Figuring Out The Correct Lie For Your Irons

[mainuh]

Late,late last season I purchased a new set of irons and while putting them in play I was finding a lot of well struck shots leaking left.

Now I do have some issues with a pull with my driver and usually I can identify what I am doing wrong in my setup.

This problem crept in with my new irons as well.

 

A couple of weeks ago I took all of them out into the yard.

I put some tape on the bottom (sole) of each one and swung them coming down on a piece of plywood that I had on the ground.

I cleared the earth out a bit so the board would be more or less at the same level as my feet.

To my surprise all of my irons showed strike marks on the tape around the heel area.

All of the marks suggested anyware from a 2° to 3° lie adjustment.

 

Not having access to a bending jig I contacted a local clubmaker and asked for the cost to adjust the lies...$5.00 a club!

One thing I found interesting in speaking with him about was the degree of bend prior to him taking it on. He suggested different lie patterns for my longer clubs. Even though they were all about the same he thought that a less extreme bend would be better than indicated.

Hell if he wasn't right.

 

Best money for my game that I have ever spent. I got out for the first time this past Friday,no practice time, majority of my shots were striped down the middle.

So good in fact that my friend who knows my game/swing very well marveled at how well I was striking the ball.

 

So... for the cost of a bit of masking tape, a piece of plywood and a reasonable clubmaker, you just might find that your ballstriking improved 90%

 

rob

[Moecat]

This is some great advice, in my opinion.

 

The real trick after this do-it-yourself process is having the decent club builder in one's neck of the woods.

[GolfSpy Dave]

Great heads-up. Another thing to look for is a club fitter who offers a follow-up fitting after the clubs arrive.

This was a nice feature at my local shop.

[jamo]

When you say "$5.00 a clubs!" you mean that in a good way, right? I hope so, good to see such quick improvement from an easy fix.

[Matt Saternus]

When you say "$5.00 a clubs!" you mean that in a good way, right? I hope so, good to see such quick improvement from an easy fix.

 

I'm going to guess it was not a happy exclamation. $5 seems high given the amount of time it would take to check and adjust one iron. I had my whole set done for maybe $20 when I lived downstate, it would be more like $5 here in Chicago. What I'd really like to do is buy my own Mitchell machine.

[mainuh]

When you say "$5.00 a clubs!" you mean that in a good way, right? I hope so, good to see such quick improvement from an easy fix.

I'm going to guess it was not a happy exclamation. $5 seems high given the amount of time it would take to check and adjust one iron. I had my whole set done for maybe $20 when I lived downstate, it would be more like $5 here in Chicago. What I'd really like to do is buy my own Mitchell machine.

 

$5.00 a club!....I thought that was extremely reasonable. So it was a happy exclamation

 

When I also consider that the clubmaker spent about 15 minutes on the phone with me discussing the degree amounts of bend and his reason for not bending a few to the amount that seemed to be indicated, the price, for a notorious cheapskate like me, was very reasonable.

 

Now I also had my clubs extended while he had them, something I could and have done myself before...that cost, when it came time to pay the bill, floored me.

Suffice to say, I will do the rest myself.

 

As a DIY project, extending the length of your irons is a job anyone can do themselves with zero problems.

 

rob

[jamo]

 

As a DIY project, extending the length of your irons is a job anyone can do themselves with zero problems.

 

rob

 

So how do you do that?

[mainuh]

Jamo - I started to go through it but...its long in the telling. I saved it to Word and when I get a chance later will post a step by step for you.

Better yet, if I can find a video I will post for you.

Either way though I'll have your answer tonite.

 

rob

[jamo]

Jamo - I started to go through it but...its long in the telling. I saved it to Word and when I get a chance later will post a step by step for you.

Better yet, if I can find a video I will post for you.

Either way though I'll have your answer tonite.

 

rob

 

Nice, looking forward to it!

[Jack aMMo]

Late,late last season I purchased a new set of irons and while putting them in play I was finding a lot of well struck shots leaking left.

Now I do have some issues with a pull with my driver and usually I can identify what I am doing wrong in my setup.

This problem crept in with my new irons as well.

 

A couple of weeks ago I took all of them out into the yard.

I put some tape on the bottom (sole) of each one and swung them coming down on a piece of plywood that I had on the ground.

I cleared the earth out a bit so the board would be more or less at the same level as my feet.

To my surprise all of my irons showed strike marks on the tape around the heel area.

All of the marks suggested anyware from a 2° to 3° lie adjustment.

 

Not having access to a bending jig I contacted a local clubmaker and asked for the cost to adjust the lies...$5.00 a club!

One thing I found interesting in speaking with him about was the degree of bend prior to him taking it on. He suggested different lie patterns for my longer clubs. Even though they were all about the same he thought that a less extreme bend would be better than indicated.

Hell if he wasn't right.

 

Best money for my game that I have ever spent. I got out for the first time this past Friday,no practice time, majority of my shots were striped down the middle.

So good in fact that my friend who knows my game/swing very well marveled at how well I was striking the ball.

 

So... for the cost of a bit of masking tape, a piece of plywood and a reasonable clubmaker, you just might find that your ballstriking improved 90%

 

rob

 

What do you mean by 'different lie patterns for the longer clubs.?' Were they bent by only 1* or 2*?

[xxio]

G,

 

I think that some clubmakers suggest that they don't all have to be .5 degree spacing. I happen to agree with that.

 

I tend to like having my 4 and 5 irons more upright by 1 degree from my natural progression. They are slightly harder to draw for me. The more upright lie angle helps a bit in that regard.

[pughdog]

Mainuh

 

Are you lengthening the irons that you've just had the lie changed on? If so you may well find the lie angle changes considerably depending on how long you are going...

 

For example, I always played upright clubs through my juniour years (being 6'2") but not much longer than standard. Nowadays I play standard lie and +1". Effectively, once you lengthen an iron you are making it 'sit' and 'play' more upright. I've heard a stat of +1/2" = approx 2 degrees more upright but I wouldn't swear by this. Get me?

 

Hey, I may be telling my granny (no offence!) how to suck eggs here but it seems strange to me to get the lie right first then lengthen... I've always advised players to do it the other way around as often the longer club eliminates the need for much adjustment in lie.

 

Did you discuss this with your clubmaker?

[RookieBlue7]

Good video from Maltby explaining correlation between loft and lie.

 

Half an inch equals 1 degree of lie angle too, as a standard number. There are some variables in there that skew that correlation some, but generally speaking half an inch is 1 degree of lie angle.

[Justin66]

 

Did you discuss this with your clubmaker?

 

I'm with you, pughdog... you should never compromise the length of the club (and the other aspects that can change*) because someone wanted to bend an iron 2* instead of 3. Especially if you're already "striping" them. If they get lengthened and you can't handle them (even .5" can do that) you'll be right back to where you started...

 

*= swing weight (higher), total weight (heavier) and shaft flex (it can have a more flexible feel than it was originally) off the top of my head.

 

It costs more because the grip's will be cut off and extensions will be added on the butt end (most people glue them on, though the occasional will just force fit them and have the grip keep them on). I feel that it's a pretty standard procedure, it's just that more often than not you'll end up having to buy new grips.

[RookieBlue7]

Oh and a tip for those wanting to DIY it at home checking them. Use electrical tape instead of masking tape. You'll get friction marks you can easily see instead of torn tape you have to guess at whether or not it's from impact or something on your surface.

[BIG STU]

Use the same piece of plywood you were using but coat it with flat black cheap rattle can paint. Let the paint dry and hit the board this will give a more accurate reading than with the tape. To get the paint off your club just borry some of your better half's fingernail polish remover and a rag it comes off easy. I learned this method from a friend of mine that runs a custom club shop and he has used this method for years wit his customers

[indacup]

Mainuh-

 

Good advice...this is basically the same principal we use...except we also put tape on the face as well to see where the ball is making impact.

 

This, along with the wear marks on the sole tell us if length needs to be adjusted as well.

 

Incidentally, we also charge $5.00 a club and that is dirt cheap to do it right.