This is the first part of a two-part article.
It covers plane and face-two of the four common denominators to a sweeter swing that will help you lower your golf handicap.
Next week we'll discuss centering and radius.
The next time you watch golf on TV, take a close look at each golfer's swing.
If you're watching a PGA tournament, you'll notice that the players all have something in common in addition to great mechanics: They've mastered the real basics of a good swing-plane, face, centering, and radius.
These basics are critical to a great golf swing and sound ball striking.
Fortunately, you don't need great athletic ability to master them.
You just need to practice some simple drills.
Of course, these basics are really just means to an end.
They're not ends in themselves, so mastering them won't automatically lower your golf handicap.
They must be combined with other fundamentals, like having a good grip, posture, ball position, and alignment, to achieve a great swing.
But they're a critical step.
Unfortunately, written golf tips and personal golf lessons don't always cover them.
Below we define two of the four basics-plane and face-and provide drills to help master them.
Next week will cover centering and radius.
Plane: You've probably have heard the term before, but you're not sure exactly what it is or how it applies to your swing.
Plane is defined by the angle your club creates when it's ground at address.
To master accuracy, the club must remain on this plane as it approaches the ball on the downswing.
Actually, most golfers have two swing planes-the one formed by your takeaway and the other generated by your downswing, which is slightly flatter.
Of the two, the second is the most important.
It's the most powerful and direct route to the ball, as I've mentioned in my golf tips.
Coming back to the ball above or below this plane short-circuits your power and causes pulls, slices, and an assortment of other types of bad shots.
Ideally, you want to perfect your swing so that you're always coming back to the ball on plane.
Plane Drill: Place two shafts on the ground to represent the target line and two tees in the ground just outside the target line.
Stick a tee in the grip end of your club before setting up.
Now, address the ball and start your backswing.
At the three-quarter position of your backswing, the tee in the club's grip should point to the target line or out to the tee line.
If the club's butt points past or over the target line, the plane angle is too flat, so you need to do more work to perfect this basic.
Keep working on the drill.
Face: Face is another key swing basic.
To be a great ball striker, you must rotate the clubface to square it at impact.
Most players don't rotate the clubface enough on the downswing to do this or they rotate it much too late.
You must start rotating the clubface just before impact and finish just after it.
To test oneself, take a practice swing without a ball and stop just after the impact.
Your glove hand should be below your non-glove hand just after impact.
If it's not, you must rotate the clubface more.
Face was a major concern of Jack Nicklaus when he played on the tour.
So he used a simple technique to square his clubface at impact, one I've written about in my golf tips and discussed in my golf lessons.
He turned the clubface's toe past the heel at impact to draw the ball from left to right.
He felt that having the toe beat the heel to the ball encourages the clubface to close through impact.
Jack's tip helps you not only square your clubface, but also shape your shots and eliminate a slice.
Face Drill: The face drill is one that you can easily do at home.
Without a club, grab your left/hand wrist with your right hand.
Left-handers need to do the opposite.
Assume your golf stance and take the position to the top of the backswing.
Hold it.
Repeat.
Keep doing it until it's ingrained.
The drill helps you develop a one-piece backswing and position the club at the top, so you can deliver the club back to the ball squarely at impact.
This drill and the plane drill are compliments of Jim Mclean, the noted golf teacher.
While great mechanics are critical, the real keys to a sweeter swing are plane, face, centering, and radius.
This week we discussed plane and face.
Next week, we'll talk about centering and radius.
Developing a great swing depends on mastering these common denominators.
Work on the drills discussed above and you'll perfect them, taking you one step closer to a better golf handicap.
It covers plane and face-two of the four common denominators to a sweeter swing that will help you lower your golf handicap.
Next week we'll discuss centering and radius.
The next time you watch golf on TV, take a close look at each golfer's swing.
If you're watching a PGA tournament, you'll notice that the players all have something in common in addition to great mechanics: They've mastered the real basics of a good swing-plane, face, centering, and radius.
These basics are critical to a great golf swing and sound ball striking.
Fortunately, you don't need great athletic ability to master them.
You just need to practice some simple drills.
Of course, these basics are really just means to an end.
They're not ends in themselves, so mastering them won't automatically lower your golf handicap.
They must be combined with other fundamentals, like having a good grip, posture, ball position, and alignment, to achieve a great swing.
But they're a critical step.
Unfortunately, written golf tips and personal golf lessons don't always cover them.
Below we define two of the four basics-plane and face-and provide drills to help master them.
Next week will cover centering and radius.
Plane: You've probably have heard the term before, but you're not sure exactly what it is or how it applies to your swing.
Plane is defined by the angle your club creates when it's ground at address.
To master accuracy, the club must remain on this plane as it approaches the ball on the downswing.
Actually, most golfers have two swing planes-the one formed by your takeaway and the other generated by your downswing, which is slightly flatter.
Of the two, the second is the most important.
It's the most powerful and direct route to the ball, as I've mentioned in my golf tips.
Coming back to the ball above or below this plane short-circuits your power and causes pulls, slices, and an assortment of other types of bad shots.
Ideally, you want to perfect your swing so that you're always coming back to the ball on plane.
Plane Drill: Place two shafts on the ground to represent the target line and two tees in the ground just outside the target line.
Stick a tee in the grip end of your club before setting up.
Now, address the ball and start your backswing.
At the three-quarter position of your backswing, the tee in the club's grip should point to the target line or out to the tee line.
If the club's butt points past or over the target line, the plane angle is too flat, so you need to do more work to perfect this basic.
Keep working on the drill.
Face: Face is another key swing basic.
To be a great ball striker, you must rotate the clubface to square it at impact.
Most players don't rotate the clubface enough on the downswing to do this or they rotate it much too late.
You must start rotating the clubface just before impact and finish just after it.
To test oneself, take a practice swing without a ball and stop just after the impact.
Your glove hand should be below your non-glove hand just after impact.
If it's not, you must rotate the clubface more.
Face was a major concern of Jack Nicklaus when he played on the tour.
So he used a simple technique to square his clubface at impact, one I've written about in my golf tips and discussed in my golf lessons.
He turned the clubface's toe past the heel at impact to draw the ball from left to right.
He felt that having the toe beat the heel to the ball encourages the clubface to close through impact.
Jack's tip helps you not only square your clubface, but also shape your shots and eliminate a slice.
Face Drill: The face drill is one that you can easily do at home.
Without a club, grab your left/hand wrist with your right hand.
Left-handers need to do the opposite.
Assume your golf stance and take the position to the top of the backswing.
Hold it.
Repeat.
Keep doing it until it's ingrained.
The drill helps you develop a one-piece backswing and position the club at the top, so you can deliver the club back to the ball squarely at impact.
This drill and the plane drill are compliments of Jim Mclean, the noted golf teacher.
While great mechanics are critical, the real keys to a sweeter swing are plane, face, centering, and radius.
This week we discussed plane and face.
Next week, we'll talk about centering and radius.
Developing a great swing depends on mastering these common denominators.
Work on the drills discussed above and you'll perfect them, taking you one step closer to a better golf handicap.
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