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Hitting out bottom of the face


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Been hitting my old irons out the bottom of the face and while they still get in the air, there's not much divot and I get the thin feel. Got custom fitted for new irons last week and my new set on order are an extra inch and a half with the lie angle 2 degrees flatter. Would this be a reason why my old set was getting me hitting thin shots?
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Been hitting my old irons out the bottom of the face and while they still get in the air, there's not much divot and I get the thin feel. Got custom fitted for new irons last week and my new set on order are an extra inch and a half with the lie angle 2 degrees flatter. Would this be a reason why my old set was getting me hitting thin shots?

The new clubs are 1.5" longer and 2 degrees flat? I'm not a club fitter but that seems odd to me. Doesn't lengthening the club change the lie angle to be flatter to begin with? I have a very upright swing, am 6'5" tall, and my clubs are +1" long and 4 degrees upright.

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I am certainly not an expert by any means, but if the irons that were fit to you are 1 1/2" longer than what you were playing and your swing is exactly the same, then by all means yes.  Think about the physics:  with the same motion you were hitting it thin, no divot.  Now if you make the same motion the club face should be closer to the ground as your lever, the club, is a bit longer.  With your old clubs you likely had to make a compensating move to get clean contact and not hit it thin.  But if you just swing and do not make that move, you hit it thin,  So with the new, longer clubs you should be able to hit it much cleaner and take a divot.  All this without altering your swing with a compensating move.  Enjoy the new clubs and better ball striking!

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Maybe I've got that wrong then. Def need to get the clubs an inch and a half longer tho. Would the lie angle being out on my current set cause thins?
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My understanding is that too flat and you tend to hit toe down and possibly dig the club into the turf.  Too upright and you hit with the toe in the air and the heel lower, could cause a thin shot.  If you trust the fitter then go by his recommendations.  If your clubs were short and too upright then you would hit it thin.  I am guessing that with your old clubs your comfortable position from the ball was further away than the length and lie of the the clubs you had.  So when the fitter measured you, he likely kept the same distance that you set up from the ball.  A longer club would then have a flatter lie.  Of course this is coming from someone who is not a club fitter, but just has a knowledge of physics.  The farther you stand away from the ball, the longer the club needs to be and the flatter the lie.

Taylormade SLDR S Driver, 3w, 3h, 4h, 5h, 6h
Taylormade RSI 2 7i, 8i, 9i
Cleveland 46w, 52w, 56w, 60w
Acer CB2 putter
Ogio Chamber cart bag

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My understanding is that too flat and you tend to hit toe down and possibly dig the club into the turf.  Too upright and you hit with the toe in the air and the heel lower, could cause a thin shot.  If you trust the fitter then go by his recommendations.  If your clubs were short and too upright then you would hit it thin.  I am guessing that with your old clubs your comfortable position from the ball was further away than the length and lie of the the clubs you had.  So when the fitter measured you, he likely kept the same distance that you set up from the ball.  A longer club would then have a flatter lie.  Of course this is coming from someone who is not a club fitter, but just has a knowledge of physics.  The farther you stand away from the ball, the longer the club needs to be and the flatter the lie.

Thanks, would a longer club mean the angle should be flatter? The first post suggested otherwise.

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Been hitting my old irons out the bottom of the face and while they still get in the air, there's not much divot and I get the thin feel. Got custom fitted for new irons last week and my new set on order are an extra inch and a half with the lie angle 2 degrees flatter. Would this be a reason why my old set was getting me hitting thin shots?

Sounds like a Key #2 and/or #3 issue.

Mike McLoughlin

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It is the relationship with the ball and the length of the club.  It basically is a 90 degree triangle.  Your hands are one corner.  The ball is another.  Straight down from your hands is the third corner.  So if you lengthen the distance from straight down to the ball, then the hypotenuse of the triangle (distance from your hands to the ball, or the length of the club) increases.  As this increases, the angle inside the triangle (club and ground) decreases.  If this decreases, then the complimentary angle (shaft and club face, which we call the lie angle) increases.  The total will be 180 degrees.

If you decrease the distance you stand away from the ball, or stand closer to it at address, then the lie angle needs to be more upright.  Your old clubs would have worked better if you stood closer to the ball.  But this is likely not what your swing path dictated.  thus your club fitter recommended longer clubs with a flatter lie angle to fit your swing and ball position.  At least that is what I am assuming from what you have said and what the fitter did.

Taylormade SLDR S Driver, 3w, 3h, 4h, 5h, 6h
Taylormade RSI 2 7i, 8i, 9i
Cleveland 46w, 52w, 56w, 60w
Acer CB2 putter
Ogio Chamber cart bag

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Of course what mvmac says is correct as well.  All of my thoughts were if there were no issues with the swing and it was an equipment issue.  Lots of swing issues can cause thin hits too,

Taylormade SLDR S Driver, 3w, 3h, 4h, 5h, 6h
Taylormade RSI 2 7i, 8i, 9i
Cleveland 46w, 52w, 56w, 60w
Acer CB2 putter
Ogio Chamber cart bag

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During the fitting, did the fitter have you hit shots using "a lie board" and tape the sole of the club?

Then club impact will scuff the tape which indicates if angle need adjustments.

I've oftentimes heard the rule of thumb, if the shots are hit on the toe (bend them flat) or if the shots are hit close to the hosel  (bend them up)

Club Rat

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During the fitting, did the fitter have you hit shots using "a lie board" and tape the sole of the club? Then club impact will scuff the tape which indicates if angle need adjustments. I've oftentimes heard the rule of thumb, if the shots are hit on the toe (bend them flat) or if the shots are hit close to the hosel  (bend them up) Club Rat

Pretty sure you have it backwards. If the toe of the club is striking the lie board, you would bend the club upright in order to move the strike point more towards the center of the club. Exactly the opposite if you're striking near the heel.

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Been hitting my old irons out the bottom of the face and while they still get in the air, there's not much divot and I get the thin feel. Got custom fitted for new irons last week and my new set on order are an extra inch and a half with the lie angle 2 degrees flatter. Would this be a reason why my old set was getting me hitting thin shots?

If your new set hasn't arrived yet I don't see how you could blame the previous/current set for the thin shots unless you have always hit them thin.

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I've been making clubs for over 30 years. The lie of your old clubs was more than likely too flat for you. The toe was probably dragging just because the clubs were too short. Your hitting it thin because the clubs are very short. Also, with the heel off the ground, the middle of the face would be off the ground also causing thin shots. Instead of new clubs, you could just squat like a frog when you swing. :-)

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Pretty sure you have it backwards.

If the toe of the club is striking the lie board, you would bend the club upright in order to move the strike point more towards the center of the club. Exactly the opposite if you're striking near the heel.


You are correct, I see now why my post is confusing.

I should be more descriptive about "the rule of thumb" when the ball is struck on the toe (bend them flat) or if the ball is hit close to the hosel  (bend them up)

This was an old saying by guys expressing lie adjustment.

Thanks MBG for posting the use of "lie board" strike points.

I was being lazy and did not provide the information.

Plus, I'm on my tablet, not really fond of "on-screen" keyboards.

Club Rat

Johnny Rocket - Let's Rock and Roll and play some golf !!!

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OK, yesterday was the final day of our Member/Member and my heads still fuzzy.

Let's see I can get this right this time.

RULE of THUMB should be "balls hit toward the heel bend flat,balls hit toward toe bend up right"

Not,

I see now why my post is confusing.

I should be more descriptive about "the rule of thumb"  when the ball is struck on the toe (bend them flat) or if the ball is hit close to the hosel  (bend them up)

This was an old saying by guys expressing lie adjustment.

Sheez, Club Rat

Johnny Rocket - Let's Rock and Roll and play some golf !!!

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Your hitting it thin because the clubs are very short. Also, with the heel off the ground, the middle of the face would be off the ground also causing thin shots.

Here's what I don't get about the "your clubs are too short and you hit it thin" take. If that's true then wouldn't everyone thin their lob wedges?

Mike McLoughlin

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Note: This thread is 3215 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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