Instruction

A simple piece of tape can improve your clubface awareness. Here’s how it works

To improve clubface awareness and ensure it's square at impact, GOLF Top 100 Teacher John Scott Rattan shows how a piece of tape can help

A simple piece of tape can actually be a useful golf training aid.

John Scott Rattan

Squaring the clubface at impact sounds easy in principle, but when it comes down to putting it to practice, it’s one of the trickier things for many amateurs to do. This is one reason why so many mid-to-high handicappers can’t help but frequently slice or hook.

This is where having good clubface awareness comes into play, as this will be the single-most important adjustment when trying to improve your ball-striking. And while there are plenty of golf training aids out there that can help, a short-term solution to practice your clubface awareness is by simply using a piece of tape.

Sure, it sounds too good to be true, but GOLF Top 100 Teacher John Scott Rattan shows you how (and why!) this little trick actually works.

How tape can help improve your clubface awareness

“Whether I’m providing feedback to a player or recommending a training aid,” he says, “I always go back to something I learned from fellow GOLF Top 100 Teacher, John Dunigan: ‘Whoever does the work, does the learning.’

“In the photo below, I’ve placed blue electrical tape on the center of the shaft, leaving half of the shaft silver, and the other half blue.

Rattan demonstrates how tape can improve your clubhead awareness. John Scott Rattan

“So what’s the purpose of doing this? To be blunt, I see too many amateur golfers creating a clubface position in the backswing where it becomes too open, which often leads to using too much loft at impact.

“By placing tape on the shaft, though, we’re able to hide the silver part of the shaft, leaving only the blue tape to see in each position.

The key is seeing the blue tape, ensuring your club path is correct. John Scott Rattan

“On the takeaway, the goal is to see the blue tape on top of the shaft. This will represent a square clubface orientation; or an even stronger position. At the top, I see more blue tape than silver on the shaft. This means that my trail wrist is in extension and the lead wrist is flexing.

“At impact, I want to see as much blue tape as possible. This allows me to feel what my hands would have to do to deloft the club, which helps create a dynamic impact position.

“Creating clubface awareness like this is vital to learning and owning the movements on your own. As the player, you’re doing the work on managing the clubface, and therefore, will learn to develop solid fundamentals for improved ball-striking ability.”

Rukket Sports Pathfinder Impact Mat™

$69.99
Are you looking for a golf training mat to help your golf game? The Rukket Pathfinder Impact Mat™ was designed with input from professional golfers and golf teachers to help players of all abilities improve their game. The strike mat tracks club face alignment and helps ensure clean contact with the ball while the foam pylons can be used to keep your swing on plane. Use all four pylons to practice hitting straighter shots or remove pylons to practice hitting draw or fade shots. It’s the most versatile golf swing practice mat available and works with every club in your bag! Features 2-in-1 golf swing training mat combining the features of an impact mat / strike mat and a swing path trainer to help golfers quickly identify and correct common swing problems like hooks and slices. It’s a golf swing impact / strike mat to help identify and correct club face alignment. Use the “velvet” turf to ensure you’re making clean contact with the ball. It’s also a golf swing training aid to help with swing plane alignment. Use it to fix a slice or a hook, and to practice hitting draw and fade shots. What’s in the Box (1) Rukket Pathfinder Impact Mat™ (4) Foam Pylons (1) Instruction Booklet Product Specs 25in x 13in x 0.8in RUKKET FAIR PLAY GUARANTEE & LIFETIME WARRANTY: At Rukket Sports we know you came to win. We also understand that in order to win you need to train hard, so that’s why we’re proud to offer the Rukket Fair Play Guarantee & Lifetime Warranty for no-risk purchasing plus outstanding USA-based customer service!
View Product
Exit mobile version