Most drivers -- and many fairway woods and hybrids -- made for golfers these days are considered adjustable.
Golf equipment companies have made it easier than ever to adjust the loft, lie angle, offset and even the weight of a club. Using a single adjustable driver wrench, a golfer can make all of these changes in just a few seconds.
But how do you make all of these adjustments, and what are you doing when you make them? Let us explain.
How to adjust the lie, loft and weight of an adjustable driver, fairway wood or hybrid
On modern golf clubs, golfs are typically able to make adjustments to lie, loft and weight in one of two places: on a hosel-based adjustment system or by moving weights placed on the sole.
These adjustments are made using the wrench that came with the golf club. These wrenches are typically interchangeable across brands and different clubs, but check to make sure you have a wrench that will work with your particular golf club.
If you want to adjust the lie and loft of your driver, fairway wood or hybrid, then you'll be making those adjustments on the hosel.
Here are the steps to adjust lie and loft from the hosel:
- You'll unscrew the binding screw with the supplied wrench, unscrewing the screw (lefty loosey) until you can pull the shaft out of the hosel.
- Then you'll look at the connector piece at the bottom of your shaft and/or markings made around the hosel of the head, where the shaft tip is inserted. Each manufacturer has a different system. Some use a combination. Some print all the different settings on the shaft. Some print them all on the hosel area. Either way, you'll have to study the markings for your particular manufacturer.
- Once you know the settings available to you, you'll then adjust how the shaft does into the hosel to get the setting you desire -- whether that's increasing or decreasing the club's loft or lie angle.
- You'll then screw the binding screw back into place with the supplied wrench, screwing (righty tighty) until there's tension and then one more large click to bind the hosel and shaft.
If you want to adjust the movable weights on your driver, fairway wood or hybrid, then you'll be making those adjustments on the sole of the club.
Here are the steps to adjust weight on the sole or weight track:
- You'll unscrew the binding screw with the supplied wrench, unscrewing the screw (lefty loosey) until you can remove the weight off the sole or move it along a weight track.
- You'll then decide where you want that weight to go, whether that's into a different weight port elsewhere in the club or along a track. If you're moving weight forward, then you'll lower launch angle and decrease spin. If you move weight back, then you'll increase launch angle and spin but also forgiveness. If you move weight left, then you're encouraging a draw. If you move weight right, you're encouraging a fade.
- You'll place the weight(s) where you want them.
- You'll then screw the binding screw back into place with the supplied wrench, screwing (righty tighty) until there's tension and then one more large click to lock the weight in place.
While many golfers don't make many adjustments to their drivers, fairway woods and hybrids, knowing how to make occasional changes can help you feel more comfortable with a club as your game changes.
