Square or Open / Closed

[kc8kir]

Was reading a book yesterday called "The Square to Square Golf Swing" published in 1970 by Golf Digest. It highlights the difference between wooden and steel shafts, and the change in technique seen on the tour to improve ballstriking consistency. It's a total concept, but mostly all about not rotating the club face open on the backswing, but keeping it square, and pulling with the left side through the ball. Very similar to Byron Nelson and Jack Nicklaus.

So I wondered what he consensus is among Sand Trappers. On the backswing, keep it square or fan it open, then close it on the way down?

[worst_shot_ever]

I guess I don't know enough about swing mechanics, but it's hard for me to see how you wouldn't open on the back swing if you're rotating your upper body -- unless you're totally over the top perhaps. I'll have to go back and look at some Byron videos.

Anyway, I open the club on the way back and (hopefully) am square at impact.

[kc8kir]

Square to the line of the club's path in the swing, ie never leaving square from the line which eventually runs along the target line through the ball. A good way to tell is does your club in the takeaway point toe straight up, or do you take it back with the toe pointing more closed?

Might need to provide some graphics so people know the difference.

Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, and Jesper Parnevick are four good examples of square faced players (some times refered to as closed or shut faced, but the terminology there is actually misleading). It just means they didn't manipulate the club with their hands, wrist, and arms, to rotate open on the backswing.

[JackLee]

Still not sure what you mean. Usually in golf instruction, a clubface rotated 90 degrees at the top of the swing is considered square. More than 90 degrees is open. Less than 90 degrees is closed.

However, I think this assumes a neutral grip, and there is no right or wrong to it unless you are trying to stick to the requirements of a certain swing method.