What is the lie angle and how can it be checked?

When individuals find their shots going consistently right or left of their target most begin thinking the shaft flex is incorrect or the length of the club is wrong.  In many cases the lie angle is incorrect.

Rarely do we see a lie angle on a pre-assembled club, which is set correctly for the individual who owns the club.  The odds are close to 1 in 100 that a set will have the correct lie angle.   If we find a five iron, which is set at the correct angle, the other clubs in the set are not set in coordination with the five iron.

How important is the lie angle?  The lie angle is the most important part of the iron.  Setting the lie correctly is like sighting in a rifle.  It must be correct for the shot to be accurate.  If the lie angle is not set correctly it is irrelevant how well the club is made, the shot will not be accurate.

The lie angle is the angle created by a line running parallel to the centerline of the club shaft and a line parallel to the sole of the club.  A lie angle change can make an immediate and often dramatic improvement in an individual’s game.  The correct lie angle is one of the most important specifications to check on a set of golf clubs.

When you hear the terms 2 degrees flat, 2 degree upright, or standard, they refer to the lie angle.  Standard lie of a 5-iron is 60 degrees on most club sets.  Two degrees upright would mean the toe of the club has been lifted two degrees or to 62 degrees.  Lie is measured from a line extended from the sole beyond the heel of the club, to the centerline of the shaft.  Each club in the set is then adjusted according to their length and the need of the golfer.

Companies building pre-assembled clubs have varying systems of setting the lie angle from club to club within the set.  Whatever the system, the lie need will vary tremendously from individual to individual so each club’s lie must be determined through a fitting process with a custom clubmaker.

An improperly set lie angle on a set of clubs will likely cause directional control problems for the individual.  Clubs with too upright a lie will pull the ball to the left of the target and will increase the possibility of a hooking spin on the ball.  The opposite is true when the lie is too flat---the ball will be pushed right of the target with an increased possibility of a slicing spin on the ball.

The lie angle gives the golf shot direction, but also helps determine the solidness of feel, distance, amount of backspin, trajectory and the amount of ball roll.  With the lie angle set incorrectly, the individual has to compensate for all of these variables in the way he/she swings on each shot.  The problem is the individual does not know he/she is unconsciously correcting for an improperly set lie angle, which is making the game much more difficult.

There are two ways to check a lie angle.  One is statically measuring how high the tow of the club is from the floor or surface at the address position. 

The second method is measuring the lie dynamically with the individual swinging the club.  This test is done by attaching a piece of tape to the sole of the club with the center of the clubface marked on it.  The individual then swings, hitting the ball off of the surface.  Where the smudge is on the tape will give an accurate read of the lie.  Each quarter inch the center of the smudge is away from the center of the sole represents a degree of error in lie.

Most qualified clubfitters will use the dynamic lie test since it includes all parts of the club and all aspects of the individual’s swing.  It is giving an accurate reading of the lie angle at impact with the ball.

For a lie angle check, contact us here at Pat Ryan Golf.  We give you a dynamic lie test, determine the correct lie and professionally adjust your clubs.