Iron Setup - Heel or Toe?

[Leeds]

Group,

In setting up with my irons - or hybrds - should I distinctly have the club on its heel with the toe in the air or just on the heel with the club flat to the ground?

Thanks

[xilez]

Iron part starts at :36 seconds.

[zipazoid]

The club should lay flat on the ground from heel to toe. If it doesn't the clubs don't fit you.

[LuciusWooding]

Knees shoulder width apart, knees slightly flexed, bend slightly forward at the waist. Allow your arms to hang naturally, then bring the palms together. You should have your weight between your heels and toes, and be balanced and able to wiggle your toes without weight on them.

This is your natural stance, and the clubs should be fitted such that the sole is flat on the ground from toe to heel. Beware some clubs that have a rounded sole, since they can seem flat when they're actually toe up or down.

With woods and drivers, the shafts are often crazy long, and no one fits for length anymore. If the driver's toe points up, that's unavoidable, but irons and the putter should fit you for length and lie since they're more customizable.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

The club should lay flat on the ground from heel to toe. If it doesn't the clubs don't fit you.

Not necessarily. Impact is when the club should be relatively horizontal. Setup can vary (typically the toe will be in the air a little at setup).

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by iacas

Not necessarily. Impact is when the club should be relatively horizontal. Setup can vary (typically the toe will be in the air a little at setup).

Good point. The shaft does flex during the swing. So the more accurate statement, I guess, would be that the club should be level to the ground at impact.

But unless the player in question knows his clubs properly fit & that having the toe in the air address is neutralized at impact, then his clubs don't fit. Given that he's a beginner (Hcp 36), my guess is his clubs don't fit if the toe or heel is in the air at address.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

Good point. The shaft does flex during the swing. So the more accurate statement, I guess, would be that the club should be level to the ground at impact.

But unless the player in question knows his clubs properly fit & that having the toe in the air address is neutralized at impact, then his clubs don't fit. Given that he's a beginner (Hcp 36), my guess is his clubs don't fit if the toe or heel is in the air at address.

There's more than shaft flex. The hands tend to be higher and thus, the grip higher and the club effectively more upright - at impact than at setup as well.

A simple lie board is all you need to check dynamic lie angles.

[zipazoid]

I believe you. It's still possible his clubs don't fit. You did notice the 36 hdcp, no?

[LuciusWooding]

36 handicap does not mean he's a retard.

During setup, most players ground the club flat on the ground, but some hover it. The important thing, as stated, is that the sole is flat at impact. If you notice your divots are uneven in depth from heel to toe side, then your clubs either don't fit or you are doing something funky in your swing. A lie board is ideal for fitting, but you can generally tell from either divots or the accumulation of green crap from mats on one side of the club or the other.

Most golfers don't need more than a degree or two of adjustment to lie, but many find that the correct angle helps their setup and works better than others. That said, your question wasn't about fitting per se, just make sure your posture and ball position are reasonable and you don't have freakishly short arms or legs and you'll be fine.

[GrahamD]

I've actually never thought once about this setting up to a shot, just go with what feels natural and works for you

[WUTiger]

Years ago - the second lesson I ever had - the pro told me to have the club slightly back on the heel at set-up. He said it would help me relax more on the takeaway, and that centrifugal force would level the iron to the ground at impact.

A month after the lesson I quit trying to do it, because I had trouble judging correct clubface alignment - started spraying my iron shots. Couldn't get any consistency.

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by LuciusWooding

36 handicap does not mean he's a retard.

No it doesn't. But it likely means he's a beginner. How many beginners do you know have a set of clubs fitted to them? If he is one of the rare ones, then I stand corrected. If not, it's a valid question of whether his equipment fits him.

Are you implying that players that don't have fitted equipment are retarded?

I'm sure not. Nobody's intelligence is being questioned here.

[MiniBlueDragon]

Lately I've had to set up with the ball right between toe and grooves to try and avoid hitting too near the hosel. I'm sure I'll figure out what's changed in my swing at some point.

[SamW]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

The club should lay flat on the ground from heel to toe. If it doesn't the clubs don't fit you.

This wasn't the case for me after a fitting. Combination of shaft droop and my swing means that my impact lie is about 2-3* upright from my address position. Therefore my clubs are slightly toe-up at address and according to the fitter I used this is very much the norm (shaft droop alone is worth between 1-2* at my swing speed depending on the shaft).

[iacas]

Originally Posted by MiniBlueDragon

Lately I've had to set up with the ball right between toe and grooves to try and avoid hitting too near the hosel. I'm sure I'll figure out what's changed in my swing at some point.

Check your weight towards the toes or heels of your feet.

Any way you look at it, the sweet spot is moving out too much. Oftentimes it's because the body is moving out too much because the weight is back in the heels, so when you swing and it re-adjusts to being more in the center, your whole body moves out to the right.