One plane swing and connection

Been hearing a lot about this new buzzword in golf, the one plane swing but what i want to know is, is this really just the same as having a 'connected swing'?

My swing has always been based on connection where my left arm stays close to my chest and I just turn my body back and through. This means I am fairly flat but my ball contact is solid. At the range last night someone told me i had a perfect one plane swing, Ive never really understood this so is connection and one plane the same thing? And is it a good thing?

Hi pnearn,

One plane swing refers to swinging the arms around the body. The arms and the body swing on the same plane - hence one plane.

In a regular (classic) swing, the body goes around, and the arms go up and down.

The One Plane Swing means that you'll be 'flat and laid off' compared to the Two Plane Swing - but it isn't wrong, it's just how the 1PS works.

One big key to the One Plane Swing is, as you know, keeping that left arm connected. I'd say 'carry on!'

If someone says you have the perfect One Plane Swing, then you must be doing it right!

__________________
True Length Technology Fitter - www.truelengthtechnology.com
It's live! - www.ShipShapeClubs.com
PCS Class 'A' Clubfitter

A new highlight: Golfing the home course on Christmas Day.

I say it too often: If it's golf club shaped, you can play with it.

For the record, I'm a club doctor, not a swing doctor.

After reading about 1P and 2P swings and concluding that I'm definitely a 1P-er, so to speak, I worked on my "connection" on the range today. Actually I was really working on bringing the clubhead on a smooth inside arc rather than picking it up or attempting to add unnecessary width. I started to hit the ball wonderfully well pinging 4-irons out to 200 yards, right on line and with a lovely slight draw to them. On reflection I realise I was keeping my left and right arms connected, a bit like the old Vijay trick of keeping a clubhead cover under the armpit right the way through the swing.

After reading about the 1P swing and demonstrating to myself the importance of keeping the arms connected then I'm convinced that you're spot on. Sounds like a good thing to me!

Whats interesting in the 1P instruction files (Jim Hardy et al) is the need to stand further from the ball with a more pronounced bend from the waist


I tend to stand more tall to the ball (probably a 1P swing with a 2P set up). My bad shot is a pull-draw (not quite that far left to be a hook!). Im now wondering if this could be a result of being too tall at address and having a connected (i.e. inside) swing path causing me to be flat at the top as my arms swing too much around myself rather than the more vertical plane I would get with a 45degree type bend?

One to experiment with at the range. I suspect trying to keep that bent spent angle will be a challenge since I am used to the moe erect posture

It was a challenge for me. I spent last year trying to master the One Plane Swing and couldn't do it, and the posture was the main reason why. I thought the 1PS would be "simpler," which is why I went with it. The greater spine angle also means that the arms reach out slightly more at setup. But I found that when I'd swing the club I'd invariably pull myself up into a more erect posture, resulting in either a topped ball or a push (toe shank). I couldn't defeat this tendency, so eventually I gave it up and went to a more upright posture and I've been working on the Two Plane Swing all this year. I can't say I've mastered the swing but at least I've made progress. Unlearning the flatter swing plan has been a challenge.

__________________
Todd
Philadelphia, PA
USA

The reason the pro tells you to keep your head down is so you can't see him laughing. ~Phyllis Diller

One thing you can't do is mix the two. The two swings must be kept seperate. Any attempt to blend the two will end up with poor results.

At least you know which one will work for you, and which one won't. That's the best starting point.

As a general rule of thumb what are some good reference points for a One Plane Swing setup/posture. Im 6ft tall

By this I mean angle bend at waist, hand distance from belt buckle, hands above/in front of toes etc?

Well, pnearn, you and I are the same height.

The reason the One Plane Swing is more bent over (think 45º) is that the swing is inherently flat, so to offset it you bend over more.

I like the more bent over position, as it seems to me to be much easier to deliver the clubhead straight and square the more bent over you are. (Kind of like a paddleboat wheel - if you could hit and generate power bent at 90º, you'd almost never have a problem making straight contact!)

Just like the Two Plane Swing, arms hang naturally from the shoulders. Don't worry about if your hands are 2" or 2' from your body, just let 'em hang, stick a club between 'em, and grab the club. This hanging is crucial, and here's why. If you reach with your arms, you'll most likely hit off the toe as your arms will draw in to get on your natural plane. Conversely, if you crowd your hands and arms in, you'll naturally move them out on your swing, and either pull, slice, or shank coming back, as your arms will now be further out.

The key thing is to take a few practice swings - see where you'll swing naturally. Then, if you like, you can move your hands/arms in or out so that they're in the same spot at address as they will be at impact.

__________________
True Length Technology Fitter - www.truelengthtechnology.com
It's live! - www.ShipShapeClubs.com
PCS Class 'A' Clubfitter

A new highlight: Golfing the home course on Christmas Day.

I say it too often: If it's golf club shaped, you can play with it.

For the record, I'm a club doctor, not a swing doctor.

I've just finished reading Jim Hardy's book, The Plane Truth For Golfers and it's been a real help to me. Although he prefers the One Plane Swing swing, he doesn't denegrate the Two Plane Swing. In fact he emphasises that either swing is suitable, you just have to work out which one is for you. He gives full instructions on both and the main aim of the book is to seperate the two swings so you don't get elements of them mixed up; which is exactly what I've been doing. Since reading it, I've gone back to the 1PS, which is what I started with and with the instruction from the book, I'm hitting the ball more consistently and further than I ever have before. A lot further.

I highly recommend this book, whether you are One Plane Swing or Two Plane Swing, you might find you're mixing elements of the two without knowing it.

Sorry, re-opening this can of worms

How does body movement compare between the two swings? In particular :

1) Rotation of shoulders
2) Which part of the body leads (arms or hips/shoulders) in the downswing?
3) Lateral movement or rotation of hips?

Simon

I may be alone here but I very much feel as If I use my body a lot in the backswing. The key for me is trying to stay connected whilst keeping the clubhead in front of my hands for as long as possible

In the downswing I feel much more its my arms pulling my body as I swing out to the target line. This way my shoulders stay back for a split second and I dont throw them from the top

So backswing = body coil, downswing=arm swing lead body rotation

I also just finished Jim Hardy's book and have chosen the One Plane Swing due to a lot less back pain. I still feel like I have to start the downswing with my knees and hips clearing. If I do not start with my lower body I feel like I lose my spine angle which is supposed to be crucial to keeping in the One Plane Swing.

I have been wondering why for ages why I hit a slight draw with all my irons and give me a driver and fairway woods, and I got a fade. Aim left of fairway and it lands on the right side. I finally put myself on video, Give me irons and I am perfectly on plane, a 1 plane swinger. give me the longer woods and I use the higher plane on my backswing, then I attack the from the top like I do with my irons (One plane swingers don't have to wait for hands to drop on plane) So my downswing is on the higher plane, which makes an outside swingpath.