I recently had the pleasure of working with a first-time student who is a single-digit handicapper. The student works hard on their game, but complained of frequently mishitting shots towards the heel, a propensity to pull the ball, and the occasional (dare I actually type this unfortunate word) shank.

In an initial evaluation of their 7-iron swing, I saw a swing that was powerful and repeatable. Unfortunately, I also noticed that impact didn’t sound pure. Impact was typically in the heel as described by the student. I also saw one of those previously mentioned and unfortunate (clears throat) “severe mishits”. Upon tracking a handful of swings, a trend quickly began to develop. Here’s where Trackman becomes an unparalleled feedback tool…

Above you can reference the heel impact (orange dot), but what’s more alarming is how high the toe of the club is in the air at impact. As you might assume, we want the leading edge of the iron flush to the turf at impact. This impact pattern was repeated throughout the early portion of the session. Without Trackman, they may still be searching for the answer to their swing malaise, but now we know the root cause – it was their Dynamic Lie Angle!

Trackman defines Dynamic Lie Angle as: the angle of the shaft relative to the waterline at impact. The student’s Dynamic Lie Angle averaged 54 degrees with a 7-iron. We referenced the manufacturer’s published specs and found their 7-iron was manufactured to sit at a standard 63 degree static lie angle – a 9 degree differential in static and dynamic lie angles! This also explained why the student (right-handed) hit the occasional pull, as a Dynamic Lie Angle that is too flat (toe up) is going to produce a Spin Axis tilted to the left.

The student purchased their clubs off the internet and didn’t see the need to be custom fitted in advance – unfortunate mistake! So what did we do to rectify the matter?

First, I was able to quickly source a fitting club that was 3 degrees flat. The student hit a few shots with it and impact immediately started to improve. While the Dynamic Lie Angle was now 6 degrees too flat, ball flight still wasn’t optimal. This is where the science of golf converges with the art of coaching.

Next, we adjusted the golfer’s setup so their hands sat higher pre-swing, and I actually had the student set up closer to the ball. This might sound counter-intuitive, as impact was consistently in the heel; however, I could tell the student had instinctually learned to drift further from the ball in an effort to move impact closer to the toe, further exacerbating the differential in static and dynamic lie angles.

Ultimately, after a follow-up session, the student had their irons professionally bent 2 degrees flat from standard, perfected the previously referenced pre-swing adjustments, and is now enjoying a significant increase in flushed shots.

With a clubhead that travels 100+ mph, the moment of impact can be a mystery unless you have access to a Trackman. Are you struggling with impact and can’t find the solution? Save yourself the self-doubt and schedule a Tour-level Trackman fitting session here.