golfrewind.com

I am trying to figure out if I have a flaw in my set up or a flaw in my Understanding of the Set Up. Of late, I have been splitting my golfing time between about 50% practice and 50% playng. (Note that I have been playing the game about 10 months now, so I am relatively new.) My swing is far from refined but I thought that it was functional in that I can now hit my 7-iron about 140 or so and my 3 iron about 180 (on a good day). Until this past weekend, I was generally hitting GIR on my favorite par 3 course on about 6 holes out of nine. Though it was a little windy this w/e, I was a mess---really missing most of the greens a little. My playing partner told me that my problem was in my setup in that my clubface was perpendicular to the target line and that the clubface should be just a little open --maybe about 10*.

Anyway, I tried angling the clubface a little on setup as my partner suggested and I must admit I got more distance and more accuracy, hitting the last 3 GIR. This whole deal doesn't make sense to me though. Every golf book that I 've ever read ( a bunch of them over the past ten months) says that the leading edge of the club should be 90* to target line so that ideally, at impact, on the downswing the club face is flush with the back of the ball. I am confused. What concept am I missing here?

I attempt to keep the edge true purpendicular to target line...a true 90* at set up and on impact.