Shaft optimizer

Joined
May 9, 2021
HCP
3
Local club/country
US
Irons
Mizuno MP20 MB 4-PW
Driver
Mizuno ST Z
#1
I've read people were fit with a 6 iron and I was fit with a 7. Is the shaft optimizer 6 iron length or 7 or is there 2 versions, thanks.
 

Halebopp

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2012
HCP
10.6
Local club/country
Lakeside Golf Vammala, Finland
Irons
MP-H5/53/4
Driver
MP-650/ST180
#2
I've read people were fit with a 6 iron and I was fit with a 7. Is the shaft optimizer 6 iron length or 7 or is there 2 versions, thanks.
I believe most manufacturers moved to a 7 irons as their demo irons, including Mizuno. Therefore the SwingDNA system also needs to be based on the 7 iron.

My take is the reason is in the loft creep and how modern 6 irons, which can be equivalent of old 4 irons, don't really work well as demo clubs.
 

Steve Smith

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2014
Local club/country
Newcastle upon tyne
#3
Well said Halebop. That is why you see so many individual 6 irons for sale on ebay. Ex demos that the shops binned or gave away when the new model came out.

I am not convinced about the shaft optimizer yet. I think there are so many other factors to consider.

IE NOBODY GOES AT IT IN THE SAME WAY IN A SHOP UNDER LAB CONDITIONS AS THEY DO ON THE COURSE.

You swing smooth in a booth but you should add 5 to 10 mph to that when you give it a WHACK ON THE TRACK.
 

DennisMiller

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2014
Location
Miami, Florida
HCP
Old Age
Local club/country
Killian Greens Golf Club
Irons
MX-1000
Driver
ST-180
#4
I am not convinced about the shaft optimizer yet. I think there are so many other factors to consider. NOBODY GOES AT IT IN THE SAME WAY IN A SHOP UNDER LAB CONDITIONS AS THEY DO ON THE COURSE
I couldn't agree more. But stop and look at the process first. The fitting is a mechanical process up to a point, but I personally feel what the fitter does to prepare you for your fitting is more important.

Like many of you, I've been fitted by a variety of companies, including Mizuno. The Shaft Optimizer did give me useful feedback at a point when I wasn't sure whether to go from Regular to Senior flex shafts. The thing is, there were some things about that fitting that were vastly different from the others.

The day before my Mizuno fitting, one of the guys from Planet Golf called to talk to me first. His first comment was about what to wear. He said if I wear long pants, wear long pants to the fitting. If I wear shorts, wear shorts.

His most critical point was specifically about shoes. How many people show up for a fitting in street shoes, sneakers, even sandals, shoes that are not likely to put you in the same posture like golf shoes would on the course? I wore spikeless golf shoes that day.

He told me if I wore a hat on the course, bring one to wear in the booth. I wear glasses normally, but usually contacts on the course for the past year or so. If I got fitted now, I suppose I would wear contacts to it.

He reminded me to bring my current set, because we could measure me up the wazzoo, but without my current performance to compare things to, we wouldn't know if I was improving with the test clubs.

When I got there, I was given a bucket of balls to hit so I could warm up first and be as loose as possible before they started working with me. I hate to say this, but I've seen people step in a booth at a local sporting goods store with some so called fitter, hit 3-4 balls, have the fitter make one or two adjustments to the driver and walk out of the store with it, having probably never loosened up more than their wallets.

The Mizuno fitting I did at the time led me to buying JPX825 irons. Two weeks later, they were adjusted slightly as part of what I paid for.

My point is, so much more of a fitting depends on the professionalism of the fitter. So many people really have no idea there can be such a difference.
 
Joined
Oct 11, 2022
HCP
22
Local club/country
New Zealand
Irons
Mizuno mp32 and mp57
Driver
Mizuno MP Type 2
#5
Does anyone know what's required to buy an Optimizer and where?
 

DennisMiller

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2014
Location
Miami, Florida
HCP
Old Age
Local club/country
Killian Greens Golf Club
Irons
MX-1000
Driver
ST-180
#6
Just an aside... Some of you might remember Danny Bradley, from Queensland, Australia.He was a long time Mizuno user and forum participant. He recently went through surgery and has lost about 50 lbs so far. It's been 6-7 weeks and he is now being allowed to play golf again this coming week.

We just had a conversation yesterday about how his swing has changed, (according to one of his sons), and he's wondering if he can adapt to his new body or will wind up getting fitted again. Since he has more weight to lose, I suggested he be fitted, but unless his clubs could be adjusted enough, he persevere until he's at the weight his doctors want him to achieve, then get fitted and buy new clubs.

Your thoughts?
 

Halebopp

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2012
HCP
10.6
Local club/country
Lakeside Golf Vammala, Finland
Irons
MP-H5/53/4
Driver
MP-650/ST180
#7
Does anyone know what's required to buy an Optimizer and where?
I'm fairly sure you can't buy the Optimizer. It's most certainly simply a piece of the whole fitting package with all the demo heads and shafts. Of course, some Mizuno fitter might have the old one lying around somewhere in case Mizuno forgot to take it back. But you'd still struggle to figure out the shaft recommendations even if you got the old numbers with the old one.
 

Halebopp

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2012
HCP
10.6
Local club/country
Lakeside Golf Vammala, Finland
Irons
MP-H5/53/4
Driver
MP-650/ST180
#8
Just an aside... Some of you might remember Danny Bradley, from Queensland, Australia.He was a long time Mizuno user and forum participant. He recently went through surgery and has lost about 50 lbs so far. It's been 6-7 weeks and he is now being allowed to play golf again this coming week.

We just had a conversation yesterday about how his swing has changed, (according to one of his sons), and he's wondering if he can adapt to his new body or will wind up getting fitted again. Since he has more weight to lose, I suggested he be fitted, but unless his clubs could be adjusted enough, he persevere until he's at the weight his doctors want him to achieve, then get fitted and buy new clubs.

Your thoughts?
I'd definitely wait unless it was a long-term process that'd take a couple of years or I had money to throw away. That's not to say getting fitted for the shafts and then buying used wouldn't be a decent option.
 
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