Is Below Plane Syndrome more of a problem for irons (say, five and six iron) than it is for the driver? Seems to me that I have more margin of error when the ball is teed up and I don't have to clip the ball off the grass. Plus, the driver requires a flatter swing plane anyway. Is this correct?
Below Plane Syndrome - Question
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DBL,
Solid contact with a driver is not necessarily agreeing that its more of a problem with irons than woods. IMO, BPS shows up throughout the bag (pitching included) but its more of a problem with longer clubs, especially the driver, as it pertains to the scorecard.
Everyone works under it now and again, but missing greens is not nearly as bad as missing the entire golf course.
Just my opinion, of course.
Solid contact with a driver is not necessarily agreeing that its more of a problem with irons than woods. IMO, BPS shows up throughout the bag (pitching included) but its more of a problem with longer clubs, especially the driver, as it pertains to the scorecard.
Everyone works under it now and again, but missing greens is not nearly as bad as missing the entire golf course.
Just my opinion, of course.
adamscot89
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UPS shows up worse with the irons because you need to have a higher VSP to hit solid iron shots and you need to be swinging further left. With the driver you can swing further right and hit good shots as well as have a lower VSP, so the same numbers that send an iron shot into the trees right would produce a little push cut with the driver, however UPS can get worse and worse to where the only drives you can hit a big hooks and what I like to call "snap fades" lol I would suggest hitting some drivers off the deck, it will help your driver and your long irons, hitting a 9 degree driver off the deck, you better not get underplane and swing right or you won't get it off the ground.
vjsinger
New
Dead on!
Kevin Shields
Super Moderator
Just be honest with yourself and dont ignore the symptoms. No divot, curved divots, misses short right and long left, refusal to go away from a strong right hand grip, ball position to far back, cant pitch the ball, would rather have a "perched lie", etc etc....
BrendanC
New
Practise hitting Driver on a hanging lie (ball above feet) . And not a fluffy lie either.
That will tell you.
Ball below surely?
BrendanC
New
Personally - I don't know.
I don't use it much.
First of all - it forces me to swing more 'responsibly'. So if I'm wailing away at driver, and I throw a few on the deck it can put tempo, timing and ensuring a good strike above the 'HOW FAR CAN I HIT IT!' voice on the agenda.
Second, I think it does make me change my swing.
First swing I might get nothing: a very low shot or a mishit, but after a few I start to get lowish shots that start left and then curve right. If I get real good, I can get the odd straight ball that is well hit.
eKennedy - what changes to a swing are needed to hit driver off the deck? Which type of swing would fear this shot?
I don't use it much.
First of all - it forces me to swing more 'responsibly'. So if I'm wailing away at driver, and I throw a few on the deck it can put tempo, timing and ensuring a good strike above the 'HOW FAR CAN I HIT IT!' voice on the agenda.
Second, I think it does make me change my swing.
First swing I might get nothing: a very low shot or a mishit, but after a few I start to get lowish shots that start left and then curve right. If I get real good, I can get the odd straight ball that is well hit.
eKennedy - what changes to a swing are needed to hit driver off the deck? Which type of swing would fear this shot?
Jared Willerson
Super Moderator
I don't think driver off the deck is a cure for BPS....but I do think it helps a golfer swing more left, which can help someone with BPS.
Kevin Shields
Super Moderator
I'll use it to gauge how well I'm swinging but it certainly isn't a cure
Jared Willerson
Super Moderator
That is what I use it for as well Kevin. I like hitting driver off the deck to see if I am swinging well. If it is 25 feet or so in the air with a slight cut, I think it is pretty good.
The same person that struggles hitting 3 woods off the deck are certainly going to struggle hitting drivers off the deck; swing path too far in to out which puts low point behind the ball unless they move the ball back in their stance.
I grew up hitting drivers off the deck (as did Luke Donald) but it hasn't done much for either of our driving...(see 72nd hole at TPC-typical underplaner drive on a tough hole with water left, block cut). Here's the rub...a good player, especially a good iron player, instinctively knows who to make solid contact with a ball on the ground, regardless of ball position. Once the club (in this case the driver) drops underplane (below the sweetspot plane), a good iron player will rotate left and downarch their wrists to compress the ball into the turf, creating a club with very little loft and low left swipe. Not a playable shot, but contact that can be dead center.
From my experience, players that hit drivers off the deck extremely well in competition are already faders of the ball and thus have a swing that is conducive to good fairway woods- slightly steeper swings with relatively open clubfaces.
I grew up hitting drivers off the deck (as did Luke Donald) but it hasn't done much for either of our driving...(see 72nd hole at TPC-typical underplaner drive on a tough hole with water left, block cut). Here's the rub...a good player, especially a good iron player, instinctively knows who to make solid contact with a ball on the ground, regardless of ball position. Once the club (in this case the driver) drops underplane (below the sweetspot plane), a good iron player will rotate left and downarch their wrists to compress the ball into the turf, creating a club with very little loft and low left swipe. Not a playable shot, but contact that can be dead center.
From my experience, players that hit drivers off the deck extremely well in competition are already faders of the ball and thus have a swing that is conducive to good fairway woods- slightly steeper swings with relatively open clubfaces.
BrendanC
New
Martin Kaymer - driver off the deck a big part of his education.
Relative to most players, Luke Donald is a good driver of a golf ball. Suspect same goes for ekennedy.
'Toe up' at impact is a Below Plane Syndrome symptom. Same with delofting the club.
I find you can't swing driver off the deck and get away with having the toe up. Or not releasing it.
Might not be as relevant for very good players but for mid-handicappers who are headed down a bad (underplane, "watch me hit PW 150!") direction it can give pause for thought.
Relative to most players, Luke Donald is a good driver of a golf ball. Suspect same goes for ekennedy.
'Toe up' at impact is a Below Plane Syndrome symptom. Same with delofting the club.
I find you can't swing driver off the deck and get away with having the toe up. Or not releasing it.
Might not be as relevant for very good players but for mid-handicappers who are headed down a bad (underplane, "watch me hit PW 150!") direction it can give pause for thought.
Matt Bryda
New
I agree, not a cure.
Can you do it or maybe come close on the first or second try?
I think it can be used to show someone that is below plane that they are below plane.
I can hit a driver off the deck. What I am saying is that clearly there is a correct way to hit the ball off the deck and an incorrect way. Hitting drivers alone, even if you are making "relatively" center clubface contact, does not insure that you are doing it correctly.
I just didn't want everyone that has BPS running out hitting drivers off the deck as if its a magic cure.
I just didn't want everyone that has BPS running out hitting drivers off the deck as if its a magic cure.
Kevin Shields
Super Moderator
The last sentence I couldnt disagree with any more.
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