No matter how good your car looks, it only drives as good as the engine in it. Golf is very much the same. No matter how good a swing looks, it’s only as good as the parts that make it up. And the most important part, the engine of the golf swing if you will, is the positioning of the clubface at impact.

“Golf is what the ball does” John Jacobs famously said; and what the ball does is a function of the club face at impact. To get the clubface to impact properly, we need to look at the club face prior to impact. These checkpoints are a way to monitor the position of clubface throughout the swing, and give us an indication of what golfers need to work on to achieve the best possible clubface position at impact for them.

What most golfer don’t realize is how fast their downswing unfolds. It takes less than a second — about 0.80 seconds for an average professional — or three times faster than the backswing. Considering how brief the interval is from the top of the swing down to the ball, there is very little if any time to correct a club face that is not square. Yet that is exactly what millions of golfers are doing. That’s why it’s so important for golfers to put the club in a good position at the top of the backswing, and for top ball strikers, that means having what we call a “square face.”

There are of course some great professionals who do not square the face at the top, but these few exceptions do not negate this principle for the average golfer. So what is “square”?

Above: “Square” is the word we use to describe the clubface at the top of the swing that is laying on the plane of the swing.

Above: “Closed” is the word we use to describe a clubface at the top that is looking at the sky.

Above: “Open” is the word we use to describe the clubface at the top that is looking more down at the ground.

In actuality, here what those terms mean. The clubface we call “square” is actually 90-degrees open to the target. The club face we call closed is actually square to the target, and the one we call open is even more open, about 180-degrees open to the target.  

The reason for this seeming conundrum is this: As golfers take the club back, they actually twist the club face by a simple rotation of the arms as the shoulders turn. They twist it “away” from the square position it was in at address. So if you go to the top of the swing and bring the “square” club face down to the impact position, you will see that it is completely open. In other words, golfers need the same amount of rotation of the arms in the downswing as they had going back. Most golfers do not correct the face coming down, and that lack of proper rotation of the arms in the downswing is one of the most common faults in golf.

One of the ways to correct this might be keeping the club actually square, or closed at the top of the swing. So just what happens if you don’t rotate the arms at all going back? It’s perfectly fine to do this, taking the club back with NO twisting or rolling of the arms. In fact, I strongly suggest it for most people who fight a slice.

Remember, at address the club face is looking at the ball. If you’re having trouble squaring the club face at impact, simply try keep it looking at the ball all the way to the top. This is guaranteed to help those of who leave the face open.

Above: A clubface that is “square” while starting back.

Above: A clubface that is “open” while starting back. Note: This club is only slightly open.

Above: A clubface that is “closed” while starting back.

Now what if you do rotate the arms and roll the face to what we call the “square” position at the top of the swing. Well, again, as the downswing takes such a short time, it is essential to start the squaring the clubface early in the downswing. Like right away.

For those of you who slice. As soon as you begin the swing down, start turning your right palm down to the ground. DO NOT wait until you are entering the impact zone to try to square the face, because it will be TOO LATE. Left alone the club face will remain OPEN. That’s why it’s vital to twist it to a square position.

Here’s a good drill to help you feel release. Put your left hand on the club in a regular grip position, but put your right hand all the way down on the shaft. Now make a few practice swings and feel what your hands are doing. They’re rotating, aren’t they?

You also have to consider the plane of the downswing. Golfers who swing flatter, or more horizontally into impact will find it much easier to twist the club face back to square. Those of you who are swinging too steeply, or vertically on the downswing will find it much more difficult to twist. That’s because when the center of mass of the golf club gets even with or under your hands, the “release” (or what’s called the torque or twist) will happen much more passively. If you hit balls on a side hill lie above your feet, your shots will draw/hook most of the time due to this principle as well as the lie angle of the club. This aspect is what really separates the wheat from the chaff in golf.

Watch the swings of the very best players; they are not struggling to square the face. It simply happens as the result of a good grip and the more horizontal plane of their downswing.

Last, but certainly not least, is the grip. I and many others have written on this subject ad infinitum. But this part of the swing can never be exhausted. Every golfer who is trying to improve needs to find a way to hold the golf club in such a manner that it squares the face for that golfer. I cannot universally prescribe a grip for you, but I will offer this rule of thumb: If you tend to come into the ball steeply, you need a stronger-than-normal grip. If your downswing is flatter, you can hold the club in a more neutral position.

Further reading: Click here to read Dennis’ story, “Make your grip match your swing.”

As always, feel free to send a swing video to my Facebook page and I will do my best to give you my feedback.