If your club is too upright at impact, then your shots will travel to the left of your target. Conversely, if your club is too flat, then your shots will be heading right. For every degree that your lie angle is either too upright or flat, the ball will initially travel 4 yards off your intended target line.
Should a golf club be flat or upright?
From watching golf on TV, you may have heard, at times, the commentator mentioning someone swinging the club flat, or maybe swinging the club around the body. A golfer should have the club on a plane. Flat is just below the line, and upright or steep is over the plane.
Is your golf swing too flat?
However, if your swing gets too flat, you will start to notice a drop in the quality of your ball striking. There is a fine line between a flat swing and one that is too flat, so you will need to know how to look for the warning signs that a problem is developing in your game.
What does 2 degrees flat mean on a golf club?
What does 2 degrees flat mean? – A golf club can be bent two degrees flat when the lie angle is lowered and the heel of the club is raised to a position that is higher than the toe of the club.
How do I know if my golf clubs are too long?
Below you’ll find common signs that indicate the clubs you’re using are too long: You have to stand up almost completely straight. You’re unable to move your lower body using proper swinging mechanics The ball often flies off to the left and too high. You’re constantly hitting the ball with the toe of the golf club.
What happens if golf clubs are too flat?
If your club is too flat for your swing then it means that during your swing, the toe of the club will be lower than the heel (normally you want them level at impact). That can result in the ball slicing (curving to the right for a right-handed golfer).
What happens if my lie angle is too flat?
From a visual standpoint, the toe of the golf club will be too much in the air at impact. If your lie angle is too flat, typically meaning it's closer to 0 degrees than 90 degrees, then that means you will typically hit the ground with your club with the toe side of the sole.
Should my golf club lay flat?
All clubs -- from putter to driver -- should sole flat on the ground when you address the ball (main photo). If a club is too short or long, you'll have to change your posture to get it to sit flush.
Does 1 degree flat mean?
Lie Angle Defined If the lie angles of your clubs are 1 degree greater than the manufacturer's standard, your clubs are 1 degree flat. If your lie angles are lower by 1 degree, the clubs are 1 degree upright.
Does 2 degrees flat mean?
A golf club can be bent two degrees flat when the lie angle is lowered and the heel of the club is raised to a position that is higher than the toe of the club. Golfers change the lie angle of a club to better their chances of hitting the center of the clubface.
Does upright lie promote a draw?
The upright lie also promotes a left tilting spin axis, which leads to what's generally described as draw spin. An upright lie angle basically gives you a head start, but depending on the severity of the slice conditions the golfer generates, it certainly won't guarantee a draw.
Should golf iron be flat on ground at address?
How should a golf club lie on the ground? The golf club should address the ball with the toe set a few millimetres in the air – the clubhead should never sit flat on the turf. You should be able to fit a small coin under the toe of the club at address, with the heel remaining in contact with the ground.
Why do I hit my irons flat?
One reason amateurs tend to hit irons too low is that they narrow their swing radius, taking the club back by letting the lead arm (left arm for right-handers) bend too much. It doesn't have to be locked, but it should maintain a fairly straight appearance all the way to the top.
Should bottom of club be flat on ground?
0:593:57How to set your iron on the ground at address - Golf tip - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo it will be slightly towards the heel. And never flat neither on the toe.MoreSo it will be slightly towards the heel. And never flat neither on the toe.
Does flattening lie affect loft?
The first thing to know is that lie angle being incorrect is the most important on clubs with more loft. The more loft a club has, the more magnified an incorrect lie angle will be when it comes to the direction of your golf ball.
Can you Deloft a driver?
2:476:04DELOFT Your Driver Shots | Deep Distance Golf Swing - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipShot like 150 yards with your head staying back more and hit and hold in the loft and turning like aMoreShot like 150 yards with your head staying back more and hit and hold in the loft and turning like a stick good do it again put one back on and we're gonna see what's that what's the uh spin.
How much does 1 degree of loft affect distance?
How Much Does 1 Degree of Loft Affect Distance? Given that you're at your maximum clubhead speed, just 1-degree change in the loft angle of a golf driver can affect your driving distance by 2-4 yards.
Why do golfers change the lie angle of their clubs?
Golfers change the lie angle of a club to better their chances of hitting the center of the clubface. Changing the lie angle of a club can help golfers more consistently hit shots off of the center of the clubface. There are however a few key points that golfers need to know about changing the lie angle of their club so ...
How many degrees should a golf club be bent?
A club can either be bent to an upright position (toe higher than heel) or flat (toe lower than heel) usually in increments of 1 or 2 degrees . When looking for clubs that fit your game, a professional club fitter will look at these factors down below to determine what their lie angle should be: A golfers height. A golfers grip.
What is flat lie angle?
A flat lie angle is simply when the heel of the golf club is bent so it is higher than the toe. Club fitters are able to bend clubs to increase or decrease the lie angle using a loft, lie bending machine. (more on this down below)
What does 2 degrees flat mean?
What does 2 degrees flat mean? – A golf club can be bent two degrees flat when the lie angle is lowered and the heel of the club is raised to a position that is higher than the toe of the club. Golfers change the lie angle of a club to better their chances of hitting the center of the clubface.
How to get loft and lie adjusted?
The best way to get your loft and lie adjusted is by a professional club fitter. I highly recommend that golfers get fitted “before” making a large purchase on golf clubs. To do this, simply Google, “Golf Club Fitters Near Me” and you will get a great list of places that will make sure you are playing the right lie angle for your game.
Where does the golf ball start?
Your golf ball starts off towards the left of your target (right for lefties). You hit the golf ball off of the heel of the club often causing the golf ball to hook or pull.
Is golf good for old people?
Golf is a great sport for young and old alike. It’s a sport that you can try out as soon as you are old enough to walk and hold a club. It’s a sport that you can play well into old-age if your health permits. It’s no contact and low-impact, so there is little risk ]
How to measure golf clubs?
Measuring Your Clubs in Five Steps 1 Use a forty-eight-inch sturdy straight edge aluminum ruler. A tape measure is too flimsy and won’t give you an accurate measurement even if it is pressed against the club’s shaft. If you don’t currently own an aluminum yardstick, you can easily find one at a local home improvement store. 2 Don’t use your workbench to measure the golf clubs. A better alternative is to stand and place the club in its correct position at address. The sole of the club should be completely flat on the ground. 3 The straight edge should be placed so that the corner is touching the ground. The club should remain in address at this time with the ruler squaring up against the hosel. The hosel is the portion of the club where the clubhead is connected to the shaft. 4 The straight edge should be pressed as close as possible to the shaft. Now, read the measurement at the bottom of the grip cap. This should tell you the length of the shaft.
What is the most important spec to pay attention to when you’re shopping for a new set of golf clubs?
According to the pros, the length of golf clubs is the most crucial spec to pay attention to when you’re shopping for a new set of clubs or an extra driver or hybrid.
How many inches to a standard length golf club?
Six feet, five inches-add one and a half inches to the standard length of the club. Six feet, three inches to six feet, five inches-add one inch to the standard length of the club. Six feet to six feet, three inches-add half an inch to the standard length of the club.
How tall should a golf iron be?
Height Recommendations for Irons. Here you’ll find the standard recommended measurements for golf clubs based on height: Six feet, six inches and taller-add two inches to the standard length of the club. Six feet, five inches-add one and a half inches to the standard length of the club.
Why is dynamic fit measuring more reliable?
The dynamic fit measuring technique is more reliable because the measurement is taken as a player swings a club with the help of a launch monitor. A launch monitor is used to determine the correct head and shaft that will best suit the golfer’s playing style.
What should be taken into account when buying a new golf club?
When you’re getting fit for a new set of clubs, launch angle, dispersion, spin rate, and ball speed should also be taken into account in order to ensure you purchase the correct length.
How to tell the length of a golf shaft?
The straight edge should be pressed as close as possible to the shaft. Now, read the measurement at the bottom of the grip cap. This should tell you the length of the shaft.
How to fix a flat golf swing?
If you determine that your plane is excessively flat, here are a few easy fixes: Stand closer to the ball: If you're standing too far from the ball at address, you'll overextend the arms and create a swing path that's excessively “around” the body.
Why does my golf club come up short of the target?
This can occur in a flat swing simply because you run out of room between your club and the ground before you ever get to impact.
What is a flat swing plane?
A swing is considered flat when the left arm forms an angle of less than 45° with the ground at the top of the backswing (when viewed looking down the target line). In other words, it's more horizontal than vertical, the opposite of an “upright” swing.
Why is a flat swing good?
On the plus side, a flat swing helps you attack the ball with an inside-to-outside swing path, the key to hitting a draw. The shallow approach angle also decreases your chances of catching the ground first and hitting the ball fat. That's the good news.
What is the difference between a flat and upright golf swing?
A flat swing is one where the club stays lower to the ground and wraps around your back in the backswing. Many people like to think of this as a 'baseball style' swing, since the path of the club somewhat resembles that which a baseball player would use. On the other hand, an upright swing is one that lifts the club up toward the sky. The telltale sign of an upright swing is a high left arm position (for a right handed golfer) at the top of the swing. If the left arm is separated from the body significantly at the top of the swing, you can be sure that the swing will fall into the upright category.
Why do you use a flat swing?
However, if your swing gets too flat, you will start to notice a drop in the quality of your ball striking.
Why does my golf ball float off the line?
This can happen when you scoop the ball at the bottom of the swing – which often is caused by an extra-flat backswing.
What does it mean when your golf club is lying?
Well, you need to know how lie angle can affect ball flight. If your lie angle is too upright, typically meaning that it's closer to 90 degrees than 0 degrees, then that means you will typically hit the ground with your club with the heel side of the sole.
What is the lie angle of a golf club?
It's always an acute angle, less than 90 degrees. The lie angle dictates, in part, where your hands will be positioned on the golf club, relative to the ground, at address.
What does it mean when your golf club is on the toe side of the sole?
If your lie angle is too flat, typically meaning it' s closer to 0 degrees than 90 degrees, then that means you will typically hit the ground with your club with the toe side of the sole. Hitting the ground with the toe of the sole means you're hitting with an open face, leading to a fade or a slice, meaning the ball will sail well right ...
What does it mean when you hit the ground with the heel of your sole?
Hitting the ground with the heel of the sole means you're hitting with a closed face, leading to a pull or a hook, meaning the ball will sail well left of the intended target. From a visual standpoint, the toe of the golf club will be too much in the air at impact.
What does it mean when a clubfitter adjusts the lie angle?
If you're liking the club but not quite hitting it how you'd like with your lie angle, then the clubfitter can make an adjustment that could mean the difference between having the right club for you or not.
How to know if you stand at address?
It's also important to know how you stand at address (more upright or flat), your height (taller players tend to stand more upright, but not universally) and the distance from your hands at address to the ground with your clubs.
Why are golf clubs not improving?
That's why golfers are not improving. They don't know the difference between a good strike or a bad strike of the ball because the permieter weighting and large sweet spots don't allow such reference. The equipment golfers are using is NOT designed to help them adjust their swing to the correct efficient motion.
What does an upright golf club tell you?
The upright clubs tell the body stall and insist that the hands flip through impact to try and square that upright lie angled club with the ground.
How does a lie angle affect a golf swing?
Upright lie angles deteriorate the swing by not stressing the importance of swinging the golf club behind and around the body and rotating through impact with the correct body effort and sequence.
How flat are Ben Hogan's clubs?
I know from personal experience in a question asked directly to Lee Trevino that he used clubs that were at least 3 degrees flat in lie angle from the old standard. Doug Sanders also informed me in the interview I recently did with him (on page 2) that he had his clubs flattened down so the toe sat down and the heel would never strike the ground first. If we look at Ben Hogan's club that is in USGA Golf House Museum it is close to 6 or 7 degrees flat in lie angle when compared to clubs of the same length and loft of today.
What happens if the golf club is too upright at address?
If your golf club is too upright at address, it can lead to the toe of the club digging into the turf at impact. This is because during the golf swing, your hands – and hence the club shaft – naturally become more upright due to the forces created. This will negatively affect your ball-striking.
How should a golf club lie on the ground?
You should be able to fit a small coin under the toe of the club at address, with the heel remaining in contact with the ground.
Should I have the toe up at address with irons?
Yes. When hitting i rons, you should always address the golf ball with the toe of the club slightly up. This will ensure the clubhead arrives at the ball square at impact and will lead to better interaction with the turf, resulting in straighter shots.
What does it mean to set the club with the correct amount of toe up?
Setting the club with the correct amount of ‘toe up’ will prevent the toe or heel of the club digging into the ground at impact, and allow the clubhead to interact with the surface in the most efficient way.
Why do golf clubs address the ball?
Addressing the golf ball ‘toe up’ is when the golfer places the clubhead behind the ball with the toe slightly off the ground. Doing this allows the club to arrive back to the ball square with the turf, as the shaft will naturally be slightly more upright at impact than address due to the forces being placed on the club throughout the swing.
What happens if you put your club behind the ball?
If you set your club behind the ball in an upright position – with the clubhead laying flat, rather than slightly toe up – by the time you make your swing, the club will have become far too steep by the time you arrive at impact.
Why is it important to set up the golf ball correctly?
Setting up to the golf ball correctly is essential to hitting straight, powerful, consistent shots. But while a lot of focus is placed on things like positioning the ball correctly in your stance – which we’ve explained in detail in another article – an equally important element that is often neglected is how the clubhead should be positioned ...
What happens when the angle of the club is not adjusted properly?
There are only two scenarios that occur when your lie angle is not adjusted properly for your swing. The club is too upright, and the toe is not making contact with the ground at impact. The club is too flat, and the heel is not making contact with the ground at impact.
What is the lie angle of a golf club?
Lie angle is defined as the angle between the shaft and the ground line when the club is measured in normal playing position with the center of the sole touching the ground line. The most important thing about measuring lie angle for each particular golfer is how the club is interacting with the ground at impact.
What is the lie angle on irons?
Lie angle is one of the most important, if not THE most important thing to get right when you buy a set of irons. Each manufacturer has a different spec for the lie angle on their clubs, and a majority of golfers never get them adjusted for their particular swing.
Why is the lie angle important?
Wrapping it up. To briefly summarize, the lie angle of your irons is extremely important because it will greatly affect the initial direction of your shots. Not all irons are created equal, and most players are using irons that likely do not have the right specifications for their swing.
How far off the target line does the ball travel?
For every degree that your lie angle is either too upright or flat, the ball will initially travel 4 yards off your intended target line. Some players have lie angles that are as much as 2-3 degrees off, which means they are making things very difficult for themselves on approach shots!
Do golfers get adjustments when buying irons?
When golfers buy a new set of irons they don’ t usually get any kind of adjustments made , most notably their lie angle. They incorrectly assume what they are buying is right for them. Today I want to talk about one of the most important things players are overlooking when they purchase an iron set. If this specification is not adjusted properly ...
Is the line on my golf club pointing to the heel or the toe?
If it’s pointing towards the toe, then your club is too upright. If it’s pointing towards the heel, then it’s too flat. If the line is perpendicular to the grooves on the face, then your lie angle is correct.
What happens if the lie angle of your golf clubs is ill-suited to you?
When the lie angle of your clubs is wrong for your swing or body type, you can put a great swing on the ball and still have problems with accuracy. Poorly fitting lie angles create pushes and pulls and other mishits.
What is the lie angle of a golf club?
The "lie angle" of any golf club is the angle formed between the center of the shaft and the sole, or ground line, of the club when the club is soled in its proper ...
What does it mean when your divots are deeper on the toe side than the heel side?
If your divots are deeper on the toe side than the heel side (toe down, heel up at impact) or deeper on the heel side than the toe side (toe up, heel down at impact), that's a sign your lie angles might be too flat or too upright.
What is the lie angle on a 9 iron?
Upright lie angle: A lie angle that is higher than the standard lie angle (a 66-degree lie angle on a 9-iron is more upright than the standard 9-iron lie angle of around 64 degrees). You might hear a golfer (or clubfitter) saying things such as, "You need flatter lie angles on your irons," or "I had my irons bent 1-degree upright.".
Why is a proper lie angle important?
Proper Lie Angle Is More Important in Irons Than in Woods. Don't misunderstand: Lie angle is an important factor in all golf clubs, even the putter. But having improperly fit lie angles causes more problems in irons than in the woods.
What is lie angle?
Lie angle is a factor that affects the accuracy of golf shots. Golfers who use clubs whose lie angles don't fit their body types and/or golf swings are costing themselves strokes. Matching the lie angle of clubs to the specific golfer is one of the goals of a clubfitting session.
What does it mean when your toe is up at impact?
A toe-up position at impact indicates that your lie angle might be too upright; a toe-down position (meaning the club's heel is higher than the toe) at impact indicates that your lie angle might be too flat.
How to tell if your golf club is flat?
Tape on the bottom of the club, hitting off a lie board is a foolproof way to let you know if you're to flat or too upright. If you're missing right,your clubs are too flat.
What happens if you lie too flat on a golf club?
If your lies are too flat the club's toe would dig in and the effect would likely be shots to the right. If too upright the club's heal would dig and create shots to the right.
What is a divot in golf?
For a right handed player, the divot should point a little left of target because the divot is formed after the club has struck the ball, returning to the inside on the follow through. While a deeper divot on the heel side probably does indicate and upright lie, best to use impact tape or sharpie line. But an upright lie would hit the ball left of target, you said your shots are going from left to right, which means clubhead path is outside to in, resulting in a left of target divot, but clubface angle is not closing square to the path at impact, leading to a right spin.
How to know what angle a golf club should be?
Put some tape on the bottom of the club and take some swings on say a wooden floor, the marks on the bottom will let you know what angle the club should be at,You should be able to put a 5p piece under the front of the club and it should stop just before the middle.
Do you need more lie angles if you miss to the right?
Actually, as far as I have been informed by the Titleist Professional Fitters at Oceanside if you constantly miss to the right (as a right handed golfer) you need more upright lie angles potentially. If one misses to the left, then you may need more flat lie angles....Of course, you can look at tape and identify potential other issues but this is a reasonable conclusion based upon my experiences at the Titleist Tour Facility.
