A 3-D DETERMINATION AND ANALYSIS OF THE SWING PLANE IN GOLF

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The direction and ball carry distance of a golf shot are determined by the trajectory of the clubhead near the impact and the impact conditions such as the clubhead speed, club face angle and orientation at impact. Swing plane, one of the most frequently used terms in golf coaching lately, is also one of the most controversial and misleading concepts: single-plane, multi-plane, one-plane, two-plane, on-plane, etc. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to develop a method to determine the true swing plane based on the clubhead motion (trajectory), and (b) to obtain a biomechanical profile of the swing planes of professional golfers through the swing plane analysis.