Open Face on Downswing

[TheProGolfer]

What are some causes and/or drills for this fault?

When my timing is on I hit a nice 5 yard draw with my longer clubs, but when I'm off.....

Big slices.... Big push slices. Let me say that those push slices hurt the scorecard bad. I lose at least 5 strokes per round because of this dreaded shot.

I have captured my swing on camera and I am coming from the inside to out like a draw should be hit. But instead of a closed face I have an open face at impact. I have noticed that my clubface is consistently wide open at hip high on the way down. A few times every round this error catches up with me and I hit nasty push fades/slices. I can't imagine how consistent I will be if I can fix this open face.

Are there any drills or tips to keep the face square from the top of the swing to impact? Maybe I have a fault I am overlooking which is in turn creating the open face? Your advice is greatly appreciated!

[The Boom Bapp]

When my timing is on I hit a nice 5 yard draw with my longer clubs, but when I'm off.....

 

Big slices.... Big push slices. Let me say that those push slices hurt the scorecard bad. I lose at least 5 strokes per round because of this dreaded shot.

 

I have captured my swing on camera and I am coming from the inside to out like a draw should be hit. But instead of a closed face I have an open face at impact. I have noticed that my clubface is consistently wide open at hip high on the way down. A few times every round this error catches up with me and I hit nasty push fades/slices. I can't imagine how consistent I will be if I can fix this open face.

 

Are there any drills or tips to keep the face square from the top of the swing to impact? Maybe I have a fault I am overlooking which is in turn creating the open face? Your advice is greatly appreciated!

 

 

This image should help of Tiger explaining how he sets his club at the top of his backswing and the positions he is trying to accomplish.

 

 

 

hope this helps, I have worked on this position tirelessly and it has made a big improvement with my accuracy, I hit more solid shots that I can trust.

[czydj]

I showed my instructor the neutral grip Tiger talks about here and he stopped me from using it. Any reason you can think of why he would be opposed to that grip?

[The Boom Bapp]

I showed my instructor the neutral grip Tiger talks about here and he stopped me from using it. Any reason you can think of why he would be opposed to that grip?

 

I can see why he said this because it rquires good technique throughout the swing and timing to allow this to work for you properly and repeatedly, most instructors lean towards a "Strong" grip to promote square impact but this is just a band aid tip that does not cover other issues that still cause a slice.

 

At impact I turn my knuckles down like I am turning a door knob with my left hand to get more of a "PINCH" but if you just relax the arms during your take away and swing easy, it creates a natural "lag" and your arms will close and release naturally keeping your hands in front of the club head and you may start hitting draws which is a much nicer feeling compared to the alternative.

[czydj]

That makes sense, thanks. Believe it or not, we have been trying to get that "knuckles down" drill going too!

[TheProGolfer]

I am actually in a good position at the top, my wrist is flat and matches the angle of the clubface.... Somewhere my swing breaks down from this position at the top to halfway down. I was tinkering around and my shoulders feel like they are opening prematurely, I believe this would cause an open clubface at impact correct?

[mfm22]

I'm working on the "open face" thing as well even when I get club coming from inside I seem to hang back result is poor release.

worked on keeping hands ahead and letting toe get over heel at or even b/4 impact and results are very good .. smooth swing , relaxed arms and hands , bingo .. can get ball to draw.

keys for me are keeping core /spine up so arms can swing and feeling club head pulling out and up after impact these are the 'FEEL" parts mechcanics are many and that is the problem you think you are correct mechanically and then look at video or mirror ugh! big thing I have been fanning club face open on takeaway so at top its open and never going to close at impact etc..

[The Boom Bapp]

I am actually in a good position at the top, my wrist is flat and matches the angle of the clubface.... Somewhere my swing breaks down from this position at the top to halfway down. I was tinkering around and my shoulders feel like they are opening prematurely, I believe this would cause an open clubface at impact correct?

 

If they are opening early you are starting the swing with you upper body first and coming over the top, you may still be square at the top but you are glancing more than compressing.

 

Try this, look at the inside part of the ball at set up, this visual gets your shoulders square to the target path and stance, the body reacts to what the mind sees resulting in a inside to out path.

 

 

Try not to think of anything as you take the club back but a fluid tempo throughout staying centered over your feet (as if your feet were nailed there) and off the toes or heels and no latteral movement <---> until you start to uncoil, worry less about path and more about getting your hands as high as possible while maintaining your plane and "coil" only as far as you need, establish a lag by relaxing the arms at the top and from here start the hips and fire your hands through impact as if you are trying to pull start a "Lawn Mower" and think of how you are going to finish in balance and high on your left leg with your head and belly button pointing at the target. Here is some irony for you but you have to be willing to"Lose controll to gain controll". Lastly, remain calm and patient with yourself, you will feel your own swing epiphany as it happens and things will become very clear.

 

Note: when you uncoil to impact, roll the left foot over on it's side, you cannot get there if the ball is to far or too close because you will fall away or into the ball after impact because you were not balanced, this can only happen if you move straight toward your target latteraly. Check Tiger's high finish here, he moved right at his target and fully released the club because he established a lag at the top of his back swing before impact and completed his turn.

 

 

 

Good luck to all.

[TheProGolfer]

Boom Bap - Thanks for the great post. That was very good advice. I went golfing today and was hitting it very solid, my misses were big hooks which was nice to miss left for once :russian_roulette:

[mikpga]

I would suggest that you are possibly coming too far from the inside. Something to consider.

[The Boom Bapp]

Boom Bap - Thanks for the great post. That was very good advice. I went golfing today and was hitting it very solid, my misses were big hooks which was nice to miss left for once :clapping:

 

 

Very cool man, keep positive and milk it for all it is worth. :russian_roulette:

[TheProGolfer]

I would suggest that you are possibly coming too far from the inside. Something to consider.

 

Yes I was in fact slightly too far inside at times. I would open my shoulders early, but I wasn't going to come over the top so I would alter my hands/wrists to keep the club inside, blocking shots left and right (mostly right and further right!).

 

Keeping my shoulders slightly closed at impact really let my arms swing through impact today when I was out golfing. I found myself hitting huge hooks because I was so used to having to really fire through impact to keep the face from coming through wide open. Turns out I would open my shoulders because I was trying to force the ball left, even though it was counter-productive. Like Boom Bapp said, you have to lose control to gain it.

[akanacl]

I'm new to the technical side of the golf swing and have a question for all. Isn't the problem described, very generally, a failure to swing left thru impact and follow thru. Kinda of a "hangin on", "chicken wing", throwing the club head down the line. The clubface is not rotated thru the impact area by the forearms and core rotation/pivot? That is my impression when I see the average mid handicapper block or push/slice (that would include me..lol).

[czydj]

At impact I turn my knuckles down like I am turning a door knob with my left hand to get more of a "PINCH"

 

 

I owe you a cold one next time you're in N. FL...

 

I just went out to the range and tried the "turning a door knob". I did not hit one slice. :russian_roulette: It looks like I'm finally starting to get the mental picture of what I should be doing at and through impact.

[mfo]

i've had success hitting the ball solidly and with a draw doing what boom bapp says to do. I've found a good drill is hitting balls with my feet together. you can't do it unless your arms are relaxed and you have good tempo.

[Ezgolfer]

Any other drills for this problem ?

My pro told me to think you are going to hit a draw on down swing . That has helped me in straightening my pushes . Occasionally a draw as well.

[golfbum1]

Will this work with a strong grip or will that make you hook it?

[MonteScheinblum]

Are you sure your face is open and it's not your path is too in to out?

My experience is that almost everyone complaining about an open face at impact has a path problem.

[allycat]

2007?