too much coloured plastic in the cavity) which made me opt for the more traditional look of the Mizunos and I was also unaware that you could still purchase the ISI iron set from Ping. All said and done I'll look for a 2nd hand set of black dot Pings (Eye 2+, Zings or ISI.) Still confused however by the big difference in lie angles between the 2 manufacturers mentioned above!!

[bill reed]

Re: Mizuno custom fit v Ping custom fit

hi
i have never played Mizuno and know little about them so wont coment on them.
i know with the ping zings! that there the most forgiving club head they ever made.
the isi are the same. what you get is very little diffrence for mis hits on the club face, they do have very big head and most people dont like how they look. i'm more intrested in how they play and i can play a nice fade or draw even with such a forgiving club.
there are plenty of zings, zing2 and isi out there second hand and the ping eye were the best selling club ever made and even today no other club maker has come close to the numbers of ping eyes sold in the first 3 years they were made.
if your looking for ping eye irons look for ones with a + or a dot on them as if they dont have that there they have the ilegal square groves.
i have tried out the ping raptur irons and found them a few yards longer but not any better than the zings so thats why i stick with a club that is almost 18 years old.
if you were to get a set of zings or isi then try and find a ping open day and take your clubs along. you would get them ajusted and fitted for free at any ping open day.
a list of open days are on the ping web site so you may find them at a club near you.
all the best
Bill

[banditkev]

Re: Mizuno custom fit v Ping custom fit

Thanks Bill for the good advice, I guess I was always partial to the classic Ping irons. Since 2001, as my handicap tumbled from 19 down to an uncomfortable (for me anyway) 8, I assumed that newer clubs would automatically be better than previous technology etc etc, hence my willingness to of at last reached a standard where I thought being measured up would be of benefit to myself and also my game. I guess it's an expensive mistake that I'll just have to put down to experience and am indeed now looking for any of the irons you have mentioned above. Regards and good golfing.

[kbp]

Re: Mizuno custom fit v Ping custom fit

They're YOUR clubs, not the club fitters. Get the Mizunos bent to whatever lie angle YOU like and enjoy them.