How do you check a clubs loft?

[walfice]

Is a special tool required? Will my local club pro be able to do it?

[Stacey_E]

If he has a loft/lie machine then he can. The club is placed in a stationary device where angle measurements of loft and lie are marked. Then he can take your readings and adjust the club accordingly. The whole procedure, bending included, takes about 1 minute a club (unless the club is some special makeup that slows down the bending process).

[cigarnut81]

Do not use a loft/lie machine to measure anything. They are way off. You need a clubhead measuring device. Find a clubmaker to help you measure that clubhead.

[Stacey_E]

Do not use a loft/lie machine they are horribly inacurate.Find a clubmaker near you that owns or has access to a clubhead measuring gauge. This is the only way to get a accurate reading.

I've often wondered about that. Once I bought a wedge and had it bent to the loft I needed it. The very next day at another shop I had the loft checked while bending a set of irons. I hadn't hit the wedge more than 20 times. For the hell of it I had it checked again. There was a two degree difference in the readings! Thats 1/2 of a club. I suppose the markings are good if you say "I want it one degree weaker", but if you specifiy a loft then I thought there had to be a more accurate and reliable way to get that loft.

[onthehunt526]

That's actually true and I own a lie and loft machine... (long story) these days they can check lofts digitally with a measuring device... The newer lie and loft machines however are pretty much right on the money with the digital ones...

but if you don't like that you can always pull out the protractor and straight edge... its pretty close usually... (within a degree)

[Stacey_E]

but if you don't like that you can always pull out the protractor and straight edge... its pretty close usually... (within a degree)

Out of curiousity, how would one go about that? Would you measure the face relative to the front/middle/back of the hosel? I assume you would put the straight bottom of the protractor on the face of the club?

[onthehunt526]

that would be correct the straight edge of the protactor goes on the clubface and you measure from the side of the hosel that would be closest to your target.... I actually used this method with a slight variation... I tied a string in the little hole of mine with a couple washers on the end of it... took a straight edge and extended that line actually its very accurate...