Graeme Bailey is introduced to the Plane Truth, a new teaching method that is emerging as the real holy grail for golf swings.
So what is the Plane Truth? It was devised by leading coach Jim Hardy - who published his first instruction on the new technique in 2005.
Hardy, who has been teaching golf for nearly half a century, came to the conclusion that all golf swings are governed by two fundamentals rather than just one.
So basically the premise is that every golfer in the world is put into just two categories of swing - a One-planer or Two-planer.
Less than a dozen instructors are fully trained in the technique in England, Tom Godwin The Taylor Made performance lab manager at the Wentworth club and Jon Stacey of Rockliffe Hall take me through the plane truth.
"The main thing is that there are no straight lines, that is the big passionate thing - no straight lines, it is a circular action and one is a lot more circular than the other one," revealed Tom.
"One plane golfers have a wide stance and get really bent over the ball such as Matt Kuchar they then really throw their arms behind them, two plane golfers will have a narrower stance and upright body and really keep their arms in front of the body, such as a Ian Poulter.
"You are looking at the players characteristic when somebody first arrives, everyone has a tendancey to be more one plane or two plane - we have to think what is the most natural way for the player to improve."
"One plane I feel is for the masses it's much easier for players to pick up, because there isno timing involved, whilst two planer is very much more about timing," Jon explains.
"We never say one is better than the other, it is about fitting players into one which is the most natural - the one thing we want is to change the ball flight, that is what we want. It is not just about changing the swing type.
"If you have a good two planer, sometimes a coach will try and change him around just because he doesn't like the look of it - but that is not what this is about."
"For us plane truth coaches, we have tool bag of drills, - the speed with which you can affect a players games is truly amazing, you can put people right within half-an-hour," Tom admits.
The joy of this system is that it's for professionals, high handicappers and new players alike - which is what makes it unique, the same system is used for everyone.
Solution
There is always a solution, that is the key - but there are only two methods which every Plane Truth coach adheres too, that is the other point.
If you were taught using this system in England, America, Australia, anywhere in the world, you could see a Plane Truth coach knowing you were being taught the same technique.
Because of this it allows instruction for the modern day through the internet - on-line tuition. If you are set up with a camera, any Plane Truth coach is set up to view your technique and can go from there.
To the average on-looker, like myself, it can be hard to judge, but there are some key ingredients you can look for.
The one-planer look's flatter in their backswing with next to no forearm rotation through impact leading to a shallow finish - like Lee Westwood for instance.
A class two-planer would be Ian Poulter with the classic high hand finish, as the arms swing up and down the front of the body - while a one-planer is around.
The one-planer is naturally more mechanical and sometimes looks a bit funny, where a two-planer is more rhythmical.
The one-planer will have his shoulder and arms aligned in one plane on the back swing - hence the one-planer term.
A two-planer will have flat shoulder turn, with his arms more upright - hence the two-planes.
But the one principle is that you can't combine them - that is the biggest sin.
You are either a one or a two planer, there is no in-between as most of the principles involved contradict each other.
"This tuition has been around for years, the principles are all similar, but is the way you put it into practice - this way you set up the players," said Jon.
"Every player can be set up with their own drill and we can choose to help them if they have a constant problem."
The Truth
But Tom best sums up the Plane Truth: "The point of this is not to make your swing pretty, it is to make it work.
"Everyone wants the nice finish, the perfect swing - but that is not what everyone needs and not what works, we are not going to make golf swings look pretty - look at Matt Kuchar, funny looking but one of the most effective in the world.
"It is about what the ball does - end of story.
"Some of the ugliest swings in the world are the most successful.
Tom further explained: "All bad golf shots come from being too steep and narrow or too wide and shallow, being a plane truth coach we are taught drills that will make a swing steeper or shallower depending what the player needs.
"Once you know these drills and when to give them and it is amazing how fast you can help a player find the back of the ball and therefore hit great shots time after time.
"There are 30 pros around the world who are now using this - Matt Kuchar probably the most successful whilst Stewart Cink is now with it too."
"There is just something wrong," said Jon. "We see so many car crashes - how can you destroy the world number one? It is sacrilege, David Duval got destroyed, Sandy Lyle and Seve got destroyed, Ian Baker-Finch they just disappeared - if Plane Truth was in use, that could not and would not happen."
If your interest in
Plane Truth or would like more information - you can get in touch with Jon at
Rockliffe Hall or Tom at
Wentworth.
