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Loft & Lie adjustments A
crucial component of a golf club is the correct
and customized LIE ANGLE.
- Lie Angle
(middle and short irons)
The Lie Angle is the angle between the
shaft and the sole of the clubhead. A proper
fit Lie Angle means at impact, the center of
the sole brushes the ground, so the toe or the
heel of the clubhead are not tilted upward.
The greater the Loft of the club, the more
off-line the shot will be hit if the Lie Angle
is not fit properly to the golfer. As a
result, it is critical for accuracy that the
Lie Angle of the middle and short irons be
properly fit to the golfer.
The proper Lie Angle has to accommodate the
golfer’s height, arm length, and posture of
the body at impact with the ball. Therefore,
golfers who buy standard clubs “off the
rack” have less than a 20% chance of the
standard Lie Angle being correct for their
physical make up and swing. Lie Angle is
adjusted to fit the golfer by bending the
hosel of the ironheads using a specially made
machine. Professional clubmakers are trained
to fit golfers for the proper Lie Angle and
perform the required bending alterations to
the ironheads.
Lie angle matters because a club that does
not have its sole perfectly flat to the ground
when it strikes the ball will create
directional errors in the shot. Too Flat of a
lie angle will cause the toe of the club to
make contact with the ground first creating
shots to fly right of the target (right hand
golfer/left for left hand golfer). Too upright
of a lie angle will create an opposite
effect. Without the correct lie angle
the golfer must adjust his or her posture and
swing to accommodate for the club. Playing
golf with clubs that do not have the proper
lie angle for you, results in making the game
more difficult, through inconsistent shots.
A quick self check to determine if your lie angles are
correct for you.
1. Were your current clubs fitted
for someone else?
2. Are your divots deeper on the outside edge
versus the inside edge?
3. Does the divot line (the dirt line that
develops on the face of your irons after repeated
use.) run at an incline across the face of the
club?
If you answered yes to any of the three questions you are
in need of at least a lie angle check.
It is not uncommon for loft & lie
angles to change through normal use of a golf
club. Serious golfers should have their lofts and
lies checked quite often throughout the course of
a season.
LOFT
The height of the shot is
chiefly controlled by the loft of the clubhead.
The Trajectory, or height and shape of
the ball’s flight in the air, is a critical
factor that contributes to Distance in irons. If
the ball does not achieve the proper trajectory
for the golfer’s swing speed and swing
movements, it cannot fly and carry to the maximum
distance of the golfer’s swing speed.
While you may hear some golfers speak of
a “penetrating or boring” trajectory being
ideal, for golfers to fully maximize their
distance potential, they will have to become
comfortable with a higher ball flight.
. The greater the loft, the
higher the ball flight, and vice versa. However,
loft also has a very significant control over
distance, with the key factor being the golfer’s
selection of the right loft angles that will
generate the most optimal launch angle for the
shot to carry its maximum distance for the swing
speed and swing mechanics of the golfer.
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