“Upright” at the Golf Course

What does “upright” mean in golf?

In English, upright means “straight, vertical.” In golf, the word is used in two senses:

• for a club: its rake angle is steeper than the manufacturer's specification;
• for a swing: The club focuses on the player in a more vertical way than average.

The opposite is flat (“dish”).

What is the angle of repose?

The lie A club's lie angle is the angle formed by the shaft and the ground when the club's sole is placed flat on the ground, in the middle. Each manufacturer sets a “standard” lie angle for each club: the shorter the club, the more upright the lie angle (a wedge is more upright than a 5-iron).

A club is said to be upright when this angle was adjusted by a few degrees from the standard, and flat when he was put to bed.

How does a lie that's too upright affect the ball?

What matters isn't the angle itself, but the way the sole touches the ground upon impact, for a given player:

For a left-hander, the directions are reversed. The effect is even more pronounced when the club has a lot of loft: an improperly adjusted lie is more noticeable with a wedge than with a 4-iron.

Watch out for a common pitfall: at address, many players hold the club with the clubhead slightly raised, and that’s normal, because the shaft straightens out a bit during the downswing. So you judge the lie at impact, not at address.

Who needs upright clubs?

Most often, players whose hands are high off the ground at impact: those who large individuals, or players whose arms are short relative to their height. But height alone isn't enough to determine the right lie angle: posture and the swing are just as important. Two players of the same height may need different lie angles.

How do you check and adjust the specific gravity?

• The Impact Test: Stick a piece of tape under the sole and hit balls against a special plate or tape. The mark left behind shows whether contact is made at the heel (club too upright), in the center, or at the toe (club too flat).
• Footprints on the ground: A deeper divot on the heel side or toe side also provides a clue.
• The Adjustment: On most irons (easier on forged irons than on cast irons), a clubmaker can bend the club's hosel on a special machine to make it a few degrees more upright or flatter. The possibilities depend on the model and material. This is one of the adjustments made during a fitting.

What is an upright swing?

We're talking about swing upright When the arms and club move up on a more vertical plane, the hands pass higher above the shoulder at the top of the backswing. The opposite is a “flat” swing, where the club rotates more around the body. Neither is inherently bad: great champions have won using either one. The plane depends on body type, posture, and club length. The key is for the club to return at impact on a path and with a clubface that is consistent with the target.