Originally Posted by LowPost42

A lot of golfers think that lie angle relates to shaping the ball. The answer is yes and no. If the lie is too flat, the toe will grab, and hold the face open. If the lie is too upright, the heel will grab, and spin the face shut; resulting in fades and draws (or slices and hooks), respectively. However, what's more important is that incorrect lie angles will start your ball in that direction - even when struck perfectly. A being 1° off in lie for a PW, hit from 100 yards, will result in a 22 foot miss. So 2° off is a 44 foot miss - almost 15 yards - or in other words, the difference between finding the middle of the green or missing it entirely!

Now, shaft length is NOT the #1 determiner of distance. Loft is. It's why your 5 iron is longer than your 9 iron, not the 2" difference. Increased shaft length = more yardage only if you can maintain sweetspot contact. In other words, you wouldn't necessarily hit a 40" 5 iron any further than a 37" 5 iron. However, I have read reports of bigger yardage gaps in the shorter irons, as they're longer than 'normal'.

I'm still struggling to understand the need for a steeper swing, beyond 'because the lies are more upright, you need to bend over more'.