Closing the Clubface
- Use a stronger grip. TV golf analyst Johnny Miller suggests most golfers should copy Palmer’s hand positions.
- Check your clubface positions at key points in the backswing. Closing the clubface in the downswing is much easier if...
- Bow your left wrist at the start of the downswing. The bowing starts the clubface moving down in a closed...
Full Answer
How do you Close Your Face when hitting a golf ball?
Rotate your body as you swing through the ball. To complete a full release, Foley recommends rotating your shoulders, chest, arms and hips together all the way to the finish position. Striving for a full release will help you close the face through impact.
Why do some golfers try to close the clubface?
Many golfers try to close the clubface by intentionally rolling or flipping their wrists through the hitting area. Hogan believed that action changed the arc and path of the club, which leads to a variety of mishits. David Raudenbush has more than 20 years of experience as a literacy teacher, staff developer and literacy coach.
How do you close the clubface in the downswing?
Closing the clubface in the downswing is much easier if the clubface is in the proper position in the backswing. When the club is waist high, PGA teaching professional Jim Hardy suggests the angle of the clubface should match the angle of your spine.
How do you set up for a closed clubface?
The correct way to set up for a closed clubface is to grasp the club while the clubface is already pointing in the direction. This way, your usual grip strength will be maintained and crucially will not alter during the course of the swing.
What does a closed clubface do to a golf club?
Finally, a closed clubface will restrict the bounce of the club – if any – from impacting the shot.
How to set up a closed clubface?
The correct way to set up for a closed clubface is to grasp the club while the clubface is already pointing in the direction. This way, your usual grip strength will be maintained and crucially will not alter during the course of the swing.
What is the consequence of a closed face?
The first consequence to adopting a closed face is that the initial direction of the ball will be towards the left of the target line. Indeed, according to the new laws of ball flight, the angle of the club will impact the initial direction of the club the most.
Why do golf clubs point to the right?
That’s because the face of the club has the most impact on where the ball will be sent initially.
What is a square club?
At address, a club placed on the ground in a square position is one where the line of the clubface is perpendicular to the target line. Indeed, a square clubface does not lean one way or the other and instead faces the target directly.
Is a closed club face bad?
We’re often told that a closed club face is a bad thing, and it is sometimes. Then again, it can be a good thing if other swing conditions fall into place. Let’s take a look at wrist action during the swing and what happens when you change conditions from address to the top, and how it affects the club face.
Should golfers play from a more square condition?
The average golfer should play from a more square condition at the top rather than one that is radically shut (i.e., Dustin Johnson). Not that the average player could not play from a slightly shut condition, but remember, compensations have to occur if you get much past slightly shut.
How to keep your right shoulder from moving?
Think of it as trying to decrease the distance between your right shoulder and hip as quickly as possible once you start down. 3. HANDLE DOWN, CLUBHEAD OUT.
How to get more speed in downswing?
It’s the start of a power release that automatically shoots energy to the clubhead and squares the face. 2. TILT YOUR RIGHT SIDE. As you do with your hands, drop your right shoulder toward the ground as soon as you begin your downswing. This is yet another speed-booster.
Keano26 said
I am having a major issue. I use a neutral grip, but before I begin my take away, I always loosened and re-tighten my hands. I've always done this, and now when I undo and redo my hands just before I swing, I am closing my club face and hitting a low hook with all of my irons off the toe and my driver is absolutely HORRENDOUS.
Keano26 said
I golfed again yesterday and found that every single ball I hit, albeit with my driver, irons or wedges, was off the toe. When I was playing the best golf of my life just a month ago, one thing I was doing that I knew I have not been doing lately is my head has not been still. I didn't realize it until yesterday that my head has been swaying.
Keano26 said
I too find that if I keep my head still and focused on the ball during my backswing that I can make better contact with the ball. I've also had some issues with a low hook with my hybrid and FW wood. My driver has been very iffy lately. Two weeks ago I was hitting the ball with a very high flight dead straight or with a slight fade 260-270.
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.
