A lie angle is a fancy golf term that gets thrown around quite a bit.
Many golfers talk about lie angle and how it affects their game without really understanding what it is.
Lie angle is not all that difficult to understand, and it will affect certain golf clubs more than others.
If you have ever wondered about the lie angle on your driver and the impact it has on your game, you are in the right place.
Is 60-Degree Lie Angle Too Much on a Driver?
A 60-degree lie angle on a driver is not too much.
Most standard golf drivers are going to have between 56 and 60 degrees for their lie angle.
The lie angle is the number of degrees between the center of the hosel and the ground line.
This angle needs to be measured while the club is on the ground.
The lie angle on a driver is very difficult to adjust, and this is not a standard fitting measurement when you look for a new driver.
However, understanding the lie angle on your club and how it affects your game is essential.
Do Professionals Get Lie Angles Custom Fit to Their Needs?
Professional golfers have clubs custom made for their needs all the time.
If you go to a golf tournament, you will see the major manufacturers there, and they are continually tinkering and working on professionals golf clubs.
If a player wants a driver made to a custom lie angle, they can certainly do so.
For amateur golfers, this process is not quite the same.
When you order a new driver through most manufacturers, you cannot get the lie angle custom fit to your needs.
You can often get custom shafts, lofts, and grips, but the lie angle is much more difficult.
Most drivers are going to be produced at the same angle.
If you wanted to have your lie angle adjusted on your golf club, it would take quite a bit of work and would risk some damage to the driver itself.
Who Needs to Consider Lie Angle on Their Golf Clubs?
We mentioned that adjusting the lie angle of a driver after the fact is a bit difficult to do, but the same does not hold true for the irons.
Most golf companies make golf clubs to fit a player w is 5’6” to 6’0”.
If you fall outside of this height range, then chances are the lie angle on your golf clubs could be a bit off.
The impact the lie angle will have on your game is dependent on the loft of the club.
The more loft a club has, the more impact the lie angle will have.
With a wedge or a nine iron, if your lie angle is off, it is going to have a more significant impact on your game.
The driver is the club in the bag with the least amount of loft (aside from the putter), so if the lie angle isn’t correct for your height, it won’t make as much of a difference.
What Does One-Degree Difference in Lie Angle Do?
One-degree difference in lie angle is not going to have that big of an effect on a driver.
For the irons, the impact is going to be great.
Lie angle is going to have an impact on the direction and the flight of the golf ball.
If you are playing with the wrong lie angle, the sole of the club will interact with the turf in different locations.
If the sole of the club is interacting too much on the toe of the club, then the lie angle is too flat.
If the sole of the club is interacting with the turf too much towards the heel of the club, then the lie angle is too upright.
Changing the lie angle on iron is not all that difficult and can be done by a local club fitter.
When you need to see if your lie angle is correct on your irons, you can hit off a lie board.
A small piece of tape is put on your irons.
You swing them on a lie board and then look at the tape on the bottom of the club.
If the golfer is showing that the marks are directly in the center of the tape, then the lie angle is correct.
If the marks are nearer the toe or the heel, the golf club can be adjusted accordingly.
If you can order custom clubs which come with the proper lie angle in place, it does make sense to do so.
The clubs won’t need to be altered after the fact, and it could end up saving you money.
Does Lie Angle Affect Distance?
Lie angle is more about the direction and the flight of the ball than the distance.
However, if the flight of the ball ends up being a fade because of the lie angle, it could cost you a few yards.
The draw ball flight tends to be quite a bit longer than that of a fade.
If you like to hit draws and fades with your clubs, it can be challenging to do so with an incorrect lie angle.
What Specs Are the most Important on a Driver?
Since the lie angle is not something you can adjust or change, there are other essential factors you should pay attention to when finding the perfect driver.
1. Length
The standard length of a driver is about 45.5 inches.
Most golfers who play with a club this long will have trouble releasing it and hitting it straight.
Of course, even though this is a known fact, people also know that longer golf clubs go a little further.
Most amateur golfers are playing with a club that is too long for them.
It is not difficult to order a driver that is the proper length for your golf game.
If you want to hit accurate and long golf shots, you need to be playing with a club that works for you.
One of the more interesting facts about this becomes clear when you look at the lengths of the drivers on the PGA Tour.
Since they are the professionals and their swing speeds are so fast, you would think they would play with very long golf clubs.
This is really not the case.
The professionals are very good at knowing their limitations and playing with golf clubs appropriately suited for their game.
The average length of a driver on tour is 44. 5 inches.
This is one inch shorter than the standard length that is being sold on store shelves.
If you go for a club fitting and they recommend a shorter driver, do not be discouraged. This is probably a smart move.
2. Weight
There are two weight measurements on a driver:
The total weight and swing weight.
The total weight is how heavy the club is on a scale while the swing weight is how heavy the club feels to a golfer.
If you are a strong player who swings the club rather fast, you will need a heavier golf shaft.
For players who are not as strong and may have slower swing speeds, the lightweight shafts are quite important.
Making sure the swing weight and the total weight match the needs of the player is very important when it comes to proper driver fitting.
3. Loft
Matching the loft of the driver is the next important factor.
If you are a newer player or have a slower swing speed, you need more loft in your driver.
The loft is going to equate to forgiveness when you talk about a driver.
Some higher-lofted drivers have 13–15 degrees of loft, which is the same as a standard three wood.
If you are unsure of the loft you might need in your club, it makes sense to get something with adjustable loft.
Conclusion
If you just found out that the lie angle on your driver is 60 degrees, do not be concerned.
This is within the normal range, and chances are, it is going to have no impact on your golf game at all.
When choosing the right driver for your game, focus on the loft, the weight, and the length of the club.
These are the factors you should use to determine which driver is for you.
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