Setup / Alignment to D-Plane for Dummies

[Svenster]

First Post.

Hi all, I've been lurking on the forum for the last few months (yep, love it) and finally decided to register and post.

I'm still a little fuzzy on how one utilizes D-Plane knowledge on the course from an aim the clubface, setup/alignment and swing left or right perspective.

I get (I think) that with a driver one sets the clubface right of target and then swings right-er, with a 3 wood it's clubface and swing "right down Main Street", and as the clubs get shorter the clubface is set left-er of target and the swing gets even more left-er.

I've been trying out these tactics on the course lately with fair to middling results.

What I'm not sure of is exactly how much to aim the club face left or right depending on the shot (distance) and then how to align my feet and then my hips and shoulders when setting up to swing.

For the driver should my feet be set up for a draw (and for shorter clubs a fade) and my hips and shoulders aligned to my feet, my clubface or the target? Once set up properly for whatever club I'm using is my swing supposed to change to fit the shot (i.e. swing more in to out or out to in) or should my swing remain the same for all shots?

Sorry if I'm being overly simplistic but when it comes to golf I really need things dumbed down to the bare essentials, esp. if I hope to "keep it in mind" while I'm on the course.

P.S. I'm a lefty but have purposely written the above in "right-ese".

Thanks in advance.

 

[mjstrong]

If you're trying to hit a shot straight, with little/no curve, your face should always be pointed at the target at impact (probably address too).

With hitting up on a driver, to get your path square, your plane (perhaps feet/shoulder alignment) will need to be out to the right a little.

With a short iron, to hit down enough and still have a square path, your plane (again perhaps feet/shoulder alignment) may need to be aimed left in order to help achieve this.

Welcome to the forum. By the way, I'm looking at your city from my balcony right now...

 

[Svenster]

Thanks for your reply and welcome.

I guess the trick is to hit the range and figure out exactly how far right or left to aim the club face and then how far right or left to align my feet, hips and shoulders.

I thought I was utilizing the concept correctly but then I had creeping doubts that my feet should be set up for a draw or fade with my hips and shoulders still aligned to the target or club face at address.

What messed me up the most was with the shorter clubs where I was trying to align my feet, hips and shoulders left of the target, with my club face set less left, while still trying to swing in a way that kept the club face a little bit open at impact. I felt I was at cross purposes.

Btw, I'm looking at my city too, from work. :>)

 

[mjstrong]

If you want to produce fades and draws on demand, you will need to achieve:

Draw - a face that is a little open/right to the target, but a little closed/left to it's path. This would normally involve (for RH) a face that is aimed a little bit right of the target, but feet/shoulders (and resulting plane line) that is aimed a little MORE right of the face - all relative to how you were set up for a straight shot at the target.

There are a lot of great threads on here about the d-plane, with some nice pic examples by Brian.

 

[Ringer]

I did a couple of illustrations about where to aim in your setup. These aren't 100% accurate because of certain variables that come with each club... but as a general rule this works.

 

[Svenster]

I like your diagram.

Please excuse me for being so thick, but what would change in the clubface and body alignments that would result in a straight ball flight rather than a draw or fade?

(yeesh, I probably should have labelled this thread "...for a Dummy" not Dummies)

 

[spktho]

I like your diagram.

Please excuse me for being so thick, but what would change in the clubface and body alignments that would result in a straight ball flight rather than a draw or fade?

(yeesh, I probably should have labelled this thread "...for a Dummy" not Dummies)

Good question. I'm not sure I can answer this 100% correct, but will try.

Normal body alignment stuff like parallel left, club face at the target. Then the swing path must be a little to the left of the target line(due to the downward strike) for an iron with the club face square to the target at impact.

 

[lia41985]

I did a couple of illustrations about where to aim in your setup. These aren't 100% accurate because of certain variables that come with each club... but as a general rule this works.

These illustrations assume that path is dictated by body alignment--definitely not always the case for at least some players. For instance, when my stance is "square" to where my club face points at address, I hit a draw because my path still goes out to the right. Just something to consider. Thanks for the illustrations.

 

[Svenster]

One reason for my confusion was that I was talking to a co-worker who's pretty close to a scratch golfer (at his regular course at least) and he advised that when driving he sets the club face to the target, his feet in a draw setup (left foot closer to the ball than his right foot - parallel wise) but his hips and shoulders square to the target as well.

Obviously one size does not fit all - which I figure is pretty much a mantra here.

I'm thinking that when trying to drive straight I'll have my club face set to the target but I'll probably still have to have my body aligned at least somewhat to the right of the target to enable me to get my swing path out to the right.

Thanks to all for the info.

p.s. I tell you, being a lefty sucks when reading and writing about golf - it's all backwards.

 

[Ringer]

Your friend does not understand the D-Plane and is not abiding by the new laws. If the clubface is square to the target at impact and the club is traveling to the right, then the ball will start fairly close to being on line with the target, and then draw left of the target.

Look carefully at the diagrams again and you'll notice that to hit a draw, the clubface is actually aimed to the right, and the feet twice as far to the right. That will hit a draw that will end up fairly close to the target.

 

[gmbtempe]

Your friend does not understand the D-Plane and is not abiding by the new laws. If the clubface is square to the target at impact and the club is traveling to the right, then the ball will start fairly close to being on line with the target, and then draw left of the target.

Look carefully at the diagrams again and you'll notice that to hit a draw, the clubface is actually aimed to the right, and the feet twice as far to the right. That will hit a draw that will end up fairly close to the target.

One thing I have found is a vernacular problem on the net with the term draw. Most people think of a push draw when they describe the shot, a true draw would have an alignment to the right of where the ball lands.

 

[dbl]

True draw? That seems as clear as mud. Dont' forget lia's path is out to the right though his alignment isn't.

What true draw are you talking about?

 

[gmbtempe]

True draw? That seems as clear as mud. Dont' forget lia's path is out to the right though his alignment isn't.

What true draw are you talking about?

most people who dont frequent message board, read books, know about the new ball flight laws would describe a draw that they aim at the target, it starts out to the right and moves back towards the left at the end. That is not a draw. That is a push draw.

 

[Erik_K]

I did a couple of illustrations about where to aim in your setup. These aren't 100% accurate because of certain variables that come with each club... but as a general rule this works.

Ringer -

Thanks for posting this. A picture really does help.

Erik

 

[duckjr78]

I did a couple of illustrations about where to aim in your setup. These aren't 100% accurate because of certain variables that come with each club... but as a general rule this works.

I may be way the heck off, but looking at this diagram, it seems like the fade is the much easier shot to aim correctly. The lines on the draw are all criss-cross and all over the place, while the fade lines are much more parallel and would seem to be easier to replicate accuratly.

Maybe I am wrong, but it's just what I get looking at this particular picture.

 

[dbl]

Gmb, sorry about asking again, but could say what you mean by true draw? You mainly answered about the push draw.

For me, I don't make a big distinction if it's just matter of where the feet/plane line is pointing.

 

[Ringer]

I may be way the heck off, but looking at this diagram, it seems like the fade is the much easier shot to aim correctly. The lines on the draw are all criss-cross and all over the place, while the fade lines are much more parallel and would seem to be easier to replicate accuratly.

Maybe I am wrong, but it's just what I get looking at this particular picture.

One of the many reasons some people prefer a fade. But of course some people prefer a draw for other reasons.

 

[birly-shirly]

most people who dont frequent message board, read books, know about the new ball flight laws would describe a draw that they aim at the target, it starts out to the right and moves back towards the left at the end. That is not a draw. That is a push draw.

I know what you're saying, but by implication a draw (not a push draw) must then start out at the target and then curve left of the target. That to me isn't a draw, it's a miss.

 

[multi]

I know what you're saying, but by implication a draw (not a push draw) must then start out at the target and then curve left of the target. That to me isn't a draw, it's a miss.

I don't know, when you try to fade/draw the ball, don't you align to the left/right as your "alignment target" and let the ball come back to the end target?

 

[gmbtempe]

Gmb, sorry about asking again, but could say what you mean by true draw? You mainly answered about the push draw.

For me, I don't make a big distinction if it's just matter of where the feet/plane line is pointing.

I will try, if you are standing on a par 3 and the flag is in the middle of the green. You are setting up square square to that flag. You make your swing, if you it a draw then the ball will start out in line with the flag and turn to the left, you will miss hitting the flag. In order to hit a draw that has a chance to hit the flag you have to align right of the flag with the same square square setup.

If you do the same procedure and the ball starts out to the right and curves back to the target then you hit a push draw.

My point was when people see those pretty push draws they regularly call them draws, thats all I was trying to convey.