Basic question(s) from Newbie

[cmk6234]

I am a newbie here and have been finding the info very interesting. I have been playing for 20 plus years and was pretty much self taught until a year or so ago. For a number of years my game stayed pretty much the same (leveling off in the upper single digits). I wanted to break through the plateau so I went to see a local pro. He has mostly worked on just two things: (i) reducing the movement (i.e., lateral sway/slide) in my lower body and (ii) getting my downswing “on plane.” The work on my excessive lower body movement has been very helpful. However, I have some questions about my pro’s idea about the swing plane. I do not have much knowledge of TGM so I apologize in advance for not being able to describe my concerns/questions in TGM terminology.

In video from down the line my pro draws a line from the club head up the club shaft and back from there. On the downswing and at impact he wants the club to be below or on the original shaft line--never above it. Is this a correct way to view/describe an on-plane swing? I have struggled with this and other than telling me to focus on the back inside corner of the ball and swing toward “right field” the pro has not given me a whole lot of ideas on how to fix this. If returning the club on the original shaft line is the goal does anyone have suggestions to get there if my tendency is to be a bit above that line?

 

[jbrunk]

I am a newbie here and have been finding the info very interesting. I have been playing for 20 plus years and was pretty much self taught until a year or so ago. For a number of years my game stayed pretty much the same (leveling off in the upper single digits). I wanted to break through the plateau so I went to see a local pro. He has mostly worked on just two things: (i) reducing the movement (i.e., lateral sway/slide) in my lower body and (ii) getting my downswing “on plane.” The work on my excessive lower body movement has been very helpful. However, I have some questions about my pro’s idea about the swing plane. I do not have much knowledge of TGM so I apologize in advance for not being able to describe my concerns/questions in TGM terminology.

In video from down the line my pro draws a line from the club head up the club shaft and back from there. On the downswing and at impact he wants the club to be below or on the original shaft line--never above it. Is this a correct way to view/describe an on-plane swing? I have struggled with this and other than telling me to focus on the back inside corner of the ball and swing toward “right field” the pro has not given me a whole lot of ideas on how to fix this. If returning the club on the original shaft line is the goal does anyone have suggestions to get there if my tendency is to be a bit above that line?

Is your tendency to hook or slice?

 

[cmk6234]

My iron misses are hooks and my driver misses are pushes and hooks.
Thanks

 

[fronesis]

My iron misses are hooks and my driver misses are pushes and hooks.
Thanks

I'm no expert, but what you say here seems, to me, to call into question your pro's desire to get you to 'swing to right field'. If these are your misses, it sounds to me like you are already swinging right. Trying to swing more to the right would certainly not fix your pushes and hooks.

 

[jbrunk]

My iron misses are hooks and my driver misses are pushes and hooks.
Thanks

Hooks and pushes are a result of being too underplane (too much to right field). I used to hit hooks and pushes as well and had to learn an over the top feel to get my plane straightened out. You want a plane that goes inside-to square-to inside (an arc). You can't do that if you are underplane.

I don't know much about line drawing programs, but if your instructor is trying to cure your plane by being under it, and your tendency is to hook, I would question that.

Stick around and do some searches for hooking, swinging underplane, swing too much to right field etc.....

If you are so inclined, "Never Hook Again" is one of Brian's priceless videos.

 

[JamesBurg]

You should not think of an inside-out swing as swinging to "right field". Think of it as swinging to "right center field".

 

[pecky987]

I am a newbie here and have been finding the info very interesting. I have been playing for 20 plus years and was pretty much self taught until a year or so ago. For a number of years my game stayed pretty much the same (leveling off in the upper single digits). I wanted to break through the plateau so I went to see a local pro. He has mostly worked on just two things: (i) reducing the movement (i.e., lateral sway/slide) in my lower body and (ii) getting my downswing “on plane.” The work on my excessive lower body movement has been very helpful. However, I have some questions about my pro’s idea about the swing plane. I do not have much knowledge of TGM so I apologize in advance for not being able to describe my concerns/questions in TGM terminology.

In video from down the line my pro draws a line from the club head up the club shaft and back from there. On the downswing and at impact he wants the club to be below or on the original shaft line--never above it. Is this a correct way to view/describe an on-plane swing? I have struggled with this and other than telling me to focus on the back inside corner of the ball and swing toward “right field” the pro has not given me a whole lot of ideas on how to fix this. If returning the club on the original shaft line is the goal does anyone have suggestions to get there if my tendency is to be a bit above that line?

you find most pros only know to draw the shaft line, and they think you should impact the ball on that angle. they also think that to hit inside out, you got to be lower than that angle.

the shaft plane at address means little or nothing. unless like sergio and ben hogan, you set up on a plane to start with.

if you're hitting blocks and hooks, i'd avoid swinging 'to right field'. you really want to be above it, with your right forearm in-line with the shaft. to me, i'd say thats 'on-plane' in most cases.

nb - i know there are some who dont, but most do

to solve this problem, as i have had it as well and recently, i try to feel i dont move much to the right in the backswing, swing steeper in the downswing, almost feeling a 'over the top' move in transition. Jim Kobylinski told someone else to do something with a wooden board in another thread. try that