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All serious golfers should have their equipment evaluated by a master club fitter.

Most golfers are concerned about the proper loft and lie on their irons and driver. However, the fact is that the correct putter loft and lie can increase the chances of making more putts.

The standard putter loft bought off the rack at a box store or pro shop is four degrees. The problem is everyone sets up the ball differently, which alters the factory’s loft and lie. Your putter may have four degrees of loft, but your stance and putting style may increase or decrease the loft and lie. When stroking a putter, the putter should have approximately four degrees of loft at impact.

The loft and lie on a putter can be bent to fit your stance and putting stroke. Eighty percent of the time, golfers buy an expensive putter and find out later it doesn’t work as advertised. In most cases, the putter does not fit them properly:

• Too much loft: The ball will skip

• Slightly too much loft: The ball will dribble.

• Negative loft: This will cause the ball to bounce.

• Correct loft: Fit a golfer’s stance, grip, and stroke; the ball will skip the first six inches and roll smoothly, gripping the putting surface like a tire grips the road.

An improper lie will cause the ball to roll left or right of the intended target line.

A master club fitter can check your golf ball roll pattern and adjust your putter accordingly. A putter roll board will show how much your ball will skip, jump or roll. The putter is then adjusted until the ball rolls correctly.

The lie and length can be checked too. If the toe of the putter is up, the ball will roll left of the target, and if the toe is down, the ball will roll right of the target.

Rick Musselman, a golf author and professional, owns Musselman’s Golf in Williamsport.