Hit Pinpoint Irons Using This Single-Plane Swing Tips

How well do you hit your irons under pressure? If you hit them poorly, you’re costing yourself strokes. Hitting poor irons often results from using the wrong swing plane. Mess up your swing plane, and you’ll hit all sorts of nasty shots—shanks, pulls, hooks, slices, and so on.

Using a single-plane swing makes it easier to find the right swing-plane. But you need to make a good transition at the top of your golf swing to hit accurate irons using a one-plane swing. Otherwise, you’ll still hit bad shots.

Below are five keys using a single-plane swing to drill pinpoint shots into the green:

Align your arms and shoulders at the top
Keep front arm tucked into your chest
Keep your trail leg still during the swing
Move your entire body as one
Explode to the ball with all your force

Many golf instructors teach the one-plane swing. They feel it’s simpler to learn because it has fewer “moving parts.” Like many things in golf, the single-plane swing has its advantages and disadvantages. The golf tips below will help you hit laser-like irons next time out.

The key to using a one-plane swing is aligning your arms and shoulders at the top. But you also need to keep your front arm pinned to your chest as you go back. Plus, you need to swing more around your body than with a two-plane swing and keep your back leg still. Don’t lean back on it.

At the top, make a smooth transition to the downswing, while moving your body forward as comfortably as you can. You don’t have to drop your arms and shoulders down on plane as you do with a two-plane swing because they’re already there.

Now execute your downswing by moving your whole body together as one. You can explode with as much force as possible at this point. But keep your arms, shoulders, and club aligned through the swing.

When you execute a single-plane swing correctly, your body provides the power t, not your hands and arms. Work on the moves described above until the single-plane swing feels natural. It can help you hit pinpoint shots into the green every time. That will set you up for more pars and birdies and save you strokes.

Single-Plane Swing Can Help You Boost Ballstriking, Lower Scores

How’s your ballstriking? Are you blasting shots down the middle? If not, you’re not alone. Many weekend golfers are poor ballstrikers. Poor ballstriking, however, can cost you strokes and increase your scores.

If you’re serious about breaking 80, you’ll work on your ballstriking. Boosting it can help you cut scores, dominate courses, and make more birdies and pars.

But boosting your ballstriking is easier said than done. Switching from a two-plane swing—the traditional approach—to a single-plane swing can help. The single-plane swing features a simpler swing motion and is easily repeatable.

That can help you hit consistent, solid shots again and again and again. Plus, it reduces the stress on your body, elbows, and shoulders.

So, what’s a single-plane swing? With single-plane swings, golfers swing more around their bodies than golfers with two-plane swings. That’s because the front arm’s position at the top of the swing matches the tilt of your shoulders when you view your swing from down the target line.

That’s why some swing gurus refer to the single-plane swing as a “rotational swing.” With a two-plane swing, on the other hand, the golfer’s front arm is usually above his or her shoulder plane.

A Single-Plane Swing is More Natural

A single-plane is a more natural swing motion. It’s easier to execute and repeat. It’s a more straightforward motion that results in fewer swing errors. And it’s easier to synchronize your arms, hands, and shoulders during the swing.

Single-plane swings create a slightly flatter ball flight, so they produce draws more consistently than with two-plane swings. Moe Norman and Ben Hogan in his productive years both used single plane swings.

The one-plane swing, however, has its drawbacks. Since a single-plane swing makes it difficult to create a wide powerful swing arc, it generates less power—although some experts debate this point.

A single plane swing also makes fading the ball difficult. Fades are “natural” shots for many players. Many prefer the fade off the tee because it’s easier to control than a draw. Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus both used two-plane swings.

Of course, you may already be a one-plane swinger and not realize it. How can you tell? It’s simple. Stand with a mirror or glass window to your right (for a right-handed swinger). Then, swing the club to the top of your swing then stop.

Now, look at your arms and shoulders. If your front arm is on the same plane as your shoulder, you’re a single-plane swinger. If you’re front arm is above your shoulders, you’re a two-plane swinger.

Single-Plane Swing in Motion

Many experts associate Moe Norman, a Canadian professional golfer, with the single-plane swing. You can still see his swing on YouTube. Experts also associate Ben Hogan’s name with the single-plane swing. While their swings might seem a bit funny, few golfers were as accurate or consistent as Norman and Hogan.

Below are some golf tips that can help you master the one-plane swing, if you’re planning on switching to it:

Keep your head relatively still on the backswing. Don’t get “behind the ball” as you may have been taught in a golf instruction class.

When it comes to swing thoughts, think about swinging around your body, not up and down as you would with a two-plane swing.

Avoid feeling as if you’re pulling with your left arm (right arm for left-handers) through the swing. That’s a normal feeling for a two-plane swing.

On the downswing, turn your body as hard as you can and hit aggressively with your right hand (left for left-handers).

Bend over more at the address. Standing tall or transferring your weight aggressively can impede your swing. So, stick out your butt a bit more at the address.

An excellent way to feel if your bending over correctly is to think of your butt pushing up against a wall at the address and staying there during the swing. Now swing.

But be careful. You don’t want to turn your shoulders at too steep an angle. If you do, you’ll tilt forward on the backswing and backward on the forward swing, as you might do with a reverse pivot.

These golf tips on can help you tame the single-plane swing. They can also help you If you’re already a single-plane swinger. Either way, you’ll need to practice this swing to master it. The question is: Is it right for you?

You’ll only know that if you try it. But if you’re ballstriking isn’t what you want it to be, switching to a single-plane swing might help lower your scores. If you’re serious about breaking 80, switching might be worth a try.

Horizontal Golf Drill Helps You Master Single-Plane Swing

The transition from backswing to downswing with a one-plane swing is critical. Mess it up, and you’ll hit all kinds of bad shots—shanks, pulls, hooks, slices and so on. The golf drill described below helps you master the transition in a single-plane golf swing:

Horizontal Golf Drill

Use a 7-iron for this drill. Address a ball on the ground as you normally would. Now stand up straight and hold the club away from you at shoulder height. Make sure the clubface is square to the target line. Make sure also your trailing arm aligns with the club shaft.

Now turn your body to the right, keeping your arm and shaft aligned. Turn your wrists as you go back, so they’ll be cocked when your backswing is complete. Next, turn your body through the forward swing, rolling your wrists over. You want the clubface s square to your target when you reach the swing’s mid-point.

Keep your trailing arm and club shaft aligned as you reach what would be the impact point if you were hitting a ball. Now, finish the swing in balance with your body turned toward the target, as you usually.

Work on this golf drill until you’ve ingrained the feeling of a one-plane swing. Once you’ve done that, try hitting some balls using a single plane swing. If you’re still hitting bad shots, go back to the drill and keep practicing it until you’ve ingrained the feeling.