Michael Neff Video - "Lie Angle Defined"

There is no doubt that playing with the correct lie angles for your golf clubs is important to optimize shot performance.  That said, however - this video points out some things that you should be aware of if you are considering making some changes to your club lie angles...

• Always - in my view - be sure to connect lie angle adjustment with your ball flight and your contact with the center of the golf club.  If you make a change in lie angles, this should result in improved ball flight (less push or slice, for example) and at least as good a center contact with the face of the golf club.

• For the golfer in the video, his iron lie angles seem to be too "upright" for him and yet he is already hitting a soft push-cut shot.  In his case he was adjusting his golf swing to compensate for his lie angles being upright.  If he in fact has his clubs adjusted to flatten his lie angles, he is going to have to make a swing adjustment - less opening the club face at impact - or he will hit the ball more right.  Ouch!  Never assume that lie angle adjustment and the golf swing are disconnected - they may or may not be.

• The discussion about lie angles for hybrids was interesting.  Michael said he often sees golfers play with hybrids that are too upright and they hit a lot of pulls and hooks.  At a minimum, know the lie angles of your hybrids, and see if they are consistent with the lie angles of your other clubs.  Also realize - hybrids are often relatively LONGER than your irons - and this length could promote you setting up with your hybrids with the club even MORE upright than the static lie angle.

• The discussion about lie angles for drivers is very interesting.  He talked about the golfer in the video playing with a driver that was 12 or 13 degrees upright at address - and due to shaft droop and "handle raising" at impact his driver lie angle was about 5 degrees upright.  Maybe not a huge issue for driving consistency because drivers have much lower lofts than irons - but I personally wonder if golfers "handle raise" with the driver just because most of them are so upright.  Michael noted he believes that driver have very upright lie angles (I have seen some greater than 61 degrees) lie to compensate for golfers who slice the golf ball. 

Bottom line - adjusting your iron lie angles is important and may be a "quick fix" to improve your club performance - but be careful! 

About a week ago, I saw a very interesting video on Facebook (Jason Sutton Golf) of Bryson DeChambeau doing a putting warmup drill I had not seen before - here is the link....

   From Jason Sutton Golf - Bryson DeChambeau Putting Drill

So - hum... - why is he doing this?  I could be wrong, but I think that Bryson is practicing to teach himself to not Steer his putts.  David Orr has done a number of great articles on Steering on his Flatstick Academy web site - and he calls Steering "... perhaps the greatest influence on inconsistent and poor putting performance."

My sense is that we Steer putts because we are influenced by where the hole is relative to the break.  So on right to left putts, tending to close the putter face (toward where the hole is) and missing putts left of the hole - or on left to right breaking putts, tending to open the putter face (toward where the hole is) and missing putts right of the hole.

So how can you get an evaluation of whether or not Steering is something you do on your breaking putts?  Well here are a few ideas and thoughts for you to consider...

• Well - first off - you first need to  know if you can aim your putter face on your target line at address, or at least close to where your target line is.  If your putter and your putting setup does not allow you to aim well at address - you simply need to find a putter that you can aim well.

• Another thing you can personally track in your golf game to see if you are Steering Your Putts - see what you do on different breaking putts when you play.  Do you leave right to left putts to the high side of the hole, or perhaps close the putter face on right to left putts?  Or on left to right putts do you open the face and leave the putts to the low side of the hole?  Take some time when you play to see if there are some trends in what you do.

• Consider buying yourself a Digital Level to use when you are practicing your putting.  You can find these at a number of places, typically for around $40 or so.

• Using your level, find some putts on your practice green with say 2 degree slope (as measured).  Maybe 5 and 10 foot putts, and do some with right to left breaks and some with left to right breaks. Find a line that will allow you to make the putts.  Can you consistently hit that line when you hit practice putts?  Or do you have any tendencies to steer the putts?

I wonder, after watching the Bryson video I linked above - and seeing what David Orr says about Steering - should we all when we practice putting practice more breaking putts - rather than straight ones?  Something to ponder!

   

And finally - if you want to take out the variable of being able to read greens correctly - consider taking an AimPoint Express green reading class by a certified instructor in your area - this green reading process continues to get better and easier to use!