What if my swing plane isn’t neutral?

What if my swing plane isn’t neutral? Here’s how to figure out if your plane isn’t on a neutral plane, and how to fix it

Swing plane is the angle you swing the club around your body. The ideal, neutral plane lets you move the club up and down on pretty much the same angle, which increases your chances of being consistent and accurate.

The more we deviate from that ideal, the more likely we are to create an inconsistent action and hit inaccurate shots. The angle of your shaft reveals your swing plane.

USE A CANE TO REVEAL YOUR SWING PLANE

Place an alignment cane against the handle of a mid- iron so it becomes an extension of the shaft. Take your normal grip and set up with the cane running up past your left hip. Now visualise a line extending straight back from your ball-to-target line.

CHECK WHERE IT POINTS HALFWAY BACK

Swing back until your left arm is parallel with the ground. An on-plane action should see the cane aim at a point on the ball-to-target line. If you’re too flat, the cane will point outside that line; if you’re too upright, the cane will point between the ball and your feet.

ADJUST AND LEARN HOW ‘ON PLANE’ FEELS

If your swing plane is out, adjust your position until the cane points at that extended ball-to-target line. Hold the position to sense how it feels compared with your old move. Then go back to address, swing back and see if you can nd that ‘on-plane’ move.

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