Club Face Angle

[Canary Kid]

I have a couple of drivers (Yonex and TM) and a couple of 5 woods (Ping and TM) and 7 woods (Ping and TM). Each of them, when allowed to just rest freely on the ground at address (i.e. not being gripped) presents a slightly open face to the ball. See first photo. This has always looked odd to me and I have always tended to turn the face so that it is 90 degrees to the ball. See second photo.

However, it occurs to me that, all if three manufacturers have designed their clubs to sit freely on the ground with a slightly open face, they probably intend that angle to the ball to be the starting position for the takeaway. Therefore, should I not be squaring the face before taking the club back? Hope that made sense. Thanks.

 

[Wabinez]

It doesn’t really matter how the face is at address.

the swing is a dynamic movement, and the face angle will change during your golf swing and so you likely will not return it at impact to how it was at address.

just work on delivering the club better

 

[jim8flog]

Club face angle at address will be very much a factor of how you grip the club, how much face shaft lean you have (and which direction) and where in in your stance you position the head.

I have TM M4 driver*, Sim 5 wood and ping 425 3 wood* none of which are open at address to me.

* manufacturer neutral/standard setting.

 

[VVega]

Afaik, the opposite is the case - the vast majority of clubs are designed with a closed face (see mygolfspy tests).

As said above the appearance at address would be dependent on your positioning.

 

[Canary Kid]

Perhaps I did not explain my point clearly … I have now boldened the key words to try and better explain what I mean.

 

[Orikoru]

I have noticed this with some clubs in the past - I don't think it's always the manufacturer's intention for them to sit open-faced. It's just that the sole of the club isn't perfectly flat, it might be slightly rounded. I personally I try and position the club so the face looks square, then take my grip on it - not allow it to sit whatever way it wants to.

It's a side-effect of adjustable drivers and woods as well. Increasing lost closes the face slightly, decreasing the loft opens it slightly. But in that case, again, I would square up the face to my own satisfaction to compensate, not just let it sit how it wants to.

 

[sweaty sock]

I agree with Orikoru, how the club 'rests' on the ground should in no way effect how you line it up, particularly as the ground is very rarely flat and would throw up totally random face directions...

 

[jim8flog]

It doesn’t really matter how the face is at address.

the swing is a dynamic movement, and the face angle will change during your golf swing and so you likely will not return it at impact to how it was at address.

just work on delivering the club better

Similar to this.

You have to understand 'shaft kick' which will change the club face angle shortly before impact.

Shaft kick is where the the shaft bends so the at the club head instead of being behind the shaft kick point will be in front of the kick point. There used to e some great slow motion videos of this but hard to find now.

 

[jim8flog]

This one is quite good but I have seen better

 

[VVega]

Perhaps I did not explain my point clearly … I have now boldened the key words to try and better explain what I mean.

when allowed to just rest freely on the ground at address (i.e. not being gripped)

Rest freely? Surely someone/thing is holding the shaft and that would influence what you see. ?

If you want to check the true angles, I’d take it to a pro/fitter and ask to put on a loft and lie machine.

 

[jim8flog]

If you want to check the true angles, I’d take it to a pro/fitter and ask to put on a loft and lie machine.

The query is about club face angles and not loft/lie angles.

 

[sweaty sock]

How many people rest the club on the ground, let it rotate, regrip it, then just accept the face is pointing in the wrong direction?

Surely zero people do this?

 

[VVega]

The query is about club face angles and not loft/lie angles.

The lie is very much related to open/close. Lean the shaft down a bit and the face will be closed, stand it up and it will be open. Crossfield had a good video on it some years back.

The point for the machine that it fixes the club in the “true” resting flat on the ground position.

Just trying to help.

 

[Canary Kid]

Rest freely? Surely someone/thing is holding the shaft and that would influence what you see. ?

I meant if you just let it rest against your palm so that you don’t influence it in any way … in all cases they lie with an open face.

 

[Canary Kid]

How many people rest the club on the ground, let it rotate, regrip it, then just accept the face is pointing in the wrong direction?

Surely zero people do this?

That was my feeling … and I don’t … but I was wondering if I should have been doing so. It seems odd that all rest with an open face. However, in the absence of anyone saying anything to the contrary, I will continue to square the face before taking away.

 

[Canary Kid]

I have noticed this with some clubs in the past - I don't think it's always the manufacturer's intention for them to sit open-faced. It's just that the sole of the club isn't perfectly flat, it might be slightly rounded. I personally I try and position the club so the face looks square, then take my grip on it - not allow it to sit whatever way it wants to.

It's a side-effect of adjustable drivers and woods as well. Increasing lost closes the face slightly, decreasing the loft opens it slightly. But in that case, again, I would square up the face to my own satisfaction to compensate, not just let it sit how it wants to.

That‘s what I do, and will continue to do, until anyone says that I shouldn’t and why. But it still seems odd that they all sit open faced … and the woods aren’t adjustable. One of life’s mysteries, I guess.