Solved the riddle

[Shanks A Million]

For years, I have not been able to hit fairway woods. I tried everything, but they always seemed to defy me. It turns out, the answer was fairly simple. I need an upright lie angle, but everyone told me the 2 degrees upright wouldn't be a problem. But still, my fairway woods were too toe down, and all I could do was toe them (off a tee was no problem). I got out some old persimmon woods, and hit them fine. I hit my driver fine as well. What could it be?

Turns out, the problem was toe down effect. The shafts were too soft, and they resulted in the wood being severely toe down. I got an old Adams strong 2 wood, with an X shaft. Wow! That thing was easy to hit. My previous fairway woods were so unpredictable, I usually just left them in the bag for show. I rarely ever took them out during a round. In fact, it is one of the easiest clubs in the bag to hit now.

The reason my lie angles were so severe was all toe down. It's really easy to forget this. I was never really 4 degrees upright, my shafts were just sagging. When I got my Nikes, with stiff steel shafts, my lie angle changed from 4 up to 1.5 up. OEM "stiff" shafts are no such thing. I really wish fitting was more prevalent. I can't believe how much a bad fit was hurting my game for so many years.

[TourSpoon]

I feel a move into the 5s coming...I had always known that address the toe should always be slightly up because of this but I didn't realize that it had that big of an effect. I am 1* upright on the irons and never had an issue with the 3 wood that I carry.

[Shanks A Million]

I feel a move into the 5s coming...I had always known that address the toe should always be slightly up because of this but I didn't realize that it had that big of an effect. I am 1* upright on the irons and never had an issue with the 3 wood that I carry.

It does make sense. Videos of my swing show a lot of shaft droop, even with wedges. I LOVE that 2 wood. It's like 260 on a good smash, heck, maybe more if I really go at it, who knows?

[TourSpoon]

Videos of my swing show a lot of shaft droop

That's what she said!

[GolfBear]

Wouldn't that mean that the shaft is flexing away from you? How does that even happen?

[Shanks A Million]

Wouldn't that mean that the shaft is flexing away from you? How does that even happen?

The center of gravity of the head is not in line with the shaft, so as centrifugal force pulls the head away from your hands during the downswing, the shaft droops.

[iacas]

The center of gravity of the head is not in line with the shaft, so as centrifugal force pulls the head away from your hands during the downswing, the shaft droops.

Gee, where'd you ever

hear . of such a thing?

[Shanks A Million]

Gee, where'd you ever

Haha, I know, I know!

Here, let's try this again: The center of gravity of the head is not in line with the shaft, so as centrifugal force pulls the head away from your hands during the downswing, the shaft droops. ²

[Fat Slice]

Is this a case of the shaft unloading too late? Would going to a stiffer shaft help to unload fully at impact?

[Shanks A Million]

Is this a case of the shaft unloading too late? Would going to a stiffer shaft help to unload fully at impact?

No, not exactly. The shaft moves in 3 dimensions (and one of those 3 is almost infinately small), and shaft droop is only one of the three. A stiffer shaft does help, however. I play an X flex, so the R and S shafts in graphite were bending far too much. When I had my Adams uniflex shafts in my irons, I was 4° upright, but when I switched to the tour style stiff shafts in the irons, I was only 1.5° up (68° vs 65.5°). The fitter said I put a tremendous strain on shafts, so I need the stiffest ones there are. I'm very heavy, and my shoulders are very large, so I can really accelerate a shaft I guess.

[PuttPutt]

Ummm...

[Shanks A Million]

Ummm...

Ok... That was constructive.