Clubface rotation=Solid contact?

[Bigwill]

I normally play with a very strong grip, and basically hold the face off. Was at the range, and someone got me to weaken my grip and allow the face to open in the backswing, and close it during the downswing. The results? I was compressing the heck out of the ball. I've played around with this at the range before, and thinking back, the only times I've ever had that compressed feeling was when was closing the face through impact, whether or not it was actually closed at impact.


Why would more clubface rotation lead to more solid contact? And why don't I get that same solid contact with a super-strong gripped, super closed (less open) clubface, super hands-ahead, big divot swing, which seems like it should compress the ball more???

 

[GPM1985]

Hammering the ball into the ground doesn't guarantee compression. You compress the ball more with a driver than a 7-iron. Think about what that means.

My guess is that with your normal grip and swing, you're using too much leading edge and hitting the occasional Kirstie Alley. Can you hit a mid-sole pitch?

I'm in the process of weakening my grip, which means that I have to feel as if I'm rolling it a lot for a draw, and still quite a bit for a regular fade. The results are encouraging; I'm not taking as much of a divot and I know I'm compressing the ball very well.

From what I've seen, compression is evident from what you see in the air and what you hear, and not so much determined by what you leave in the ground.

 

[Kevin Shields]

Just making leading edge contact doesnt guarantee good compression. You could still be imparting alot of friction and such. Turning the sweetspot and covering the ball while turning it down is a really good way to put the squash on it.

 

[Bigwill]

I'll tell you, rotating the face is kind of unnerving to someone used to holding it off. It feels like I'll have no control of the direction of the ball. But the strike is so much more solid than what I'm used to. I'll probably try to play a round like this (face rotating). But I feel like I'd hit it all over dodge with the face moving like that. I don't know how you guys do it.