Adjustable Hosel Adapters and Club Hovering

alexdub · October 29, 2018

For the fitting experts out there — this is a question about how club hovering changes an adjustable hosel adapter effects on face angle/lie/loft. Also included is a bonus question about Ping G adapter specifics.

The Questions:

(1) How does hovering the driver head behind the ball (not resting it on the ground) prior to making a swing influence the effects of the settings on an adjustable hosel adapter?

(2) Am I correct to apply Tom Wishon's adjustable hosel adapter explanation (contained in the video pinned on this page) about being soled to square? In effect, hovering the club behind the ball allows a golfer to keep the face "square" before initiating the swing — so would the same explanation of face angle/lie/loft apply?

(3) Does anyone know (or have a link to a resource) how the Ping G adapter changes face angle/lie/loft? I know the +1-1+.06-.06 standard stuff — but I'm really looking for specific numbers on face angle & lie angle.

Thanks everyone!

Stuart_G · October 29, 2018

Keep in mind that "face angle" of the head is a function of how it rests on the ground. Hovering doesn't change the face angle, it just makes it a bit irrelevant (not completely irrelevant for everyone though so be careful about assumptions in that respect). It makes it your responsibility to get a consistent face orientation at set-up (and therefore consistent orientation at impact) instead of letting the head (and face angle) help you accomplish that.

Lie angle is the lie angle, hovering or not has no effect on lie angle.

So, while hovering might effect the ball flight, it doesn't effect the actual settings in any way.

The relationship between hosel effective loft changes and face angle is fixed - the 'standard' stuff you mention applies to all heads and is the best your likely to get. It has nothing to do with the design of the adapter or model of the head. Well, sole geometry can potentially have a small effect but generally it's not large. Nothing that anyone has bothered to measure on any of the heads that I'm aware of.

I've seen a few rare posts that show how the Ping adapter setting effects the lie angle but can't remember - you might try a search.

High Plains Driver · October 29, 2018

In a nutshell, changing the adapter changes the face angle. When you square the face up at impact, the result is an increase or decrease in loft.

If you hover the club, you will affect trajectory by changing the shaft setting without seeing the face angle change.

I have no idea on the numbers for PING's adapter.

Ri_Redneck · October 29, 2018

Stuart & High Plains are spot on. I was taught to aim my clubs and have been doing it for 50 yrs. Adjustable drivers are simply loft adjustmemts for me and nothing else. Adjustable FWs, however, can be a bit touchy since they're played off the deck. You have to be careful about sole design.

BT