Adjusting Driver Lie Angles

Hi Frank,

You have helped golf so much; thanks.

I was told by golf retailers that I should not try to adjust the lie angles of my driver or fairway woods. Some pros say they have done this. Why can you adjust irons but not woods?

– John

John,

Woods have less loft than irons and as a result the lie angle is not as important as it is for the lofted irons so you don’t really need to adjust the lie angle. If you have the correct length, then don’t worry about lie on the driver or long fairway woods too much. But another reason for the recommendation not to adjust the lie is because the hosel is very short and in most cases these drivers have a bore-through shaft, (a shaft which goes into the cavity of the head and/or through the head to the sole). You will probably damage the club if you attempt to make a lie angle change.

Many of today’s drivers have adjustable hosels, which will allow you to make small lie angle adjustments if needed. However, I do suggest decreasing the length of your driver to approximately 44 inches rather than using what has become standard length of more than 45 inches. The average driver length on the Tour is approximately 44 3/4 inches. A shorter driver will result in more consistent and accurate drives.

Hope this helps.

Frank