This is the introductory article in CummingHome.com of what will hopefully become a monthly column on Forsyth County's "internet newspaper."

In the coming months, I will answer some of the questions asked most frequently by golfers. We can discuss anything pertaining to golf, as this is a joint venture between Malachi Golf and YOU: men, women and juniors who love to hit that little white, pink, yellow, blue, etc. golf ball. This column can get as indepth as you want it to. But let me warn you that I can get pretty carried away. As my wife, Nancy, so often tells me, "You can stop explaining now."

This month, let's discuss "lie angle."

We will begin with an explanation of what happens when we hit a shot with a club that is too upright or too flat. If a club is too upright, the ball will have a tendency to go left, and conversely, too flat will go right. This happens because the lie of the club establishes the directional plane of the ball.

This can be seen by taking a 9 iron and setting it flat and square to the target line. Now...while in your address position, start lowering the grip end of the club toward the ground .The toe of the iron comes up, and the face angle starts to point left. This is due to the fact that you are creating a compound angle between the loft and lie angle of the club. This can be seen easily when you hit a ball from an uphill lie. The ball is above your feet, and the toe of the club is up, so you aim right to overcome the lie angle.

Improper lie angle will be noticed most readily in the shorter irons, due to the fact that they have more loft, so the compound angle is greater. Lie is a MAJOR factor of accuracy in short irons, a MEDIUM factor in middle irons and a MINOR factor in long irons.

One other factor of lie angle is length of the club. Clubs normally should be one degree flatter for each half-inch increase in length, and one degree more upright for each half-inch decrease in length.

I hope this is enough information to "stir your mind." There are still factors we have not touched upon. But as Nancy says, “enough is enough.”

Send questions to steve@malachigolf.com or come by the shop.

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