This Ask Malaska Golf comes to us from Fabian Van Veen, who wants to know about the putter face and the pencil drill we’ve discussed, or the stick-through-your-glove drill, where it stays at a 90-degree angle. Brian works a lot with putting, so I’ll let him explain this. Then, I’ll show how this concept relates to your full swing.

Brian, go ahead and take it from here.

So, imagine I’ve got that pencil or stick positioned here—it acts as a mirror of my clubface. In a putting stroke, it’s crucial to understand that the putter does not move straight back and straight through, as we’ve often heard in the past. If it did, it would separate your arms from your shoulders, which is not ideal. Instead, the putter moves back and rotates naturally with your shoulders.

The key to using the pencil or stick is to keep it square to the clubface as it follows the arc of the stroke. Ideally, the putter face stays square to the arc, which helps achieve a square face at impact. Different putters may have slight variations; for example, face-balanced putters might rotate more open, but the principle remains the same: keep the face rotating naturally on the arc and square through impact.

Avoid trying to manipulate the stroke into a straight-back, straight-through motion. Doing so can lead to hand rotation, which disrupts the natural shoulder movement. Instead, let your shoulders guide the stroke naturally, allowing the putter to follow the arc. As it returns to the ball, ensure the stick remains aligned with the clubface to maintain square impact. That’s the most critical part—square impact with a square clubface, releasing naturally along the arc.

Now, what’s fascinating is how this concept applies to the full swing. When I’m swinging a full club, my wrist hinge and the clubface follow a similar principle. As I come into impact and then through, the face works along the arc, just like in putting. Whether it’s a putter or a wedge, the face aligns with the arc at impact, rotates naturally, and continues along the arc.

What you don’t want is excessive manipulation of the clubface—either opening it too much or closing it unnaturally. That makes it difficult to control the face at impact, whether with a putter or a full swing.

Here’s my advice: focus on where the stick is positioned at impact. Don’t try to manipulate it too much after impact, as that leads to twisting and rotation. Let the club swing back naturally, and as it returns, ensure the stick aligns squarely with the clubface. A square clubface at impact ensures the ball takes off along your intended line.