Determining Lie Angles

I hate to argue with the Surge, but while the static lie angle at address is nice for looks, and is easiest to help you set up properly, what's really important is the dynamic lie angle, or how the club head comes into impact when you actually swing it. That depends on your physical build, the way you swing the club, and exactly how the club is put together (shaft stiffness and tipping and such) for how much toe-down you get relative to how your hands come back into impact.

Sounds like my golf Amos. Loooks like "the good the bad and the ugly". Sometimes the scores are alright:)

Good going on your progress Harve, both physically and in your golf.
Thanks for updating us on your game. Now get out and play.
PMG!!

Sounds like a good day,Dick.  Especially since you'd never seen the course.
I think comfort level and not being afraid of the course will go a long way toward your success.

You're getting in the practice time and that's something we should all do and never seem to get to it.

Glad you enjoyed your round.  Go get em.

Good one LADDIE(Steve). That better DH?

Great to hear you're getting out and enjoying some sring weather Marilyn

I've found the key for me staying close to the sweet spot is maintaining as stable a base as possible.  On days when I'm making good contact I find a bit of extra outward pressure with my knees is the key.  When I get away from that I can sway off the ball and all bets are off.

A solid base, a little extra forward foot flare goes a long way for me to make more solid center contact.

 Lynn
Thanks pal.  Yes, I think today did just what I was looking for it to do.  It took the edge off.  I am going into this PAT knowing that the odds are that most don't pass it on the first try.  I  will just treat it as a leaning experience, and do it again, if I have to.  That does not mean that I will prepare any less or work any less on getting ready for it. 

I just have to be ready if it does not work out the way I want it to on the first try.
Dick

Yep. Of course, Surge is correct with his major point of this video, that whether you use a vertical or laid off swing path has no bearing on whether you need a flatter or more upright lie angle on your clubs.

Thanks DH for the correction and encouragement.

Oh laddy, celebrating a bit early, during and afterwords is one of the better skills of the Irish. I'm a good half me self. The rest is a blend of the rest of the UK and a little French that snuck in through the back door :)

 Steve

Same here.  I just ask my driver and 3w not to get me into trouble.  I will handle it from there.

I call it "Doctor Golf."  "Do no harm."

Dick

DH,

A wee request from a Scots/Irish hacker.  If you have any extra "arrogantly blasing down the middle" I could certainly use some.

I'd be happy to cover the shipping and handling cost.  ;0))

The stars are lining up for you Dick. Of course playing and practicing 7 days a week doesn't hurt. What a life! Hey someone needs to do it. Might as well be you!
Watch out PAT.

Got to 85* here today.  I love this time of year.  Have fun tomorrow!

Actually, I'd say there is a key and that's a driver that is properly fitted for MOI with a shaft that's been properly floed to avoid offline wobble. :)
Got to the range again today and there was a really funny thing. This older gentleman loudly explaining, unrequested, how this other guy could improve his swing. And the older gentleman also kept loudly proclaiming how far he could hit this driver he had (no mention of a magic shaft, but it was 49"). I watched the flight of his balls, all landing well short of his proclaimed distance, even allowing for the fact that these were beaten up range balls. Then I teed up my Doc driver and crushed ball after ball straight past his to the far end of the range. He did compliment me on my swing. :)

 Robert, The names appear occasionally when I must hit one of the keys on this laptop. Never had keys on my other QERTY keyboards that have two functions on the one key [normally].It is probably when my small fingers don't reach the other end of the key when touch typing on my blogs,or reaching too far.

 Clumsy me Robert. St Paddy's day is tomorrow, dumbcluck me! got it mixed up with my half sister's B'day on the 15th. Lots going on at the moment.One of my daughters, about to board plane for NZ, from UK homeward bound, arriving here on the 18th[still the 17th in UK ; - ) ], six years to the day she left NZ.
On the Scots/Irish, the Scots call us Galloway Irish, being in visual contact with Ireland. On a clear day from Port Patrick, you can see sheep on the hills in Ireland : - )     The bit about the Oil strike is pukka though! I knew you had Scots or Irish or both in you. Galloway is of course on the west coast. They are the ones who gave the Romans a hard time, not the highlanders [as portrayed in the movie about the lost legion].
May get out again today, will see. Have a very Dick Lee type start in the morning ; - ) Have a great St Paddy's Day. PMGAS

And hopefully we can make it a time when I can join as well. :)

Dick

Sounds like the right attitude to me.  Don't get too high and don't get too low.  Practice and prepare and enjoy the ride.

We're rooting for you.

Absolutely Robert.

Thanks Doc. BTW, thanks for your recent series on club fitting. I found it both helpful and educational. Very cool stuff. I know it's a lot of precise work but you seem to certainly have found your passion and you get paid for it too. Life is both challenging and good.
Enjoy your spring weather too and I hope you get to play some golf also! All work and no play would make Lynn a dull southern boy.

 I must be confused about that golf course,are their nines separated by a road? I've played Angel Park, a muni called Durango Hills, Painted Desert, and several others when I have visited(Red Rock CC, Canyons TPC, Siena, Sun city). My sister-in-law lives in Summerlin, so when I get my arrangements settled, I'll get in contact with you, so we can get together.

 Robert, It is Laddie, the other one is too much like lady and that can cause mayhem occasionally in this PC world, plus Jocks are touchy, if you get my drift heh heh heh! We are mostly all mongrels Rob. These French are sneaky beggars n'est pas. Hahahaha. Good that you are getting your 'shop' up to snuff and why can you not be the next PPGS fitter and the first in Las Vegas? Only you can decide, I am sure that you will soon be competent enough. PMGAS or FMCAS : - ) DH

Yep, this could be a problem here.  I have sent off an email to Surge.  Do the best you can helping gents and thanks!

 Like that one Lynn. I realized that I was probably 'flinching' or becoming a tad 'stiff' during the swing, and "Just Did IT!" and it just started going where it was aimed : - )
No shipping charge required this is a free Surgite download heh heh heh. Just back from the farmer's market, a cold chilly trip, on this GENUINE St Patrick's Day. First cup of coffee of the day about to be made and quaffed. Have a great day PMGAS, DH

Surge Nation

I just got back from attending the funeral of one of my Irish cousins.  He worked at one of the big whiskey distilleries.  He fell into the vat of whiskey, and ended up drowning.  They got him out twice, but each time he fought them off and jumped back in.  What a way to go.  The funeral was supposed to be a couple of days ago.  But, it had to be postponed until today.  Seems that he had put in his will that he wanted to be cremated.  His body burned for 3 days, and they say it was a real bright blue flame.

Being part Scottish,  I like a little "hair of the dog" myself.  The other side of that coin is that I am also part Indian.  Which means I like to have a few, but I can't handle it real well.

Dick

Thanks Surge!!    I like my club head square, it helps me stand up straighter, then bend my knees.

The weather is wonderful, I hit the ball pretty good today, got over the water, almost had a birdie on that hole, but, par.  What really helps me, is thinking of skipping the rock all the way up!! 

Thanks so much

marilyn

Robert:

   It is about the same here -- 75* to 80* the last few days, with Bright sun.  I played Monday and Wednesday -- and am scheduled to play Friday afternoon.
I think I have finally "adjusted" to my new eyes!  Last two round I have used 29 and 27 putts - with only ONE three putt - and a couple of "hole-ins" from off the green.
    Monday was about as good as I can play except for only 7 of 14 fairways hit -- Usually a very bad thing for me - but the 2nd shots and short game were great.  Wound up shooting 87
    Wednesday was aobut the same --- 9 of 14 fariways, 0 GIr, but for the first 16 holes, the chipping and putting were "out of my mind" good - includinga a spectacular 27 foot par saving putt from off the green on #4 (longest par 4 on the course - a few yards longer than the adjoing par 5)
     17 and 18 are both 5 pars -- I should at least bogey them almost every time - but not on Wednesday -- I got and 8 and a 7 respectively to finish with 94.
     17 was going good until my 5 iron 3rd shot from the side of little mogul - ball below feet - should go right -- correct? Wrong - I managed to pull it it LEFT - -right onto the cart path and into a patch of clover-like weeds that kept the ball in bounds.  Managed to "hack it out" with my LW to about 3 yards short of the green in longish greenside rough. - then my worst chip of the day - Chile-dipped the ball to about 1 foot from the green then "thinned" my next effort for a 25 foot putt from beyond the hole. 2 putts later a big ole 8 ! UGH!!
      On 18 I pulled my dive into the left rough - and manage to pull my 2nd shot to stay in the light rough on the left side. Decided to "gor for it" on the thirid shot -- not the green but to get over over the water.  Slightly mis-hit the shot, but the rough stopped the ball short of the water, but with tree limbs in my way for the shot to the green. Missed the green on the right side, but hole high - a pretty good chip to aobut 7 or 8 feet, but a slightly downhill, sidehill putt that refused to take the "2 ball" break that I read - so I had a 2 inch tap-in for a 7.
       Wound up shooting 94. The real killer of the round - too many bunkers hit -at least 4 or 5 of them -- maybe more -- with 8 strokes required to get out of the sand(and a couple of them NOT onto the green). I see about an hour in the practice bunker before my next round!
       I was playing with an Odd Couple of shorts -- nice guys - but the younger of them looked like Hank Haney's brother face on -- but he was the ultimate "long and wrong" guy - and always left and OB at least twice - and the worst iron player I have ever encountered -- anything longer than a 8 iron was hit very chunky.
       His friend is even shorter than my 5 ft 7 inch self -- with a very limited turn and backswing. Never-the-less he played from the Whites with his buddy and "do-bopped" down the middle most all day- but it took him 4 or 5 shots to reach the green..
       Once again I was waiting about 3 or 4 minutes between shots -- for one of them to find his ball and for the other to get past my ball. Didn't seem to effect my fairway shots much - or the short game -- except maybe for those bunker shots - but just maybe it is a partial explantion for hitting so many bunkers in the first place?   
 
     Keep hitting them STRAIGHT and LONG

     Amos

Great lesson Surge !  Finally I understand what proper lie angle and how it is determined. This one is going to stay in my archieves for future reference and sharing

Thanks

Surge Nation

Wow, I did better than I thought I would today.  I fell a couple of shots short, or I guess it would be long, of where I need to be to pass the PAT.  But, I was happy over all.  I think I will be where I need to be next month.

I am no longer afraid of playing that course.  Going back to play another round over there in a couple of weeks.

The weather was wonderful, and we had a great time.

Dick

Wouldn't of guessed. Now that my knee is feeling better and broken toe healed, the weather here is windy, cold and rain.  I guess I should go out and give it a try anyway.
Yes, I will! 
I have been following the blog with no golf since October (my last round was 10-20-11), reading books and practicing all the indoor stuff, drills, putting, etc., I need to get on the course. Let you know how it goes.

 Robert, While visiting my sister-in-law a couple of years ago, I think I played Stallion Mountain. As I recall, I think they have 2 courses. I remember starting out across the road from the clubhouse, and finishing up coming in from the side of the mountain. Great views from the back 9, as I remember, as well as being a pretty good test of shotmaking ability. Sounds like you're steadily improving with your game. I'm planning on coming out to Vegas in September, maybe we could hookup and get in a round in together?

Beautiful day here in Las Vegas. Wow, 77* and sunny. Wish it could stay that way all summer to come. We have a Spring that lasts about 3 seconds here and then it's 110* in the shade. No matter, I'll be golfing God willing. Wife and I played 18 today. She's breaking 90 regularly now. I had a okay day with a 42 on the front and a better 39 on the back. The front nine does have the toughest and the easiest at Los Prados. Started out with two pars at the first a par 4 and par 3 at #2. Then two challenging par 5's that I can't seem to par with any regularity. (bogie and double today)Then after a par three there is the easiest and funnest hole. A 280 yard par 4 dogleg right that I drove today then missed a 20 footer for eagle tapping in a birdy. Drove the ball well today but was leaving lag putts short and riming the cup on several other holes. Still an 81 was okay by me.
Hope some of you are getting out for a round or two this week. I plan on playing the difficult Stallion Mountain tomorrow. Be thrilled to break 85 there.
PMG

Scary time again. Played yesterday and had a most satisfying round. Ball striking, powerful and straight with 3W.Wife's comment,"Who needs a driver"! What would she know? A neophyte, but wise words indeed. Still using the old wooden wood. Smaller head may help. Even used my bagatelle ball brain several times and that paid dividends. Recovery shots were bliss.Maybe it is a thinking mans game after all, hahahaha. I know it is.
I concentrated on not allowing the lead or left arm to bend at all in the BUS.What a difference in power and direction. On the holes where I normally pull or slice shots into real trouble, was almost arrogantly blasting it down the middle. On one hole where in the past I have lost 3 balls, hit the best drive ever on that hole with the 3W. Then played a deliberate low running fade, to just off the green, dead in line with the 'sucker pin'.
Today's video on lie angles was intriguing for me. The past two rounds I have been standing a little 'taller' [at 5'5" or normal height, that isn't easy hahaha] at address off the tee. Could that have had an effect on my straight woods and long irons? Who knows?
Par 5 into a very stiff breeze, with the 3W,5@HarveL:disqus  and Rescue club. The ball never left the centre of the f/way. Boy oh! boy does that breed more confidence in hitting shots.
So a work in progress still but a more rewarding one with each round as a dedicated Surgite.
Hit them long and straight PMGAS, and WE will.
Thanks for everything Surge. Padraig and the luck of the Oirish eh? See that they have made a significant OIL strike just off the coast of Ireland. Just in time for St Paddy's Day.

No you don't.  This is static lie angle which is irrelevant.

LOL..Thank you kind sir.  Just plugged Doc's driver into a USB port and "arrogant blasting down the middle" is downloading as I type.  Fortunately Doc built it to be USB compatible.  Clever man, indeed.  He needs to patent that before the big guys get a hold of it.  TM may have RBZ, but Doc's got USB!!  It's like a magic shaft and pixie dust all wrapped into one.

And to think I'm the first one to test it.  Sure makes me feel special.  With my luck the USGA will ban it next week. ;0) 

 Steve

Today confirmed what I always tell people when they ask me what my handicap is.  I tell them 14, and then wait for the funny look.  Then I say that I have 14 handicaps, every club in the bag is a handicap.

My weak link today was my mid range and approach shots.  Putting was not bad, driver was not bad, and the short game was right on.

Over all not a bad day.  Went to our course, chipped, putted, then onto the range.  Spent 2 hours there, then drove over to the other course.  Played 18, drove an hour to an environmental assessment, then back to our course for an hour on the range.  I will take that schedule 6 days a week.  That would leave Sunday, which is always church, 2 hours of practice, then work in the pro shop till dark, then 1-2 hours of chipping by head lights.  That would make for a pretty good week.

I am going to devote a larger % of my practice time for the next week to  3w to 7i.  That should get the problem worked out.

I feel much better than I did when I got up this morning.  Got rid of the nerves thing.
Dick

I'm wondering how you seem to randomly get the names of other users to pop into your posts, DH. ;-)  Most of my Irish ancestors originated in Scotland, but moved after that little spat with the English to Aran Mohr, a little island off the northwest coast about as far from the English as they could get at the time.

Golfol,
Yes I might be able to join you for a round in September. Let me know your dates as you find out. I am available to play on Wed., Thurs and Fridays. The other days I work 10 hour shifts and play morning 9's at muni once or twice from Sat-Tuesdays during the summer thru fall at 6am before work. Let me know.
BTW, Stallion Mnt onlky has one 18, Piute has three and Angle Park has two and may have been the GC you were refering to.
PMG