It is well understood that the movement of the hips and lower body are an important part of swing movement, rotation and speed, one factor that is misunderstood is the importance of the stability of the lower hips as you move throughout the swing.
In essence, the lower body is a support system for the upper body and in many ways, the lower body is the braking system for the engine of the upper body. So how exactly does the lower body both move and support the upper body? It’s all in the knees.
Single Plane Backswing Trail knee
As you rotate into the backswing, the trail knee braces the leg so the pelvis can turn. But keeping the knee still is critical as it limits the amount of hip rotation. If the one straightens it can cause an over-rotation and too much pelvis movement.
Once you have reached the top of the backswing with the trial knee stable and hips rotated, the stable trail leg moves your pelvis into the flexed lead knee.
Move into Flexed Lead knee
Once your lead knee is flexed, your lead side has put on the brakes. You must keep the lead knee flexed and in position throughout the rest of the through-swing and into your release. Keep in mind that as your lead knee is flexed your pelvis can continue to rotate into the through-swing.
Lead knee flexed, trail foot down
As you continue to rotate through the ball into the finish with the lead knee flexed and trail foot is down, another limit has been created in the movement of the pelvis. Weight had moved into the lead foot and with the trail foot down and the pelvis limited, the upper body can separate from the lower body and produce maximum amounts of speed. By keeping the lead knee in position and the trail foot down, you have created the braking system for the lower body so that the upper body can generate power.
The rotation of the pelvis, while only 40 degrees rotated closed in the backswing and 35 degrees open at impact (at total of 75 degrees) tends to be one of the most difficult movements in the swing as we age therefore it must be something that you continue to develop and maintain as you get older. (I recommend showing the above photo to your personal trainer and mention that you need to be able to achieve this position). It will also take stress off of your back.
To find out more about the Single Plane Swing in 3D, visit Singleplane3D.com.
Welcome to 2019. We are readying our company for a fantastic year. I wanted to share with you some ideas about your training that you start making some plans to play your best golf this year.
Single Plane Training at a GGA School
Practice is only as good as the quality of it. Therefore, I wanted to introduce you to my training levels where the highest levels reflect the most productive and effective use of tools, time, energy and effort.
The Levels of Swing Training & Practice
Level 1: Unproductive Practice
On the Range
Hitting balls Using ball-results as measurement
Estimating and making Assumptions
Reliance on Feelings
Troubleshooting: Guessing
Level 2: Training Aids and Tools
Using Ball-flight results as measurement
Use of Training Aids
Reliance of Feelings
Troubleshooting: Guessing
Higher Levels of Training / Speed up the process of habit building (Developing Training Routines – all high performers do this)
Level 3: Video Feedback
Using Model as measurement / Comparing on Video
Perceptions and Adjustments
Must have understanding of Model
Must have way to compare directly to model (video)
Focus on Model not Ball-flight Results
Troubleshooting: Matching the Model / Adjust
Level 4: Video Feedback and Use Training Aids (Combine Level 2 and Level 3)
Using Model as Measurement
Perception and Adjustment
Training Aids Allow for Focus on Motion / Ensure correct positions
Focus on Model not Ball-flight Results
Troubleshooting: Using Aids / Video to Measure and Match the Model
Level 5: Ideal Training – Biofeedback with Training Aids with Video
Using Body Motion is the Measurement
Instant Motion Feedback
You instantly Feel as You Practice
Perfectly Match the Model
Focus: Process and Motion not Results
Use Video Feedback Tools
Troubleshooting: Adjust Body Position / Develop Motion, Strength and Flexibility
Level 6: Direct from Coach: Lessons, GGA Schools, Online Coaching
Match the Model
Combine Body Motion and Ball-Flight Results
Use Training / Video and Bio-feedback Tools
Match the Model
Troubleshooting: Refer to Coach for Guidance
Highest Level Training / Maintain / Improve – Make it Stronger
Level 7: Ball Flight Result Practice
Model is mastered – Video is Proof
Repetition is the Goal
Make is Stronger
Troubleshooting: Refer to Fundamentals / Minor adjustments
Level 8: Maintenance and Improvement
Off the Course Routine to Stay Fit and Flexible
Easily Identify if Something is Not Correct
Easily Fix Something That is Incorrect
Ideal Training Regimen for Off-season and On-Season
Occasional Visit / Feedback from Coach to “Check-in”
Obviously the goal is to attain the highest level of practice as much as possible. When I asked Moe why he kept practicing he would confirm his reason, “To make it stronger”. Moe was at level 7 and 8. Interestingly, even though Moe was the best, he kept practicing and knew the importance of repetition.
Do you know the most common question golfers ask us?
“Is there a shortcut to making swing changes and improving my game?”
The simple answer to the question is “Yes!”
The short cut – are you ready for it?….. is all about FEEDBACK.
Most think it is about practice…. but does practice actually help??
Should instructors encourage you to practice?
You might not believe it, but golf instructors debate about this al the time. Many golf instructors believe that you should avoid the idea of teaching the importance of practice – that it takes away from the enjoyment of the game. They argue that the game is about teaching golfers how to play not about teaching them how to swing.
Our position is that you really can’t have fun and play well if you don’t have a good swing. Furthermore, building a great golf swing is part of the fun. We also believe that teaching the golf swing is about helping golfers “shortcut” the learning process (practice), not avoiding it. Let’s explain in two sentences.
Golfers struggle and get frustrated (and score badly) because they are unskilled.
Skill is acquired through practice.
All skills require practice and we can’t think of a game that requires more practice than golf. This might explain so many are frustrated with the game and why in recent years, more have quit the game then started new. It simply takes too long to get good. The question we should be asking is not whether we should be teaching golfers to practice but rather how can we help them learn to practice correctly and effectively and get better faster…
Don’t take my word for it, listen to Dan Coyle, author of the book The Talent Code. Dan, who researched talent hotbeds describes the acquisition of talent in three important processes:
• Deep Practice–Everyone knows that practice is a key to success. What everyone doesn’t know is that specific kinds of practice can increase skill up to ten times faster than conventional practice.
• Ignition–We all need a little motivation to get started. But what separates truly high achievers from the rest of the pack? A higher level of commitment—call it passion—born out of our deepest unconscious desires and triggered by certain primal cues. Understanding how these signals work can help you ignite passion and catalyze skill development.
• Master Coaching–What are the secrets of the world’s most effective teachers, trainers, and coaches? Discover the four virtues that enable these “talent whisperers” to fuel passion, inspire deep practice, and bring out the best in their students.
These three elements work together within your brain to form myelin, a microscopic neural substance that adds vast amounts of speed and accuracy to your movements and thoughts. Scientists have discovered that myelin might just be the holy grail: the foundation of all forms of greatness, from Michelangelo’s to Michael Jordan’s. The good news about myelin is that it isn’t fixed at birth; to the contrary, it grows, and like anything that grows, it can be cultivated and nourished.
The way we see it is that you don’t need to practice harder, you need to practice smarter get help along the way. We can relate to these three factors in my experience as well.
In our experience the students who are the most willing to practice and enjoy the process have the most success.
Deep practice is getting into the place where real learning occurs. This is where feedback happens and feelings are well….felt. Let me give you an example.
In a recent school, we had been sitting in the meeting room for about an hour. One student asked “when are we going to hit some balls on the range?” We responded with a question, “We will let you hit balls on the range when you can reassure me that you are measuring and getting feedback on every swing. Are you able to do that?”
The reason we have a great golf swings is not because we are more talented than any of our students. We have simply spent more quality time working on my golf swing. It come down to the quality of your practice, now how much you practice.
We put in the quality then I made is stronger with repetition. Most students put in the repetition but not the quality.
Our teaching habits have changed over the years. We find it almost impossible to watch people practice ineffectively. We start to get nervous and we usually jump in and stop it. We then ask “what are you working on” and “how do you know if you are getting it?”.
We are now heading into 2022. You have a choice. You can go another year wishing your golf game improved and guessing at the outcomes or you can make a transformation in your approach. This is what we are suggesting is that you take a giant leap by making some major changes. You can do this by understanding Dan Coyle’s three principles of talent. Learn how to Deep Practice, Get Passionate about it and Get Help from a Master Coach.
Now take some action on these principles and get practicing – correctly.
To find out more about how to practice correctly, deep practice and your short cut to improvement – please see: CLICK HERE
If you answered yes to these questions then you have a great golf swing inside of you right now. You simply have to get it out. This is why I developed Single Plane 3D. To get it out faster.
What is Single Plane 3D? To put it plainly, the Single Plane 3D system is like having a coach with you every time you move your body. When you move incorrectly, the Single Plane 3D system notifies you producing visual and audio signal – in realtime.Realtime biofeedback when you practice is revolutionary and unlike any practice you have ever experienced because unless a coach has moved your body for you – you have never really experienced biofeedback.
Single Plane 3D Torso Sensor
The 3D system places a sensor on your torso and your pelvis to measure the position of the body relative to Turn, Bend (forward) and sideband (sideways). When you wear the sensors, the sensors indicate whether you are in the correct position. If not, arrows will indicate whether you are incorrectly positioned. When you match the model of the Single Plane Swing, you will hear a TONE that indicates perfect positioning. This is all happening while you move in realtime.
I developed the 3D system to solve the problem of practicing incorrectly. It dramatically improved the quality of my practice which, in turn, sped up the process and became part of my practice regimen.
This is the regimen and checks that I use to improve and stay on track.
Movement Practice
You simply can’t move correctly enough. Moe would often say “Hit your positions, hit your positions”. You must practice moving into your Single Plane swing positions. To practice my movement I am always moving into my swing positions starting at address. You can do this with or without a golf club or with a Single Plane Trainer. I make sure that even if I am not hitting golf balls on the range, I get a few reps of movement practice in each day. The Single Plane 3D system works you through each position of the golf swing and gives you biofeedback on whether you are hitting your positions.
Heavily Focus on Address
Measuring the Single Plane Address in #D
Moe would often say “If you haven’t got a good address, you haven’t got anything”. The address position determines how you initiate your movement. It also determines the initial path of the golf club. If you make a mistake at address, you must compensate for it somewhere in the golf swing. The golf swing is moving too fast to make adjustments and without a great address, you can never be a good golfer. I make sure I practice my address position every day by doing what I call walk-ins. Walk-ins are when I step into my address position before I hit a shot. No only am I developing my address position, but I am also getting a feel for when to pull the trigger before I hit the shot. This is one of my favorite exercises with the Single Plane 3D system.
Position 1 is key
Over two thirds of the body’s backswing movement occurs from Address to position 1. I call it “The First Move”. The first move looks simple and most people take it for granted and get it wrong. I know personally that if I don’t execute the first move correctly, it throws off the timing of my entire swing.
Rehearse Impact (Position 4)
You must have a way to feel can rehearse the perfect impact position. I’m not talking about hitting balls but rather making sure you can put your body into the positional moment of impact where you trail foot is down, the lead knee is flexed and your body is tilted and rotated correctly with your trial arm bent. You should be able to put yourself into this position and hold it for a few seconds. If your body hasn’t learned the impact position, it will be unlikely that you will hit this position when you swing in full speed. You can also practice impact with a leverage bag and club. Impact is the one of the first metrics I measure with the Single Plane 3D system.
The Finish Position (Position 6) is a Bellweather
If you can’t reach the finish position, you will most likely miss impact. This is something I learned from developing the Single Plane 3D system. I found that people had the most trouble with the finish position because this position requires the most amount of differential between the upper and lower body. This differential is called separation where the upper body rotation separates from the lower body rotation. I continually practice this position without a golf club to develop my rotational ability and “free up” my body. When my body is free to finish the swing, I can maximize my speed.
While the Single Plane Golf swing is an easier way to “get it”, it still takes practice and to most people, practice is monotonous and difficult. Now I have a way you can double-down on your practice, save enormous amounts of time and dramatically speed up your learning.
“How long is this going to take? is the most common question I get asked. You have probably asked that question as well. That’s because when it comes to playing golf, all of us want to hit great shots as soon as possible. I am the same way, I get it.
The problem is not that it takes much time to learn the Single Plane Swing but mainly golfers practice incorrectly. I guarantee that at least half of your practice time or more is simply – wrong. Just think how many hours you are wasting by practicing incorrectly. What if you used that time effectively? Practicing the wrong way is vicious circle The more you incorrectly train, the worse you become. This is why most golfers dread going to the range – because it’s not fun and most of the time, they don’t get better.
The answer to this dilemma is exactly why I developed Single Plane 3D – the only way to get biofeedback while practicing – and know that you are practicing perfectly. I dedicated a website to 3D training. You can even see the quantification of the exact rotations, bends and sidebands of the model here:
https://singleplane3d.com/sp-swing-model/
The shortcut to a great golf swing is practice the correct swing perfectly. So do yourself a favor and take a look at www.singleplane3d.com. On the website you will find everything you need to know about taking your game to new levels and learning how to practice perfectly.
If you enjoy Moe Norman stories or advocate his simple golf swing – you will probably be interested in hearing about my Top 5 Single Plane Discoveries for 2017.
Each year I learn more about Moe and his amazingly simple golf swing. What might fascinate me, even more, is how much of a genius he was. His insights about the golf swing were direct and straightforward. His messages sounded crude at the time, but as I continue to do research and dig into his golf swing with modern technology, I am discovering that twenty-three years later, he was more accurate than ever
Let’s take a look at my top 5 discoveries of 2017 and what Moe said about them over 20 years ago.
1) The address position is never square.
Moe said, “It’s a game of straight where everything’s crooked.”
Once again Moe was right on. While we align our toe line to the target and square the clubface, the body is open to the goal. We often call this “square” but in reality, other than the club face being perpendicular to the intended target, nothing of the body is parallel to the target line.
Moe Norman Overhead View
Interestingly enough, when I asked Moe how he aligned a golf shot, he always said: “Line up the club face, aim and fire.” He never mentioned the feet or shoulders.
No surprise here but the backswing is two parts.
Moe is right again when he said “IN and then UP “ when he described the movement of the backswing.
We’ve always taught the backswing this way, but this year we quantified it with 3D motion analysis equipment. While the two parts of the backswing are blended into one motion, data shows that the upper body “separates” from the lower body during the backswing motion creating two distinct movements. It is difficult to see but easy to feel. My latest video “Inside the Single Plane Swing” describes this movement and teaches how to feel it.
Single Plane Golf Swing Top View
3. Inside the SPS is a breakthrough concept. Feel is real.
Moe called his golf swing ‘The Feeling of Greatness” for a reason. It’s all about feel. This became more evident with our bestselling DVD for 2017 – Inside the Single Plane Swing. Subtitled “Feel your Swing,” SPS students have been raving about the latest instruction insights. Based on the concept of standing inside Moe Norman’s body while he moved and felt what he felt, the Inside the SPS DVD allows you to focus on the sensations of motion. The instruction is a “first” of its kind and proving to be one of the greatest of all time.
4. Less is more. Shortening the backswing produces more rotation – go figure.
If you asked any Single Plane Instructor “Have you ever lengthened a backswing?” They would answer with a resounding “no.” Students often think that a longer backswing creates more power. But as science once again proves, golf defies logic.
Quantifiably, a shorter backswing improves the amount of rotation in the backswing to impact total. In other words, when you shorten the backswing rotation, you can rotate more at impact. Together – you can produce total rotation.
A recent student was producing 90 degrees of shoulder rotation going back and only 10 degrees of rotation at impact – going forward. A total of 100 degrees. By shortening his backswing to only 75 degrees of rotation going back, he was able to get 35 degrees of rotation at impact – going forward. A total of 110 degrees.
By doing so, his hands were able to lead, and he produced more speed at the proper moment of his swing – impact.
5. A ball against the wall stops the hips from a fall. (Sorry but I felt like I had to make this one rhyme.)
In describing the backswing, Moe said “Stabilize and Energize” Well, you just can’t energize if you don’t stabilize. That’s because the hip rotation in the backswing is a critical factor to proper spine tilt and body rotation.
If you take an exercise ball and place it between your lead hip and the wall, you can move into your backswing and feel how the bone stays forward as you rotate. I call this the “wall-ball” drill. Again, the wall-ball exercise helps you feel the movement of the lower body as well as the stabilization of the trail leg.
Graves Golf Wall Ball DrillWall-ball is definitely one of the best new drill discoveries of 2017.
Have you seen Sandra Carlborg? She won the Women’s national long drive championship. You can see her Single Plane swing here: Sandra Carlborg on the Golf Channel.
I did a little research and found that she has adjusted her swing to the Single Plane since 2014. Here you can see her swing from 2014.
Sandra Carlborg 2014
If you look at her swing this year (2017) where she wins the women’s National Long Drive Championship, she has lifted her swing into a Single Plane at address.
Sandra Carlborg Single Plane
She hit her winning shot 349 yards. You can see an as significant lift in her hand position creating a Single Plane with her arms and club shaft.
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