Golf Swing Plane Drills – How to Swing Better
There is one name you are most likely familiar with: Ben Hogan. The reason I am mentioning him is the swing plane. He held the importance of swinging on or under the plane very high. That way your ball hitting improves and makes the swing better. The golf swing plane drills below will help you to get there.
You might be wondering what the plane is. Hogan imagined it as a glass surface that goes parallel with your golf club shaft at the initial swing setup.
If you pay attention to professional golfers, all of them swing on the plane or under the plane. When you swing above the plane, the results are usually not the best.
The main benefit of swinging on or under the plane is better contact with the golf ball. It also means that you have shallowed your club on the downswing.
If you are swinging that way already, you are doing the right thing. In case you are not, some of these drills could help you to get there.

Swing Under the Alignment Stick Drill
When you are looking for swing plane drills there is no other one that shows up as often as this drill. It is a simple and efficient drill that will help you both shallow your club on the downswing and swing from the inside out. All you need is an alignment stick with or without a pool noodle on it. Another option can be placing one of your club headcovers on the stick.
Nonetheless, there is a downside to this drill. To do it properly you need to place the alignment stick in the ground. That means you have to be at a driving range where you hit the balls off the grass. No artificial turf will work in this case. Assuming that you do have access to such a practice facility, here is how you do the drill.
- Put the stick into the ground at a 45 degrees angle, facing you
- It should be placed parallel to the outside of your trail foot
- The end of the stick (pool noodle or headcover) should be about your wrist high
- When you make a swing your club should go under the stick
- You will get instant feedback while doing the drill
- If you hit the stick on the downswing, it means you have to adjust your swing
Two Golf Balls Drill
This drill can be done with another golf ball or any object that you can place outside of the golf ball you are hitting. Just make sure the object is light enough so it does not break your club or hurt you if you hit it. The main objective of this drill is for you to check if you are swinging from outside in so you can fix it.
If you are swinging on or under the plane you either have a neutral swing path or you are swinging from inside out. This way you can find that out and make the necessary adjustments. The drill can be done anywhere where you can swing a club. In case you are doing it at home make sure you are hitting foam or whiffle balls and have room to swing a club.
- Place another golf ball about two inches outside of the ball you are hitting
- Make sure you have enough room for the club to hit your ball without hitting the other one
- Swing and hit the golf ball without touching the other one
- In case you hit the other golf ball in the process, some adjustment is needed
Swing the Club Loosely Drill
Unlike the other drills, for this one, you do not need anything except your club. It is a very simple drill designed to give you a feeling for your club’s natural swing motion. That way you can see what the natural swing path looks like so you can transfer it into your full swing. You can do it anywhere you want.
- Grip your club more loosely that you usually do
- You can set up in your regular swing position
- Start slowly swinging the club in one single motion
- Do shorter swings with the club continuously swinging from your trail to your lead side
- Repeat that more times to get the feel of the club path
Do the Same Groups of Drills at a Time
When it comes to golf practice the most efficient way is to do related drills at a single time. That way you are focusing only on one area you want to work on. It will help you to improve faster since you are not mixing different types of drills. Make a practice plan and stick to it in order to maximize the results.
Practicing with a purpose will always generate better results compared to just going to the range and hitting balls. Whenever you do go to the range choose one part of your swing you want to work on. No matter which types of drills you are doing, it will take some time to see proper results. Have some patience, be persistent, and your hard work will pay off.
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