After every golf swing, you likely analyze the direction the ball travels—straight, left, or right. The reason for this is the angle of the clubface at impact. Great players are able to achieve clubface control, allowing them to hit the shots they intend to.
Controlling the clubface is essential for both accuracy and distance. To achieve this, in this post we’ll explore the common golf mistakes amateur players often make with clubface control and how the SquareSet training aid can help fix them.
What is Clubface Control in Golf?
The angle of the clubface at impact with the golf ball affects the direction and flight of the ball path. If the clubface is open, the ball travels to the right (for a right-handed player, left for a left-handed player). If the face is closed, the ball will travel to the left of the target.
Similarly, if the clubface is angled upward, it can cause a shot with more loft versus angled down, which can cause a shot to fly lower.
As you might expect, golfers who are able to effectively control the clubface are able to hit more consistent shots.
Why is Clubface Control Important?
Golfers look at performance on the golf course from a variety of perspectives. However, the most important factor in any player’s game is accuracy.
How close can you hit a golf ball to your target?
With clubface control, there is less chance of a slice or hook and a greater likelihood of a straight shot.
In addition, with clubface control, it’s easier to hit a golf shot square in the center of the face. One of the best ways to increase the distance you get in your golf shots is to hit the center of the face of the club.
Inefficient energy transfer between the clubface and the ball can lead to a significant loss of distance in your golf shots, making effective clubface control a crucial aspect of the golf swing.
Common Clubface Control Mistakes Made by Amateur Golfers
Before we start fixing clubface control, here are some of the most common mistakes that golfers make with their clubface control. If you struggle with any of these, then you’ll want to be sure to keep reading and find out how to fix them.
Too much clubface manipulation in the takeaway
The takeaway, or the first move away from the golf ball, is an important one. Some golfers take the club back and start to turn almost immediately. This leads to a clubface that is either open or closed, as opposed to square. This mistake in the takeaway requires manipulation at some point in the swing to make up for it, leading to more room for error.
Open clubface at the top of the backswing
Many golfers twist their hands and wrists on their backswing and end up with an open clubface at the top of the backswing. This often results in slices or weak shots, and having clubface control will fix this. If you are a golfer with no real idea what the clubface is doing at impact, it will significantly impact your golf game. The open or closed clubface impacts the ball direction and consistency of your shots at impact.
Improper wrist hinge
Most players use wrist hinge as a way to generate power. However, if done incorrectly, poor wrist hinge will affect the angle of the clubface and lead to off-center and inconsistent golf shots. Be sure you’re using a more effective way to gain distance and power in the golf swing.
The SquareSet – The Solution to Clubface Control Problems
For most players, the problem with clubface control is feeling the correct position at different points in the golf swing. If you can get the feeling of clubface control down, it becomes much easier to achieve on the course. The SquareSet was created to improve the feedback golfers get about clubface control.
The SquareSet gives feel-based instant feedback to help golfers understand and maintain clubface control. It corrects the takeaway and keeps the clubface aligned through the backswing and downswing.
Clubface control is a problem that affects golfers of all abilities and skill levels. Luckily, this golf swing trainer can work for a scratch golfer trying to dial in their clubface control, or a beginner with a lack of general understanding of it.
| Clubface Control Mistake | How it Affects Your Game | How the SquareSet Helps |
|---|---|---|
| Too much clubface manipulation in the takeaway | Leads to an open or closed clubface early in the swing | Corrects the takeaway to keep the clubface square |
| Open clubface at the top of the backswing | Results in slices or weak shots | Helps maintain a square clubface through the backswing with FEEL-IT feedback pads. |
| Improper wrist hinge | Affects the angle of the clubface, leading to off-center hits and inconsistent ball striking. | Trains proper wrist hinge timing to keep the clubface square at impact. |
| Lack of control at impact | An open or closed clubface at impact causes inaccurate ball flight and direction. | Provides feedback to ensure the clubface is square at impact. |
Additional Tips for Better Clubface Control
The SquareSet is the easiest way to work on your clubface control and start hitting clean and consistent shots. However, to keep yourself on the right path, here are a few additional ways in which you can master clubface control.
Grip and hand position
The only connection you have with the golf club is your hands. Golfers who can maintain a neutral grip and hand position have a much better chance of striking the ball with a square clubface.
If a grip is too strong, it can turn the clubface left; if it is too weak, it can turn the clubface right or more open.
Swing path and clubface alignment
The proper swing path can also help lead to a square clubface. Practice with alignment sticks in the ground and take videos of your golf swing to make sure that you are swinging on the proper path.
Start the swing the right way
If you think your problem may be the way you take the club away from the golf ball, it pays to spend some time working on your takeaway. A poor takeaway will leave you playing catch up the rest of your swing and struggling to square the face back up at impact. Here’s a video from Performance Golf Coach Eric Cogorno that gives you a perfect step-by-step way to start your golf swing and control the clubface.
Control The Clubface, Improve Your Swing
Controlling your clubface is the only way to learn to hit straight golf shots. For amateur golfers, the SquareSet will give the exact feel of controlling the clubface and hitting more accurate and longer golf shots. If you are still swinging blindly, hoping the clubface is in the right position at impact, then you might want to invest in a training aid like the SquareSet to start seeing the shots you want on the course in no time!
