"Plane Golf"
 

The definition or description of being "On Plane" I usually hear is... one end of the club or the other is either pointing to the plane line or parallel to that line.

What percentage of pros do you think actually comply with this definition on the BACKSWING? They are all obviously doing this on the DOWNSWING, or at least during the later stages(or very close to this).

Do you believe there are some VARIATIONS where being off plane, by this definition, on the BACKSWING is actually correct?

It is extremely important to be exactly on plane at Impact.
It is very important to be on plane at Release.
It is important to be on plane at Start Down.
It is good to be on plane at The Top.
It is useful to be on plane during Backstroke.

There are very few pros, if any, that are perfectly on plane during from Address to The Top. Not enough 'forces' are present in the backswing to keep club on plane (that is just my opinion...not Homer's).

Edit: when I'm talking about being on plane, I include any plane shifts (angle), but not shift in plane line direction.

Interesting questions and answers, guys. We "west coasters" try to get those gyroscopic forces going right from the start. Pivot, pivot, pivot. Drag, drag, drag.

Everyone is always on "A Plane"...But not necessarily the Intended Plane.....Some Shift Up and Down.....and/or Right or Left....But few are those who keep it straight with a zero shift.........

AS

This will be a bit off topic, but...
Do you usually teach students to use their pivot (big back muscles, hips) to take the club back, or do you teach Right Forearm Takeaway?

Thanks.

Responses
 

Good responses... but the qusestion had to do with whether most pros comply with the definition of "On Plane" that says-- the club should be parallel to the baseline(planeline) or be pointing to that line with one end of the club or the other(handle or head), on the BACKSWING.

Many of David Leadbetter's students, for example, have the butt of the club pointing inside the baseline during the early phases of the BACKSWING.

Good question Tong,

Do you west coast boys teach right forearm takeaway for swingers or do you let the pivot or shoulder turn takeaway initiate the backswing?

I prefer a pivot-oriented takeaway. Std. hip action. Some players do better with r. forearm takeaway. Golf is a game of choices.

It depends on the flexibility of the person. The so called 'one piece' takeaway simply can't be done properly if you are not flexible enough and IMO it can be hard to do RFT if you are very flexible.

One can use right forearm takeaway for both swingers and hitters, but if the person has no real preferences, then I think the pivot oriented takeaway is better for the swinger.

A reason why this pivot takeaway has had a bad rep recently is because if your hands are not educated, it will take the club underplane. Well, it's pretty obvious isn't it -- if you just turn your shoulders, and hips without lifting your arms, then the club will go under plane, i.e. just go around the body.

One of the issues with right forearm takeaway for the swinger is if your bring the club up with right forearm, you tend to bring it back down using your arms also, which you clearly don't want if you're a swinger.