Practice drills: swing exercises you can do at home or at the range to help you groove the proper on-plane movements and correct common faults

Golf Digest, May, 2005

IF YOU WANT TO IMPROVE your golf swing, you have to work at it. The drills here will allow you to take specific steps to permanently ingrain the various swing movements and positions that I have previously described.

Once you understand which fundamentals belong in your swing and practice them, you should see immediate improvement in the flight of the ball. I am not one of those teachers who tells players their shots are going to get worse before they eventually get better. I'm certain that after working on these drills and then starting to hit shots as you ingrain each vital move into your new one- or two-plane swing, your progress will accelerate.

INCH-BY-INCH DRILL

Take your normal address position. Hold a club across your shoulders, and turn as you would to make a complete backswing. Have a friend stand behind you along the target line and confirm for you that the club is pointing anywhere from the ball to four feet beyond. If it is, you are turning your shoulders on an acceptable plane for a one-plane golf swing.

INNER-CIRCLE DRILL

Practice moving your hands over what I call the swing's "inner circle." Though the hands are essentially passive in the one-plane swing, they must describe a specific arc through the impact zone. If the arc of the hands and arms is consistent, then the clubhead will follow a consistent arc or path to meet the ball squarely.

RELEASE-ROTATION DRILL

In the two-plane swing, there must be a perfectly timed release through impact in which the golfer's right forearm turns in a counterclockwise manner over the left arm. To practice this motion, swing a middle iron back to hip height, the toe of the club pointing up. Bring the club down while you gradually rotate your right forearm in a counterclockwise manner.

Stop at impact, checking to see that the clubface is square to the target line. If it is open, you have not rotated your right forearm enough. Repeat this motion to impact until you can return the clubface square to the target. Then continue on up until the club is parallel to the ground beyond impact. The toe should point just slightly left of straight up.

We tried it

One-planer

John Williams

Age: 63

Residence: Mesa, Ariz.

Handicap: 8

I took up the game as a 12-year-old caddie. Hogan's book was my bible. I first saw Hardy on The Golf Channel and was blown away. I thought, this guy's finally solved my problem. I'd been taking lessons from someone who was trying to change me from a natural one-planer to a two-planer. I was told to get my arms out in front of my chest. All that got me was an over-the-top move. I do all the things Jim describes as one plane, though I can see I should bend over more at address. I'll stay with the one-plane swing and not mix methods.

Two-planer

Dan Majerle

Age: 39

Residence: Scottsdale

Handicap: 0

I started playing golf seriously when I came to Phoenix to play for the Suns in 1988. Ten years ago, I couldn't break 100. Now I'm addicted. I never knew about this one-plane, two-plane stuff, but the way it's described makes sense. A guy told me I was too upright, so I tried to flatten my plane. But my problem is I get the club stuck behind me, compensate and hit snap hooks. Reading this, I now know that as a 6-foot 6-inch two-planer, I've got to swing my arms down as my body rotates through. Seeing the pictures side by side is definitely a help.