Clubface Angle Drill

Who Is This Drill For?

Anyone wanting to explore the effect of changing their clubface angle at address and what effect that has on ball start direction and shot shape (draw/fade).  

Equipment Needed

Stance IQ training mat
Hitting Net / Range / Sim

Skill Levels

Intermediate: You're hitting consistently enough to change the start direction of your shots left or right by opening or closing the clubface at impact. 
Advanced: You actively adjust your clubface angle at address to compensate for patterns you see on the course (eg. you see 3 or more fades so you close your clubface slightly on your next shot), but you're not exactly sure how much to adjust by. 
Expert: You actively change how you present the clubface at impact to create fade or draw shot shapes and you have a good idea how much to change your clubface at address to compensate for patterns you see on the course based on how offline you are.

Stage 1 - Open Clubface at Address

The goal of this stage is to become familiar with the degree of open clubface and what that will result in in terms of start direction and shot shape (fade bias).  

Step by Step

1. Choose the club you want to work on (we'd suggest starting with a mid iron) and setup to hit from your preferred ball position and stance width for that club.
2. Hit 5 shots towards a target from that same preferred position, focusing on making clean contact with the ball.
3. Now placing your club on the clubface angles, align the leading edge (or bottom groove) of the club between the 3° lines on the right-hand side for an open clubface and re-grip with your normal grip. 

Note: The angle of the club can often change as you re-grip, so ensure the leading edge of the club remains parallel to the angle lines while you are taking your grip. To check it hasn't moved, raise the club briefly and replace on the clubface angle to check.

1. Take your setup and hit the shot with this adjusted clubface angle towards the same target.
2. Take note of the change in start direction and shot shape. An open clubface at address can often result in a more fade biased shot shape.
3. Explore other clubface angles to see their effect on your start direction and shot shape. 

Stage 2 - Closed Clubface at Address

The goal of this stage is to become familiar with the degree of closed clubface and what that will result in in terms of start direction and shot shape (draw bias).  

Step by Step

1. Choose the club you want to work on (we'd suggest starting with a mid iron) and setup to hit from your preferred ball position and stance width for that club.
2. Hit 5 shots towards a target from that same preferred position, focusing on making clean contact with the ball.
3. Now placing your club on the clubface angles, align the leading edge (or bottom groove) of the club between the 3° lines on the left-hand side for a closed clubface and re-grip with your normal grip. 

Note: The angle of the club can often change as you re-grip, so ensure the leading edge of the club remains parallel to the angle lines while you are taking your grip. To check it hasn't moved, raise the club briefly and replace on the clubface angle to check.

1. Take your setup and hit the shot with this adjusted clubface angle towards the same target.
2. Take note of the change in start direction and shot shape. A closed clubface at address can often result in a more draw biased shot shape.
3. Explore other clubface angles to see their effect on your start direction and shot shape.

Note: The effect that opening or closing the clubface has on your start direction and shot shape will be different for everyone and depends on your normal shot shape, your swing path and the clubface angle you present at impact. Try it for yourself to see what the effect will be for you. 

For example, a right-handed golfer starting with a fade biased shot shape might see their shots starting a little more left and their shot shape straighen out slightly when closing the clubface at address. 

There will also be those golfers who unconciously compensate for the different clubface angle and still hit exactly the same shot regardless. For these golfers, they may need to consciously focus on presenting the clubface at the same angle as when it was gripped.