One of the most misunderstood terms in golf is 'swing plane'. Many people think of the swing plane as the position at the top of the swing in either the terms of the hands or club and either being too flat, too upright or on plane. This article will give you the check points for an 'on plane' backswing.
The plane is not a position in the swing but the whole path or arc that the club travels on throughout the entire backswing. Swings are rarely too upright or too flat but are a combination of being too upright in some area's and too flat in others.
The plane of the backswing is determined by the angle of the shaft of the golf club at address relative to the ground and the player's body. A club which is swung on plane is either on that angle or parallel to the angle throughout the golf swing.
The plane of the swing is determined where the club impacts the ground and how the face of the club impacts the golf ball. When the club is on plane it has the greatest chance of impacting the golf ball and the turf at the correct place and hitting straight golf shots.
When the club is not on plane the player must make compensations to achieve the desired ball flight. The compensation generally results in a lack of consistency and efficiency. Therefore the closer the golfer can come to maintaining the golf club on the correct plane throughout the entire golf swing the more efficient and effective the swing will be.
The following checkpoints can ensure that your backswing remains on plane:
The takeaway - When the hands have swung over the right foot, the wrist should be cocked about a third of the way and the club head should be outside the hands. The shaft of the club in relation to the target line should be at a 35 degree angle.
Halfway back - The club passes a point about waist high where the club is parallel to the ground and parallel to the target line.
Three quarters back - When the left arm is parallel to the ground it should be pointing down the target line, the hands centred with the chest with the handle of the club pointing slightly outside the target line.
The downswing is a result of the back swing and set-up, if the backswing matches the above check points, the probability of making an efficient non manipulated downswing greatly increases.
Follow the checkpoints for an on plane backswing and see your ball striking and shot making improve.