For me not only do I close the clubface, I literally hood it, big time. This is especially good when the ball is completely covered in sand. I take a square stance, hood the clubface and swing hard aiming just behind the covered ball. The ball pops out and has a lot of run on it. If the pin is close, just be thankful you got the ball out. It works everytime with this technique. You can also use different clubs. I have used everything from an L wedge to an approach wedge. All depends on how much run I want on the shot. Hope this helps