TheSandTrap.com › Golf Forum › The Pro Shop › Clubs, Grips, Shafts, Fitting › Understanding the lie angle on your irons
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Understanding the lie angle on your irons

post #1 of 11
1/22/13 at 5:43pm
Thread Starter 

All,

I know there is always some great information I get from you all regarding  clubs and other stuff I am sure you all have some good answers regarding Lie Angle adjustments. I had a great opportunity Sunday to spend about 2 hours in the Ping fitting room trying every steel shaft club the store had, it came down to the new G25 yellow dot, now I read a lot about up right lie depends on how tall you are and wrist to floor. According to what I have read i should be a standard black dot not yellow that is at 1.5 up. I am only 5' 8" not a really big guy pretty standard when it come to shaft length and grip size.

When trying all the different heads that ping has using the yellow was pulling my shots in straight with a small fade. With black I seem to push right. i assume and have been told it is due to catching the toe at impact so as we moved from black to yellow I got a much better and straighter ball flight.

So my question is how does this work when I read a lot has to do with how tall you are?

I have never had a real fitting before in all the years I have just made adjustments to how I swing.

Thanks

Reply
Reply

TheSandTrap.com Top Picks

post #2 of 11
1/22/13 at 5:56pm
The fitter will put tape on the bottom of the club and see which color dot has you striking the ground in the middle.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 11
1/22/13 at 6:01pm
Height is a big factor, I am 6'5" tall and play Ping Maroon which is 5* upright. But it also has to do with how low or high you hold the handle at address and impact. If you are short, and are catching the toe to the ground at impact with a black dot iron, to must be holding the handle high and swinging very upright? That's my guess. If the yellow dot seemed good for you, get it. Maybe the 1* upright will straighten out your shots.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 11
1/22/13 at 6:27pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks for the info, maybe I am to upright when swinging, I also recall them saying somthing about the head on the down swing start to dip but did not really understand that.

 

I guess this opens another question standing to upright is that bad?

Yes they did use tape on the botton this really showed it to be 2 up but the fitter suggested i stay with 1.5 as I seem to then dig the heal when it went to the next color up.

Reply
Reply
post #5 of 11
1/22/13 at 10:17pm
Look on the bright side, with a more upright swing you'll be able to hit a higher ball and probably further too. Do you get your hands above your head at the end of your back swing?
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 11
1/23/13 at 10:55am
Thread Starter 

Not yet wish I was still that flexable but close, I have been working on a few things with out doing to much damage to my current swing.

I know that getting a better fit club, reading all the post, watching, a few lessions all will help.

This time around much more commited on the basics and doing it right. But never had that in the past or the funds to do it. Some times it is nice being a bit older!

Reply
Reply
post #7 of 11
1/23/13 at 6:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hacker101 View Post

...So my question is how does this work when I read a lot has to do with how tall you are?

I have never had a real fitting before in all the years I have just made adjustments to how I swing.

Thanks

Lie angle got a lot of discussion last February at the GolfWorks school I attended. The head instructor had worked at a club manufacturing plant for a decade and run his own custom club shop before shifting to GolfWorks and Maltby.

 

Anyway, determining lie angle involves multiple measurements. Rough starting points, but not sufficient alone:

  • Wrist to floor
  • Wrist to knuckles
  • Wrist to fingertips

 

As per GW, best single tool is impact decals (sole tape). Put the tape on a 5i, and hit 5 shots. If the average scuff mark is in the sole's center, your lie is OK. If the scuff is toward the heel, you may need a slightly flatter lie. Follow up with 7i and 9i to see if pattern holds. (Note: Lie angle measurement is one of the most stable metrics year-to-year for golfers, unless you do a major swing rebuild.)

 

Body proportions and stance also influence what lie angle you need. If you're 6-2 tall but have somewhat long arms, you may come out for standard (not flat or upright). IF you're 5-8 but have an unusually tall stance, you might need 2* upright.

 

Also, consider the particular model of club you're testing - there's no industry specs for standard lie. For Callaway, I'm standard lie almost always. For Ping, I'm usually recommended to go 0.75* flat. Let's compare stock 5 irons:

  • Ping G20 w/ steel shaft: 37.75" long, lie 60.75°
  • Callaway RazrX w/ steel shaft:  37.75" long, lie 61.5°

 

Note: If a golf shop builds or orders custom fit irons for you,  a good shop will do a loft-and-lie check when they arrive to make sure each iron matches design specifications.

Reply
Reply
post #8 of 11
1/23/13 at 7:50pm
Thread Starter 

Wow that is great information and a much better understanding.

Also great information is having them test each iron when they arrive I never thought of that.

I have been told that I stand a bit up right, this is very normal for me but with a few changes to how I swing I believe I have been standing in a more correct stance. Making a few minor changes to how I swing now, nothing big I can strike the ball decent but there is always room for improvment with out damaging what already works.

But it will be good to know that I need to have them check each club when I pick them up. Getting a custom fit is new for me and I hate to take what is said with out have a better understanding and not just talking face value.

Thank you for you reply and information.

Reply
Reply
post #9 of 11
1/23/13 at 9:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hacker101 View Post

I have been told that I stand a bit up right, this is very normal for me but with a few changes to how I swing I believe I have been standing in a more correct stance. Making a few minor changes to how I swing now, nothing big I can strike the ball decent but there is always room for improvment with out damaging what already works.

 

H, the whole idea is to find a golf swing that works for you. If you have the balance to swing a bit more upright, go with it.

 

Don't change it unless you think it will improve your swing.

Reply
Reply
post #10 of 11
1/24/13 at 10:00am

I was originally fit for 2* flat on my burners.  I am 5'10" and dont think I stand particularly tall or short in my stance.  A few weeks ago I went for a fitting and was told that my clubs are an inch too long (basically that I should be using a 37" 6i) and that I should be 2* upright.  My measurements don't show that, but the fitting did.  And it made sense because I tend to hit the ball a bit on the heel and my miss tends to be a slice.  I was fitted for green dot i20s.  

 

The guy showed me on video that at impact, my hands were further from my body than at address.  Basically that I was holding the club more upright.  

Reply
Reply
post #11 of 11
1/25/13 at 10:06am
Thread Starter 

That is why i love this site so much you all have great info. W thanks I have been messing with my swing way to much now, I think I have done more harm then good. 6 month ago I came back to this game and could easy hit my 7i 150-155 with a great grouping now i struggle with that, should have left it alone. So I hope that getting a better fit on my clubs and trying to find my way back to the old swing will be better. I was playing boggy golf then now it is jacked up I am sure I am not the only one that has done this.

But that thank you all for taking the time for me to better understand.

Happy Friday to you all from not so sunny CA!

Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Clubs, Grips, Shafts, Fitting

TheSandTrap.com Top Picks

TheSandTrap.com › Golf Forum › The Pro Shop › Clubs, Grips, Shafts, Fitting › Understanding the lie angle on your irons