What is Face Angle?
Face Angle is the most important number when determining the starting direction of the golf ball.
Face Angle is the direction the club face is pointed (right or left) at impact and is measured relative to the target line.
Most golfers refer to this as having an ‘open’ or ‘closed’ club face.
A positive value means the club face is pointed to the right of the target at impact (‘open’ for a right-handed golfer) and a negative value means the club face is pointed to the left of the target (‘closed’ for a right-handed golfer).
Face Angle is the most important number when determining the starting direction of the golf ball. The ball will launch very closely to the direction the club face (Face Angle) is pointed at impact.
To hit a straight shot, the Face Angle should be zero. The optimal Face Angle depends on the type of shot the golfer wants to play.
A golfer may want to hit a 5-yard fade, straight shot, or 10-yard draw. Each of these shots has its own optimal Face Angle.
Check out this link to learn more about Face Angle
Technical Definition:
Face Angle – The horizontal club face orientation at the center-point of contact between club face and golf ball at the maximum compression of the golf ball
A positive value means the face is pointed right of the target line regardless of dexterity.
A negative value means the face is pointed left of the target line regardless of dexterity.
The standard assumption for Face Angle is zero for all clubs. It is a standard assumption that the ball starts straight at the target and has no curvature (zero spin axis).
What our Trackman Masters say about Face Angle…
“The biggest influence on the starting direction of the golf ball is Face Angle. With this parameter, we are not necessarily always looking for zero. Every golfer shapes the ball differently and I always look for a controllable and consistent difference between the Face Angle and club path.”
Jamie McConnell
JM Golf Academy, Ireland
“Face Angle is the primary contributor to where the ball starts. A fade starts left – therefore the Face Angle needs to be left (closed) of the target at impact. A draw starts right – therefore the Face Angle needs to be right (open) of the target at impact. Pay close attention to Face Angle at address. Invest in a face alignment tool to make certain that you have the face aim correct. In most cases, golfers have the face aiming left at address. They do it even more so with higher lofted clubs.”
Chris Brook
PGA International Golf Coach, UK
“Face Angle is extremely important because it is such a huge influence on the starting direction of the ball. I am looking at the golfer’s grip, ball position, hand position at the top of the swing, and position of the hands at impact to see how they are influencing the Face Angle of the club at impact. Understanding Face Angle with the driver requires good knowledge of the bulge of the face and where contact point is.”
Mark Anderson
Philadelphia Cricket Club, PA, US