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why a golf club should lie flat at address

by Lucio Rempel Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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When you swing a golf club, the centrifugal forces used to create power and speed will cause your hands and clubhead to be slightly more upright at impact than they were at address. Setting the toe up at address caters for this natural movement, and ensures the clubhead is flat at impact.

Part of a video titled Should my irons sit flat on the ground at address in golf
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With the fact that the shaft bends. A little bit and the toe comes down. We really don't want toMoreWith the fact that the shaft bends. A little bit and the toe comes down. We really don't want to have that club. Starting flat we need to allow for it we know it's going to do that.

Full Answer

Are your golf clubs' lie angle too flat?

If so, your golf clubs’ lie angles may indeed be too flat. 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.

How important is the Lie of a golf club?

The lie of the club has a huge impact on your overall set up position. Let’s assume that you’re using a standard lie golf club. The lie of the club is very important because when addressing a golf ball you start with positioning the clubhead first.

How can I tell if my clubs are flat or upright?

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.

Is your golf club 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.

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Should golf club lie flat at address?

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.

Should my irons be flat at address?

1:454:36Should My Irons Sit Flat On The Ground At Address In Golf - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWe really don't want to have that club. Starting flat we need to allow for it we know it's going toMoreWe really don't want to have that club. Starting flat we need to allow for it we know it's going to do that. So what we need to do is just start with the toe of the club.

How should golf clubs lie at address?

0:363:33GOLF TIP - HOW YOUR GOLF IRON SHOULD SIT - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo do the heel no. So the toe is slightly raised to allow for the the dynamic movement to impactMoreSo do the heel no. So the toe is slightly raised to allow for the the dynamic movement to impact where the chef raises under and the. And it bows as well so yeah so this puts a real paramount.

Should golf clubs be square at address?

3:316:27How to tell if your club face is square! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipOver to this alignment stick that is perpendicular to the target line and if the grooves match upMoreOver to this alignment stick that is perpendicular to the target line and if the grooves match up then the club face is square.

What happens if my lie angle is too flat?

If your lie angle is too flat, you will tend to slice the ball. If your lie angle is too upright, then you will tend to hook the ball. It can even cause you to develop swing compensations to correct for it, preventing you from ever developing a consistent, repeatable, and powerful swing.

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 my irons be upright or flat?

After you make impact the line will appear on the face. 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.

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?

How should my club face look at address?

The face of the club should be positioned directly behind the ball at address. The line formed by the clubface should be perpendicular to the target line for normal, straight shots.

Should club face look open at address?

1:015:25How to Fix an Open Club Face (Address and Impact) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAt address when you put it behind the golf ball is square. You would not believe how many golfersMoreAt address when you put it behind the golf ball is square. You would not believe how many golfers come to my lesson t and they say todd i'm slicing the golf ball. And they set up to the golf ball.

Should I close clubface at address?

0:232:29Don't close your clubface at address - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo it's hooded making it strong. Well what happened with that is is more you slice it these guysMoreSo it's hooded making it strong. Well what happened with that is is more you slice it these guys will tell you the more you tow it in as an ante slice but. I.

What is the proper way to address a golf ball?

0:395:35How to Address The Ball - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd the longer the club the further forward it goes so Rory you've got a wedge in your hand where doMoreAnd the longer the club the further forward it goes so Rory you've got a wedge in your hand where do you like to have your ball. Position well I normally like to have it in the middle of my stance.

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 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 .

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.

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 ...

How to grip a golf club?

How to Grip the Club during your Setup. Type: For most golfers, the club will be held by hands that are positioned in an overlap grip. That means that the small finger from the right hand will be placed on top of the left hand, in between the knuckle of the index and middle fingers. Strength: The strength of the grip will tend to be one ...

What is the line formed by the clubface?

The line formed by the clubface should be perpendicular to the target line for normal, straight shots. That means that your clubface should point straight forward in what is referred to as a being square to the target.

Why should the shoulders not be parallel to the ground?

Because of the way the hands are positioned on the grip of the club – the right hand under the left hand – the shoulders should not be perfectly parallel to the ground.

How should your feet be spaced out?

Your feet should be positioned apart from each other in a way that is coherent with the shot at hand. Indeed, for shots using a longer club such as a driver, your feet will be spaced out further than they will when hitting a shot using a shorter club, such as a wedge or a short iron.

What should your stance line be?

For straight shots, your stance line should be parallel to the target line. For a precise target located very far into the distance your feet can appear to be aligned towards the target but ideally they will point slightly to the left of the target, by an amount equal to the distance from your feet to the ball.

When positioning the ball on a tee, should the ball be held?

When positioning the ball on a tee, the ball should be held so that the middle of the ball – or its equator – is as high as the crown of the driver. When using an iron with a ball on a tee, the ball should be held just off the ground to ensure a perfect lie. More on: Where to Position the Ball at Address.

Where to place the ball at address?

Where (How) to Position the Ball at Address. At address, the ball will be located in front of you, somewhere in between your two feet. It will normally be located in the middle when using a short iron and progressively towards the front foot as the length of the club increases.

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 ...

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.

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.

Why is it important to lie golf clubs?

The lie of the club is very important because when addressing a golf ball you start with positioning the clubhead first. How to position the clubhead when addressing the golf ball.

What happens if you can't get paper under the toe of the golf club?

If your friend is unable to get the paper under the toe of the club at all, the club is too upright. The grip end should be lowered slightly which will result in a more toe up club head position. Then the paper should slide in just short of the middle of the clubhead.

How to practice golf tee?

It’s a good practice exercise to place a golf tee beside your golf ball. After impact notice where the divots started in relation to where the ball was. Slight press forward with shaft. In your set a position, take a look at your hands in relation to the club head and golf ball.

How wide should your shoulders be?

The width of your stance should be approximately shoulders width apart. This can range slightly. A good range is your shoulders width fitting between your feet for a slightly wider stance. Your shoulders width to the very outside of your feet for a slightly narrower stance, is also an option.

Can you change the position of the golf club head on the ground?

You’ll have to make slight adjustments to fit where the handle of the golf club is, remember not to change the lie of the club head on the ground in the process. If you’re on the shorter side you’ll have very little knee bend, perhaps none at all, and only a slight tilt forward with your spine angle.

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 ...

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)

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 a standard lie?

Standard lie – Unaltered lie angle. Upright lie- The toe of the club is bent higher than the heel of the club (lie angle is higher than a standard lie) Flat lie – The toe of the club is bent lower than the heel of the club (lie angle is lower than a standard lie) A club can either be bent to an upright position (toe higher than heel) ...

What is the sole of a golf club?

The sole of the club is parallel to the ground at impact and the ball will start off at the target. Lie Angle is too high (upright): The toe of the club is high above the heel and cause shots that will start off left of the target (right-handed golfers)

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 ]

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