Face Angle

The horizontal angle of the club face at impact, measured in degrees relative to the target line. A face angle of 0° is square; negative is closed (pointing left of target for a right-hander); positive is open.

Face angle is the dominant factor in where the ball starts — roughly 75–85% of initial ball direction is determined by face angle, with the remainder coming from club path. Once you know face angle and path, you can predict both the start direction and the curve.

Direct face-angle measurement requires the launch monitor to see the club face, which generally means a photometric system (Foresight, Uneekor, Bushnell Launch Pro). Hybrid and radar units estimate face angle from ball behavior, with reduced accuracy on off-center hits.