Open face troubles

[sandmac]

I've been told my clubface is wide open the the top and that the face should be parallel to the flat left wrist. Is this correct? What is the key to obtaining this position? Somewhere in the backswing I lose this. When I do make solid contact it's is a long push.

Also, regarding grip: I have tried a neutral and strong grip. I'm open to either. I'm still like a 25 hcp. Is a strong grip easier to stay square at the top? Easier to return to square at impact?

Thanks for any help.

[Martin Levac]

Re: Open face troubles

Have you also been told that you must bring the club to parallel at the top? The two may conflict with each other.

As you try to maintain a flat left wrist at the top, you may find that you can't bring the club up to parallel. As you force yourself to bring the club up to parallel, you may find that you must lose the flat left wrist and bend it. Are you trying to do both? You don't have to.

But between maintaining a flat left wrist at the top and bringing the club up to parallel, I'd choose the flat left wrist any day. I tried both and the flat left wrist at the top help me more than bringing the club to parallel. In fact, I can produce more speed with a flat left wrist at the top because I swing the club in a wider and longer arc than otherwise.

Nevertheless, I actually bring the club up to parallel naturally and to do so I bend the left wrist.

Anyway, if you want to do both the flat left wrist at the top and the club to parallel, it requires the appropriate posture and flexibility and strength, especially in the shoulders.

-edit- Now that I've thought about some more, I think it's much better to maintain a flat left wrist at the top than to bring the club up to parallel, if I must choose between the two. I think it's better for a couple of reasons, it makes the swing a bit more tight but it also makes it a little more wide and long. I also think that it allows me to maintain a better tempo and rhythm. -edit-

[LowPost42]

Re: Open face troubles

Sandmac, as a fellow 20+ capper, I've learned a couple of important lessons on my way to better ballstriking.

1) Find out where the end of your swing is. To do this, turn your shoulders, then pick your arms up. It's a 2 plane move - but it shows you where the top of your swing is. For 3 years I've tried (with my limited flexibility) to get the club pointing at the target at the top. Trying to hit this 'position' caused all sorts of inconsistency. I've been hitting the ball much better turning to my 'full' position.

2) I battled a big push slice with the driver. It came about from rolling my forearms in the takeaway (fanning the clubface open), but then never shutting it again on the downswing. Currently, the only manipulation below the elbows in my swing is a setting of the wrists. It keeps me shut throughout the swing, but I don't lose balls right anymore...

Just my $0.02

[BrianW]

Re: Open face troubles

Hi Sandmac,

I would suggest you start with a neutral grip and maintain a flat left wrist at the top. This will allow you to simply hinge the wrists in an up and down motion through the swing and not encourage wrist flipping or swatting which will not be good.

I would strongly recommend you look at Greg Willis's Right hand drill, this will give you a better understanding of the correct way to cock and release the wrists and improve accuracy in your game.

[Mox]

Re: Open face troubles

...

2) I battled a big push slice with the driver. It came about from rolling my forearms in the takeaway (fanning the clubface open), but then never shutting it again on the downswing. Currently, the only manipulation below the elbows in my swing is a setting of the wrists. It keeps me shut throughout the swing, but I don't lose balls right anymore...

...

The bold part I think is one of the most common faults with slicers (like me). It comes from a tendency to want to bring the club back to a position parallel to the target line before really beginning to turn the body. The move LOOKS right, but it is inherently wrong and should never be part of the golf swing. I know, because this is my #1 swing flaw, and I'm constantly working on removing it.

When I remember to let the body turn the club, I not only stay square or slightly shut, but I also widen my swing arc considerably, resulting in a large gain in distance.

I'm normally not the longest hitter, but sometime, when I get it right - like on one par 5 hole yesterday, the energy stored in my body blows my mind.
Getting that perfect strike off the tee and walking a full 275 meters down the fairway to find the ball 10 paces short of the 150m marker leaving my a 5 iron to attack the green in 2 for the first time in my golfing career ... THAT is just magic!

[mont86]

Re: Open face troubles

1) Find out where the end of your swing is. To do this, turn your shoulders, then pick your arms up. It's a 2 plane move - but it shows you where the top of your swing is. For 3 years I've tried (with my limited flexibility) to get the club pointing at the target at the top. Trying to hit this 'position' caused all sorts of inconsistency. I've been hitting the ball much better turning to my 'full' position.

Sound good I'm going to give this a try.

[kbp]

Re: Open face troubles

As I’ve said several times, unless you have a weak grip, you cannot have a flat left wrist AND a square club face (face parallel to the left arm) at the top. With a neutral or strong grip, you can have a flat left wrist and a closed face at the top or you can have a slight cup in the left wrist and a square face at the top. People obviously have differing opinions on which is best.......flat/closed or cupped/square. People do not generally recommend a weak grip, especially for the average player.

[cyc53870]

Re: Open face troubles

Try a 3/4 swing first...

[BrianW]

Re: Open face troubles

As I’ve said several times, unless you have a weak grip, you cannot have a flat left wrist AND a square club face (face parallel to the left arm) at the top. With a neutral or strong grip, you can have a flat left wrist and a closed face at the top or you can have a slight cup in the left wrist and a square face at the top. People obviously have differing opinions on which is best.......flat/closed or cupped/square. People do not generally recommend a weak grip, especially for the average player.

I use a neutral grip, not weak and not strong. To qualify what I mean by neutral I mean my wrists are set in their natural bio mechanical position when holding the club. If your arms hang down by your sides the hands will naturally point in towards the centre at around 45 deg and slightly upwards, this is why the handlebars of a motor cycle are arranged the way they are, to reduce tension in the wrists. I take my grip by placing the club into my left hand while it is held out in front of me in it's natural alignment, then place the right hand onto the club to also respect its natural position. This creates what I call a neutral grip that does not require any manipulation to be returned to this position.

When bring my club to the top I keep my left wrist in this position which is near flat, this assist in keeping a flat left wrist through impact.

Those that prefer a strong grip should allow the same amount of cupping at the top as gets generates at address.

Here is a video link that shows the effects of grip verses wrist cupping at the top.

http://www.ritson-sole.com/golf-tips...ing-your-grip/