I have no doubt that the club face angle, in particular in the early downswing, is an integral element to playing good golf. All golfers need to get the face in place in the downswing in order to be able to make a quality strike and manage the face angle for accurate outcomes.
When the club face is overly weak/open:
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The weight will typically stay back as the pivot stalls
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The handle will be too far back at impact, resulting in high and weak shots
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Distance and compression will be compromised
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The strike will almost always be picky with very little club to ground interaction post impact
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Trajectory will be overly high with the prevailing misses being pulls and/or fades
When the club face is overly strong/closed:
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The hips will drive forward too far in an attempt to slow down face rotation
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The hands will be well forward at impact, resulting in low spinning and low flighted shots
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Distance will typically not be a problem
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The quality of strike will often be acceptable
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Appropriate height will be a challenge, especially with a longer iron and the prevailing miss will be a hot, low ball flight with a tendency towards blocks and hooks