How to work on changing face angle

Practice
#1

In the last Sweet Spot post cast on swing path and swing direction Adam and Jon talked about some practice methods for changing swing path. But I was wondering if there are any drills or feels to go about changing club face direction.

My natural path is approx 6 degrees in to out - so getting on the extreme side of things, meaning I need to deliver with a pretty closed face to bring the ball back on target. I can pretty comfortably change path at will to become more neutral, and even out to in, but if I do this I find that I struggle to open the face which leads to big pulls/pull hooks.

Any ideas for opening the face more to align with a more neutral path?

Thanks

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#2

If you over thinking the mechanics of the golf swing, you will be flooded with all the tips which are unnatural to a human anatomy.
My very first golf instructor had never twist my body or lecture me with explanation of his view of a proper golf swing.
What he did was to let me figure out the how and the why.
He told me to be aware of what the club face is doing at all time , difficult to do at first but here are a few tips which he got me started .

  • think of the squaring of the club face as in an impact position, not while you address the golf ball.
  • put your hands on the grip to be able to give maximum pull(leading hand) and push/whip ( trailing hand) at the impact position.
    If I did these correctly ( felt awkward at first ), I no longer need to keep all the check points in my head, just bring the club head down to the golf ball.
    Tommy Armour and a few other instructors had their students hitting an old automobile tire to get the “feel” of it. My guy did not punish me by running me through the same but he did tell me the idea behind the exercise.
    Instead, he told me to find a stable corner; the side of a door frame, corner of the wall, or the drop down from the driving range matt. Line up the 7 iron face to the perpendicular support of the edge in order to be able to push the club face. Put my hands on the grip and try to push the club through as if in the impact zone Of course I could not go through the resistance but I could bend the shaft slightly with force. Use both hands first and then each hand individually.
    The result of how your hands sit on the grip is the most efficient way to deliver power to the impact with a squared face. Same theory as beating the old tire hundreds of times but this method will do the same without hurting your hands nor fingers.
    With that newly found grip position on the handle, swing the club back down to the golf ball, you’ll have a much better chance of striking the golf ball with a square to slightly open face. As long, as you could keep the shoulders and the arms connected to the core while moving, so the relationship between the set up is not changed coming down the swing path.
    This is the set up of the grip to help producing the desired result.
    Of course, the set up ( grip, posture, and alignment) is the prelude of the weight shift and the keeping everything together.
    The “feel” of a golf swing is the most difficult thing an instructor trying to convey to the students. If we pay attention to the results first, then make adjustment to tune in for desired result, like so many self-taught golf legend; however this method will take practice and practice and practice of beating countless golf balls.
    Modern day golfers wish there is a “boxed solution” to easily and effortlessly solve their golfing issue and put them in the rank of top 15% golfer immediately.
    Sorry to say, this game can not be bought, for the most part.
    Sound fundamental, practice , and the right equipment will improve one’s golf game. In that order.
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