How to Teach Swing Plane - Golf Pro Swing Tips
Swing onto Correct Plane, Use Wrists to Hinge the Club into Plane
May 18, 2009
Fourth in the series of How to Teach Golf articles deals with how to swing the club onto the right plane.
Teach an On Plane Swing
The plane of the swing is the term used to describe the angle round the body that the club travels on. In an ideal swing, the club would travel back and down on the same line. It is crucial therefore to find the right plane on the back swing or complicated adjustments have to made.
After a correct one-piece takeaway and when momentum has built sufficiently, the wrists break under the influence of centrifugal force and locate the swing plane. This is called a wrist hinge or wrist cock. If the takeaway has not been carried out correctly, the wrists will swing the club onto the wrong line, which will lead to a swing that is too rounded or too upright.
Practice Drill to Find the Right Plane
The feeling of the golf swing should be a sweep back to half way, and then almost a flick up as the wrists hinge. This is when centrifugal force kicks in and creates a slinging motion of the club.
If the wrists hinge correctly, the butt end of the club should point towards the ball (See Picture).
To get the right feeling make your pupil take up their stance, but instead of letting them hit a ball, put a tennis ball behind the blade, the opposite side to where the golf ball should be.
Then, make the pupil swing until the wrists have snapped or hinged. As they turn back the tennis ball will be almost glued to the head of the club, but as momentum builds, and the wrists cock, the ball will be slung powerfully back. If the wrists move incorrectly the ball will limply slip off the club.
Practice Swing Instead of Hitting Balls
While teaching the basics of the swing it is important your pupil doesn’t become too judgemental of their progress. No matter how good their initial swings are, they have to go through a period of learning how to coordinate the club onto the ball.
It is important to make sure they do not become disillusioned with their hitting. Let them have lots of practise swings so they don’t become too stressed.
To make it interesting try the tennis ball exercise. Take it in turns, while one swings the other should try to catch the tennis ball as it is flung away. If the swing is consistent, the ball should travel to the same place every time.
Practice Pitch Shots
When the wrists have completed their hinge the golfer is still only two thirds of the way back. Do not let your pupil swing longer than this when hitting balls. This is the length of a pitch shot, an important shot to practise. Once again make it interesting by setting targets and competing against each another.
Make sure they still hit off a tee, and keep the compliments flowing.
See also: How to Teach the Top of the Back Swing - PGA Advice
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