choking up and lie angle

Follow Thread

By Ken O

  • 0 Likes
  • 7 Replies
  1. Ken O

    Ken O
    Canton, CT

    I have a feeling my irons are either too long or too upright because when I choke up my shots are smoother and fly straighter with more power. So does choking up actually flatten my lie angle?

  2. Joseph M

    Joseph M
    Saint John, New Brunswick

    Yes, the effective lie would be 1 degree flatter and swing weight would be approximately 3 points lighter
  3. Tom P

    Tom P
    Stanley, NC

    Yes, for every inch that you grip down, the lie angle will be flatter by one degree. Plus, gripping down an inch or so generally gives you more control with a very minimal decrease in distance. Usually, the decreases in carry distance are mainly in the short irons.
  4. Chuck Z

    Chuck Z
    Mt Pleasant, SC

    Military

    Tom P said:

    Yes, for every inch that you grip down, the lie angle will be flatter by one degree. Plus, gripping down an inch or so generally gives you more control with a very minimal decrease in distance. Usually, the decreases in carry distance are mainly in the short irons.

    For every 1/2" you choke down you loose five yards, according to one of the PGA pros I play with.
  5. Tom P

    Tom P
    Stanley, NC

    Since golf is not a game of absolutes, except for your score, your pro can certainly use that as his guideline. As I previously stated, the decreases in carry distance are most noticeable in the short irons. Said another way....gripping down an inch or 1/2 inch on a 4 iron will not make as much difference in your normal carry distance as doing the same thing with your 9 iron. Plus gripping down on a long iron will generally offer enough additional control and accuracy to offset the slight decrease in carry distance.
  6. I have struggled lately to get a solid divot. Most likely coming up and out of the shot (or my arms are shrinking); however, this trend has me wanting to add 1/2" to the standard length of some new AP3's.

    What effect should I expect by adding a 1/2" to the standard lengths ? I'm leaning towards the AMT Black S300's.
  7. One more question about the shaft length and lie. When you say choking up would produce "1 degree flatter", does that infer a 1/2" longer shaft would bring the toe up a little ?
  8. Joseph M

    Joseph M
    Saint John, New Brunswick

    To clarify my comment above +/- 1/2 inch in length = +/- 1 degree in (effective) lie angle as well as a +/- 3 swing weight points. The effective of shaft length is proportionate e.g. an 1/4 inch decrease in length = 1/2 degree decrease in effective lie angle and a 1.5 point reduction in swing weight.

    Please note the swing weight changes are approximately as the final effect is influenced by the weight distribution of individual shafts- the difference is minor and shouldn't be a concern.

Please login to post a comment.

Sign In

Haven't registered for Team Titleist yet?

Sign Up