The D Plane - Trackman says aim left if you're hitting down

[Mr. Desmond]

Question: A revelation?

Plane versus Path

How does this affect S&T; on Driver or Pros since S&T; tells us that Pros hit down on their driver about 1 degree.

How does it affect S&T; which advocates a slightly open face on irons at address?

Do we open our stance on irons ... close it on driver?

Or is that why S&T; players position the ball slightly more forward in their stance?

Apparently, Trackman is teaching the teachers - is it valid, and how do we take this to the course?

[jamo]

Are you looking for something like this? [VIDEO]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK8sW5nUFbQ[/VIDEO]

[Mr. Desmond]

Thanks --

I think all three videos do a fine and relatively condensed job -- the Trackman Numbers, lines, and board are enlightening, too.

What I'm looking for are answers -- I have a couple of jobs - and golf is a passion. I've done research --  I need to know how to take this to the range and the course.

(I listened to the same D Plane Explanation by Brian Manzella for 40 minutes and fell asleep .... twice. Apparently, I'm not into drawn-out Cajun. 40 minutes for what took Video #1 - 4 minutes to explain.)

[iacas]

So what's your question or set of questions now?

I've talked about D-Plane a few times. I mentioned it when I talked about hitting up with the driver - I recommended you play a little fade.

The important thing to remember is that the D-Plane is relative to where your base plane line is pointing. If you're hitting down, you're hitting out... but if the base plane line is already 10 degrees left because you come over top, then youth ll have to be hitting WAY down to zero that out.

And I don't really understand wanting to play a shot that goes dead straight. Virtually nobody does, because the ball is always curving away from the target if it has any curve on it at all.

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by iacas

I've talked about D-Plane a few times. I mentioned it when I talked about hitting up with the driver - I recommended you play a little fade.

The important thing to remember is that the D-Plane is relative to where your base plane line is pointing. If you're hitting down, you're hitting out... but if the base plane line is already 10 degrees left because you come over top, then youth ll have to be hitting WAY down to zero that out.

And I don't really understand wanting to play a shot that goes dead straight. Virtually nobody does, because the ball is always curving away from the target if it has any curve on it at all.

Thank you for the link - it helps.

(BTW, I travel a lot ... and don't get to browse when on the road on a daily basis, and as a result, miss a lot excellent threads - I forgot to try the search function - so thanks)

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

Thank you for the link - it helps.

(BTW, I travel a lot ... and don't get to browse when on the road on a daily basis, and as a result, miss a lot excellent threads - I forgot to try the search function - so thanks)

Sure. If you still have a question though, there's no harm in having good information in more than one place.

[mvmac]

S&T; is a push-draw pattern and to ensure for the push-draw hitting down 1-2* with a driver gets that curve. Want the irons to be open a few degrees at address to get the "push" part of push draw. The face is a tool of projection and the ball curves away from the face. Good topic and good for people to understand the D-plane. It's why face angle is not 100% of the ball's initial start direction. For playing purposes though I don't adjust very much. Maybe for short irons or full wedges where you're hitting down the most, can have a tendency to leave shots out to the right, aim a little more left. Or like that driver thread talks about, playing a little fade if you're hitting up on the driver. But it explains why you can have a "square" clubface at impact with a "square" path but the ball doesn't go perfectly straight.

[bunkerputt]

I play with a subtle version of the foot positions outlined in the Hogan 5 fundamentals book:  slightly open stance with irons, square with 5-iron, progressively slightly closed with 4-iron and up.  This is all the adjustment I have to make to keep my ball flight consistent between clubs.  I wish I had stock fades or straight balls.  I play a little push-draw as my stock shot.