In my opinion, worrying about swinging the club perfectly on plane is a joke.  For the top level player, the tolerances for being off plane are not as big as for the higher handicap player for certain. But for the average player, staying on plane (the rear hand, forearm, and complete club swinging on the same angle) from waist high in the downswing to waist high in the follow through is just fine.  However, I would like to devote this page to plane angles so that anyone with enough time can get a better idea of this imperative.

First, understand that any flat plane has a straight plane line, no matter the angle in which the flat plane is held in.  A circle, such as the orbiting clubhead, can lie flat on the plane but precision is lost when the base of the inclined plane is broken. This causes the plane line to be not straight and therefore the player is not “on plane.”  With that said, anytime you swing the club too far out-to-in or in-to-out you are swinging off plane. 

In order for the club to move on plane it must move BACKWARDS, UPWARDS, AND INWARDS SIMULTANEOUSLY during the backstroke and DOWNWARDS, OUTWARDS, AND FORWARDS SIMUTANEOUSLY during the downstroke.  After the low point (when the club reaches its lowest point through the impact interval) the club again works FORWARDS, UPWARDS, AND INWARDS SIMULTANEOUSLY.  In this way the club stays flat and/or parallel to its plane during the complete golf swing.

From the ground comes the two dimensional appearance of the three-dimensional plane.  The ball/target line is the intended line of flight for the golf ball.  The plane line sits parallel to and just inside of the target line because this is where the shaft of the club would meet the ground when the clubface is soled behind the golf ball.  A simple thought to stay on plane is to keep the part of the club closest to the ground pointed at the ball/target line.  This has far greater meaning to the average golfer than you may think. 

With a laser attached to the shaft of the club anyone will find that as the laser beam keeps a straight line relationship to a straight line the clubhead will appear to move in an arc. This arc creates the approach of the clubhead line of flight for the player.  When swinging on plane the clubhead will move from inside the target line on the downswing to inside the target line on the through swing.  How many times have you heard “Move the clubhead straight back from the ball?”  If you tried it and it worked, you probably didn’t do it.  A better statement would be “Move the shaft straight back from the ball, and allow the clubhead to work inside.”  Therefore, there is an arc of delivery while at the same time the shaft is always pointing to the plane line (or target line for our sake).

What about the angle of attack?  How steep or shallow the clubhead comes into the golf ball is the angle of attack.  Obviously the player who swings off plane from out-to-in has a much steeper angle of attack than a player who swings off plane from in-to-out.  Therefore divot depth can give you some idea of your angle of attack.  What creates the angle of attack is original inclined plane of motion.  When the player is under this plane he is swinging too far in-to-out.  When the player is over this plane he is swinging too far out-to-in.  Who would have the steeper angle of attack and deeper divot?

So with any discussion on plane comes three things: the plane angle, the arc of delivery, and the angle of approach.  All three can aid a player on the golf course or practice tee.  However, you had better pay attention because they all work together, or they all don’t work at all.

Basic planes are classified according to reference points on which an incline plane could be set.  Mr. Homer Kelley put forth all of these planes in The Golfing Machine, which I consider to be the most profound book in golf (other than Bud, Sweat, and Tees...just kidding). Through the work of Mr. Ben Doyle and others, the book has been able to continue helping golf swings.  There are five basic planes: Elbow (a.k.a. Clubshaft), Turned Shoulder, Turning Shoulder, Squared Shoulder, and Hands Only.

The Elbow plane can be found by drawing a line from the hozel of the club through the belt buckle.  The reason for the a.k.a. Clubshaft Plane is that most good players begin their motion from this point.

The Turned Shoulder plane can be found by drawing a line from the hozel of the club up to the point where the right shoulder turns at the top of the swing.

The Turning Shoulder plane is the place occupied by the hands at the top of the swing without any turning or rolling. The left wrist simply stays vertical to the ground throughout the backswing.  Draw a line from the hozel to the butt of the club at the top of a golf swing without any turning or rolling of the left wrist, and you have this plane.

The Squared Shoulder plane is the where the right shoulder is held at address.  Draw a line from the hozel to the top of the right shoulder, and you have this plane.

The Hands Only plane is the flattest normal plane, and its reference point is the hands.  A line drawn from the hozel through the hips is a very likely place to find this plane.

As you can see, the planes are all set at different angles, none of which are incorrect to swing on. However, each will create a different angle of attack.  They each have their good sides and their bad (just like you and me) and don’t like to hit certain shots (low hooks, high cuts, draws, fades, etc.)  So, it is important for any player to keep this in mind when selecting the intended shot at hand.

Remember:

There are three basic angles – vertical, horizontal, and angled.

To be on plane the right forearm, right hand, and clubshaft must be swinging on the same plane angle.

Plane has three associates that you don’t want to mess with: (1) its angle (2) the arc of approach (3) the angle of approach.

The club works back, up, and in – then down, out, and forward.  Both back and through, it happens simultaneously.

Ball position naturally has an effect on plane.  The further back, the more the arc of approach appears in-to-out. The further up, the more it appears out-to-in.

Never go to the practice range without something to swing over or under.

Golf, just like life, is a journey.