Did you know there are two commonly used but very different swing plane theories? The two are identified as the one plane or two plane swings. Which do you use? Do you even know? Do you have some of the fundamentals from each swing concept mixed up in your swing? If you do you will find it nearly impossible to hit the ball consistently well. You must know and incorporate the proper swing fundamentals for one or the other swing plane type to play a better round of golf.
The two plane swing is the one most popular on tour, where the club is taken back on the plane established at address and then lifted to the top on a second more vertical plane. Here the back elbow must be kept pointed down at the ground and not “fly out” or “chicken wing”. The hands must drop straight down at the start of the downswing returning the club to the original swing plane and preventing the shoulders from turning outward causing an “over the top swing”. The follow through for the two plane swing ends with your hands high by your ear.
The one plane swing is less complicated in that the club stays on the same plane throughout the entire swing. This swing is viewed as more flat than the two plane with the club working around the body on the backswing. The plane is determined at address by the lie angle of the club and the amount of forward lean of the body. For this swing the back elbow can move backwards or “fly out”. The follow through is lower, somewhere in the shoulder area.
How do you choose between the two? Maybe you can use this example as a guide.
Double D, my golf buddy, was confronted with this dilemma just about a year ago. He read a couple of books about the different swing planes and how the fundamentals are different for each. The author discussed how easy it is for golfers to confuse which swing tip works for which swing plane (say that fast three times, if you can.). The result can be catastrophic.
He was uncertain which swing plane he had been using all those years. He decided to experiment with both. After several trips to the driving range testing both swings he determined that the one plane swing was what would work best for him. He found that it was easier to execute because it required less movement and his timing was better. With the one plane swing he was hitting the ball farther and straighter.
Once he made the decision, he worked a bit on the range before each round to groove the new swing and began to strike the ball much better on the course. He hit more greens and made more pars than ever before. All he did was flatten his swing plane, adjust his set up, shorten his backswing and found a far better more powerful yet consistent golf swing.
Both swing planes work well when executed properly. Choosing one or the other is an individual preference. The key is to know which fundamentals apply to the swing of your choice.