How to Measure and Adjust your Putter Lie Angle (Steps)

a putter with lie angle adjusted

 

What is Putter Lie Angle?

The lie angle for a putter or any golf club is the angle that is formed by the sole of your putter’s head and its shaft when the putter is placed in a neutral position during address.

Most putters that are available off the shelf have a lie angle ranging between 70 and 72 degrees.

Some manufacturers allow an offset of the lie angle so that it can be increased to 90 degrees.

According to Rules of Golf, the minimum offset angle permissible is 10 degrees.

The length of your putter shaft is closely related to the lie angle of the putter. If your putter has a long shaft, the lie angle tends to be flat. On the other hand, putters with short shafts have upright lie angles.

When you get your putter length altered by a club-fitter, the fitter will also change the lie angle by bending either the shaft or hosel to ensure that the head of the putter is soled correctly.

It can be challenging to modify the lie angle of a putter if the shaft is inserted into the putter head directly without bending it or the hosel.

 

What Lie Angle Should My Putter Be?

Although most putters have lie angles between 70 and 72 degrees, there is no standard lie angle. The exact lie angle varies from putter to putter. The lie angle of a golfer’s putter must be the angle that offers good eye position over the golf ball as well as good posture.

You’re likely to encounter some common problems with an incorrect lie angle on your putter. This will result in poor energy transfer making it difficult to have control over the distance. It also causes weak contact with the ball.

If you notice that the toe of your putter is upright during an impact, the shots made will veer the ball to the left.

On the other hand, if the toe is flat or downwards and the heel is upwards, the shots are inclined towards the right. For every degree that the lie angle is flat or upright, the ball will travel four yards off the target line.

 

How to Measure your Putter Lie Angle

The following steps will show you how to measure the lie angle of your putter.

  1. Visit a golf fitter to ensure your safely measure and adjust your golf clubs.
  2. You will need to hold a golf club while standing in your natural golfing stance
  3. The golf fitter will first record your height and body measurements
  4. He will record the length, lie and loft of your club
  5. After adjusting the length of your putter, the golf fitter can change the lie angle of your putter.
  6. The adjustment is made by bending the hosel or shaft into the ideal position. Not having a hosel, will make this process more difficult and more expensive.

 

Can Putter Lie Be Adjusted?

Yes, it’s possible to adjust the putter lie. However, this adjustment has to be done along with the adjustment of the putter length.

Together, the two adjustments ensure that you get the right posture and eye position when using your putter.

Visiting a golf fitting expert is the best option to ensure your lie angle is at optimal values. The process is very complex for the average person to perform themselves.

 

How Many Times Can You Adjust the Lie Angle?

You can adjust the lie angle of your putter as many times as you want. There is no restriction on the number of times you do this, especially if your putter has a forged head.

However, it’s best to not have a major variation in the lie angle. You must also keep in mind that the loft of the putter can also change each time you adjust the lie angle.

In the case of a face-balanced putter, you’ll most often encounter some heel drop each time you adjust or flatten the lie. This is most likely to be your putter choice if you’ve got a straight back and adopt a straight-through putting stroke.

If you’re using a double bend putter, then you’ll have to get the angle adjusted in both the bends for each adjustment so that the face of the putter remains balanced. Also, if the adjustment is not done carefully in such putters, the chrome plating may get damaged.

 

Can You Bend a Putter Shaft?

Yes, it’s possible to bend a putter shaft. You can do this yourself if you’ve got the necessary equipment. Otherwise, you can seek the assistance of a golf store personnel.

Often, putter shafts can be bent easily without any hassle using a putter loft and lie machine.

However, if the bending is not done carefully or if you use an improper tool, you’ll end up having a kink in the putter shaft.

 

How to Adjust Putter Lie Angle

There are a few ways of adjusting the lie angle of your putter. It’s always recommend that you visit a professional golf fitter to perform the adjustment.

However if you feel like you are capable, then you may try the following alternative methods at your own risk.


DIY Method

The simplest way to flatten the lie of your putter is to place your foot above the putter head and get a steady hold on the grip. Once you’ve established this hold, push it downwards as much as you can.

Alternatively, you can place the putter head under your foot and hold the shaft as close as possible to the head. Lean backward and pull the shaft upwards. This method helps if you want an upright lie angle.

You can also use the Ping mallet method to bend the putter until you get the desired lie angle. But you should remember to anchor the neck of the putter firmly before you use this method.

Some players advise against heating the putter shaft to make the adjustment. Applying heat can affect the steel tempering and result in damage or weakening of the shaft. This, in turn, tends to loosen the putter head from the shaft.

However, some golfers fix the putter onto a vice and use a gas torch to heat the shaft at the area where they would like to have it bent.

It’s worth noting that the machine used to bend putter necks is different from an iron bending machine. The following are some ways of adjusting the lie angle of different types of putters using a Tour GAUGE Putter machine.

Adjusting the lie angle of a putter with hosel

  1. Move your putter loft/lie angle gauge assembly backward and to the side of the putter machine.
  2. Keep the putter bending aluminum bar as high as you can on top of the hosel. This is an adjustable bar in most of the cases.
  3. Apply mild pressure to the bending bar until the bar is firmly seated against the hosel.

The direction in which the pressure is applied must be the same as the direction of the preferred bend. 

  1. Apply some bending pressure in quick and short jolts to bend the hosel.
  2. Measure the putter and repeat the pressure application process if needed to get to the desired lie angle.
  3. Bend the hosel upwards for an upright lie angle and downwards for a flat lie angle. The plane on which the shaft moves must be parallel to the side of the putter machine.

This method of lie adjustment is not recommended for bending sand cast or zinc putters.

 

How to Adjust the Lie Angle of a Putter with No Hosel

Adjusting the lie angle of your putter with no hosel can be done by following these steps:

  1. Move your putter loft/lie angle gauge assembly towards the back and to the side of your putter machine.
  2. Keep the top and bottom shaft posts of the putter shaft bending bar on either side of the putter shaft. This ensures that the putter shaft bend is in between the two shaft posts.

Remember to place the top shaft post on the side of the putter shaft that will be treated with the bending pressure.

  1. Hold one end of the putter shaft bending bar using one hand while you use the other hand to hold the shaft posts and the putter shaft.
  2. Apply a little pressure on the bending bar in the direction of preferred bending.
  3. Continue applying bending pressure in quick and short jolts to bend the putter shaft.
  4. Take a measurement of the putter and reapply the pressure if needed until you achieve the desired lie angle.
  5. Bend the shaft towards the top for an upright lie angle and towards the bottom for a flat lie angle.

You can also use the Tour GAUGE putter machine to make an adjustment to the lie of your center shaft putter.

Seeking the assistance of a golf store

If you’re apprehensive about adjusting the existing lie angle of your putter, I recommend you don’t attempt to perform the adjustment. This is because you may end up damaging the putter.

You can take your putter to a golf store and request the staff there to help you get the lie angle adjusted to your preference for a fee.

Most golf stores have their own machines for lie adjustment. It’s worth noting that some of them prefer using the mallet for this purpose.

 

Costs of Lie Angle Adjustment

There is no cost involved if you adjust the lie angle of your golf club using a bending machine at home. Golf stores are likely to charge some amount for providing this service.

This cost often varies from one golf store to another. The stores may also have separate charges for testing and adjusting the golf club.

However, the stores may do this for free for the golf clubs that you have bought from them or if you are one of their regular customers.

A few players have paid as little as 6 USD to bend a golf club for lie angle adjustment. However, there are golf stores that charge a slightly lesser amount of 5 USD per club or higher at 10 USD for a club. Some golfers have also paid just 3 USD for both checking and adjusting their golf club.

 

Single-Bend Vs Double-Bend Putter Shaft

Single-bend and double-bend putter shafts are two types of curved putter shafts. The following are some differences between the single-bend and double-bend putter shafts.

  • A single-bend putter shaft is used for a putter that has a hosel bore which is perpendicular or 90 degrees to the ground. On the other hand, a double-bend putter shaft is suitable for putters that are used to create an offset.
  • A single-bend shaft can be used on a putter head that is designed for shafts without much bending. However, a double-bend shaft cannot be used on such a putter head.
  • A double-bend shaft is more suited for face-balanced putters than a single-bend putter because of the offsets available with double-bend shafts.

Ernie

Ernie loves documenting interesting facts about golf.

Recent Posts