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what is the lie mean on a golf club iron

by Jaquelin Gleason I Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Lie angle is the angle created between the center of the shaft and ground when you put your iron down in the address position. If you have the proper lie angle, the center of the sole will rest squarely on the ground when you put the club down behind the ball.

Lie angle is the angle created between the center of the shaft and ground when you put your iron down in the address position. If you have the proper lie angle, the center of the sole will rest squarely on the ground when you put the club down behind the ball.

Full Answer

What is lie adjustment for golf irons?

  • What is lie angle?
  • How does lie angle work?
  • Can 1 degree make a difference?
  • How can I improve my lie angle?
  • What Is Lie Adjustment For Golf Irons – Summary

What is a lie in golf?

'Lie' on the Golf Course

  • Hanging Lie. : "Hanging lie" typically refers to a golf ball that is sitting on some kind of side slope or small decline so that the ball is below the ...
  • Hardpan Lie. : Hardpan is any spot in fairways, rough or other playing areas other than hazards where the ground is very hard due to compacting of the soil.
  • Uneven Lies. ...
  • Cuppy Lie. ...

How to adjust lie angle on irons?

Step:2- Determine the lie angle

  • First, find the shaft plate to place it against the shaft.
  • Make a setup to read both loft and lie angles. To do this, positioning the lie plate under the shaft can be helpful.
  • Record the reading with the exact value for bending at a perfect angle.

How is the Lie of a golf club measured?

  • Place the club in the playing position so that the sole of the club / driver is touching the ground.
  • A golf ruler is then placed at the backside of the club so that the top of the ruler is touching the ground by the club’s heel.
  • Now, by using the reading on the measuring rod from the end of the grip cap. Remember not to take the very top of the grip.

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What should my iron lie be?

Lie angles almost always range from the mid-50 degrees (in drivers) to the mid-60 degrees (in short irons). In irons, the range is typically from 59 or 60 degrees to around 64 degrees.

What does club lie mean?

The lie of a club is the angle formed by the intersection of the line of the shaft and the line of the ground when the clubhead is resting flat on the ground. That angle number is located between 0 and 90 degree and varies from club to club.

What is a good golf lie?

Good Lie. A golfer will face a good lie when his ball is situated in a way that does not add difficulty to a golf shot. For example, a ball that lands on the fairway will often have a good lie, the shorter grass making it easy to hit the ball.

What does lie degree mean in golf?

Lie angle is the angle between the shaft of the club and the ground when the club arrives at impact parallel to the ground. The lie angle is known as 'too upright' when the toe of the club is lifted too high above the ground.

Should I adjust my lie angle?

Simply put, having the correct lie angle can make you a more accurate golfer. For every degree your clubs are off in lie angle, it can cause your shots to travel four yards off your intended target line.

Do I need flat or upright irons?

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.

How do you read a golf lie?

0:041:37Golf Lesson: How to Read Lie out of the Rough - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo first thing you got to do when you walk up to your ball on the roughness examine it check outMoreSo first thing you got to do when you walk up to your ball on the roughness examine it check out your line a little bit you don't always want to pick your golf club. And get up and hit it.

Does lie angle affect distance?

On average, our testers were 3 yards closer to their target with their best fit lie angle. That's the difference between a birdie putt inside 10 feet and one that's closer to 20. Bonus myth: do more upright clubs produce shots that go further left?

What does 2 degrees upright mean on a golf club?

So when most people say a club is 2 degrees upright (or 1 degree upright, 2 degrees flat, etc) then they are measuring it off of the standard off the shelf lie measurement for that particular club. It can also refer to the club being too upright for a particular person.

What happens if lie angle is too upright?

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.

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.

Do tall golfers need upright lie angle?

Tall players will benefit from a more upright lie angle. If your club is too flat, the ball will pull to the left (known as a hook). So you'll want to check that the angle between the shaft and the ground is larger than it should be, making the club shaft more upright compared to the ground.

What is the lie of a golf club?

The lie of a club is the angle formed by the intersection of the line of the shaft and the line of the ground when the clubhead is resting flat on the ground. That angle number is located between 0 and 90 degree and varies from club to club.

What does "lie" mean in golf?

Lie can also refer to the environment in which the ball finds itself, the ball or shot lie. It can also refer to the number of strokes a player has taken up to a point on a given hole.

What is the difference between a gold dot and a maroon dot?

At one end of the spectrum is the Gold dot with a 3.75 degree flatter lie and at the other end is the Maroon dot with a 4.5 degree upright lie. Likewise, a shorter golfer will likely be more comfortable using clubs whose lies have been made flatter – less upright – they he would using normal, standard lie clubs.

Why is it important to use the correct lies in golf clubs?

Using clubs with the correct lies can prove crucial when working to maximize the chances of hitting the ball straight. Indeed, a club that is too upright for its golfer will see its toe lift from the ground instead of laying flat and as a result balls struck with it will tend to go left of the intended target.

What happens if you hit a ball with a flat piece of plastic?

Using that tape and hitting balls from a flat piece of plastic will leave an impression on where the sole hit hardest on the ground. If the impression on the tape is made in the center you are using the correct lie. If the impression is close to the heel, you are using clubs that are too flat.

What is lie angle?

WHAT IS IT? Lie angle is the angle created between the center of the shaft and ground when you put your iron down in the address position. If you have the proper lie angle, the center of the sole will rest squarely on the ground when you put the club down behind the ball.

What does it mean when your golf line is straight up and down?

If the line is straight up and down in the middle of the club face, then your lie angle and swing are right on target. If the line is near the middle of the face but the line is slanted toward the heel, then your lie angle is too flat and the toe is down at impact.

What does it mean when your line is slanted toward the toe?

If the line is near the middle of the face but slanted toward the toe, then your lie angle is too upright and the toe is up at impact. This is an easy way to check your lie angle at home. Most clubs can be adjusted by a pro shop to match what you need.

How does lie angle work?

HOW IT WORKS. Simply put, having the correct lie angle can make you a more accurate golfer. For every degree your clubs are off in lie angle, it can cause your shots to travel four yards off your intended target line. If you are not making square contact with the ground, it can throw off your clubface in relation to the target, ...

Can you use the PING color code on golf clubs?

You can also use the PING Color Code chart to match your height and wrist-to-floor measurement, but because there is no standard lie angle across all club makers, it may not always translate to every iron. There is one easy test you can do at home and all you need is a marker, some golf balls, and your irons.

Why is it important to have clubs with the right lie angle?

However, if your equipment is always working against you, you will constantly be fighting your golf swing on the course. This is no fun and leads to lots of frustration during your rounds.

How to tell if your golf club is too flat?

You may also notice that the heel of your golf club will never touch the ground if the lie angle is too flat .

What happens if the ink is angled toward the heel of the clubface?

If the ink is angled toward the toe of your clubface, the club you are using has too much of an upright lie angle. Conversely, if the ink points toward the heel of the clubface, the lie angle is too flat for your swing.

What is an upright lie angle?

An upright lie angle is when the toe of the club is up off the ground. Though it depends more on the golfer’s individual swing, their overall height plays a role. As a general rule of thumb, taller golfers usually need a tad bit more of an upright lie in their irons.

Why does my club toe not touch the ground?

On the other hand, if you are playing with golf clubs with too much of an upright lie angle , the toe of your club will not even touch the ground at impact. The club toe will often be pointed slightly up at impact, and the heel may hit off the ground. This will lead to lots of mishits like hooks and pulls (and lots of time looking for your ball in the woods) because the clubface becomes too shut at impact.

How to tell what angle you need for a golf ball?

Another decent way to tell what type of lie angle you need is simply using a magic marker. Take the marker and draw a straight line on the back of the golf ball. Make sure that line faces the center of your club and hits the ball. Look down at your clubface and study where the ink is on it.

What happens if you have a wrong lie angle?

If you have the wrong lie angle on your golf clubs, you will struggle with making solid, consistent contact. In fact, an improper lie angle can force you into making negative compensations in your swing to make solid contact. This will eventually turn into bad habits. Golf is hard enough as it is, so you don’t want your equipment working ...

What is the right lie angle?

The right lie angle for you is going to depend on a number of factors. First, it is often the case that tall players need more upright clubs, while shorter golfers need their clubs built a bit flatter. That’s not a hard and fast rule, but it’s a good place to start. Also, the dynamics of your swing will play a role here, ...

What does it mean when your golf club is too flat?

Too upright would mean that the lie angle is too steep for your personal needs, while too flat would mean the lie angle is too shallow.

Why does lie angle matter?

Lie angle matters because it impacts the direction that the clubface is pointing at the moment of impact. If your lie angles are way off, it’s going to be hard to hit the ball accurately. And, if you do manage to hit the ball accurately, you’ll need to make some adjustments or compensations to make it happen.

What is the best angle for a pitching wedge?

Why is Lie Angle Actually Important? 1 A common lie angle for a pitching wedge is 64*. If that happens to be a good fit for your game and your swing, you’ll be in good shape. However, for many players, that is going to be either too upright or too flat. 2 It that’s too upright for you, the toe of the club is going to be up in the air at impact, while the heel digs into the turf. This is a problem because the clubface will be effectively shut at impact, and the ball will likely go left. Even if you make a good swing, the result may not be what you want because of the lie angle. 3 On the other hand, if that 64* angle is too flat, the heel will be off the ground at impact and the toe will dig in. This is going to typically lead to misses to the right of the target.

What happens if the golf club is out of the line?

If the lie angle is out, the heel or toe (depending on if it is upright or flat) will act as a pivot and throw the clubface off the intended line. If the lie angle is too upright, the heel will tend to dig in and flip the toe over, closing the face and sending the ball to the left , for a right-handed golfer.

What is a lie angle?

Lie Angle. It's with lie angle that things get a little more complicated, but in lay man's terms, it is the angle created between the shaft and the ground. It is important because a lie angle that's too flat or upright will cause the wrong part of the clubhead (toe or heel) to come into contact with the ground first.

What is the loft of a golf club?

Lofts. The loft of a golf club is the angle created between the clubface and the ground - and will be different for every club in your bag. The loft will have a direct impact on the distance the ball travels - the lower the loft, the further the ball will go.

What are golf clubs made of?

Although golf clubs are lumps of metal on a shaft, every millimetre of the clubhead is sculpted to the tightest of manufacturing tolerance to make sure they perform as expected, when required. Two of the major influences on how you golf ball launches, flies, and spins are the loft and lie angle. These terms can be challenging to get your head ...

Do golf clubs need to be flat?

If the clubs are too flat the opposite is true - the toe will dig in pushing the heel forwards, opening the face and sending the ball to the right for a right-handed golfer. As a rule, shorter golfers will generally benefit from slightly flatter lies; taller golfers may need more upright clubs.

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.

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.

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 there a standard for lie angle on 7 irons?

There is no standard. Showing up to the store and buying irons off the shelf without testing out the lie angle is a coin flip, because there is no standard for lie angle in the golf industry. I went to the websites of some of the most popular manufactures and got the standard lie angles for 7-irons; here are the results:

What is the angle of the club shaft when you hit the ball?

Lie angle is the angle the club shaft makes with the ground when you HIT the ball and your club head is parallel with the ground.

How to wear golf shoes?

While wearing your golf shoes or street shoes stand on the floor with your normal posture, looking straight ahead, and have your arms hanging in a relaxed position by your sides.

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