[Mike O]

Given that a good iron shot is hit ball then turf, it seems to me that the clubface should be facing towards the ground at impact. So a "shutting" clubface IMHO is one that pointing toward ground with big divot. As opposed to a" closing" clubface which I associate with a sweeping feeling taking a little divot.

Dlam,
Good observations. Yes, certainly for the irons you'd want a shutting clubface FEEL. Versus a closing clubface FEEL.

Understand that A) what's happening, B) what you're feeling and C) what you are trying to do - are or can be three very distinct issues in movement. So we need to break them out - based on your post.

Yes, the feel is that the clubface is on top of the ball facing the ground. Now, you can't feel clubfaces - so what are you really sensing? - the longitudinal center of gravity of the club. What's that? Well, if you were to lightly hold a club at the grip end and let it hang- because of the attached offset clubhead weight- the shaft would't hang down straight. While you have this club hanging from your finger tips if you were to also hold a piece of string with a weight at the end of it- that would show the longitudinal center of gravity (LCG) of the club and that string if allowed would go right through the clubface- that point it goes through the clubface is the sweetspot. And imagine that that straight string line as what you are sensing in the golf swing. So A) we are sensing that straight line, B) we can't sense the clubface i.e. you wouldn't know if you had 20 degrees or 40 degrees of loft on a clubface unless you visually looked at it - can't sense it by feel. C) since we are hitting the ball before lowpoint- the straight line LCG is leaning forward - hence it will be on top of the ball, facing the ground, "shut".

While you are sensing that - the clubface loft is actually facing the sky (whatever the effective loft that you are delivering to impact) and the actual contact point due to loft on the clubface is underneath the ball i.e. below the equator. And while it feels like - ball then turf - normally the sweetspot is sufficiently up the face that the club hits turf then ball - however all of these "What happens" are really insignificant to the issues of A) what are you trying to do and B) what does it feel like.