One of the best pieces of equipment I have is a bending machine. I cannot tell you how many times students have come in for a lesson with clubs that either do not match their swing or the clubs loft and lies are not spread out correctly. Many golfers never understand why certain clubs in the bag do not perform correctly. The specs of the clubs can be off and never assume that they are always correct even if they are brand new. I ALWAYS check my clubs when I first get them in.
Loft and Lie Chart
Progression in how the lofts changed to a stronger setting
Old Modern Current New
(1970 - 1990) (1990 - 2000) (2000 - 2013) ( 2013 - 2014)
Loft / Lie Loft/Lie Loft/Lie Loft/Lie
PW 50/64 48/64 46/64 44/64
9 iron 46/63.5 44/63.5 42/63.5 40/63.5
8 iron 42/63 40/63 38/63 36/63
7 iron 38/62.5 36/62.5 34/62.5 32/62.5
6 iron 34/62 32/62 30/62 28/62
5 iron 30/61.5 28/61.5 26/61.5 24/61.5
4 iron 27/61 25/61 23/61 21/61
3 iron 24 /60 22/60 20/60 18/60
4 Degrees of Loft between clubs averages 10 to 12 yards
These numbers are just a standard on how the lofts have moved through the years. These numbers are not universal. Each manufacturer has there own standard lofts but pretty close to the numbers you see above.