Benefits of having club face square at top of backswing

[mahbo]

Hi Guys

I have recently strengthened my grip, which has resulted in my club face being more neutral at the top of my backswing. Prior to this I had a weaker grip, with my left wrist cupped and club face open at the top of my backswing.

My question is. Is the aim to have your swing mecahnically correct at checkpoints, such as having your club face neutral at the top of your backswing for:

reason 1) because if you are correctly positioned, it reduces the compensations you need to make to get the club into position and hence increase consistency?

reason 2) or does having a stronger grip, and neutral to closed club face actually promote a more powerful shot, and conversely did my old weak grip/ cupped left hand/open club face- result in a swing with reduced power?

I guess what I am asking is, if it is al about getting your club face sqaure at impact ultimately, what's the big deal if my club face is open at the op of my backswing? Or is the answer, you actually leak power trying to get the club face back on the right position??

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Would appreciate your wisdom guys

thanks
Mahbo

[Ringer]

Re: Benefits of having club face square at top of backswing

First lets define what strong, neutral, and weak REALLY are.

Left Hand

1. Neutral - Back of the left hand MATCHES the leading edge of the club-face.
2. Strong - Left hand is turned clockwise relative to the leading edge of the club-face.
3. Weak - Left hand is turned counter-clockwise relative to the leading edge of the club-face.

Right Hand

1. Neutral - Palm of the right hand MATCHES the leading edge of the club-face.
2. Strong - Right hand is turned clockwise relative to the leading edge of the club-face.
3. Weak - Right hand is turned counter-clockwise relative to the leading edge of the club-face.

All of these positions are of course for RIGHT handed players. Adjust accordingly if you are left handed.

So when you say the clubface gets in a "neutral" position at the top, that simply doesn't make sense. It's either neutral, strong, or weak from the very beginning and doesn't change.

However, you can BEND your left wrist and straighten your right wrist which can cause the clubface to rotate open. You can arch your left wrist and increase the bend in your right wrist to rotated the clubface closed. But understand this is only RELATIVE to what you have already set yourself up for when taking your grip.

Here is probably the bit you are really meaning. Ideally the clubface should match the angle of the left forearm at the top of the backswing.

So here's the tricky bit that confuses everybody. I will try to simplify it for you.

A person with a strong grip, if they have a FLAT left wrist at the top of their backswing, the clubface will be CLOSED relative to their left arm. Often what they will do then is BEND their left wrist (often called cupping) so that the clubface will rotate open and match their left arm. This is VERY common in fact and I suspect is what you are talking about.

But there is one other aspect of this I'd like to mention.

A flat left wrist is more easily achieved if there is some separation between the left thumb and first knuckle of your left index finger. The reason is because at the top of your backswing you will need something to balance the club on. The last two fingers of your left hand hold DOWN the end of the grip while the club head is trying to go down the other way. The clubhead and the last two fingers of your left hand act like two kids on a teeter totter. Well that teeter-totter needs to pivot on something. What the club "pivots" on is the thumb of your left hand.

Simply put, your left thumb MUST be directly under the shaft at the top of the backswing. That way the last two fingers of your left hand can resist against the pull down of the clubhead.

However, MOST PEOPLE do not put a separation between their left thumb and first knuckle of their index finger. Instead they put them close together. For a neutral grip this puts the thumb directly on top of the shaft.

The problem then arises that since the left arm goes across your chest at an angle, the left thumb is not in a position to be under the shaft. The only solution is to CUP the left hand so that the left thumb can get under it.

This is the #1 reason I have seen why people cup at the top of their back-swing. They have their thumb too close to their knuckle.

I demonstrated this in a video lesson I did a while back about the grip.

[mahbo]

Re: Benefits of having club face square at top of backswing

Ringer

thanks for taking the time to reposnd to this in such detail. I have read and reread your reply and watched your video. you are spot on.

yes, you were right when you were saying the club face was not matching my left forearm forearm/or back of my wrist. I think you are onto somethign with moving your left thumb from on top of the club to slightly right of it. I might try this. Becasue I have experimented with strengthening my grip, and get to the top of my back swing, and amd thinking, because my left wrist is ARCHED, it opens up my club face...and I was thinking, do I need to consciously try and BOW my left wrist. You said an interesting thing. Take the thinking element out of it, and just move you thumb and see what happens.

I was thinking for a long time, is the reason why I am archign my left wrist, because I am not getting my right hand "under " enough, and using that impage of supporting a plate? but will go with your thoughts

thanks ringer

Mahbo

[Ringer]

Re: Benefits of having club face square at top of backswing

Ringer

thanks for taking the time to reposnd to this in such detail. I have read and reread your reply and watched your video. you are spot on.

yes, you were right when you were saying the club face was not matching my left forearm forearm/or back of my wrist. I think you are onto somethign with moving your left thumb from on top of the club to slightly right of it. I might try this. Becasue I have experimented with strengthening my grip, and get to the top of my back swing, and amd thinking, because my left wrist is ARCHED, it opens up my club face...and I was thinking, do I need to consciously try and BOW my left wrist. You said an interesting thing. Take the thinking element out of it, and just move you thumb and see what happens.

I was thinking for a long time, is the reason why I am archign my left wrist, because I am not getting my right hand "under " enough, and using that impage of supporting a plate? but will go with your thoughts

thanks ringer

Mahbo

You're absolutely welcome. I'm happy to be of help.