IT'S GOOD FOR YOUR GAME

At the top of the swing, the clubface looks skyward.

Here in the follow-through, the face is turned to the ground.

It’s about controlling

the clubface

By T.J. Tomasi

I have taught a number of expert players, and they all have one thing in common: They have control of their clubface.

When I ask average players to take a practice swing in slow motion and demonstrate where the face should be at key points, they have trouble. Basically, unless you’re an expert, you have no idea what the clubface is doing.

If you’re inconsistent, hitting one ball straight, the next to the right and the third to the left, chances are this drill can help you “feel the face.”

These are the four key points in the swing to focus on and the corresponding direction the clubface should be pointing for each:

1. Address — face at the target

2. At the top — face at the sky

3. Impact — face at the target

4. Follow-through — face at the ground Take your normal setup and make sure the face of the club is pointing down your line of start.

Then repeat this phrase as you pause at each position: “Face at target, face at sky, face at target, face at ground.” As you say and do this in stop-action, you’ll notice that the key is correct rotation of the forearms.

In position 2, at the top, the left forearm (for right-handers) is higher than the right, while in position 4, the follow-through, the right forearm is higher than the left, documenting the fact that the forearms rotated. It is in the middle of this rotational arc that position 3 is reached, where the face looks at the target at impact (called “squaring the clubface”).

By rotating the forearms, the face moves from square at address to open during the backswing, then square at impact, to closed during the follow-through.

Any variation from the sequence causes the ball to fly wildly.

Dr. T.J. Tomasi is a teaching professional in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Visit his website at tomasigolf.com.