Square the Face

Want a Square Face at Impact? It is not in your Head it is in your Hands!

By: Bruce Munch

If you have mastered a proper hand path through the hitting area and you still cannot make the ball go straight, the problem must lie in the angle of the clubface at impact.

If the hand path is correct through the hitting area, but the face is open, for a right-handed golfer, the ball will start straight, then curve to the right. If the face is closed the ball will start straight and then curve left and if it squares the ball will start straight and continue straight.

So what causes these inconsistent face angles? Unfortunately, many things can contribute to bad face angle, but let us start at the most basic cause and work up. The most basic cause of bad face angle is simply a poor grip. When most people start out playing they usually start with a bad grip because it seems to make sense to put the left thumb on top of the club and right thumb on top of the club. This grip works fine for putting and chipping but puts the left hand into what we call a weak position or a position where the left hand will have a hard time squaring the club at impact. Here is why! Stand up and let your hands relax at your side. If you are normal, and most are, your thumbs will be pointing slightly toward your thighs, not straight ahead. If you put your left hand on the club, exactly as it sits at your side you will see that the left thumb lands to the right of the club shaft, at about 1:30 on the clock face, rather than on top, or 12:00 o’clock. This is a neutral grip because your hand WANTS to return to its normal position at impact. If you grip the club with the left thumb on top then, while holding the club, let your hands return to the natural position at your side, you will see that your clubface will be open.

In addition, correct placement of the left hand, puts the right hand in the correct position, when we cover the left thumb with the lifeline pocket of the right hand. Another check is to see that the seam between the thumb and index finger of both hands should be pointing to the right shoulder. In this position the hands are perfectly opposed to one another. As strange as it sounds, hands that are perfectly opposed to one another work together. If you want an example of perfectly opposed hands, take a yardstick and put one hand on either side in a position of prayer. (A good time to pray for a better swing). Now move the yardstick back and forth and notice how the hands work together. Now put one hand under the stick leaving the other where it was and notice how one hand must now be dominant while the other dependant.

Ok, so now we have a great grip, how come it still doesn’t go straight? Well, returning the club to square at impact involves more than just a good grip it also requires proper rotational body movement to allow the hands to return to square. If your move back to the ball is too fast for the hands to keep up, you will leave the face open and block it to the right. Such is the case of Tiger Woods when his swing is off. Conversely, if you hang back on your right side you will tend to throw the club toward the ball to catch up which usually results in a hook. For a neutral grip to work perfectly the club must remain in front of the chest at address, through the back swing, through impact and into the follow through. To show this, take a club and put the butt of the club against your sternum (breastbone), which will put your hands well down the shaft but take your normal stance and try to aim this shortened club at an imaginary ball. Turn away, keeping the butt of the club against your sternum and you will see the club open. As you turn back notice how the club becomes square at the imaginary impact point and then closes as we continue to turn to a complete finish.

As you can see, squaring the clubface involves a number of factors that can interconnect in a complicated manner. This fact keeps us teaching pros in business, however with a better understanding of what it takes to square the club, you may be able to relax more by knowing that it is not magic, it is physics. With understanding comes relaxation.

As you know, dancing involves turning and moving and good dancers do it without thinking and as a result look very fluid. A good golf swing has many of the same characteristics so start with a good grip, work on your timing and you will hit straighter shots for a reason.