Golf-Digest-2005-PT-Article.pdf - last caught up

MAY 2005 GolfDigest.com 95

An exclusive look at the controversial teacher you’ve never heard of. His two categories. Both are correct but mixed. Here they are—and how to tell which swing is right for you.

feature key elements that cannot be claim? All golf swings fall into one of new swing theory from the best

ILLUSTRATIONS BY +ISM. PHOTOGRAPHS BY DOM FURORE

Golf Digest Book Excerpt

O ne plane Two planevs.

MAY 2005 GolfDigest.com 97

IM HARDY IS THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE golf-swing scholar you’ve never heard of. I say that with confidence because I’ve worked with all the ones you have heard of.

I lost most of my desire to play competi-tive golf after my father’s death in 1992. It was Jim’s understanding, advice and men-toring that helped me get through that

difficult time and return to the PGA Tour.In 1993 I decided to change my swing from

a two-plane move to a one-plane swing. The article that follows, which is adapted from Jim’s book, The Plane Truth for Golfers, will ex-plain how a one-plane swing differs from a two-plane swing and why you can’t mix the fundamentals that serve both methods.

You’ll see on the next pages that I’ve done the swing sequence for both the one-plane and two-plane swings. I believe that I’m qualified because I spent my early PGA Tour years swinging one way and my later years swinging the other. Though I’ve never had any Nicklaus-like brilliance, I did win twice in 1995. I won again in 2003

at age 49 and then last summer at 50 at the U.S. Senior Open Championship. Al-though I believe I still have plenty of work left to do on my swing, Jim has deemed the experiment a success.

Jim doesn’t hang out a shingle as a teacher, and you don’t see him as a regular on The Golf Channel. So this article, and

his book, is your opportunity to take a les-son from him. I hope you enjoy this impor-tant piece of work. I believe Jim’s swing theories are the most revolutionary since Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons: The Modern Fun-damentals of Golf. Study hard, learn well, have fun, and good luck.

Peter Jacobsen, PGA TOUR

J

What’s the difference?Every time you turn your shoulders around your spine they move on a plane. The more you bend over from the hips, the more vertical your shoulder plane will be. With erect posture and a level turn, the plane would look like a merry-go-round, shoulder high. If bent over at 90 degrees, it would look like a Ferris wheel.

There are only two options for your arms to swing in relation to your shoulders. The arms can either swing up and onto the same plane that the shoulders are turning, or they can swing up and onto a different plane. I call the one in which the arms swing on the same plane as the shoulders the one-plane swing, and the one in which the arms and shoulders move in different planes the two-plane swing.

The one-plane swinger turns the shoulders on an inclined plane and swings the arms across and around the chest.

The two-plane swinger stands fairly erect, turns almost level and swings the arms in a mostly vertical manner.

One plane Two plane


By Jim Hardy

STARTED PLAYING GOLf when I was 15 years old. I wanted to become the greatest golfer in the world. That didn’t happen.

What did happen, however, is the most wonderful life in golf that I could ever have imagined. I attended Oklahoma State University on a golf scholarship, made All-American, and played the PGA Tour from 1968 to 1973. I’ve been a club professional, teacher, television commentator, writer and golf course owner. I built a golf man-agement company and a development company. for 15 years I’ve been a partner in a golf-course design company with Peter Jacobsen. Before that I began an associa-tion with noted golf instructor John Jacobs and, along with Shelby futch, co-founded

the John Jacobs Golf Schools. (Shelby now also runs the Golf Digest Schools.)

Jacobs has a fabulous saying that goes something like this: “ The sole purpose of the golf swing is to produce a correct repeti-tive impact, and the method employed is of no significance as long as it is repetitive.”

Our purpose in swinging a golf club can-not be summed up more succinctly. The method that Jacobs personally employed and taught was what he would often de-scribe as swinging your arms up and down

as you turn your body—two turns and a swish. The arms swinging up and down while the body turned were done on two separate planes. The body would turn on a somewhat horizontal plane, revolving around a fairly erect spine angle. The arms, meanwhile, would swing on a more upright plane as the body turned.

On one occasion, I asked him about Ben Hogan’s swing. His response was short but accurate. “He swung everything on one plane.” That remark, made in 1977, was the gene-sis of a very long search, the search for the one-plane swing.

Along the way, I came to realize that all golf swing techniques, no matter how var-

ied, fell into one of two categories. You ei-ther swing your arms in somewhat the same plane as you turn your body, or you don’t.

If your arms swing up from address to around your body on about the same plane as your shoulders turn, I call that the one-plane technique. If your arms swing up more verti-cally, not in the same plane as your shoulders turn, but on a steeper plane, I call that the two-plane technique. It’s that simple.

Another thing I discovered is that what you are doing in one type of swing, you are doing nearly the opposite in the other. The notion that there was only one set of funda-mentals that applied to all swings was sud-denly thrown out the window.

There are two sets of fundamentals, and they are different. It’s why I say with great conviction: If you are not improving in your golf, it’s probably not your fault. You have been practicing the wrong fundamen-tals for your swing. Eliminating those wrong fundamentals and working on the right ones is the key to immediate and last-ing improvement.

Let’s get started finding out which set of fundamentals is right for you and whether you should be swinging on one plane or two.

One-plane swing swings demonstrated by Peter Jacobsen

ADDRESS: The most critical points of the one-plane address are a bent-over posture, a fairly wide stance and hands under the chin. Peter is working on bending over even more at address.

bAckSWinG: Pay attention to how Peter swings his left arm across his chest, turning his shoulders on a fairly steep plane 90 degrees to his spine.

TOP: Peter arrives at the top of the swing with his left wrist flat (rather than cupped) and the clubshaft parallel to the target line. He has maintained the spine angle estab-lished at address.

HAlfWAy DOWn: This photo shows how the shoulders and upper torso unwind at the start of the downswing, with the arms and club being carried into the ideal hitting slot.

imPAcT: Peter’s torso and his rotating left arm carry the club down the plane line and fling it through the ball. notice how early the clubhead has moved left and back inside the target line.

ADDRESS: Take heed of Peter’s more erect posture, fairly narrow stance and closeness to the ball. This helps promote a more upright swing.

bAckSWinG: Peter’s shoulders are turning on a flat plane, and his arms are moving on a more upright plane or angle. compare his clubhead position here to the more inside move of the one-plane swing.

TOP: note the across-the-line position of the club, common to two-plane golfers. The left arm is more upright than with the one-plane swing.

HAlfWAy DOWn: The hips begin to shift laterally immediately, rather than rotate counterclockwise, or clear as they do with the one-plane swing. The arms separate downward from the right shoulder.

imPAcT: The spine angle tilts more to the right; the arms swing down in front of the body. The shoulders rotate through about the same as the hips. The club has moved on a straighter line, not as far left.

The one-plane swing is best envisioned as a baseball swing to a ball on the ground.

98 GolfDigest.com MAY 2005 MAY 2005 GolfDigest.com 99

Two-plane swingMy search for the plane truth

I

Adapted from The Plane Truth for Golfers by Jim Hardy with John Andrisani, $18.95, 168 pages. Published by McGraw-Hill. Copyright ©2005 by Jim Hardy.


sequence: yasuhiro tanabe

MAY 2005 GolfDigest.com 101100 GolfDigest.com MAY 2005

The choice is yoursWhy you should commit to improving your technique. Plus, the critical factors for determining whether you are a one-plane or two-plane swinger

HERE ARE TWO DISTINCTLY different sets of fundamen-tals that govern the two types of swings. If you are using one type of swing and

suddenly introduce an element from the other type, a breakdown occurs. The swing that used to work for you (at least most of the time), now does not work.

Once you determine which swing type you use, then you will discover the funda-mentals that pertain to your swing method. When you learn to discard those elements that do not fit your style and adopt those that do, you can begin to practice effectively. If you are practicing only those things that will be successful for you, then you cannot fail to improve.

On the following pages we’ll explore both swings along with a specific set of fundamentals governing each. Right now, though, I want to give you some of the in-dividual characteristics for the two swings so you can choose the best swing tech-nique for you.

The first of those traits is that the two-plane swing is more upright than the one-plane swing. This is very important. To get an idea of the characteristic differ-ences between the upright swing type and the flatter swing type, imagine a car tire as it stands upright. The tire tread touches the ground the least amount in this vertical position. Now imagine the tire lying almost on its side. You can ob-serve that more of the tire touches the ground in this more horizontal position. The upright tire has in golf terms an un-forgiving impact area. If a club were swung in this manner it would be going down one instant and then back up the next instant. The tire visual shows you how the two-plane swing, which is some-

what upright, tends to lack width and is a little too steep and too narrow. Con-versely, the leaned-over tire shows the attributes of a one-plane swing that tends to be too wide and too shallow. Remem-ber these traits because they will figure prominently in your understanding of the two sets of fundamentals.

Another characteristic of the two swing types is how they make the plane. The one-plane golfer forms his plane by bending over, with the shoulders, arms and club swinging around the bent over spine on the same plane.

When you bend over, your shoulders and hips are not in the same plane. Your

hips are on top of two vertical pegs (your legs) while your shoulders are going to turn around an inclined plane. When you turn these two body parts, you are actu-ally turning them to a degree against each other. This windup is a source of tremen-dous power, but does require strength and flexibility to achieve. furthermore, this winding and unwinding of power in the trunk of the body requires fairly strong legs as well to stabilize the swing.

The two-plane swing involves doing two things simultaneously that produce the plane. The up-and-down swinging arms are on a plane to drive a tent peg into the ground. The shoulders are on a plane to hit a baseball waist high. There is a

compromise between the vertical arm swing and the horizontal shoulder turn. If you move your arms up in front of you at exactly the same time and rate as you turn your shoulders, you will be in the perfect position. To accomplish this, good timing, tempo and rhythm are paramount. This should tell you that if you are considering the two-plane method, you must have a good sense of timing and rhythm.

In making the choice, you must also as-sess your hand-eye coordination, flexibil-ity and athletic ability. Specifically:

■ If you are aggressive and strong in the chest, abdominals, back and shoulders, the one-plane swing will suit you better.

■ If you lack body or arm strength, but

are flexible and coordinated, the two-plane action should be your choice.

Which method will allow a golfer to hit the ball the farthest? It depends. The one-plane swing is powerful because the upper body recoils explosively from the tensed condition of the lower spine at the top of the backswing. The two-plane swing also produces great distance; the karate-chop motion of the arms is a powerful lever. It requires great timing to maximize dis-tance, whereas the one-plane swing re-quires a fairly high degree of elasticity, especially in the midsection. If you are not in good condition or are getting up there in years, chances are you will get more power, as well as overall effective-ness, from the two-plane action.

In the end, it does not matter to me whether you choose to become a one-planer or a two-planer. What does matter is this: Work only on the personal funda-mentals geared to your type technique. Turn the pages to see a side-by-side com-parison of these basics.

As Tiger Woods’ swing continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see whether he eventually becomes a one- or two-plane swinger. At the time this photo was taken, in 2004, Tiger had ele-ments of both methods in his swing: a perfect one-plane spine angle and body turn, with a two-plane left-arm position. J.H.

This photo shows how Hogan’s club, left arm and shoulders are on the same plane. Other one-planers: Ernie Els, michelle Wie, chad campbell and Sam Snead.

OnE-PlAnER: Ben hoGAn

Watson exhibits all the traits of the classic two-planer. Other good pro examples include Davis love iii, David Toms, Hale irwin and karrie Webb.

TWO-PlAnER: ToM WATson

What plane is Tiger on?

T


HOGAN: HISTORIC GOLF PHOTOS • wATSON: STePHeN SzuRLej • wOOdS: j.d. CubAN

MAY 2005 GolfDigest.com 103102 GolfDigest.com MAY 2005

STAncEModerate to wide stance, with the distance between your heels at least as great as the width of your shoulders when using the driver. The feet are aligned and parallel to the target line, or slightly closed. The left foot should angle out 30 to 45 degrees toward the target. The hips and shoulders are square to slightly open. WARninG: Do not use a one-plane action while playing from an open stance. This will force you to move the right hip in an incorrect pushing manner to start the downswing. This hip movement at the expense of a free shoulder turn can lead to back problems.

GRiP

Strong Weak

A neutral to strong position, with the palms facing and in a position in which you can see at least two but no more than three knuckles on the left hand. WARninG: Do not attempt to develop a one-plane swing action while using a weak grip. A weak grip is one in which the back of the left hand directly faces the target.

GRiPA neutral to weak position, with the palms matching and in a posi-tion in which you can see at least one knuckle (but no more than two) on the left hand. WARninG: Do not try to develop a two-plane action while using a strong grip, i.e., a grip in which the back of the left hand points some-what upward and one in which you can see three knuckles on that hand.

WEiGHTon full shots, keep your weight evenly balanced, 50 percent on each foot with the weight toward the balls of your feet. WARninG: Do not put more than 50 percent of your weight on your left foot, particularly when playing the driver and fairway woods. Doing so will result in a steeper hit and a loss of power.

WEiGHTPlace about 60 percent of your weight on your right foot and 40 percent on your left for normal full shots. WARninG: Do not put more than 60 percent of your weight on your rear foot, particularly on short-iron shots, because it will increase the likelihood that you will hit fat or thin.

STAncEModerate to narrow stance width. The dis-tance between the heels is slightly more narrow than the outside width of the shoulders when hitting a driver. The feet are aligned parallel to the target line or slightly closed. The left foot is set square to the target line, with the right foot square to that line. The hips and shoulders are square or slightly open to the target line. WARninG: Do not set up with a wide stance. This promotes a stronger use of the body than is desired in the two-plane swing.

Getting setThese fundamentals govern golf’s starting position for your type of swing

One plane Two plane

bAll POSiTiOnThe ball should be farther from the feet for the one-plane player. Ball position in relation to the feet should be opposite the left heel or instep for a driver, dead center or slightly ahead of center for middle irons, and middle or slightly right of center for short irons and wedges. WARninG: Do not stand too close to the ball. This will force you to swing your arms on a steep plane, one that your shoulder turn could only match by tilting rather than turning.

POSTUREBend over more from the spine, at least 35 to 45 degrees forward from vertical. Taller golfers will bend more than shorter players. A line drawn down from the shoulders should point just outside or beyond the toes. When viewed from the front, the spine should appear perfectly straight, the shoulders directly over the hips. WARninG: Do not tilt your spine to the right at address. Doing so will create unnecessary width on the backswing.

bAll POSiTiOnThe ball should be slightly closer to the feet for the two-plane player. As with the one-plane swing, ball position in relation to the feet should be opposite the left heel to the instep for a driver, dead center for middle irons, and slightly right of center for short irons and wedges. WARninG: Do not position the ball too far from your feet. When the ball is too far away, the arms will swing on too flat a plane than needed for the two-plane swing.

POSTUREspine is more erect, bent toward the ball by no more than 20 degrees from vertical. shorter players will be slightly more erect than taller players. A line drawn straight down from the shoulders should point to the toes. When viewed from the front, the shoulders are positioned slightly to the right of center of the hips, the spine tilted slightly to the player’s right. WARninG: Bending over too far forces you to turn the shoul-ders in too upright a manner for an effective two-plane swing.

One plane Two plane


104 GolfDigest.com MAY 2005 MAY 2005 GolfDigest.com 105

SPinEThe angle of the spine must either stay the same as at address or increase slightly (tilt the spine more downward and out). The spine stays centered over the lower body, or it may tilt a bit toward the target. WARninG: Do not allow the angle of your spine to raise or go to the right on the backswing.

SPinEThe spine should stay erect through the backswing, as it was at address. WARninG: Do not increase the spine angle (lean forward toward the ball) on the backswing. Doing so narrows the back-swing arc.

Getting goingThe backswing fundamentals of the one-plane and two-plane swing differ greatly

SHOUlDERSThe shoulders should be turned fully, 90 degrees or more. At the top of the swing, a line drawn across the shoulders should point into a zone that begins at the ball and extends up to four feet beyond it. WARninG: Do not let the shoul-der plane point more than four feet outside the ball, or the plane will be too flat.

The left arm swings in and is pulled directly across the chest by the right elbow moving back and up. Both arms swing around the body, toward the rear, as opposed to remaining in front of the chest. At the top, the right elbow points behind the player. WARninG: Do not let the left arm swing above the plane of the shoulder turn.

The hips stay cen-tered in the stance or may even move slightly left during the backswing. WARninG: Do not let the hips turn more than 45 degrees. Do not pause at the top. Pausing indicates you have not coiled your upper body sufficiently against the base of your spine, which will result in a lack of explo-sive power.

ARmS HiPS SHOUlDERSIdeally the shoul-der turn is 90 degrees or more. The shoulders turn on a flat plane, almost parallel to the ground. At the top of the swing, a line drawn across the top of the shoul-ders should point well past the four-foot zone be-yond the ball. WARninG: Do not tilt the shoulders.

The arms must stay in front of the torso, swinging up and down as the body turns. The arms extend away from the target to build sufficient width. At the top, the left arm will be on a plane point-ing to the ball. The right elbow should point somewhat downward. WARninG: Do not let the left arm swing too far inside.

The hips may turn an unlimited amount on the backswing. The hips and head can shift slightly right of center to add width to the back-swing.

WARninG: Do not limit your hip turn. This would limit the shoulder turn because the shoulders are turning on the same plane.

ARmS HiPSclUb

Take the club away to the inside. halfway back, the club is parallel to the target line and directly above the center of the feet. At the top, the shaft is slightly above and behind the point of the right shoulder. WARninG: Do not let the clubface get in an open position or across the line at the top.

clUbThe club stays on the target line longer than in the one-plane swing. When halfway back, the shaft points parallel to the target line and is just outside the toe line. WARninG: Do not get the club laid off (point-ing left) at the top. This makes it difficult for the arms to drop down on the proper plane.

WEiGHTThe weight should be close to centered between the feet at the top of the backswing. WARninG: Do not allow your weight to shift onto your rear foot. This makes the motion too wide and too shallow.

WEiGHTYour weight should transfer slightly more to the right foot at the top. Aim for a 60-40 distribution for full shots. WARninG: Keeping too much weight on the left side creates an extremely narrow arc in a two-plane swing.


One plane Two plane

One plane Two plane

106 GolfDigest.com MAY 2005

Getting downhere are two road maps for swinging the club down into the ball and through impact

SHOUlDERS SHOUlDERSFocus on the left shoulder turning to the left. The turn of the shoulders must be the dominant move starting the downswing, because the shoulders were coiled much more than the hips and thus have the farthest to travel. Keep the shoulders turning at right angles to your spine. WARninG: Do not tilt the shoulders during the down-swing. Tilting the right shoul-der downward or the left shoulder upward leaves the club stuck behind the right side and robs you of power.

ARmSThe arms must stay passive. The left arm remains across and against the chest; the right arm is in its folded and back position. WARninG: Do not make any active movement with the arms other than the rotation of the left forearm in the downswing.

ARmSThe arms immediately separate from the shoulders (widening the distance between the hands and shoulders), driving the clubhead downward in a nearly vertical motion. WARninG: Do not be passive with your arms.

HiPSIdeally, the hips should begin to turn to the left an instant before the downswing be-gins. This move in effect triggers the downswing movement of the upper body. This slight hip movement is the “two” movement in the one-two-three count of the swing (backswing, transition hip move, downswing). WARninG: Do not, as Hogan erroneously advised, turn just the hips. Turn the entire body hard as the downswing begins.

The shoulders must remain passive at the start of the downswing. They should avoid excessive turning and should never tilt (rear shoul-der moving downward, forward shoulder up). To allow your body to turn more through the shot, and widen the swing arc, it is acceptable to allow the wrists to uncock slightly as you start down.

WARninG: Do not turn your shoulders independently of your hips. The turn of the shoulders will blend with the movements of your arms.

HiPSThe left hip begins the downswing with a lateral shift to the left. As the arms swing down, the hips begin to turn to the left, with the right hip beginning to turn outward. This horizontal turn of the hips must be timed with the downward driving of the arms to move the club down on the slightly steeper plane of the two-plane swing motion.

WARninG: Moving the hips faster than the arms causes the arms and the club to go over the top of the ball.


One plane Two plane



PRiOR TO imPAcTThe shoulders are open by 20 to 30 degrees in relation to the target; the hips are slightly more open. The left arm is still across the chest. The right arm is in the process of unbending. The right elbow is just behind the hip, almost touching it. WARninG: Do not force your right elbow onto the front of your hip. This move tends to put the clubhead behind you with the face open—the “stuck” position that must be avoided.

PRiOR TO imPAcTThe arms are more active and not lagging during the body turn. Feel as though you are keeping your shoulders closed as long as possible on the downswing as your lower torso is turning and your arms drive downward. The right arm is just slightly bent. WARninG: If you have raised the spine angle at all dur-ing the backswing, it must be lowered commensurately in the downswing so you are at the correct level at impact.

fOllOW-THROUGH fOllOW-THROUGHThe right arm is slightly bent, with the left arm bent at about a 90-degree angle. Both arms are in a more upright position than the one-plane finish.

WARninG: Do not tilt the spine backward on the follow-through. It

puts too much strain on the back.

Just beyond impact the shoulders will be in their steepest position. Fling the left arm across the chest by the force of the shoulder and torso turn and by the release of the right arm over the left arm. The hips and shoulders should be fully rotated to-ward the target.

WARninG: Do not block with the hand and arms to hold the club on a straight line. Allow the club to move on an arc.

kEy POinT: The one- planer squares the face with body rotation; the two-planer squares the face with a hand, wrist and forearm release.

One plane Two plane

Getting down


Practice drillsswing exercises you can do at home or at the range to help you groove the proper on-plane movements and correct common faults

If YOU WANT TO IMPROvE your golf swing, you have to work at it. The drills here will allow you to take specific steps to permanently ingrain the various swing movements and positions that I have previ-ously described.

Once you understand which fundamentals belong in your swing and practice them, you should see immediate improve-ment in the flight of the ball. I am not one of those teachers who tells players their shots are going to get worse before they eventually get better. I’m cer-tain that after working on these drills and then starting to hit shots as you ingrain each vital move into your new one- or two-plane swing, your progress will accelerate.

One

pla

ne

innER-ciRclE DRillPractice moving your hands over what I call the swing’s “inner circle.” Though the hands are essentially passive in the one-plane swing, they must describe a specific arc

through the impact zone. If the arc of the hands and arms is consistent, then the clubhead will follow a consistent arc or path to meet the ball squarely.

incH-by-incH DRillTake your normal address position. hold a club across your shoulders, and turn as you would to make a complete backswing. have a friend stand behind you along the target line and confirm for you that the club is pointing anywhere from the ball to four feet beyond. If it is, you are turning your shoulders on an acceptable plane for a one-plane golf swing.


O 4 feet



RElEASE-ROTATiOn DRillIn the two-plane swing, there must be a perfectly timed re-lease through impact in which the golfer’s right forearm turns in a counterclockwise manner over the left arm. To practice this motion, swing a middle iron back to hip height, the toe of the club pointing up. Bring the club down while you grad-ually rotate your right forearm in a counterclockwise manner.

stop at impact, checking to see that the clubface is square to the target line. If it is open, you have not rotated your right forearm enough. Repeat this motion to impact until you can return the clubface square to the target. Then continue on up until the club is parallel to the ground beyond impact. The toe should point just slightly left of straight up. ‹›

We tried it

I took up the game as a 12-year-old caddie. Hogan’s book was my

bible. I first saw Hardy on The Golf Channel and

was blown away. I thought, this guy’s finally solved my problem. I’d been taking lessons from someone who was trying to change me from a natural one-planer to a two-planer. I was told to get my arms out in front of my chest. All that got me was an over-the-top move. I do all the things Jim describes as one plane, though I can see I should bend over more at address. I’ll stay with the one-plane swing and not mix methods.

I started playing golf seriously when I came to Phoenix to play for the Suns in 1988. Ten years ago, I couldn’t break 100. Now I’m addicted. I never knew about this one-plane, two-plane stuff, but the way it’s de-scribed makes sense. A guy told me I was too upright, so I tried to flatten my plane. But my problem is I get the club stuck behind me, compensate and hit snap hooks. Reading this, I now know that as a 6-foot 6-inch two-planer, I’ve got to swing my arms down as my body rotates through. Seeing the pictures side by side is definitely a help.

Two plane

One-planerJohn WilliamsAge: 63Residence: Mesa, Ariz.Handicap: 8

Two-planerDan majerleAge: 39Residence: scottsdaleHandicap: 0

Practice drills

Documents

Golf-Digest-2005-PT-Article.pdf - last caught up