The Importance of Checking Iron Lofts and Lies
Last week during a golf lesson a golfer asked about what can be done to his 5 iron. “I can’t get it into the air” So I suggested we need to check the lofts and the lies of his iron set. We checked the clubs loft and lie angles irons using a Mitchell Steelclub Signature Angle Machine. The results are in the table as follows:
| Iron | Loft | Original Loft | Lie | Original Lie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 24 | 24 | 60.5 | 60.0 |
| 5 | 22 | 27 | 61.0 | 61.0 |
| 6 | 29 | 31 | 60.5 | 61.5 |
| 7 | 32 | 35 | 60.0 | 62.0 |
| 8 | 36 | 39 | 61.0 | 63.0 |
| 9 | 40 | 43 | 62.0 | 63.5 |
| PW | 47 | 47 | 63.0 | 64.0 |
We can see immediately why the golfer was having trouble with his 5 iron. The loft of the 5 iron was 22 degrees, 2 degrees lower than his 4 iron!! The 5 iron was hitting the ball further than the 4 iron, this creates a little problem with club selection. It also creates the further problem of a 7-degree gap between the 5 iron and the 6 iron, creating a big distance gap between both, compounding club selection problems.
The 6,7,8,9 irons are quite a bit stronger than the standard loft angles. But at least there’s a consistent gap between them. However, there’s a 7-degree gap between the 9 iron and the wedge, creating another distance gap problem between the 2 clubs.
We can also see the lies have changed a bit, giving the player some directional problems as well.
The solution, in this case, was straight forward. The clubs needed to be adjusted back into the correct lofts and lies, giving the player a consistent loft gap between the clubs and making club selection a lot easier. The correct lie angles also would give the player straighter golf shots.
Finally
My case to point out to you is that you should check the lofts and the lies of your clubs on a regular basis, especially if you play, practice quite a bit, used forged clubs and play on firm turf. Getting the lofts and lies checked doesn’t take a whole lot of time! At John Dooley PGA we can provide that service to you in a fast and professional manner. Bending them to correct angles is also quick and is done for a nominal fee.
Any questions that you may have or comments that you need to make are greatly appreciated. Also, click on the link to read more about golf club loft and lie angles.