I have been offered a set of used irons at a very good price which I would use as a backup to my main set (not the same make and model). However, the clubs are 0.5 degree flat lie.

Would I be likely to notice any difference with what to me seems like a small lie adjustment since I play with  (and have been measured and fit for) standard lie clubs?

Thanks in advance

I've just bought some MD tungsten Ti irons, standard length and lie, and I find that the toe of the club is sticking up in the air slightly at address compared to my John Letters Trilogy TXD's. It's only a very small amount, but I can't hit 'em for toffee

I'm looking for a pro brave enough to alter them for me but nobody wants to do the job 'cos they are cast clubs and not forged

Ok, think I get the point. 1/2 inch lie is not much of a difference all else being equal.

 But I can't tell if the other factors are equal unless I try 'em. May go to a AG or DG and compare a club with my current set Mizuno MX-25's to see if there is much difference, but this could be a bit tricky as I know the lofts (and presumably the lengths) are different in each set (the lofts are stronger in the new set).

I may just bite the bullet as the set is only going to cost me just over £100 and they are over £350 new.

Have just checked the catalogue specs.

Mizuno MX25 6 iron: loft 30.0, lie 61.0, length 37.25

New set, 6 iron: loft 29.5, lie 62.5, length 37.5

More confused than before. Perhaps ignorance can be bliss after all!!!

no - just means the new set is 1.5 deg flatter than old set, which will be slightly accentuated by the shorter shaft.

also a slightly stronger loft

Chris Rice wrote (see)

But I can't tell if the other factors are equal unless I try 'em. 

My initial point was you said 0.5 deg flat - but the specs mean 1.5 deg flat.  (compared to your existing set)

i am no club fitter but would think 1.5 deg more than overcompensates for .25" lenght however I will leave that to the experts. In all honesty unless you're cat 1 or better will probably make cock all difference as like the most of us your swing is not that consistent to benefit, and you didn't feel that mosquito fart on the clubhead at the top of the swing did you? However the IMPOTRTANT part is if within the 6-8" between your ears you perceive it make s a difference than go for it. To rip off Mr Rotella, Golf is a game of confidence!

My peronal opinion which will be shot down in flames, is that 99.9% of golfers worry about the physics, mathematics and technical aspects too much

lets face it, those new spikes add 2mm to my height, should i compensate. The NXT tour is a bit different from a Pro v1X - maybe if you're Retief et al.

To me, its a game of feel - both in the clubs and surroudings (ie dense cold air = more club, playing shit - more club, winter - more club ) now as soon as someone makes a -5 iron, the tour here i come. 

Very fair points fengibbon, perhaps I worry too much!!! Anyway at the price I decided I couldn't go wrong. In any case the clubs will probably be used in anger mostly by mates who come over and need to borrow a set - and they are all different shapes and sizes themselves..so who knows.

Thanks all, for the help

Fen

I am in pretty much total agreement with you! Golf is more about FEEL than any game/sport I have ever played or know about. How-if not-did such players as Peter Thomson,Bobby Locke, Byron Nelson,Henry Cotton, Roberto de Vicenzo, Sam Snead etc, play such fabulous golf in the days without launch monitors, sophisticated loft and lie machines,highly tuned graphite shafts with varying kickpoints available and low or high-spin heads muscle-back or semi-cavity bladed irons,etc,etc?

Ben Hogan apparently knew the difference in swingweight between one of his irons and another when they were handed over to him by MacGregors by the weight of two dollar bills!Many of the top pros altered and renovated their own clubs and adjusted them for loft and lie regularly as the old forgings tended to be softer and move off the desired set-up more often.

As I have said before, a really experienced, good golfer SHOULD be able to select the right set of clubs -and,particularly DRIVER by distance achieved, FLIGHT, shape of shot, and especially FEEL!! Personally I would trust my OWN judgement over any machine telling me that I tend to fade the ball when I almost always DRAW it slightly!