Check Your Clubs For Straighter Shots

By Author: liuyan Sawa
Total Articles: 1
Comment this article

The lie of a club (irons) refers to the angle of the sole (bottom surface) of the iron in relation to the
ground at address and at impact. Some fitters will measure the lie angle at address, know as a static
fitting. This basically lets them know if the sole of the iron is flush (toe up or toe down) at address.
Another, more widely used method is dynamic fitting. Dynamic fitting is accomplished by making various
observations while the player is actually swinging. An Impact Recording Label is affixed to the face of the
club during the swing and the impact position is noted to determine the proper club length. Swing
speeds and distances are noted to produce a recommended shaft type and flex. The final key
measurement involves putting a piece of impact tape or a lie strip, on the bottom surface of an iron. A
ball is then placed on a hard board and the player takes a shot striking the hard surface in the process.
The result will be a mark on the impact tape at the exact point the club surface meets the ground during
the swing. If this mark is in the center of ...
... the sole, the lie angle of the club is correct, if it is at either the
toe or the heel, the club needs to be adjusted.

A club that is toe up or toe down can result in off line shots no matter how pure your swing is. Most iron
types can be bent to the proper angle for your swing but this must be done by a qualified club fitter
using proper tools. You can, however, determine if this is even an issue with your clubs fairy easily and
inexpensively. LongShot Golf produces fitting system impact labels for the dynamic fitting systems
employed by major club companies. They also offer lie fitting labels for consumers along with all the
other impact label shapes on their web site. A small quantity of lie labels, a hard board of some type
(plywood or lexan will work) a net and a ball will get the job done. If you want to do this at home you
can accomplish the same thing using a plastic practice ball as all you really need to do is duplicate an
actual swing through impact. LongShot also offers something called the Trac-Mat, which is a lie board
that has grooves. This serves the dual purpose of measuring lie angle and swing path at the same time.
The most accurate lie measurements occur when you have a straight swing path so being able to verify
this insures greater accuracy. In either case what you are really trying to determine is if your clubs have
the proper lie angle for your swing. If all the markings are near the center of the sole, lie is not a
problem and no adjustments are needed. If they are out toward the heel or toe, a visit to your local club
fitter should be in your future. Adjustment of your current clubs can yield immediate results and is far
less costly then purchasing a new set. Keep in mind that every iron in the set should be checked as they
can vary from club to club; even if they were custom fitted when they were new. Remember that bad
shot you hit, the one you followed by slamming you iron into the ground in disgust ¼ that club definitely
needs to be checked.
To get more information about impact tape http://www.longshotgolf.com/