Golf is a game that can be tricky enough to play at the best of times, so the last thing we want is for our clubs to work against us on the course!
But if you don’t have the correct lie angle in golf this situation becomes a reality, making consistent ball striking a much harder task than it should be.
The lie angle in golf is something all players work with, but not all golfers recognize its crucial influence on the flight of their ball.
Getting the right lie angle is one of the main incentives for why serious golfers get their clubs custom fitted, so it’s worth understanding how your lie angle is affecting your game!
With that in mind, keep reading for a full breakdown of the lie angle in golf and how correcting yours can help you hit the ball more accurately!
Let’s get started!
lie angle in golf – what does it mean?
The lie angle is a measurement of the angle between the club shaft and the horizontal ground when the club meets the ground.
Picture this: You’re set up in your natural address position with your club head resting flat on the turf beside the ball.
The amount of space beneath your club shaft, i.e between the shaft and the ground, is what gives you your lie angle.
There are 3 ways to define lie angle in golf: Neutral, upright, and flat.
A neutral lie angle will see the sole of the club head exactly parallel to the ground at setup and impact.
If your club has a shaft that is either too steep or too flat, your lie angle will deviate from a neutral one.
A lie angle that is deemed upright will see more space between the club shaft and the ground than a flat lie angle where the club shaft is closer to the ground at the low point in the swing.
Since club shafts are slanted to varying amounts, and all golfers are different in height and reach, there is sadly not a ‘one-club-fits-all’ rule in golf so complications can arise when the lie angle is off.
Let’s get into them!
Why does lie angle in golf matter?
If there’s one secret to keeping scores low in golf, it’s shot consistency.
In order to hit shots where you want them to land more consistently, you’ll need to be able to find the middle of your club face on a routine basis during the point of impact.
The best way to achieve this?
Make sure your lie angle is correct!
The lie angle in golf will decide how the club head interacts with the ground and the ball when you make your strike.
The right lie angle is going to give you the best chance at making squared contact with the golf ball which will make you an all-around more accurate player.
There’s nothing worse than catching the ball away from the central sweet spot on your club face and watching it fly either side of the target – this is only going to cause you more recovery shots to save par!
It is said that for every degree your lie angle is off, your ball can fly up to 4 yards off your intended target line.
Remember this: To make squared contact with the golf ball, your club needs to be allowed to make squared contact with the ground.
If you’re unable to deliver the club head square to the ground at impact then your club face will be thrown off in relation to your target line and the chances of slicing or hooking the ball will increase.
To play golf consistently, it is important that you don’t have to compensate for an incorrect lie angle by making threatening adjustments to your natural golf posture.
If you have to move your body just to get the sole of your club square to the ground, it can throw many things off in your swing including your swing plane which is a key factor in playing consistent golf.
Without the correct lie angle in golf, your club will make life far more difficult during your round, regardless of how well you perform your swing!
What happens if the lie angle Isn’t neutral?
If your lie angle in golf is either too upright or flat, your ball’s flight trajectory can be negatively affected.
When the lie angle is too upright, you’ll find that the toe of your club head raises in the air at impact with the golf ball which won’t allow you to make squared contact.
This is seen when your club shaft is too steep for you.
An upright lie angle encourages your club face to close and your shots to pull left of target.
In contrast, if the lie angle is too flat, then the heel of your club head will be in the air at impact which can leave the club face open and push your shots to the right.
Without a neutral lie angle in golf, you risk digging either the toe or heel of your club head into the ground first at the bottom of the downswing which will create an uneven divot and affect the cleanness of your strike.
how to find the perfect lie angle in golf
A good lie angle in golf makes for a reliable shot and grants you control over the flight of your ball, so it’s worth knowing how to get yours right!
The correct lie angle will look slightly different for each golfer and each shot type since every golfer is unique and there are different club lengths to contend with.
However, a good visual cue to tell whether you’ve achieved a neutral lie angle in any scenario is to look at the grooves on your club head.
If the grooves are parallel with the ground at setup, then you know the low point in your swing will offer you square contact with the ground and ball.
There’s also a neat golf drill for identifying the state of your lie angle which involves drawing a vertical line down the back of your golf ball with a marker pen.
When you strike the ball, a temporary line will be left on your club face giving you immediate feedback if your lie angle is off.
A neutral lie angle will see the line printed dead straight and vertical on the club face showing you’ve made a square connection with the ball.
If the lie angle is too flat, the printed line will be slanted towards the heel of your club face meaning the toe of your club is down at impact.
Conversely, when the lie angle is too upright, the line will be slanted towards the toe of your club face indicating that the heel of your club is in the air at impact.
Some players also like to use golf impact tape or impact boards to reveal where on their club face they’re making contact with the ground.
These aids are going to help decide whether you need to adjust the steepness of your club shaft to offer you a better lie angle, which brings us to our last, and perhaps most important, way to get the correct lie angle in golf: Club fitting.
New golfers incorrectly assume that the club they buy from the store will be right for them straight away.
If you’re serious about golf and want to take your game to the highest level, then it is recommended to get your clubs professionally fitted so that they are customized to suit your needs.
This involves making tweaks to your golf clubs such as bending the shafts either forward or backward depending on whether the lie angle was too flat or upright prior.
This ensures you have the correct neutral lie angle during your natural golf posture which will bring more confidence and accuracy to your game!
Summary
The lie angle in golf is important because it affects the direction of your shots.
Golf is a game of fine margins – if your lie angle is either too upright or too flat by even just a couple of degrees, then your shots are going to be inconsistent.
In light of this, the correct lie angle in golf is going to give you the best chance at playing more accurately by making sure that your clubs are on your side during an already challenging game!
