one plane golf swing

I`m hearing alot about the one plane golf swing, I was wondering if someone could tell me the pros and cons of this swing. It seems like a more natural way of swinging the club.

Golf Digest has an excellent article of the 1 vs 2 plane swing.
http://golfdigest.com/instruction/ind...ingplane1.html

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I recently switched from a 2 plane swing to a 1 plane swing about 1 month ago, and i have seen marked improvement. My ball striking has improved tremendously, and when i am striking the ball poorly, i can narrow it down to only two problems, such as my arms getting to steep on the backswing or releasing a little too early. I am now hitting 10+ greens regularly and hitting about 10 fairways, both of which have lead to most of my rounds this year remaining in the mid 70's . But like the article says, don't mix the fundamentals from each swing, because if you do, it's all over

What do people think of this theory? What do people classify themselves as?!

Dannyra - I read a thread you posted a while ago (I think it was you) where you talked about how high some pros hands are above their head at the top of the swing. I noticed this too yet when I look at myself in a mirror, my hands are nowhere near as high. I thought I was doing something very wrong, as it felt so uncomfortable to me to try to get my hands that high above my head.

But when I read this one vs two plane theory, I noticed that I'm very much a "One-planer" - everything it said seemed to make sense. What do the pros on the site think - is there any merit to this theory?

Great site by the way - some brilliant advice - and I love Greg's right hand drill!

I very much promote high hands at the top of the backswing. This promotes a bigger arc, which creates more power. High hands also promote an inside-out swing (in my case, it's the only way I can get my swing path square.) I find that when my outside-in swing takes over it is because my backswing gets a bit shallow and I start coming over the top.
The reason that having your hands that high feels uncomfortable is because you are putting tension on those muscles. This is where your power comes from. When you start your downswing, you are releasing the tension, which creates more speed and power.

In the end, it comes down to what feels comfortable for each person. If you transfer your weight properly, and square your swing path and your clubface to the target you will have a straight shot with decent distance. There are many pros that have had amazing careers that had ugly swings, but they made their swing effective by getting square at impact.

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Gord

Quote of the month:
"It's easy to see golf not as a game at all but as some whey-faced, nineteenth-century Presbyterian minister's fever dream of exorcism achieved through ritual and self-mortification." ~Bruce McCall

Thanks for the reply Gord - really appreciate it. Do you believe in what the chap says in this one plane vs two plane theory?

http://www.golfdigest.com/instruction...ingplane2.html

Scroll two thirds of the way down and take a look at the pictures of Peter Jacobsen demonstrating the two types of swing (series of photos in blue is for a one planer, photos in yellow for a two planer). I believe his swing arc is equally extended in both, but his hands just don't appear as high in the one plane swing versus the two plane swing as his hip tilt is different etc.

I guess that was what I was driving at - if you're a one planer, your hands won't appear as high vertically above your head.

Or maybe I'm in denial and I'm going to have to accept that my swing needs a lot of work!!!

I think what you said at the end sums it up - get the clubface and path square at impact and good golf will follow...

LOL This is one of those theories that doesn't help anybody. Read a little further and it says that it would be interesting to see which style does Tiger end up with. What?

Perhaps there is something in this theory and it just needs to be explained in simple language. It somewhat reminds me of my professors in college that would hide simple knowledge in complicated writing only to stroke their ego and not to actually TEACH!

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FraTor

I disagree quite a bit with the two swing plane explanation. The most rediculous part is their explanation of why Jake was across the line. Coming across the line at the top has nothing to do with swing plane. The person who wrote this article is obviously biased to the one plane swing. On the other side of that coin, I am biased to the two plane swing....

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Gord

Quote of the month:
"It's easy to see golf not as a game at all but as some whey-faced, nineteenth-century Presbyterian minister's fever dream of exorcism achieved through ritual and self-mortification." ~Bruce McCall

I'd agree with that - it definitely seem to be the case. As fratorriv says, he goes on to ask what plane Tiger is on. Well, from the picture, Tiger is clearly on a two plane swing, but he seems to want Tiger to be on a one plane swing....

Wait! isnt this the natural golf method that requires a different set of clubs?

thanks
paterrick

I've been doing my own research on this very topic for several months now. The debate on 1 vs 2 plane swing theory is a very valid one. Just by what little has been posted here, you can see why Tiger has been reluctant to disclose his swing changes with anyone but Hank Haney. I've been doing some subjective testing with a few golfers and the different fundamentals required to perform each swing theory. I've found that the more athletically inclined individuals take to the one plane fundamentals quite easily. The two plane swing suited the golfers that had good eye hand coordination and those that don't have a strong hit instinct. A couple of key points I'd like to share:
One, mixing key fundamentals from the two swing theories will be disastorus. Two, be very wary of your instructors knowledge of the two theories. The majority of the instructors out there are strictly teaching pure 2 plane swing theory. That's what they have learned and refined teaching. If you want one plane swing theory lessons do some research on the instructors background first. My analogy is don't expect a GM Mechanic to fix your Ford car and vice versa.

Here are some Tour Pros that have publically attested to Jim Hardy's methods; Peter Jacobson, Scott McCarron and Brad Faxon. High profile Instructors that are teaching the one plane fundamentals to select students: David Leadbetter and Hank Haney.

Terence - I'm just a normal guy with a curious mind
xperiment2@yahoo.com

"Do or do not. There is no try."

i am confused!
doesnt some one who is athletic and one who has good eye hand co-ordination about the same, i.e. tennis players, baseball players, soccer players, volleyball players, who can swing and hit a moving ball?

or are you talking athletic in the sense of strength only?

by the way, due to the more bent over stance of the one plane swing, does this require a different lie iron than the two plan iron?
thank

paterick

Patrick,

Yes, athletic people tend to have good eye hand coordination but that is not to say that is always the case, ie. Joggers, Bikers, swimmers. Conversely, if you have good eye hand coordination, it does not mean you are an athletic person, ie. Dart throwing, horse shoe, bachi ball.

To add to this, people who've played sports like Baseball, Tennis and Hockey will attest that the movements used to strike the ball in their sport, do not translate well into the 2 plane swing. You will find that these people for the most part will take to the one plane swing quicker in my opinion.

In terms of the lie angle for your clubs. This depends on your AoA(Angle of Attack), and the amount of bowing of your club shaft at impact. Always get your clubs dynamically fitted for the correct lie angle.

who ever started this thread, THANKS VERY MUCH. it has helped me tremendiously. i a learner and strugling with my drives, three wood etc. I had been trying all kinds of different movements to learn how to do it. finally i found my self, leaning way over, putting a lot of weight on my toes then turned inside on my back swing. my stance was super wide and i would shift my wieght tot he right foot before the back swing. i Tee/d the ball up in the middle of my left foot and before i started my back swing i found my arms handing dowin in the center of my body about 12 inchs from the ball. about 60 percent of the time i could nail the ball, some times i felt as if the club face was caving in. it was going about 340 yards. as a beginer i was happy by when i didnt connect it was a major hook or major slice. when i came down on the ball successfully i could feel my hips and shoulders generating tremendous power. but my irons were being affected as my stance was changing with them too.

so then this thread and after reading it and looking closely at the photos and the does and warnings i found i am a two planer and can drive just as far (340) with the two plan and its put me back on track with my irons.

i just finished playing nine holes and for the first time hit all but one two drives on the fair way. Down wind they flew. up wind, they still broke 300.
it was so cool. another thang i learned was not too stand over the ball so long trying to find my feeling or balance. once i got my feet in place, i didnt wait and just started my back swing and whamo.

now i have a new problem, fear of repeating or failing to repeat.

thanks, i have put the article in my favorits to reveiw

paterick

I am a one plane player, the basic difference is you don't drop the club to the inside when you start down. The hard part with one plane is not rushing the start of the down swing and coming over the top. I think a higher handicap would have a tough time with a one plane swing.