GOLF TIP
by Joseph K. Sullivan"Grabbin' Rope or Servin' Cocktails"
Greetings!
One of the first things I look at in a golfer’s swing is their clubface position at the top. This tells me a lot about what has happened on the backswing, and what will need to happen on the downswing in order for that player to hit a good shot.
The general rule of thumb is to have your clubface parallel with your left forearm at the top (for right-handers). This is considered square. If your clubface were facing the sky, it would be closed. If the toe of the face were pointing down, it would be open.
When a player has a closed face at the top, it usually means their grip is too strong or their backswing is too flat. From this position, the player must open their body a great deal on the downswing in order to square the club up. If they stop and let their hands take over, a massive snap-hook occurs.
When a player has an open face at the top, it usually means their grip is too weak or they have rolled the club open on the backswing. This is a problem slicer's are notorious for. What happens now is that the player must really go after it with their hands. They must rotate them back to square or else their face will be wide open at impact.
It’s possible to play from these two top-of-swing positions with the proper compensations, but highly inconsistent. If you can SQUARE the club at the top, then many less offsetting moves will be needed on the downswing, so you will be able to go at the ball aggressively.
That’s where "rope" and "cocktails" come in to play. If you have a closed face at the top (once again, it’s facing the sky) then a great thought is to feel as though you are grabbing rope with your right hand at the top of your swing. This will firm up your right wrist so it doesn’t bend back. Your left wrist will be slightly cupped, accordingly.
This is what Fred Couples does nicely in his swing. He has a strong left-hand grip, but nonetheless is square at the top because he appears to be grabbing rope with his right hand. If Freddie’s right wrist bent back, and thus his clubface became closed, he would be a bad player.
On the other hand, if you have an open face at the top of your swing, which is a great probability if you are a slicer, then a good thought is to feel as though you are serving cocktails with your right hand (or busing tables). This will close your clubface a little by bending your right wrist back a touch. It will also firm up the back of your left wrist. You will be in more of a laid-off position, and your club should feel a little heavier because your right hand and arm are supporting it more.
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So work on getting your clubface square at the top of your swing. There aren’t too many good players out there who are drastically open or closed. Most of them have their clubface either directly on their left forearm or slightly closed at the top. If you err in any way, you want to be a little closed. Especially if you slice. This is a stronger, more powerful position. Just check out long-hitters Tiger Woods and David Duval for proof of that.
Use these two images of grabbing rope and serving cocktails to help you. They are non-technical, simple thoughts that will get you in the proper positions.