opening club face

[rancherJ]

I hear the phrase "open up the club face" to increase the loft of a club esp. wedges. I have trouble with alignment with this set up any tips.

[mpare]

Depending on what you wish to accomplish and how much you are willing to practice, the following might be of help for a shot that you really need to get up in a hurry and drop like a feather. It won't go too far, but it sure as heck does the trick:

1. First, open the face of the club. Some do this by rotating the hands so that the club face becomes open. This, I think, is a mistake as during the swing, the hands could close (i.e., go back to their normal position) with the result that the club face will close. The better strategy is to simply hold the club with the normal grip with the face of the club being open. This may feel awkward if you have reminder grips, but you'll get used to it.

2. Play the ball forward - that is, if you are right handed, position the ball closer to your left foot. The more forward, the more the ball will climb - and quickly.

3. Take a full (a la Fred Couples) with an early wrist break cutting across the line from outside to in typical of a slice. The harder you swing, the higher the ball will climb. Practice will tell you how far and how steep the ball will go.

This shot, with practice, works like a charm if you have to manipulate the ball to tight pin from a nasty lie next to the green and nothing else short of dropping the ball from the heavens will do.

Warning. Catching the ball thin with this full swing from in close to the green can result in a real screamer that could easily take out a few innocents within 100 yds of the green.

[jimrobin]

Just a few other points.
To continue from mpare's good comments.

From his #1.
Another way to help keep the hands from closing like mpare mentioned is to position the clubface on the ground (with the face opened) then grip the club.

2. Another point is to aim a little left because with the clubface opened you'll probably push the ball a little right.

3. Don't try this shot if the ball isn't sitting up some, or as mpare says "A few innocent could be taken out".

Good Luck

[Chieflongtee]

Excellent comments from Mpare And Jim robin. However if you are a 15 handicaper I would not fool around with the shot. I would rather chip it to a safe place on the green and try to walk out of there with a bogey. An easier solution would be to purchase a 64 degree wedge with little bounce and play it normally.

[mpare]

Andre and Jim both make good points. As for playing it safe, there is no doubt that if you haven't practiced this shot it can be pretty exciting - for you and everyone else in the neighbourhood. However, I have been able to teach it to my wife (admittedly, she doesn't really rip at it) and she's a 30+ so there is hope for higher handicaps. And, let's face it, who doesn't want to be a Tin Cup once in while. It really is quite thrilling to rip at a ball only to see it flop to its target a few yards away. I've been hitting it for more than 30 years and I still get an adrenaline rush just before executing the shot.

[Chieflongtee]

I have sailed this shot across the green a couple times :crying
From a fluffy lie only will I try it again. From hardpan never.

[Kilroy]

As far as alignment goes, I find it helps to open the face and then open my stance far enough that the groves on the clubface are perpendicular to the intended line of the shot. That ensures that the clubface is square at impact (but wide open), and making the ball jump way up and on a line 90 degrees to the grooves). I use my normal swing, rather than playing across the ball which I would find hard to do.
I rarely will try this from the fairway, but I love this shot when the ball is sitting up in the rough and I need to clear a bunker and stop quickly.

[The Shtick]

It's called a flop shot.

[rancherJ]

thx gentlemen,
my particular challenge comes with more with alignment Dan's advice covers that and i may put a 62-64 dgre wedge in my bag. What about controlling distance from the sand? specifically in terms of follow thru. I have seen pros "open the face" in the sand with little or no follow thru with dramatic results.

[The Shtick]

They can be really tricky (since you don't want to duff or skull the ball). My only suggestion is to concentrate on how far to bring the backswing (to determine swing speed) and bring the club head at least to eye level during your follow through....

But as always, practise the shot whenever you can.

[Chieflongtee]

Originally posted by The Shtick
It's called a flop shot.

Dear Shtick.
Why do you think it's called a flop shot? A better term would be a flip shot in my book. Then maybe I would not flop it ever.

[Clutch]

While you have an open stance, your shoulders are aligned with the target! Ensure you accelerate through the ball on the downswing though, as deceleration could cause you to chunk it.

[el tigre]

While I'm sure all of these tips are very helpful, I'm wondering why Colin has weighed in on this thread?

Is he still around Dan, or is he down south playing golf somewhere?