The golf swing has a backswing and a downswing. A single plane golf swing occurs when the club goes back on the same plane that it comes down on. If you were standing behind the golfer or took a video from down the line, you could visually see the club go back and down on the same plane.
The great thing about golf is that there are many different ways to produce a quality shot.
If you check out some of the best golfers that ever played, you will find swings that are flat and swings that are steep.
Swings that are smooth and swings that appear to be quick and rushed.
One of the options that golfers have is a single plane golf swing.
Swing Plane Golf Swing: Overview
What is the difference between a single plane and a two plane?
In a two plane golf swing, the plane on the downswing is typically slightly higher. The hands at impact will be at a higher location then where they started. In the single plane golf swing, if you took a slow motion video, you would notice that at impact the hands are in a very similar position to where they started at address.
In the post below, I will dive into some of the additional questions related to single plane and make recommendations on swings to review that are single plane and the best instructors of the single plane golf swing.
Topics include:
- Why do golfers use a single plane golf swing
- Tips for using the single plane golf swing
- What professional golfers use a single plane golf swing
- Best instructors for the single plane golf swing
- Is the single plane the best option
- Drills to help you regardless of swing system you select
Why do golfers use a single plane golf swing?
Many golfers will decide to go with a single plane golf swing because they believe it will lead to more consistent results. We all know that the majority of golfers are seeking a swing that can be repeated and brings consistency to their game. The thought process is that if you can keep it simple going back and through, you will be able to be more consistent.
They are ultimately trying to eliminate variables in the golf swing, hopefully leading to great consistency!
The teachers that promote the single plane will talk about the constituency that can be gained by keeping the backswing and downswing on the same plane, allowing the golfer to hit a consistent shot shape and not have to mess around with the compensations found in many golf swings.
Helpful Post: 5 Different Swing Methods
Tips for using the single plane golf swing
- Setup with your arms and hands in a straight line
- Keep your left arm against your upper pectoral muscle on the backswing and downswing.
- Turn back and through with no lift in arms
- Keep your swing smooth in transition
The key starts with the setup. The golfer should have a straight line down his or her arms starting at the shoulders and leading into the hands. In a double plane golf swing you will see a slight angle between the arms and the hands at the location of the wrist. This straight line sets your arms in place and allows the golfer to turn back and through.
The left arm will lock in against the upper pectoral muscle and the golfer will be able to make a simple turn back and through the ball. The golfer is using more of the big muscles in his or her body and it allows the rotation to create the speed. It can help take the hands from becoming overactive and allow the big muscles to control the consistency.
The next tip is to turn back and through without lift in the arms. As soon as the left arm becomes disconnected and the golfer lifts his or her arms, the plane of the golf swing will change. The golfer will want to focus on a complete shoulder turn back and through the shot.
Finally, the swing, like in any good swing, should be smooth in transition. If the golfer starts pulling the arms hard in the single plane, there is a chance for early extension and the hands moving up in the downswing and not returning to the start spot of the swing.
Helpful Post: 5 Alternative Golf Swing Methods
What professional golfers use a single plane golf swing?
The top two golfers that come to mind are Bryson DeChambeua and Matt Kuchar. Two completely different styles, but both return their hands to a very similar spot to where they started. Prior to Bryson seeking additional speed in his golf swing, he is more of a traditional single plane golf swing.
The most famous person to use a single plane golf swing is Moe Norman. He is known as maybe the most accurate ball striker of all time and could hit shot after shot right at his target.
Check out the differences and similarities before. Some things to check for:
- Location of hands at address and impact
- The plane of the swing back and through
- How the body rotates through the golf swing
Best instructors for the single plane golf swing
I would recommend the following golf instructors for the single plane golf swing.
- Todd Graves
- Kirk Jungle
Both have a comprehensive plan that you could follow if you want to dive into the single plane golf swing. They have plenty of information and free content in addition to membership sites that you might find helpful.
Todd Graves studied under Moe Norman and spent significant time with him, creating a system based on his learning with Moe and the Moe Norman swing. The swing might be great for the person that is willing to go a big outside of the traditional swing and once a reliable swing with excellent guidance from a person that has dedicated his life to teaching the single plane golf swing!
Kirk Jungle has plenty of videos both free and paid for that can help you learn this swing. The major promotion is the simplicity and some will even go with single length irons like DeChambeua does to eliminate one more variable in the golf swing.
Helpful Post: Why are golf clubs different lengths?
Is the single plane the best option?
The way we judge every swing is based on the three keys or fundamentals to the golf swing. I would recommend assessing your game on these three fundamentals below:
- The golfer’s ability to control the low point of the swing. (Clean Contact)
- The golfer’s ability to start the ball on the target line and with a slight draw or fade. (Stock Shot)
- The golfer’s ability to have enough speed/distance to play the course. (Enough Distance)
Ultimate the swing that produces clean contact, a stock shot and has enough distance to play the course is the swing for you. From one golfer to the next, there are going to be swings that work and swings that don’t. My number one recommendation is to pick a system and stick with it for a period of time. Jump all in with the system and learn and practice as much as possible.
The golfer will want to assess their game based on the ability to control the 3 fundamentals above. Whether this is with a single plane or a two plane golf swing, doesn’t matter. It comes down to what works for each golfer.
If you check out the 10 weirdest swings of all time, you will see that it doesn’t always matter what they look like on the backswing and downswing, but the real moment of truth is impact. The positions you are in at impact is going to influence the 3 fundamentals listed above.
Drills to Help You: Regardless of the swing system you use
Poor Contact: Use the Low Point Control Drill
Here the the steps to take to complete this drill:
- Paint a 2-3 yard long line with some yard paint.
- Place the wiffle ball on the line.
- The goal is to have your divot start just on the target side of your line.
- Go ahead and hit shot after shot, working on controlling your low point and your entry into the ground.
- Assess your success rate out of 20 times and write it down.
- Complete this drill daily for several weeks and see if your game improves at the course.
If you start to hit the ball poorly at any point on your golf journey, return to this drill and keep it simple.
One quick tip: if you are struggling to control your low point, go ahead and set up with 60% of your weight on your front leg. Keep your head centered without a big shift off the ball and turn more around your front leg. This will help keep your centers in place and allow you to control the low point. Many golfers struggle with the low point because they don’t get their weight back to their front side early enough and end up casting the club.
Poor Start Line Control or Curve: Use the Stock Shot Drill
Stock Shot Drill
- Set up an alignment stick 6-8 yards down your target line in front of the ball.
- If you have one, set up a second alignment stick 2-4 feet right of that target line
- Go ahead and see how many swings out of 10 you can get the ball to start to the right of the first of the alignment stick. The goal here is to progress to 7 out of 10.
- Practice this drill everytime you hit golf balls.
The key to golf is being able to control your contact and your start line.
Could you imagine a round of golf where you strike the ball solid and 7 times out of 10 the ball starts down your intended target line? This is the ultimate in golf and helps you start to focus on your course management.
You will gain confidence and the consistency that we all seek!
Poor Distance: Use SuperSpeed Golf
I believe many used to believe, well this is just how fast I can swing.
Recent training tools have started to change many minds. We have seen many of the professional golfers get longer and longer with their tee shots as a result of additional swing speed. You will find many touring pros using the SuperSpeed System, which I highly recommend.
SuperSpeed Golf is one option to increase your swing speed through a science based overspeed training approach. In simple terms, you train by swinging a lighter club (20%) faster than you swing your driver. Over time, by training at a higher speed, your mind and body feel safe to swing that fast with your normal driver, resulting in an increase in driver swing speed.
The SuperSpeed System provides 3 different weighted sticks and takes the golfer through a training protocol every other day for about 15 minutes. The golfer can expect to see a 5-8% increase in swing speed, resulting in 20-30 yards for most golfers. The great news is that the 5-8% can be expected as early as the first training session. The additional speed will become more permanent after about 30-60 days of training.
My own experience has been an increase of 7-10 miles per hour on average from between 98-101 all the way up to 106-109. My goal is to hit the PGA Tour average of 113 mph in the coming months. I will continue to train every other day and watch in amazement as I am hitting drivers longer now than ever before!
Phil Mickelson has been known to increase his swing speed in the past year or so and is close to 120 miles per hour in his swing speed. There are potential results for golfers of all ability levels and age!
Check current price on SuperSpeed Golf System, here!
| Original Swing Speed | After 4-6 Weeks | New Carry Distance | Total Distance |
| 95 | 102 | 245 | 265 |
| 100 | 108 | 259 | 279 |
| 105 | 113 | 271 | 291 |
| 110 | 118 | 283 | 303 |
Next Steps: Find Your Swing
Whether it is a single plane or two plane swing, stick with a system and go with it! Utilize the drills found right above and get to work. Try to practice as frequency as possible and consider a launch monitor for immediate feedback on these vital numbers!
Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better
What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:
1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:
Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:
2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options:
Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:
3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. Here is a series on breaking through:
We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.
4 – Practice Frequently
Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system? It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:
- Is a Golf Simulator Worth It?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator?
- What is the Best Golf Simulator?
- Golf Simulator Accessories?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for under $7000
- Top 11 Reasons to Buy a SkyTrak
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for Under $1000
- Why Build A Golf Simulator?
- What Space is Needed?
- Can A Golf Simulator Improve My Game?
- How Much Does A Golf Simulator Cost?
- Don’t Forget to Check out our 15 best golf swings of all time.