Clubface alignment at address

[dumwalke]

I have a question about clubface alignment at address.

Should the leading edge of the clubface be perfectly perpendicular to the target when the clubface is resting behind the ball just before the takeaway? Or should I slightly hood the ball or open the clubface. Also, should the placement of the hands be in front of the ball, even with the ball, or behind the ball?

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Dustin

 

[Ricky1990]

Well surely the club face has to square to the target to be able to give you any chance at all of hitting a straight golf shot!

I think your hands should be even with the ball, but other people may disagree!

 

[Garth]

Actually, if i understand it correctly... the clubface should be square to slightly open at impact fix, therefore if you use a mid-body hands setup, the clubface would be slightly closed.

 

[Brian Manzella]

We have a winner!!

Garth you are VERY CORRECT.

The clubface should always be vertical...so when the shaft is forward THE FACE IS OPEN, when the shaft is VERTICAL the face is SQUARE, when the shaft is leaning back,

the face is CLOSED!

 

[dumwalke]

Thanks!

Thanks for all of the quick responses. This site is great, I'm glad I stumbled across it. I may have quite a few posts in the near future as I am trying to figure this amazing game out.

So Brian, in response to your answer the correct postion should be to have the shaft verticle (at a 90 degree angle to the ground) which would cause the hands to be directly above the ball and the clubface square to the target correct?

I know this seems like a very simple question but it's one that I've never really been able to find a straight answer on.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

The key thing is to position the face at impact fix (and your grip) to adjust your "machine" to play the shot you want.

So if you were going to play a straight shot usually horizontal hinging you would setup at impact fix with the face slightly open to allow for the face closing through impact.

Now if you let your 'setup hands' the same with your 'impact hands' the face would be open. The more you moved them back to center (by bending your left wrist) the more the face would close.

Make sense?

So position the face and your grip at impact fix and then just bend your left wrist from there back to your "comfortable" address hands.

 

[bantamben2]

i wonder if that open face, closing through impact holds that much weight. I have been notiing from those super slo mo cameras that it looks like the face is dead square the whole way through the ball obviuosly it moves a little because of the arc. It seems though that the movement is almost impercieveable as to so little you really coudnt account for it at address

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

i wonder if that open face, closing through impact holds that much weight. I have been notiing from those super slo mo cameras that it looks like the face is dead square the whole way through the ball obviuosly it moves a little because of the arc. It seems though that the movement is almost impercieveable as to so little you really coudnt account for it at address

go to your local golftec and ask them. To hit a perfectly straight shot you need a swing path that is inside/out about 2-3 degrees and a clubface that is open about 1-2 degrees.

I may be off a little but they have all the data to prove it to you that you need a slightly open face at the moment of impact to hit a dead straight shot

 

[dumwalke]

Picture

Does anyone have a good link to a picture that shows a correct setup position in relation to the hands and clubface.

I'm a very visual learner so a picture definitely helps.

Thanks!
Dustin

 

[Millrat]

i wonder if that open face, closing through impact holds that much weight. I have been notiing from those super slo mo cameras that it looks like the face is dead square the whole way through the ball obviuosly it moves a little because of the arc. It seems though that the movement is almost impercieveable as to so little you really coudnt account for it at address

This idea occurred to me a first also. Most slo-mos (I have seen) are drivers which would have a slower rate of closing than would a pitching wedge.

Am I correct in assuming that iron byron and others do not use face rotation when hitting balls?

CW

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

This idea occurred to me a first also. Most slo-mos (I have seen) are drivers which would have a slower rate of closing than would a pitching wedge.

Am I correct in assuming that iron byron and others do not use face rotation when hitting balls?

CW

Actually drivers have much more rapid #3 accumulator role than say a PW which is why most people who horiztonal hinge through impact like open faced drivers because of the amount of roll.

 

[shortgamer]

this might help
http://www.brianmanzella.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3504

 

[shortgamer]

BTW Dustin-the article section is a great place to learn Brians stuff- be sure to set display options on "beginning" so you get all of them.just trying to help another "hoosier"