I wasn’t great at opening the face of my wedges for a long time. I played everything square. I bent the handle forward because it felt “safe”. But it cost me a shot.
Once I finally got comfortable opening my face, even just a little bit, it completely changed what I could do around the greens. I could use the dance. I could stop the ball. I could hit different trajectories without changing my swing.
If you want to improve your short game, opening the face (at least a little) is essential.
Why you should open the face of your wedge
Most everyday players settle with a square view because that’s what feels natural. A square wedge sits with the leading edge exposed, meaning the club wants i dig. Digging leads to:
- chopped chips
- Thin “Skipers” you can’t control
- Low, crisp shots with no spin
- No ability to land the soft ball
If you turn your face open just a little, you’ll notice that:
- It exposes the swelling
- Raise the leading edge
- Creates sliding instead of digging
Tournament players use an open face setup by default. It doesn’t save for flop shots.
How much should you actually open your face? (Less than you think)
This is where golfers get into trouble. “Open the face” does not mean rotate it 30 degrees or lay it flat. In most cases, the rule of thumb is to put it back at 1 p.m. If the square is at 12 o’clock, you are rotating it a little, a few degrees.
To make sure you do it right:
- Open your face FIRSTthen take your control.
- Slight changes in face angle dramatically affect ground interaction and ball flight, so start slow.
- If you open it up too much, you’ll expose too many bounces and create bigger problems for your short game.
Doesn’t it make the ball go to an open clubface?
Most golfers are reluctant to open the clubface because it “looks” like the ball should shoot to the right. This makes sense visually, but it isn’t how wedges actually work. There are two reasons why the ball usually stays on the line.
1. Your posture dictates the starting line
When opening the face correctly, you also make two small setup adjustments (right-handed golfer):
- Feet slightly left of the target
- Shoulders slightly to the left of the target
This is not a big difference. It’s just a matter of adapting your body to the club face. Once your stance is slightly open, your swing path will follow the line of your body. This is what prevents the ball from launching properly.
2. The wedge rocker naturally re-frames the face
Wedges swing differently than irons. They are played closer to the body with a more straight and vertical movement. This steeper motion moves the hands slightly forward on the stroke. When the handle moves forward, the clubface wants to return to square.
That’s why you open your face produces a higher release, more spin and better ground interaction.
Don’t forget the bunker
The bunker is another place where the faceoff is just as important as it is around the greens. In fact, it’s one of the easiest places to feel what dance is supposed to do.
With a square face, the leading edge digs into the sand and the club loses speed. With a slightly open face, the sole slides through the sand and lifts the ball out with the height you’d expect from a good bunker shot.
Final thoughts
Opening the face of your wedge gives you more loft and a greater margin of error on greenside shots. Once you get comfortable opening the face (and not too wide), your wedges become more predictable and you can be more aggressive in your short game.
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