PlaneSwing Training Aid Review
Introduced to the golf market back in 2010, the PlaneSwing training aid has stood the test of time as one of the best golf training aids (opens in new tab) around. It is used by professional coaches all over the world and was designed by inventor, Tony Clark, who wanted to help golfers improve the way they hit the ball by keeping their swing on the right trajectory. One of the biggest questions many amateur golfers come to us with is, ‘how can I fix my slice?’ and improving the way you swing the club with the PlaneSwing training aid is one way to do it.
Slices are one of the most dreaded flaws in any golfer’s game and occur when golfers swing down over plane and the clubhead travelling from out to in as it strikes the ball. Other players also go too far the other way, coming at their shot from the opposite angle which can produce a very destructive hook. But that’s where the PlaneSwing training aid comes in as it stops you from doing both by showing you the correct plane your club should travel from start to finish. This improves the chances you have of delivering the clubface square and on a more neutral path through impact, achieving straighter and more powerful ball flights. So how does it work?
VIDEO: Watch editor Mike Harris put the PlaneSwing through its paces
I actually have my own PlaneSwing trainer and use it on a regular basis. After you’ve erected the trainer, start off by standing inside the metal ring and pick up the ‘PowerSlider’ stick that comes with the device. Set up with your normal stance along one of the handy alignment lines on the base of the trainer and perform a few small pendulum strokes to warm up (it’s a great warm up device too). Once you’re ready you can start practicing more full swings, running the PowerSlider along the metal ring in a full action, reaching full height in both your backswing and follow through.
(Image credit: Mike Harris)
As you start to pull your takeaway back further, you’ll notice you can’t deviate the club path inside or outside the trainer’s metal ring – something many golfers do that causes them to hit errant shots. You’ll also find the swing trainer adds a lot of natural width to your swing, which helps to improve your rotation through the shot and come through with greater power.
The other bonus we found when running the PowerSlider along the metal ring was how much it engaged our core and our arm muscles. It’s a fantastic way to help you improve your power and if you work on it for 10 minutes each day you’ll start to really improve your muscle memory. This is a really handy asset to have on the course as it means when you get to the first tee your body can instinctively reproduce all the good stuff you’ve been practicing.
(Image credit: Mike Harris)
While it’s quite a large piece of equipment, don’t fret, it’s very easy to set up thanks to it’s handy instruction manual and PlaneSwing will also deliver it to your house when you order it online. The basic Par Package costs £699 ($849) and in that you’ll get the PlaneSwing Training System and a PowerSlider stick. While that may seem a steep price for a training aid, the benefits are various and effective. It comes in at just over the average price you’d pay for a premium driver (opens in new tab) or a top-spec set of irons (opens in new tab), and it could well have a greater impact in lowering your scores.
Interestingly, the PlaneSwing is very popular among some of the biggest names in golf, with all of Darren Clarke, Tommy Fleetwood and Dustin Johnson choosing to use this trainer.
So if you’re struggling with your swing or are looking to improve your consistency, then this is definitely something worth trying. PlaneSwing also offers a junior version too, which can be really beneficial to help get the right swing path engrained in juniors from a young age. It would also make a fantastic Christmas present for any budding golfer and if you’re struggling for gift ideas over the holiday season, why not also take a look at some of our best Christmas golf gifts (opens in new tab).
