The term "swing plane" simply means the path in which your club moves through, from the start of your swing, to the finish.

To get a firm grasp of the swing plane, the next time you hit the golf course with a few friends, take a moment and pay close attention to your partner's swing. Notice the the angle of the club shaft as it meets the ground.

Then ask your friend to go through the movement of the swing in slow motion. You'll see that the angle of the club shaft moves in one constant motion, going behind, down, and ultimately through. This is called the swing plane and everyone golfer's swing plane is unique.

Is There A Best Swing Plane For Every Player?

Although many beginner golfers may believe otherwise, the truth is that there is no such thing as a "best" swing plane. Every player's swing plane is totally unique and different golfers swing their clubs with different angles. While some come in steep, other players will swing shallow. There is no right or wrong.

On the other hand, a player's swing plane can definitely be affected in a negative way. For example, poor flexibility and joint stiffness can become a problem. Many older golf players will display a steeper swing plane simply because they have tight or stiff joints due to age. Younger players have the advantage of being limber and are typically free from any joint problems when playing golf, thus tend to create a more positive swing plane early in their golfing career.

The Club You Use Can Have An Impact On Your Swing Plane

Another factor that could affect your swing plane can be the type of golf club used, due to its size. Let's take the sand wedge for example. This club is very short compared to others, such as the driver, and will obviously have a steeper swing plane. Speaking of the driver, this club will typically have the flattest swing plane of all of your clubs because it is the longest.

So long as you do not permit your swing plane to vary too much when making your swing, a variety of different swing planes can be used with success. If your backswing is a bit steeper than your downswing may be, this is perfectly okay, so long as the differences are not too far exaggerated.

Final Tip: While there is no best swing plane for each golfer, you can certainly achieve a better swing plane for you. A tip here would be to pay attention to your position (set up). Refrain from standing too close to the ball and avoid tilting your upper body too much to the left (right handed golfers). You can then avoid too steep of a swing plane.