TaylorMade Spider X putters. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

5. Discover the best lie angle

A putter’s lie angle is measured in degrees. A 90-degree lie angle would have the clubhead parallel to the ground with the shaft pointing straight up, a setup that is against the Rules of Golf. Still, your putter will be the most upright club in your bag, and most putters shipped from the factory have a lie angle around 70 degrees. By comparison, drivers typically have a lie angle between 56 and 60 degrees, and a 7-iron usually will be around 62 degrees.

The proper lie angle allows you comfortably to get into a good posture over the ball and, when coupled with the ideal length, will help ensure your eyes are directly over the target line or slightly to the inside, as some players prefer.

When a right-handed player has a putter built with a lie angle that is too upright for the player’s setup and stroke, the toe of the club tends to come up, and putts tend to miss to the left. Conversely, using a putter with a built-in lie angle that is too flat for the player’s setup and stroke often causes the heel to come off the ground and can lead to misses to the right. Both problems can lead to inconsistency unless the player adjusts his setup or stroke. The problem can be subtle on short putts, and it manifests more on long putts.

To discover your ideal lie angle, a fitter likely will ask you to stand over a ball as if you are about to putt, with your arms hanging directly below your shoulders. From there, he or she will put a putter in your hands and look to see how the head rests on the ground. If the toe appears to tip up or down, the lie angle can be changed. If the sole of the putter rests flat on the ground, you’ve got the right lie angle.