The Hybrid Swing

As an observer of the golf swing for several years now, I have become aware of the swing that is emerging on the PGA and LPGA Tours. As a golf instructor and author of 7mythsofgolf.com, one of my biggest passions is the search for the perfect swing motion. I call it the hybrid swing.

I believe this hybrid swing should be composed of a mixture of the one plane, two plane swing, something that Jim Hardy has recently made popular with his book, "The Plane Truth."

Let me structure this hybrid swing for you by describing the differences in some simple terms. Both of these swings can be defined by the position of the left arm, the shoulders and the shaft of the club at the top of the back swing. A one-plane swing, would be when all three of those are in a formation that are in alignment with one another.

Looking at the position of the shoulders with the arms directly in alignment or with what some would refer to as a flat back swing and the club shaft would be laid off or pointed to the left of the target line.

With a two plane swing the shoulders are on one plane which could be described as in more of a level turn and the arms swing more up or through the plane created by the shoulders. With the two-plane swing that Hardy explains in his book, he says that the club should be straight down the line, or he suggests that it works better with the club across the line of the target line or pointed to the right. Yet the majority of the tour players -- in fact the very best players are two-plane with the shoulder turn and arms -- but their club is in the laid off position.

This is what I refer to as the hybrid swing or what the tour pros are using. The club at the top of the swing is so much more efficient when it is laid off or pointed to the left of the target line. When you look at the two number one players of the PGA and LPGA tour you will see the hybrid swing.