The best way to control clubface angles in golf is through body rotation and wrist position at impact. The best players in the world are masters of clearing their hips which gives them plenty of space to deliver a square, stable clubface with minimal flipping of the wrists.
What is face angle in golf?
This is a short excerpt from our top-selling golf book: The Winning Golf Swing: Simple Technical Solutions for Lower Scores Face angle simply refers to the direction that the club face is pointing at the moment of impact relative to the target line. We must remember that the golf ball is on the club face for less than 1/2000th of a second.
How does loft affect face angle on a golf club?
As the loft on the club gets lower, the more influence face angle has on the direction a ball starts to move or roll. For example, with a 6 iron with a loft of approximately 28 degrees, face angle at impact has a 75 percent effect on the direction the ball launches.
What effect does face angle have on a putter?
As the loft on the club decreases (i.e. a driver), gear effect aside, face angle has an 85 percent effect. With a putter with a loft of 2 degrees, the influence is greater than 90 percent. This is massive!
How do you isolate face angle on a short putt?
Using a putting arc, or a 2×4 piece of wood to run the heel of the putter along to eliminate any path deviation will isolate face angle, but this is only really applicable to short putts. At some point, there should be some arc in a golfer’s stroke.
Can you adjust the face angle on a driver?
Most of the time, you will notice that you can adjust both the loft and the face angle of a new driver. If you are adjusting the loft, make sure you are aware of the impact that this will have on the face.
Does changing loft change face angle?
When you adjust a hosel to increase loft, you are actually closing the face fractionally. Conversely when you reduce loft you are open the face slightly. Some clubs counter this visual change by allowing you to also change the face angle by using balance points on the sole.
How do you adjust club head angles?
4:376:07How To Adjust Golf Club Lie Angles - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBut now you can see it's angled pretty far forward but now what i can do here is take my bending barMoreBut now you can see it's angled pretty far forward but now what i can do here is take my bending bar. And slip it over here. And then tighten it down a little here.
Does increasing driver loft open or close the clubface?
The fix: Most adjustable drivers allow you to open the clubface or position more of the adjustable weight to the toe side of the club—or even both. Reducing loft also opens the face slightly.
How much does 1 degree of loft affect distance?
How Much Does 1 Degree of Loft Affect Distance? Given that you're at your maximum clubhead speed, just 1-degree change in the loft angle of a golf driver can affect your driving distance by 2-4 yards.
Does higher loft reduce slice?
A higher driver loft can help a slice because it will help to encourage a bit more forgiveness and backspin on the driver. These features of a higher lofted driver are going to help improve a slice and straighten out overall ball flight. A slice is often caused by a bit too much side spin being applied to a golf ball.
Does 1 degree upright make a difference?
Yes it will make a difference, I play 2 degree upright and +1/2. If your hitting the ball left all the while (I am guessing your right handed) won't be to do with having the lye angle to flat.
Does lengthening a golf club change the lie angle?
The lie angle will automatically change if clubs are lengthened. Only slightly but it will change. There is no such thing as standard lie as all the manufacturers generally are different. The lie angle that is correct for you can only be tested dynamically - i.e. via a pro or fitter on a lie board hitting golf balls.
What happens if my lie angle is too upright?
If your lie angle is too upright, typically meaning that it's closer to 90 degrees than 0 degrees, then that means you will typically hit the ground with your club with the heel side of the sole.
How can I improve my face angle?
0:001:06How To Control Your Face Angle - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIf you have problem slicing. Then you will find your face angle open on impact try. And get the faceMoreIf you have problem slicing. Then you will find your face angle open on impact try. And get the face Square impact two or three times in a row before hitting your next shot then hit a few shots.
How do I change the degree of my driver?
2:117:22Changing Your Driver Loft: How and Why To Do It! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipEarlier you'll have these settings right on the hosel at the club. So if your driver does not haveMoreEarlier you'll have these settings right on the hosel at the club. So if your driver does not have either of those two things and you will unfortunately not be able to change the loft.
What lie angle should my driver be?
between 56˚ and 60˚Most standard driver lie angles will be between 56˚ and 60˚ and there is certainly a school of thought that says lie angle is not as critical a fitting factor in drivers as it is in irons because the combination of low loft and greater shaft droop (how much the shaft bends downwards as you swing it) means misdirected ...
What is the face angle of a golf ball?
Face angle simply refers to the direction that the club face is pointing at the moment of impact relative to the target line. We must remember that the golf ball is on the club face for less than 1/2000th of a second. The exact point of the collision that will have the greatest influence on the direction of the ball is the mid-point ...
What is the angle of the golf ball relative to the target line?
Face angle relative to the target line. In general, the face angle has four times more influence on the start direction of the golf ball than the club path does.
How to hit a draw in tennis?
A ‘classic method’ for hitting a draw (curving from right to left, for a right-handed player), on the other hand, would see the path being from inside the line on the ground to outside. For a fade (curving from left to right, for a right-handed player), it would be from the outside of the line to inside. For both the fade and draw, the face will be ...
Why do golf clubs have square faces?
The main purpose of having a square face at impact is to start the ball on your intended start line, but that’s much easier said than done. As the loft on the club gets lower, the more influence face angle has on the direction a ball starts to move or roll. For example, with a 6 iron with a loft of approximately 28 degrees, ...
What happens if your face angle is not square to your target?
If your face angle is not square to your target or start line, something would have to change somewhere through the stroke to get the face to square up. Face pointed the the right of the target. Face pointed at the target. Face pointed to the left of the target.
What type of putter should I use for a plumber's neck?
Golfers with less arc and face rotation generally fit into a plumber’s neck model putter . These putters generally suit strokes with minimal arc and face rotation. Golfers who like the feel of a “straight-back, straight-through” stroke tend to favor a face-balanced putter.
How to lower your handicap on golf course?
If you are looking for a quick way to lower your putts on the course, isolate face angle. Work on putts inside 10 feet. These are the ones that have the highest percentage of going in regardless of outside variables. It takes commitment and some extra tools, but it’s one of the quickest way to lower your handicap.
How far can you miss a putt from 8 feet?
Remember, a face that is open by 1 degree will miss the hole from 8 feet. This is evidence that face angle outside of 10 feet is unyielding. Outside of 10 feet, most amateur players should focus on getting the proper speed for the putt, but inside 10 feet is where the magic happens. Controlling face angle is what the best players in ...
Is there a factor that influences the face angle of a putter?
The short answer is yes, but there are many influencing factors: the style of the putter (face-balanced, plumber-neck, heel-shafted, center-shafted), head weight, posture, alignment, lie and loft, etc. All are factors that can aid a player in controlling face angle, for better or worse! The purpose of this article is to inform golfers why this is ...
How to do a golf swing?
To get your body in position to execute a powerful and repeating golf swing, certain things are just not negotiable: 1 Your legs have to be flexed at the knees so that you are in an athletic position, which allows your body to move properly. 2 Your upper torso should be bent over at the hips, not the waist so that your spine is relatively straight. That allows your shoulders and hips to turn on the same plane, back and through. 3 Your head should be up so that your left shoulder can turn under your chin without getting trapped. 4 And most importantly, your left arm should be in an almost vertical position, hanging naturally from your shoulders. This positions your hands almost directly under your shoulders and creates a definite angle formed by the left arm and the shaft of the club.
What percentage of golfers slice the ball?
Some years back, Golf Digest published a cover story in which they stated that more than 70 percent of all golfers sliced the ball to some degree.
Why did Flip ask Grace a question?
The reason for the questions, was to re-break the ice . The two had not seen each other since Florida, and flowers need time to transition from bud to leaf. Flip had suggested that Grace ask him a question, to place her in a position of advantage.
Why is driver length important in golf?
The goal is to REDUCE the misdirection tendency so the golfer can keep the ball much more in play than before. Good clubfitters also know that because driver length has a very strong effect on accuracy, a balance between a shorter driver length with a face angle change that may not be as extreme as indicated by the golfer’s amount ...
Can you play with an adjustable Hosel driver?
If the golfer needs a specific face angle for accuracy improvement, he should never consider playing with an adjustable hosel driver. All adjustable hosel drivers require the golfer to hold the face square to the target line to achieve the loft change from the adjustable hosel sleeve. While it is possible to adjust the hosel sleeve ...
Do golfers hit their golf ball straight?
It is a fact that learning the swing characteristics to hit the ball consistently straight is an athletic move that a whole lot of golfers simply do not have the ability to do. For them to continue to enjoy the game as much as possible, having a properly fit face angle in their driver and woods is critical.
Is a remedial face angle bad for golf?
As an aside before continuing the face angle fitting discussion, it is common for good golfers and players who hit the ball straight to criticize fitting golfers with a remedial face angle as being a “band aid,” as if the incorporation of a more open or closed face angle in the fitting is a bad thing to do for the golfer.
How To Get the Correct Measurements
The “Special” Golf Club Gauge in my studio is capable of accurately measuring loft, lie and face angle in 1/10th degree increments. The driver shown has 55 degrees lie angle, 12.5 (12½) degrees of loft and the face angle here is purposely adjusted in the gauge to 0 degrees so the loft can be measured in the square face (hit) position.
Why Manufacturers Give The Wrong Measurements
The reasons for this are a good starting point for this discussion. The first reason is that manufacturers vary in the method and way they measure driver loft.
Face Angle
Let’s bring face angle into the equation here. The face angle on a driver is basically defined as the clubface angle when the driver is soled on a hard surface with the shaft held perfectly at a 90 degree angle to the line of flight.
Measuring
At one time, all drivers were measured for loft by using the angle formed from across the sole to the face. Irons were never measured this way; they were measured the correct way from the hosel centerline to the face in the square hit position.
What This Means For Fitting
Here’s what this loft and face angle stuff means in regards to fitting. We will use a tour pro for example; to hit the ball straight and apply maximum force to the ball, a tour pro has his face angle and clubhead path perfectly square.
Points To Consider
This is why the manufacturers make different face angles. The face angle in the design will automatically open up the face on an “open or slice face angle” and automatically close the face on a “closed or hook face angle”.
Recommendations
Hopefully, this is helping with explaining driver loft and also with how you use driver face angle in fitting. My personal preference for face angle for all golfers who are not trying to correct a problem is to play with a square (0 degree) face angle.
Why do you use a driver face angle?
The driver face angle is used to help less skilled golfers get a better (corrected) ball flight with either a problem they have in their swing or help a more skilled golfer get the desired ball flight (draw, fade or straight hit) from a driver.
Why is face angle important?
It is important, not only to allow larger heads to return to impact squarely, but to assist in “correcting” swing flaws from a given player. A golfer, who slices the ball to the right, may be helped with a closed face.
Why do golfers have closed faces?
The primary reason for closed faces on nearly all drivers today is the combination of Center of Gravity/larger head size and the golfer’s tendency to slice.
What is the difference between a square faced driver and an open face driver?
Assuming an on-plane swing, a square faced driver will direct the ball straight toward the target, while an open face results in shots to the right and a closed face results in shots to the left. If the swing is not on plane, face angle influences ball direction as well.
How do I keep my clubface square through impact?
In order to deliver a square clubface through impact, you must strike the ball with the shaft of your club slightly leaned forward. To do this, your wrists and hands must be ahead of the ball at the moment of contact. Doing this will improve compression and prevent excessive opening or closing of the clubface, hence keeping it square.
How do you control clubface angles in golf?
The best way to control clubface angles in golf is through body rotation and wrist position at impact. The best players in the world are masters of clearing their hips which gives them plenty of space to deliver a square, stable clubface with minimal flipping of the wrists.
Which hand controls the clubface in golf?
For a right-handed player, the right hand has a huge influence on controlling the clubface in golf. The palm of your right hand essentially mimics your face angle – if your palm is open to your target line at impact, the clubface will be open. If your palm is closed to your target line at impact, the clubface will be closed.
Why is my clubface wide open at impact?
If your clubface is wide open at impact, it has likely been caused by one of the following swing flaws: either a severely in-to-out or out-to-in club path; poor rotation caused by sliding of the hips or early extension, leading to a flipping of the hands; an early loss of lag angles; or not enough shaft lean as you strike the ball.
Best drills to practice clubface control
In order to get my clubface under control – which is something I desperately needed to improve when I started developing a two-way miss off the tee – my local golf instructor gave me the following drills to work on.
Final message
If you want to get good at golf, you need to have control of the clubface.
