The 'One Plane' Golf Swing ?
It is generally agreed that there is no one given way to swing a golf club that is correct as we are not all built in the same way but there are some general basics which we all more or less can fit in to and there are different ways to describe golf swings. The terms One Plane and Two Plane were coined by the American Golf Professional Jim Hardy through his connection of coaching with John Jacobs.
The word Plane in both cases refers to the position of the lead arm at the top of the backswing in relation to the shoulder plane of the golfer. Pictured you can see Tiger Woods in a One Plane backswing position using an iron club, which is quite common these days as many of the modern players, but not all, employ this position. Ben Hogan's golf swing from approximately 1950 onwards would be described as One Plane and he was, like Tiger Woods is, a great iron player.
One Plane Swing Set Up
1. Posture has a roughly 30-45 degree bend over from the hips
2. Back is in quite a straight position
3. Distance between body and golf ball is quite far
4. Width of stance is on the wide side
One Plane Swing Characteristics
1. Left arm stays closely connected to chest in during the backswing with the
right elbow going back and upward with club being swung some what around
the body
2. Golfer stays centred ie there is not a great deal of lateral shift during the
swing.
3. Length of backswing would appear to be on the short side ie 3/4 length as well
as being some what laid off at the top of the backswing ie shaft pointing left
4. During the downswing the arms and body rotate back and through together.
5. Right arm will be across the chest in the follow through.
Physical requirements to be considered
The One Plane golf swing places two main demands on the golfers body
1. The ability to bend or flex forwards adequately from the hip sockets, not from
the thoracic spine area ie no C-Posture with tight hamstrings.
2. The ability to rotate properly around the thoracic spine.
If you live in the Perthshire area and require some help with your golf game come and see me at The Blairgowrie Golf Club where I would be glad to help you with your golf game.
I have been trained by Plane Truth and both Trained and Certified The Titleist Performance Institute.
Regards,
Graeme Leggat PGA Advanced Golf Professional
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