How To Open The Club Face In Golf

In certain situations on the golf course, knowing how to open the club face can help you to execute the right shot at the right time. Understanding the variations in the golf grip, the shot shape and the loft on the club at impact can help you to open the face effectively, execute a range of shots and escape trouble when needed.

In this video and article, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Katie Dawkins shares her expert tips and some great advice on how to open the club face and when it is required...

How To Open The Club Face

Opening the club face, for example when you need to play a flop shot, is quite a simple skill. If you look down at a square club face, you will notice the toe points towards 12 o'clock. Before you take your full grip, simply rotate the face so that the toe now points at 1 o'clock.

From there, aim the club face at your target and then set you stance. You’ll find your feet are more open than normal. It is so important to not just turn your hands round to open the face (the video with this article shows exactly what to avoid here).

All this will do is see them return to the position they naturally hang in and the face will be square again. So rotate the club to open the face, then place your hands on it with a neutral golf grip.

When would I want to open the club face? 

Opening the face is important, particularly for bunker shots. By doing this, you'll expose the bounce on your wedge and as long as you know how to use the bounce, you'll 'slide' the club face under the ball and pop it out on a cushion of sand. If you don’t do this, you’ll just dig the leading edge into the sand. 

Secondly, you may want to open the face if you are trying to add a bit of loft onto a green-side shot. When you are given very little green to work with, you can limit the run on the ball by gently opening the face and playing the shot as normal.

You’d also open the face a bit if you wanted to encourage a fade or to work the ball around a dogleg or perhaps an obstacle blocking your route to the green. The key here is aim your body where you want the ball to start, then the club face a fraction right of where you want the ball to finish. Swing the golf club along your body line and trust your amendments. 

Does an open club face cause a slice?

If the club face is open to the path of your swing, you will create the sidespin that causes a slice. This usually happens if you are coming over the top at the start of the downswing. Matching up your club face to a neutral swing path is the key to hitting straight shots.