The swing plane has received a significant amount of attention in recent years, having been a much ignored fundamental in the past. Many modern teaching professionals now spend much more time focusing on this misunderstood swing element. Most people only think of a swing plane as being either upright (like a ferris wheel) or flat (like a merry-go-round). Most of us have seen Hogan’s famous plane of glass image from his "Five Fundamentals" book, where he says the plane should move parallel to the imaginary sheet of glass laying on this shoulders and resting on the ground at the ball, the club never breaking the glass. This, however, is only one possible effective plane, and many great players have violated Hogan’s principle. Jack Nicklaus, Bruce Lietzke and Hale Irwin are only three examples which come to mind. The important fundamental among these players is that their approach to the ball is still from the inside (relative to their setup). This principle of swing path is also a major aspect of plane. For example, if one swings back on too flat a plane (the most common error), and then returns on too steep a plane (the usual result), the swing path will most likely be from out to in, producing the popular slice. PGA professional Hank Haney, among others, teaches that the downswing plane drops slightly inside the backswing plane, producing a strong inside path.

While many factors influence the plane on which you swing (e.g., spine angle, right forearm position at the top of the backswing, degree of arm/body connection, and amount of knee drive), there is a great training aid that can help improve the swing plane without excessive focus on these mechanical aspects. The Dual Track is a plane and path trainer, which can be adjusted to any individual as to the flat or upright preference of their swing. Once set, the player simply swings back along the two guide rails. As the club shaft passes the waist high point of the backswing, the entire Dual Track collapses behind him or her, allowing a full, inside downswing. This unique characteristic actually allows the player to hit balls without the risk of striking the device during the swing.

Continued practice with the Dual Track, especially under the guidance of a teaching professional, will help to develop a correct, consistent plane. The many benefits of improved contact, direction and distance will be well worth the effort.