Counterintuitive club results

[bames]

This seems counterintuitive to me but I was given a 52° wedge that was bent 2° flat this summer and I swear that it heads left on me. Not a tremendous amount, but about 5-10 feet left of my aiming point. Well last weekend I played golf with the same guy and he let me use his old Hogan Apex irons, also bent 2° flat. I had the same results! I adjusted and still enjoyed the round shooting my handicap, but left the course perplexed. I was fitted for a 1° upright club after we had played. Have any of you experienced something similar? Is this just an oddity that happens with my swing? Just curious.

[Adam Pettman]

I thought that was normal
too flat = left
too upright = right

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by Adam Pettman

I thought that was normal
too flat = left
too upright = right

I thought it was the opposite. Too flat means that the toe of the club digs in to the turf at impact, opening the face and sending the ball right. Too upright means the heel digs in, and closes the face, sending the ball left.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by Eracer

I thought it was the opposite. Too flat means that the toe of the club digs in to the turf at impact, opening the face and sending the ball right. Too upright means the heel digs in, and closes the face, sending the ball left.

This is correct. Although the turf catching the toe or the heel is not even a required cause. having the club to upright or flat, with consideration to the loft, will cause the ball to go in that direction. The more the loft, the more the consequence. Same as if you play on a side hill lie. Ball above your feet simulates a upright angle, ball below your feet a more flat angle.

Question Bames. You were fitted 1* upright. Did you also get a longer shaft, or is the 2* flat a shorter shaft? I have a tendancy to pull my wedges, and when I asked my original instructor about this he indicated this is common as you get into shorter shafts (wedges), people tend to swing more over the top due to the more upright nature of the swing path, even if that is not their initial trait. If you are using a shorter shaft on either your's or your friends club, it would at least seem to me that could be part of the problem, it would also seem logical that a club designed for a 2* flat swing would likely (but not definately) be for a shorter player who may also require a shorter shaft. Check the lengths

edit 1 - another consideration is the flex or even possibly the weight of the shaft, probably not as much of a consideration in wedges, but if the are different it may account for part, if not the entire issue.

[SiberianDVM]

Take your pitching wedge, place a pencil (eracer end first) on the club face, tilt the club up and down to simulate lie change flat and upright: see what this does to where the pencil tip is pointing.

[bames]

Originally Posted by FKA Pa Jayhawk

This is correct. Although the turf catching the toe or the heel is not even a required cause. having the club to upright or flat, with consideration to the loft, will cause the ball to go in that direction. The more the loft, the more the consequence. Same as if you play on a side hill lie. Ball above your feet simulates a upright angle, ball below your feet a more flat angle.

Question Bames. You were fitted 1* upright. Did you also get a longer shaft, or is the 2* flat a shorter shaft? I have a tendancy to pull my wedges, and when I asked my original instructor about this he indicated this is common as you get into shorter shafts (wedges), people tend to swing more over the top due to the more upright nature of the swing path, even if that is not their initial trait. If you are using a shorter shaft on either your's or your friends club, it would at least seem to me that could be part of the problem, it would also seem logical that a club designed for a 2* flat swing would likely (but not definately) be for a shorter player who may also require a shorter shaft. Check the lengths

edit 1 - another consideration is the flex or even possibly the weight of the shaft, probably not as much of a consideration in wedges, but if the are different it may account for part, if not the entire issue.

This could be as my friend is considerably shorter than I. I'm 6' 1" and he might be 5' 9". My MP 60 PW hits just fine, it was his 52° that he gave me that I hit left, as well as everything up to his 6 iron on the day that we played. I was so confused because I thought that flat would simulate hitting on a downhill slope which tends to hit the ball left. Sounds like it could be the way I swing his clubs. They are all weighted for about a D5 or D6 swingweight which is heavier than what I prefer. Could this have been the issue?