Club Face Advice

[Vardon11LDN]

A couple of months ago I purchased a Zepp sensor which alongside lessons I have used to work on my slice. after hitting 1000's of balls I have got my swing on a neutral plane either + 1 or 2 degrees or - 1 or 2 degrees. Providing my swing path is good which my Zepp is telling me it is the reason for my misses must be the angle of the clubface? My misses are either a straight pull left (I am right handed) or a shot that starts straight and fades away right. Look forward to peoples ideas on this one.

 

[Smiffy]

Have you checked your alignment?
If I set up a tad closed (which I have a tendency to do from time to time) I am capable of hitting either pulls or blocks right with a fade attached.

 

[Vardon11LDN]

Have you checked your alignment?
If I set up a tad closed (which I have a tendency to do from time to time) I am capable of hitting either pulls or blocks right with a fade attached.

That is a very good point now you mention it. Because of the slice I adopted a closed shoulder allingment but I will look to get the shoulders nuetral again. I have have had to do the same with my grip that used to be very strong.

 

[Maninblack4612]

The straight pull indicates that the swingpath is to the left & the clubface is square to the swingpath. This means that either you just aimed left or you swung out to in. The fade says that the swingpath is out to in, with the clubface open to the swingpath. The ball starts straight because the clubface is square to the target line. Again you need to check your alignment because you may be simply aiming left & leaving the clubface open. If the Zepp tells you what he swingpath is doing the ball flight will tell you where the clubface was in relation to that swingpath, just a matter of interpreting the results.

 

[UlyssesSky]

The starting direction of the ball (straight, push, pull) is determined by the swing path. The curvature (straight, draw/hook, fade/slice) is determined by the clubface's position at impact relative to the swing path.

So if you hit a pull your swing path must be out-to-in for the ball to start to the left (even if this contradicts your Zepp statistics, I'd trust the ball flight more than the sensor... ). The fact that the ball doesn't curve back to the right means your clubface is square to the swing path (thus closed to the target line).

For a slice your club face must be open to the swing path.
There's actually two possible scenarios here: either your swing path is straight down the target line, the your club face must be open to the target line as well as the swing path. This could have various reasons, starting from your grip to a cupped wrist at the top of the backswing to many other reasons why you fail to square the club face at impact.
Then, and I wouldn't be surprised if this was the case, your "straight starting" slice could actually be starting slightly to the left and then curve back. In this case, you would be swinging ou-to-in (like with your pull), while the club face is square to the target line but open to the swing path.

The reason why I think the second option is more likely is because it would be easier to explain. You would have one swing "flaw" (out-to-in) that, depending on club face position (closed or square to the target line, i.e. square or open to the swing path) would result either in a pull or a (pull) slice.

If the slice came from a straight swing path with an open club face, you'd be experiencing three different club face positions: straight ("normal" shots), closed (pull) and open (slice). That's not impossible, but I most people have one typical problem with their club face (either open or closed) not two.

Me, for example, I'm sometimes struggling to close the club face, and my swing path is either in-to-out or straight, so my mi***** are mostly either pushes or fades/slices.

 

[Ian_S]

Have you tried hitting pull hooks? I know that sounds silly, but the point is can you control your clubface? Your swing path sounds out-to-in, although as you'll know if you watch Crossfield videos you can change that just by aiming right. Because your path is left of target, you are trying to leave the face open in order to hit target. That's why I ask whether you're able to consciously control face to path.

If you can, if you're able to hit pull hooks/pull draws, then why not just aim up the right and swing?

 

[Maninblack4612]

M

The starting direction of the ball (straight, push, pull) is determined by the swing path. .

This is wrong, it's about 80% determined by the face angle, less in the shorter clubs, the laws of physics apply. Watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEHiY5iv5u4 this illustrates it very well.

 

[Vardon11LDN]

Have you tried hitting pull hooks? I know that sounds silly, but the point is can you control your clubface? Your swing path sounds out-to-in, although as you'll know if you watch Crossfield videos you can change that just by aiming right. Because your path is left of target, you are trying to leave the face open in order to hit target. That's why I ask whether you're able to consciously control face to path.

If you can, if you're able to hit pull hooks/pull draws, then why not just aim up the right and swing?

I can indeed consciously hit a hook (always a hook never a nice draw), will try aiming right, I have never done that because I used to slice. Will give it a go down the range tonight.

 

[Maninblack4612]

The starting direction of the ball (straight, push, pull) is determined by the swing path..

The reason a lot of people think this is the case is because many players, me included, naturally hold the face square throughout the swing. If the swingpath is out to in the ball does go left but it's because that's where the face is pointing. If the face was pointing at the target at impact that's where the ball would start out, then slice because the face was open in relation to the swingpath.

 

[Ian_S]

I can indeed consciously hit a hook (always a hook never a nice draw), will try aiming right, I have never done that because I used to slice. Will give it a go down the range tonight.

Oh I know that feeling. I could miss left all day with the driver and still worry about slicing one because that was the experience I first got. Ingrained thoughts are so tough to lose, even if you've now got the clubface control that you didn't have at first.

Good luck with it. Hope it works.