Multiple D-Plane Topics

[Kevin Shields]

what kind of success/failure have the teachers on this board had with this way of shaping shots? what percentage of good players does it work for?

I take the Dplane into account more with good players who often swing a little too far right and have shaft lean making it even more to the right. It helps me help them aim and with ball position so I dont have to bastardize their swings to help them swing more left. Alot try to flip the face because they're trying to start a ball on a line thats impossible for them.

 

[ggsjpc]

Off center d-plane hits with woods and irons

Could someone explain to me, or point me to a previous thread, that talks about what happens on off center hits. I'm comfortable with the gear effect idea and the bulge and roll of a wood, but how can an observer tell if some of the d-plane trajectory has to do with slightly toe or heel hits. Aside from that, when a person is dealing with game improvement clubs and can't feel slightly off center hits, how will they know?

 

[burners]

Brian, could you explain more, SVP?

Nicklaus was wrong.

He was fudging and didn't know it.

Any thoughts on "how" he (or Clampett) fudged it?

 

[Brian Manzella]

I did an hour and a half free live show last next....but I'll do some writing today,

 

[ggsjpc]

I did an hour and a half free live show last next....but I'll do some writing today,

thanks for that last night. i wish i could have stayed the whole time.

 

[Bigwill]

what kind of success/failure have the teachers on this board had with this way of shaping shots? what percentage of good players does it work for?

I'm not a good player, future, but I was never able to hit a fade that started left until I learned about the ball coming off mostly in the direction of the clubface. My ball would always start in the direction that the face was aiming at address (face at target, body aimed where I wanted it to start).

I'm not sure how much of this is due to my skill level, but now I aim my face left of the target when I want to hit a fade, and swing left of that, and it works out well for me.

 

[Kevin Shields]

thanks for that last night. i wish i could have stayed the whole time.

Dont worry, I never used to stay the whole time

 

[burners]

How'd he fudge it?

Any thoughts on "how" he (or Clampett) fudged it?

I did an hour and a half free live show last next....but I'll do some writing today,

This was the initial question for this thread; somebody combined it with other D Plane topics and it's gotten lost. If we don't know, it's OK (just want to know). But, curious why this has not gotten cleared up after all this time (35 years). Golf My Way was written in '74.

I thought jake2's ideas about these guys setting up a certain way, but not swinging along their alignment, was right on the money. I call it "helping" the shot. Are their any other thoughts? Anybody?

Also, if you think Jack's method works for you, but you understand ball flight laws, how do you explain? Thanks.

 

[ggsjpc]

my take, logic before science

This was the initial question for this thread; somebody combined it with other D Plane topics and it's gotten lost. If we don't know, it's OK (just want to know). But, curious why this has not gotten cleared up after all this time (35 years). Golf My Way was written in '74.

I thought jake2's ideas about these guys setting up a certain way, but not swinging along their alignment, was right on the money. I call it "helping" the shot. Are their any other thoughts? Anybody?

Also, if you think Jack's method works for you, but you understand ball flight laws, how do you explain? Thanks.

The more accomplished a player becomes, the more it seems to be true that the old ball flight laws work ok. I think this is because the difference between the true path and face becomes very small. When someone has great control over the club face, the old ball flight laws work visually just fine. Working the ball still has a relationship between path and face and that relationship holds under the ball flight "laws" and the d-plane. I don't think Jack and Clampett got it "wrong", they were just fitting the observation to the feel.

I mean, if you want a ball to start left of target and fade back, you can't do it with the face alone. You have to swing/aim left also to get the ball starting left so that shot becomes useful. It's because of this observation, that makes people believe the old ball flight laws. They work fine until you want to hit it straight or if you have real bad control of the clubface.

my opinion.

 

[dbl]

What Jack said (supporting the old ball flight laws) did make a D plane that was at least angled the proper way. However the initial ball direction and the landing area was not what he said. Well, let's be honest, in writing up a book I'm sure he came to have a variety of things in those book(s) which was just other people's blather, not his own. He may not really have had much conscious thought about what he did and what was presented to him sounded "close enough."

 

[ScottRob]

One thing I like about it is that it eliminates the idea that there is such a thing as a push draw or a pull fade. Every curved shot starts inside the path and the landing spot of the ball. It helps me to aim more than anything and to trust the face more than the path.

Just aim properly and get the face to start the ball where you want it, not the path. But working toward a somewhat neutral path will obviously help. Im currently working with a collegian who has tons of delay and a nice downward strike who will probably never truly swing left like we all think left is. HIS D-plane helps me help him to aim his fade enough left so he can adjust the face to point just a little right of his path. Before, he would think it was a big block fade and didnt think he "was allowed" to just aim more left!

I can relate to this! The difference between an "also-ran" and a "winner", when it comes down to it a "winner" trusts whatever it takes to make it work. Trevino did not ask for any permission, did he?