How to Swing a Golf Club on Plane

If the club head is outside of your hands, the swing will not be on plane.

Swinging a golf club on plane is important in the quest to hit the golf ball correctly with some level of consistency. Getting the golf club on plane requires a proper take away, backswing and downswing. The take away and backswing should be slow and the hands need to be in the right spot to get on plane. The club must be on plane to hit the ball with the most force and accuracy possible. When the club is not on the ideal swing plane, the ball can be mishit with the result being an inaccurate shot.

Instructions

1. Address the ball in the correct stance. Bend forward at your hips and let your hands hang down. Bend your knees slightly with your weight evenly distributed over your feet. Make sure you are on balance by moving your feet about shoulder width apart. Place your club head so that it is directly behind the ball. You should be close enough to the ball so that you do not have to reach for it but far enough away from it so that you can swing freely.

2. Swing the clubs with your arms and shoulders on the take away, not with your hands. This will keep the take away smooth as your club starts to travel back from the ball and you get into your backswing.

3. Stop your take away after you have entered your backswing. The take away ends and the backswing begins at the point where the golf club is parallel to the ground. Check to see where the head of your club is. At this point, if the head of the club is outside of your hands, you will be outside the proper swing plane. If the head of your club is inside of your hands, you will be inside the proper swing plane. The head of the club should be even with your hands during this part of the swing to get the club on plane.

4. Continue your backswing to the transition point of the swing and stop. The transition point is the top of your backswing where you start your downswing. At the transition point, your left elbow, if you are a rightie, should be pointing at the ball. If it is pointing between your feet and the ball, your swing plane is too steep. If it is pointing outside the ball, your swing plane is too wide.

5. Swing the club downward on the same plane that you took it up on. Execute your downswing slowly to ensure that you are staying on the same plane. Once at the bottom of your downswing, you will strike the ball. After contact, follow through with a nice easy motion, allowing your body to turn but always making sure to keep your head down.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice the proper swing plane without a ball. Concentrate on the process, not the outcome.

• The proper swing plane is only one variable when swinging a golf club. Grip, posture and club head speed, among other factors, will help to determine the outcome.

Resources

• Golf Swing Plane Training Aids