Tour Lie Angle

[DBake]

When watching the pro tour on tv it looks like most of the players adjust their lie angle to make it more upright. Does anyone else notice this? Could this be personal preference to beable to draw the ball?

[NM Golf]

The PGA players clubs are fitted. The lie angles may be upright or flat depending on the player body type, size, and swing.

[allin]

I saw a PGA tour sunday show several years ago where they stated that pros tended to play standard lengths and lies, since a lot of them fight a hook as their bad shot, few had their lies more upright except occasionally in the 2 or 3 iron or maybe a wedge. The did say a lot more pros have their lofts adjusted, since they hit the ball so consistently they can more easily identify gap issues and have the needed changes made.

[cutshot878]

Most tour players are tall so I would imagine they would need a more upright lie angle to offset this.  The tour pros who play a draw might want a more upright lie angle. But most tour pros use a very strong left hand grip so I would imagine an upright lie angle would cause them to over-hook too many shots. A flat lie angle might be necessary to offset the incredibly strong left hand grip (3 knuckles visible when looking down the shaft) so that the player hits a mostly straight shot. I know the PGA Tour player avoids big hooks because they don't land softly enough on those fast greens. The high fade lands softly and doesn't roll off the green.  I'm guessing they keep their lie angles neutral so that they can hit draws or fades at will.  Draws into the wind (they will land softly) and fades downwind. I recently went to a PGA tour event and watched them hit a lot of draws. Which surprised me because I thought the pro trajectory was primarily a fade. Watching them, a draw seemed to be their natural ball flight, at least with the driver. The fade was harder for them to pull off---at least off the tee. I watched them hit a lot of draws with the irons too.

[14ledo81]

Most tour players are tall so I would imagine they would need a more upright lie angle to offset this.  The tour pros who play a draw might want a more upright lie angle. But most tour pros use a very strong left hand grip so I would imagine an upright lie angle would cause them to over-hook too many shots. A flat lie angle might be necessary to offset the incredibly strong left hand grip (3 knuckles visible when looking down the shaft) so that the player hits a mostly straight shot. I know the PGA Tour player avoids big hooks because they don't land softly enough on those fast greens. The high fade lands softly and doesn't roll off the green.  I'm guessing they keep their lie angles neutral so that they can hit draws or fades at will.  Draws into the wind (they will land softly) and fades downwind. I recently went to a PGA tour event and watched them hit a lot of draws. Which surprised me because I thought the pro trajectory was primarily a fade. Watching them, a draw seemed to be their natural ball flight, at least with the driver. The fade was harder for them to pull off---at least off the tee. I watched them hit a lot of draws with the irons too.

The pros primarily hit there stock shot, and they can make a draw land just as softly as a fade.

[luu5]

Originally Posted by cutshot878

Most tour players are tall so I would imagine they would need a more upright lie angle to offset this.

In seven years they should have grown taller for sure...

[David in FL]

In seven years they should have grown taller for sure...

Don't complain, do you see that avatar?! :-D

[luu5]

Originally Posted by David in FL

Don't complain, do you see that avatar?!

True, my bad.

[cutshot878]

The pros primarily hit there stock shot, and they can make a draw land just as softly as a fade.

Downwind with a green sloping right to left and the pro's can stop a draw?  Maybe with a short iron.

[cutshot878]

Originally Posted by 14ledo81

The pros primarily hit there stock shot, and they can make a draw land just as softly as a fade.

Downwind with a green sloping right to left and the pro's can stop a draw?  Maybe with a short iron.

I watched Brian Duncan (Web.com Tour player) recently hit a rocket launched sky high 200 yard draw (with a 7 iron) that was actually hit into a 15mph headwind and when the ball landed on the green pin high it kept going for 15 yards and off the green.  I watched him on the back nine of the 4th round of 2nd stage Q-school in Brooksville, Fl. He was -15 under I believe, just back of his playing partner and medalist Robert Karlsson. We were allowed to walk down the fairways with the players and caddies and I had a great view of these towering draws (into the wind) from the fairway and 3 wood stingers off the tee. To watch a world-class professional strike a golf ball is an awe-inspiring thing.