How Should My Golf Club Face Look At Address?

The proper club face at address is incredibly important for golfers to consider. When your club face is square, you will give yourself a much better chance of hitting a straight shot that continues toward your target with power and precision. Knowing what the club face should look like at address can help your setup and alignment issues.

Proper club face at address

There are two ways to look at the club face at address, the top down and the front on look at address. It’s important to know what square looks like from each of these positions so that you can make adjustments in your game.

Top down

The top down look should show a club face with the center sitting flat on the ground and the grooves on the club face pointing directly to the target. The top down look can tell you if the club is open or closed based on your target and the set up.

As you can see from the image below the correct line you should look at is the bottom line of the club face, which should be square to your feet and body alignment. Maybe it's not the best angle (it's hard to take a picture directly from the eye position🙈) because in ideal position the shaft should be leaning forward, but I bet you get the picture of the club face position ;)

There are times that the club should be slightly open or slightly closed at address, depends on the shot you want to hit. But for the most part, the top down look should lead to a square club face.

Down the line

If you are able to take a picture of your setup down the line (on the opposite side of the target) and look at the position of the club head and it's lie. The club should be sitting down perfectly, without toe or heel being lifted into the air. 

If the toe of the club sits too high up or the heel of the club is actually off the ground, the club is likely not the proper lie angle for the player. Lie angle adjustments are not hard to make with the help of a qualified club fitting professional.

If the club is sitting more on the heel for the right handed golfer, the club face is actually pointing to the left of the target, which can cause a left mishit. If the club is sitting too much on the toe, it points to the right so it can cause the ball fly to the right of the target. 

Why does club face at address matter?

It is very important to have the proper club face at address because it can impact other areas of the golf game. When players don’t have the club face pointed directly at the target, they may take a perfect swing and end up nowhere near their final destination.

In addition, some golfers will use the angle on their club face to set up the rest of their stance with feet, hip, and shoulder angles. If you go through this process, then your shot will likely end up well left or right of your target.

Golf is a very precise game, and club face angles matter.

How to check that club face is square at address 

One of the best ways to check the club face and ensure that it is square is to use a flat surface like a door jam or a piece of lumber. Take your golf club and address this 90 degree angle as if it is the golf ball.

This is a drill that you can practice at home to ensure you understand what a square club face will look like. New players should do these types of things to help establish muscle memory and the proper visual cues they will need on the golf course.

Conclusion

I hope the images and explanation helped you to understand better the correct golf club face setup. If you have any questions I'm glad to help, just shoot me an email ;) In the meantime check Most important golf shots to practice.