Can a Closed Clubface Cause a Slice?

Can a closed clubface cause a slice? The answer to this question is ‘yes.’ This may sound strange to you because it is contrary to what you might have learned as a golfer. A slice is a golf shot in which the ball spins and curves to the right of the pin. It is believed to occur due to an incorrect angle of the clubface on impact with the ball.

The key to avoiding a slice is keeping your clubface closed at impact. However, sometimes golfers hit slices with a closed clubface. Below are some of the reasons why a closed clubface causes a slice:

  • When they set their clubface closed incorrectly
  • An incorrect or weak grip
  • When they hold the club tightly that their arms and hands are tensed
  • When they try to hit straighter with a clubface closed at impact. Sometimes, golfers have the clubface closed at the address, but they return it to square at impact; that is, they unknowingly open it during the swing causing a slice.

Since there’s no single cause of a slice shot, a golfer can hit slices with a closed clubface as well. It is therefore important to detect the actual reason why you hit slices to fix it.

Let’s discuss these reasons further to make it clearer so that you avoid these in your game!

Causes of Slices

One of the main concerns of the amateur player is the curvature of the ball. Although there are no official statistics, more than half of the right-handed players move the ball from left to right; that is, they “open” it, as it is commonly said. This is not a problem until this effect is translated into a ball that moves excessively from one side of the fairway to the other, loses distance and normally flies higher than normal.

golf slice

The answer to the question of whether a closed clubface hit a slice is yes. There was a time in the world of golf when it was believed that it is essential to have the clubface pointing to the left on impact to “close” the ball to avoid a slice. The reality is different: the face should not be “closed” concerning the objective but the path. The greater the difference in degrees between the two, the greater the curvature produced.

Below are some of the reasons of a slice with a closed clubface:

When the Golf Swing is in the Wrong Place or Too Vertical During Backswing

Many golfers fail to square the clubface with the target on impact, causing the ball to drift. Their natural action leaves their driver’s face open on impact. One of its causes if that their golf swing is too vertical during backswing; that is, their swing is too inside out.

Their clubface is closed on address, but when they backswing, they naturally turn in a way that they return with an open clubface on impact. The reason is that they bring their hands to a square position at the moment of impact. Golfer can avoid this by improving their swing movement through practice.

An Incorrect Grip Causes a Closed Clubface to Slice

If you have a ball that goes more in line but turns sharply to the right, you can reduce this effect by having a clubface that will be aimed more to the left on impact. This will decrease the gap between the clubhead’s trajectory and the clubface’s orientation at impact.

Your ball will then go to the left of the objective with fewer side effects, finishing much closer to the target.

The grip directly influences the orientation of the clubface at impact. You just need to adopt a “stronger” grip and make the same movement to correct the shot.

An Incorrect Position at Address

If your ball goes to the left of the goal and turns very strongly to the right, it will be better to intervene in the club’s path at impact.

By having a club path more oriented towards the goal, you can reduce the gap between the orientation of the clubface and the club path. Your ball will then go in the same direction at the start but will no longer have as much effect.

golf slice tips

You can solve this by improving your position. The line of your shoulders at address strongly influences the trajectory of the club (or club path) at impact. If at address your shoulder line is directed to the left of the goal, the club path at impact will have a strong tendency to go in that direction.

You just need to correct the position of your shoulders. They should be parallel to the line of play. Your ball will land closer to the goal performing the same swing.

When You Confuse the Club’s Delay With the Delay of Hands

Club delay is an essential part of compressing the ball. It is created through the twisting of the wrists. The delay of the hands favors the slice. If your shoulders are parallel to the line of play and your hands are still descending at the time of the descent, there is a good chance that the shoulders will continue to rotate. This will cause a club path to the left of the goal and, therefore, a slice.

The connection of the arms should be constant throughout the swing as it allows the hands to be in sync with the shoulders. The club at the moment of impact should then take an ideal trajectory towards the objective.

By having your arms connected to the body, you have little chance of playing slice. To practice, simply keep your upper arms against your body, maintaining constant pressure in the armpits. Focus on the feeling of the hands remaining in front of your breastbone throughout the descent.

Some more tips to avoid a slice:

  • Send your hands to the right of the goal, and your club will follow.
  • Keep your right shoulder low throughout the crossing. If your slice is due to a too vertical axis of the shoulders, you should see an improvement.
  • Keep the balance for a good ball strike by keeping your muscles relaxed. Perform a few trial movements while keeping your support at heel level. Take the time to feel anchored on the back third of your feet at address.

Can A Closed Clubface Cause  A Slice Conclusion

We hope the information above has answered the question, can a closed clubface cause a slice? Yes, it can cause a slice. All you need is to detect where the fault lies, in your backswing, your grip or the position at address. Focus on that, and you’ll see improvement!

Travis
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