How to Close the Clubface at Impact

That high, weak slice to the right isn't just frustrating, it's a clear signal that your clubface is open at impact. This single issue is the culprit behind the most-feared shot in golf, robbing you of distance, accuracy, and confidence. But correcting it isn't about some complicated, last-second wrist flick. This guide will walk you through the real reasons your clubface stays open and provide clear, actionable steps to fix it for good by focusing on your grip, your body sequence, and the natural release of the golf club.

Why Your Clubface is Open at Impact (The Slice Machine)

Before we fix the problem, let's understand it. An "open" clubface simply means that at the moment of contact, the face of your club is pointed to the right of your target line (for a right-handed golfer). This imparts sidespin on the ball, causing it to curve weakly to the right - the dreaded slice. For players who don_t slice, it might show up as a "push," a shot that starts right of the target and flies straight on that line.

While frustrating, an open clubface isn't a mystery. It's almost always a symptom of one of two things, and often a combination of both:

• A "Weak" Grip: How you place your hands on the club is the steering wheel for your entire swing. If your hands are positioned incorrectly, you are pre-setting the club to be open at the bottom.
• A Poor Downswing Sequence: Many golfers start their downswing with their arms and upper body, throwing the club "over the top." This causes the body's rotation to stall. When your body stops turning, the club gets stuck behind you, leaving the face wide open with no time to catch up.

The good news is that both of these are fixable. Let's start with the most direct connection to the clubface: your hands.

It Starts with Your Hands: Tuning Your Grip to Close the Face

Your grip on the golf club has an enormous influence on where the clubface points. Think of it as the foundation of your swing, if the foundation is crooked, the whole building will be unstable. A very common cause of an open face is a "weak" grip, where the hands are rotated too far away from the target (to the left for a righty). This position makes it incredibly difficult for the face to square up naturally.

Here’s how to build a neutral, more powerful grip that encourages a square clubface:

Step 1: The Lead Hand (Left Hand for Righties)

Start by holding the club out in front of you. To get a neutral grip, you need to see the correct landmarks on your lead hand.

• Place your left hand on the grip so that when you look down, you can clearly see at least two knuckles - the ones on your index and middle fingers. Some players may even see a third. If you see only one knuckle or none at all, your grip is likely too weak and is promoting that open face.
• Check the "V" formed by your thumb and index finger. This V should point towards your right shoulder or even slightly outside of it.

Step 2: The Trail Hand (Right Hand for Righties)

Now, bring your right hand to the club. The goal here is to have the palms facing each other to work as a single unit.

• As you place your right hand on, the middle of your right palm should cover your left thumb.
• The "V" formed by your right thumb and index finger should also point towards your right shoulder, mirroring your left hand. This ensures your hands are not "fighting" each other during the swing.

This neutral grip might feel strange at first, especially if you're used to a weaker one. Stick with it. This position puts your hands and wrists in a biomechanically stronger position, allowing them to release the club and square the face without extra effort.

Your Body is the Engine: An Anti-Slice Sequence

Here’s the big secret: You don’t consciously close the clubface with your hands. You create the conditions that allow it to close automatically. This happens when your body leads the downswing and your arms just come along for the ride.

Remember, the golf swing is a rotational action. The core idea is "turning the body and then unwinding the body." Slicers do the opposite. They stop turning and start swinging with their arms.

Imagine your swing as a cylinder. You rotate back while staying inside this cylinder. To start the downswing powerfully and correctly, the first move is a slight shift of your weight and a bump of your hips towards the target. This does two amazing things:

1. It drops the club "into the slot." Instead of coming over the top, the club falls onto a shallower path from the inside. This path gives the clubface the time and room it needs to rotate shut.
2. It triggers the chain reaction. Once the hips start turning, the torso follows, which then pulls the arms, which finally whips the clubhead through impact. This is where effortless speed comes from.

When you start down with your arms, you break this sequence. Your hips stall, your shoulders spin out, you cut across the ball, and the face is left hopelessly open. Power comes from unwinding your body, not from tensing your arms.

The “Release”: Understanding How Your Arms and Wrists Should Work

When you get the body sequence right, something wonderful happens through impact: the "release." This isn't a forced, jerky flip of the wrists. It’s a natural, passive unwinding of the angle you stored in your backswing.

As your torso powerfully rotates through the ball, your arms are pulled along. At this point, the forearms will begin to naturally rotate. Through the impact zone:

• Your lead forearm (left arm) will rotate counter-clockwise in a motion called supination (think of how you’d turn your palm up to accept a coin).
• Your trail forearm (right arm) will rotate clockwise in a motion called pronation (think of pouring out a drink).

A great way to feel this is to focus on what the back of your lead hand (your glove logo) does. On a correctly released shot, your glove logo should be pointing at the ground just before impact, at the target at impact, and then towards the sky just after impact. If your glove is still facing the sky at impact, the face is wide open.

Three Drills to Ingrain the Feeling of a Square Clubface

Knowing what to do is one thing, feeling it is another. These three drills will help you hardwire the sensation of closing the clubface properly.

1. The 9-to-3 Drill

This is the classic drill for feeling the release. Take your normal setup but only swing the club back until your lead arm is parallel to the ground (9 o'clock) and then swing through until your trail arm is parallel to the ground (3 o'clock).

• The Focus: After you hit the ball and finish your small swing, hold your follow-through position. Look at the clubface. The toe of the club should be pointing straight up to the sky, or even a little bit toward the ground. If the face is still pointing up and to the right, you didn't release the club. This drill isolates the core release motion in a manageable size.

2. The Split-Hands Drill

For this drill, take your normal grip but separate your hands on the club by about 3-4 inches. Now, make slow, half-swings.

• The Focus: You will immediately feel how your hands and forearms need to work together to square the club. Your right hand will feel like it's "rolling over" your left hand through the impact zone. This exaggerates the feeling of a proper release and is a fantastic way to train the correct forearm rotation.

3. Feet-Together Drill

Hit balls with your feet completely together, ankles touching. You_ll only be a able to make a three-quarter swing, and that’s the point.

• The Focus: This drill eliminates your ability to sway or lunge. It forces you to rotate your body around your spine as the engine for the swing. If you try to use only your arms, you’ll immediately lose your balance. It trains you to stay centered and use proper rotation, the very foundation of getting the club to square up on its own.

Final Thoughts

Fixing your slice and learning how to close the clubface is not about brute strength or some mysterious technique. It's about building a solid grip and then trusting your body's rotation to deliver the club. By letting your big muscles lead the downswing, you allow the arms and hands to release naturally, turning that open-faced slice into a powerful, straight shot.

Of course, understanding whether the root of your slice lies in the grip, the sequence, or something else entirely is the biggest step toward a real fix. That's why we built our app, so golfers a can get quick, reliable guidance on the course and off it. When faced with a lie that promotes a fade, you can analyze the situation with Caddie AI to get a smart strategy. Better yet, you can ask our AI coach about your swing mechanics and get personalized insights, helping you pinpoint exactly what you need to work on without the guesswork. It’s like having an expert eye in your pocket, ready to help you play smarter, more confident golf.