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Testimonial

Gerald Geary

- Dallas, TX

11/11/2011

“Coming from the Dallas area, I found that it was difficult to find a reputable clubfitter who gave me the truth about my swing and would present me with options that would improve my game. I've looked for fifteen years. So I visited Frank Viola in Saugus, MA to find the truth ? because Frank leaves no stone unturned when it comes to telling it like it is, albeit in a diplomatic manner. My irons, although state of the art, were fitted by a clubmaker near Dallas. When I purchased them, I was initially troubled by the heavy shaft, flex, and swing weight. My former club guy told me to hit them and said I’d eventually like them. That time never arrived, which is a major reason I was now at Frank’s place. After warming up in Frank’s shop, I took several swings on the launch monitor as Frank looked on. After reviewing my swing and the results on the monitor, he commented, ‘please don’t take offense, but those clubs are too heavy, too long, and too strong of a flex for you.’ I put aside my ego and agreed. We spent the morning on the monitor changing club heads and trying various steel and graphite shafts to see what worked for my game. Frank was patient and analytical. We also tried different golf balls to optimize distance, spin, and dispersion. After finding a combo that worked best (longer and less dispersion), Frank fit the shaft flex, length, and grip to my swing and we saw the results in the monitor. We had obtained 7 additional mph in swing speed and about 15 additional yards over my current irons. I also did not like the look of my Super Game Improvement Irons. They seemed like hammers and since my contact was center face, we opted for the Miura PP-9003 irons with Aerotech i80 shafts. My love affair with the Miuras grew the more I swung them that morning’ the offset was well hidden and it didn’t look like a hammer, yet it was forgiving. The sole also made it more playable to my normal conditions ? tighter lies, and it felt as if it belonged in my hands. After Frank adjusted the club to my lie angle, we were ready to fit hybrids. Once again, we found the shaft was not as consistent or long as an Aerotech Hybrid Shaft. Although Frank could have added to his bank account by selling me a club, he said, “You seem to like that club and hit it center-face, so why not just change the shaft?” And that’s what we did. The morning ended with a driver fitting. Frank helped me gain 5 additional mph with a more traditional length (45 inches) driver, a better shaft, a fitted grip, and a better club head for me. I also noticed the ball flight was more urgent, got up and flattened - instead of loopy. Hitting the driver outside confirmed our findings. I was overwhelmed by Frank’s professional approach to fitting, his honest assessment of my swing, his ability to offer options, and what I needed to better enjoy the game. You might ask, “Why travel a half-day by air to see Frank?” The answer is I’ve seen a lot of pretenders when it comes to clubfitters. I thought that I knew what to look for, but I also tend to trust professionals. I tried to find someone locally several times but it never worked. I’ve seen many wannabe clubfitters, and I did not have any more time or money to waste on them. I am very happy with trusting my game to Frank Viola. I value his ethics, professionalism, and attention to detail. It’s worth the trip to see Frank to save money, for your piece of mind, and for your enjoyment of the game.