We've launched the new forums! Read more here

How do you face your irons at address?

rollin

rollin

"Just playin golf pally"
Joined
Aug 28, 2012
Messages
12,641
Reaction score
1,119
Location
planet earth, milky way galaxy
Handicap
15.7
square, open, or closed?

I hit the range today and thankfully after a poor round the other day I hit pretty well at my session. All went pretty good over all. Hitting good sweet spots but I was tending to (mostly with my irons) over draw the ball bit too much. Not drastic hooking but put it this way, I would have been off the greens to the left or just on a larger one. I wasnt over trying to draw it as I just wanted basically straight or a slight draw but none the less for some reason balls started just right of target line (which is great and fine) and would draw back in left but then a bit too much.

I was at times able to adjust by leading with hands more at times (preventing a close face) and/or also tame the (in to out swing path a bit) and was successful at times. Of course sometimes they both lead to me overdoing it the other way at times and had to find a happy medium but then I found it easier (as I experimented) to just open the iron faces up a tad at address and swing the same. It brought me a real nice slight draw. A tad more right of target line but much less of a draw and would come back in very nicely at the target area fairly consistently and at my expected yardages.

Point being is that I'm not sure if this was a cop out fix or is this ok to do when I would be otherwise over drawing. When/if this happens again, should I work at the other things like leading with hands to help stop the face from closing or even try taming the (in to out) path. Or is it was it ok to just hold the club a bit open at address? it seemed to work the easiest and worked well. Thanks for the thoughts and also do you keep them square at address or not?
 
Face stays square. Or a square as I think it is.
 
I line the club face up square, but adjust my grip as needed.
 
BamBooBender said:
I line the club face up square, but adjust my grip as needed.
Click to expand...

yea I also played with grip some too but in a way turning the grip around the shaft a bit is like sort of the same thing imo as turning the head a bit is it not?.
 
I tend to leave my irons just slightly open address
 
It is the same thing, and does the same thing, but setting up square puts my hands in the right position and puts me in the right frame of mind for the shot. Seeing the club face closed or open at address always seems to cause me to compensate somehow, and not get the desired result.
 
I prefer an open face at address since I have always fought a hook. Dustin Johnson does the same thing and has his 3w bent 5 degrees open to help fight a hook
 
AG47 said:
I prefer an open face at address since I have always fought a hook. Dustin Johnson does the same thing and has his 3w bent 5 degrees open to help fight a hook
Click to expand...

His super bowed wrist at the top is his culprit.
 
DJ is a really shut face player
 
If I play the ball back in my stance, I try to keep the face square at set up. If the ball is center or front of my stance, I open the face a little by pushing my hands forward.
 
Mine is square or what I believe to be square anyway. Like you my miss is over drawing it with irons.
 
I also line up the club fase "square". Would probably help to close it a bit until i break down and try to actually fix my swing!
 
Square
 
golfinFF said:
Mine is square or what I believe to be square anyway. Like you my miss is over drawing it with irons.
Click to expand...

I was in the same situation a month ago and it turns out I was a tad shut at address. My instructor showed me what square is relative to the target line and I was shocked. It feels open but I gotta trust it.
 
I square the face at address and have a pretty big fade. I could probably stand to close it up a little and see if I can get it to go straight. I'll work on that tomorrow.
 
Last edited:
I like the face of all my clubs open at address. There is no shot I ever perform that would need to start left and I fight a closed face.
 
My irons, Adams CB3s with a progressive offset so I usually address the ball a little back in my stance, hands forward on short irons. The longer irons I tend to play a cut so my arms are up higher in my backswing so I'll address the ball forward in my stance. I'm pretty dialed in with consistant ball striking. As a former pro pitcher golf became an obsession during the fall and winter months. I've had 4 major surgeries throughout mu career including Tommy John so I've had to dial and adjust, breakdown and rebuild my swing at least 4 times in the past 20 years.
 
Square I believe, but then again I often think I'm addressing the target properly as well. Then I'm often reminded I am closed big time...another check and balance...great.
 
Slightly open as it rests on the ground, because I hinge my wrists quite a bit through impact. I'm trying to get a bit more square, but when I do I fight with a hook and lose.
 
blugold said:
His super bowed wrist at the top is his culprit.
Click to expand...

That and a pretty solid forward press. His club is square to target at the moment he takes the club off the deck.
 
Paladin said:
That and a pretty solid forward press. His club is square to target at the moment he takes the club off the deck.
Click to expand...
He has a lot going on in his swing i would not want to copy anything but his distance
 
Brianbigoats said:
He has a lot going on in his swing i would not want to copy anything but his distance
Click to expand...

He has a lot going on, but I don't think his swing is very timing-based. He does a lot in his setup and his backswing, but his downswing and release both look very fluid and relaxed. Tough to argue with the distance.

Totally dissimilar swings, but Fred Couples has a lot of distinct moves that work because his swing collectively has a lot of smoothness and rhythm.
 
I keep mine what I think is square.
 
I shoot for square
 
But to answer the question my club face is always neutral unless we're talking wedges...that would be a whole new thread. My custom multi compound grips are spine aligned and I use it as an alignment aid on all my iron shots. Its my ball positioning and swing path that vary between irons depending on what the lie and yardage are.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top