Golf Club Angles

Lie angle is defined as the angle between the shaft and the ground when the club is at address with the ball. The correct lie angle depends on your physique (particularly your height and the length of your arms.) Accordingly it is important to have your clubs fitted so that they have the correct lie angle. If you have already bought your clubs, it is worth asking your teaching professional check them for you. Alternatively, take your clubs inside to a room with a flat even floor, like a kitchen or bathroom. For each club, take up a normal address and look to see if the club is lying flat on the floor. If it is not flat, and the toe is off the ground, this will tend to make you hit the ball to the left of the target line. On the other hand if the heel of the club is off the floor then that will tend to make you hit the ball to the right of target line. These instructions are for right-handed golfers, so left-handers need to reverse them. If the clubs do have the wrong lie angle, speak to your teaching professional, they may be able to adjust lie angle for you.

If you are having trouble visualizing how the wrong lie angle can affect the trajectory, take a lob wedge, stand at address with the club pointing to your target. Now, leaving the club head at the same place, moving the handle down so the toe of the club is well off the ground. Now look at what will happen to a ball that hits the center of the club face, you can see that the ball will be pushed well to the left.