[12 piece bucket]

ChrisNZ,

Thank you very much! I needed someone to "state the obvious" because what you pointed out had not been obvious to me! I *was* thinking in terms of looking down at the shaft from my view at address.

The biggest problem that I have with the book and the way that TGMers refer to it is with "planes" in general. There are many different planes and I often see sentences such as, "Turn your hands to the plane, bring the shaft and clubhead to the plane, go to follow through, use on plane hinge action, then swivel to the plane." On plane to WHAT?! I realize that Homer was an engineer, but what would be so terrible about using the terms, "target line" and "club path?"

Oh well. I needed to vent. Golfbulldog, I apologize for somewhat threadjacking your original post. Thanks again, ChrisNZ and everyone else who responded.

teach

Teach,

We can help you clear this Plane thing up . . . The word PLANE shows up in the book and on the forums in MANY contexts. So it is important that you understand the context in which PLANE is being used. You got your "On-Plane", "Plane Line", "Plane Angle", "Bent Plane Line", "Plane Shifts", "In the Plane of's", "Plain Shrimp", "Shrimp Salad", "Shrimp Scampi", "Fried Shrimp", "Boiled Shrimp", "Broiled Shrimp", "Shrimp Burga" etc. etc.

Let's see if ole Mr. K can help you out . . .

PLANE GEOMETRY
We of the Koolaid Stained Shirt live GEOMETRY. The beautiful science of relationships (we ain't talkin' the Dr. Phil kind). It is ALIGNMENTS. It is the FOUNDATION. Plane is first mentioned on Page 2.

1-C GEOMETRY It’s not the theorems but merely the shapes and lines of Plane Geometry – familiar to all – that are used herein. Most useful are lines and relationships that are flat, parallel, horizontal, vertical, straight, On Plane or centered because their precision can be checked visually – there is no question of degree in such alignments.

INCLINED PLANE
From these relationships and alignments we construct our Machine. And like Mr. K said not no wooden dug out rinky dink stump canoe. BUT a BATTLESHIP constructed by many pieces. Our Machine has 3 functions that it MUST control. Say 'em with me now clubFACE!!! clubSHAFT!!! and clubHEAD!!! I can't hear you!!! The ole Hinge Action of an Angular Motion on an INCLINED PLANE.

and guess what . . . per 1-L the Machine Concept A. The Inclined Plane is Clubshaft Control – See 2-F and 4-0 You must control your SHAFT (uh huh). Per 1-L, The Clubshaft lies full length on a flat tilted plane. Your clubshaft basically lays on a ROOF. Some Roofs is steep. Some Roofs ain't. AND your Roof can move . . . But it's GUTTER can't (or shouldn't anyway). The 3rd Imperative is A STRAIGHT PLANE LINE.

STRAIGHT PLANE LINE
Your Roof's Gutter is your Plane Line. And your Plane Line AIN'T always your target line (or Line of Flight). So how do you check if you are on Plane? 1-L says The Clubshaft always points at the Plane Line except when they are parallel to each other. Easy enough. Point the head end or the butt end at a straight line unless the club is parallel to the line . . . the Plane Line not the target line. Think of Lee Trevino and Bruce Leaky.

PLANE OF MOTION
Because you stand to the SIDE of the ball and because of the design of your club. You stand with your head stickin' out of the ROOF. Depending on the steepness of your ROOF (Plane Angle), it just may be your noggin stickin' out. OR if it's flatter, you may be stickin' out from your big ass up. The implication of you stickin' out of this ROOF is that the club moves BACK, UP and IN. From "in front of you" to "behind you." Per 2-C-0, a Three Dimensional Downstroke – that is DOWNward (Attack Angle) AND OUTward (Plane Angle) AND FORward (Approach Angle) You are DOWN, OUT and FORWARD BECAUSE you swing on an Inclined Plane (ROOF).

2-F PLANE OF MOTION All the action of the Golf Club takes place on a flat, inflexible, Inclined Plane which extends well beyond the circumference of the stroke – in every direction. The full length of the Clubshaft remains unwaveringly on the face of this Inclined Plane – Waggle to Follow-through. Every other Component of the Stroke must be adjusted to comply with that requirement
Who's your DADDY? THE PLANE IS YOUR DADDY!!!

IN THE PLANE OF . . .
He said, "EVERY OTHER COMPONENT MUST BE ADJUSTED TO COMPLY." This is where it gets fun. Your BODY (hands, shoulders, the RIGHT FOREARM) must COMPLY to the Inclined Plane. So also in 2-F it follows . . .

That includes the Right Forearm. See 5-0. The player must hold the Forearm in the Feel of the same plane per 7-3, dynamically in-line. Picture the javelin thrower with the right elbow and On Plane right forearm leading the hand toward the target (Delivery Line) all during Delivery. See 6-B-1. The Right Forearm of every Hacker comes into Impact too high – pointing beyond the Delivery Line during Downstroke (2-J-3, 7-3). Study 2-G and Components 5, 6, and 7.

Picture the JAVELIN THROWER. The javelin is IN THE SAME PLANE AS THE THROWER'S RIGHT FOREARM. This assembly, the Right Forearm (not the WHOLE right arm but the Right FOREARM) and the javelin move in a VERTICAL PLANE. So now in your mind . . . just bend that ole Javelin Thrower over (uh huh) at the hips into a golf posture. This is how you want to move this Structure, this assembly, that is your Right FOREARM FOREARM FOREARM Flying Wedge through the ball.

3 BASIC PLANES AND HINGING
Now, forget about the Roof for a second. Let's talk swinging DOORS. What does a door swing on? Uh a HINGE right? Holla! So how many ways could you mount a door? 3!!!!!

1. You got your everyday come on in the house door . . . Hinge mounted vertical to the ground. BUT the DOOR moves in a HORIZONTAL PLANE.
2. You got your Trap DOOR . . . hinge mounted horizontal . . . but door moves on a VERTICAL PLANE
3. Then let's say you mount a door on roof. That's ANGLED PLANE OF MOTION.

3 Types of Doors 3 Types of BASIC PLANES (VERTICAL HORIZONTAL ANGLED) 3 Types of HINGE ACTION

PLANE ANGLES AND PLANE SHIFTS
Your ROOF can change pitch for the situation at hand or even SHIFT. Per 7-7:

Players often – consciously or subconsciously – employ more than one of the “natural” Planes. The Shoulder Planes are the more consciously employed – the Elbow Plane the more – almost totally – subconsciously used. Vaguely or incorrectly defined Planes and Variations must be eliminated. The list is restricted to those of fairly common usage – good and bad. Other than the Right Shoulder positions, only the Elbow reference point has any great general usefulness. The “Hand Angle” is emergency or special purpose application. Wrist Action and the selected Inclined Plane must be compatible – watch especially with “No Wristcock” Strokes.

During any Shift of Planes the Clubshaft is held On Plane with the Plane Line as though the Plane itself were moving to the new location. Other controlled procedures that achieve On Plane Impact may be more difficult but need not be deemed improper. Such as positioning the Clubshaft at The Top of the Plane Angle intended for Release.

10-7-0 GENERAL Plane Angle Variations are classified according to the shifts in Plane Angle of the Stroke path. A shift may be made (1) during the Backstroke (2) during the Downstroke, or (3) at the Top of the Stroke

Hope this helps make plain some of the PLANE stuff.

B