The ideal is to get the clubface to the ball square at impact. Picture a line extending straight forward from the ball on the target line. Now picture a line extending along and out from the clubface (from the heel to the toe and out). If the club is square at impact, those two lines will be perpendicular, forming a right angle.
However, with a closed face (a k a, a club that is closed at impact), the toe of the club is turned a little inward. The toe of the club is a little forward of the heel at impact. So the angle that is 90 degrees when the clubface is square is less than 90 degrees with a closed face.
A closed face is one of the common causes of the hook and the pull.
Some golf clubs are built with a slightly closed clubface in order to help golfers who slice the ball. See our FAQ, "Do woods built with a closed face really help fight a slice?"
Video: Clubface positions - square, open and closed
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"Be careful you don't have a closed face, try to keep the clubface square at impact."
