Opening clubface
 

Is opening the clubface 30 degrees in the first few feet of the backswing too much?

I was recently told I do this and am not sure if it is excessive or not.

I also have a neutral if not slightly weaker then neutral grip.

This could explain why I never hit the ball left and struggle with losing it right.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J6jWaRABVM

I edited this footage of Sergio from an advert he did for Bushnell...I think...

It is the best footage I have seen on Youtube (credit to Sergio and cameraman rather than my cut and paste job!:laughing9 ) of his takeaway. Most of the Youtube swingvisions of sergio focus on his driver and he is just killing it...looks abit ungainly at times.... but this is a pure motion. Look at the first 5 seconds...

He makes no attempt to keep the clubface perpendicular to the inclined plane....he turns the face to the plane early in his takeaway but does not fan the clubhead behind his hands.

He is setting up a sequenced release on the downswing where all of this will be reversed. So it is the right move for a swinger but wrong if you hitter.

can you explain "does not fan clubhead behind hands" ? thanks!

It is basically staying on plane whilst the clubface opens...

Look at the position of the hands relative to the clubhead from the down-the-line view. The clubhead stays nearer the plane line than the hands are...I used to , and many still do, move the clubhead so that the hands are nearer the plane line and the clubhead is nearer the thigh.

...Talking about the 1st part of the backswing before/when the shaft is horizontal when the shaft is supposed to be parallel to the plane line....many people who open the clubface too much also get the club butt aiming to the right of the green at 1st time shaft is horizontal.

Nice work on the editing! that dude has ONE BEAUTIFUL GOLF SWING.

Notice how he works #4 . . .