Tour Striker Planemate

[cnosil]

2 hours ago, Getoffmylawn said:

@cnosiland @Jwc5149can attest to my battle with the shanks.  

Let’s just call it favoring the right side if the fairway

[Goober]

I think the Planemate helped me find Martin Chuck and his tour striker academy. I attended twice so far. And enjoyed every minute of it. 
  
For the plane mate. I think p4 to the finish is really where this thing shines. The backswing might be a little forced imho. But I see this product easily helping any handicap amateur out there. And it is still the top of my training aids that I do own. On the range this would be a great product swinging at 5-10mph. Just ingraining a proper motion at that speed on a daily basis. Really trusting what you’re doing first. And a device like this will never cut you any slack if you’re off somewhere. When you get that club shaft at p4 hip high. You need to aggressively feel the hips opening first. With the hands and club feeling like they are doing nothing but keeping that cord hanging limp. It’s very counter intuitive for anyone who was a hands style of golfer. This item really drills in a powerful modern Tour style swing into your body. And than some 
 

Only once did I see someone use this at the Raven in person. And it was a young man who came in for a one on one lesson versus the academy. They had him use it while using the tour striker pro 7 iron. Which is just amping up the difficulty two fold.

[acatalano32]

I really do like this product, it’s something I love going to if I haven’t been able to hit balls in a while. I have no mastered full swing with this thing, I mainly do half shots or 3/4 wedges but I do love the feels, I’d suggest this to anyone 

[jhtebag]

anyone knows whether both of the arms should be straighten or is it alright for the left arm to be slightly bend at the finishing move?

 

i have been using it a week and it has been tremendously helpful for my swing. Before getting the planemate i had issues with very inwards outswing, steep downswing and out to in swing path. When i got the planemate i have been religiously following the 7 day protocol im finally able to see a draw. i do not have the issue of the band hitting my hands or being tangled by it, but day 5 helped me out really well. when i occasionally have an out to in path and been fatting/thinning it,  i will go back to day 1 and work my way up to day 5.

 

i know the price has really gone up but i feel like it is all worth it since its probably worth 3 lessons.

[nupezb]

I have been using my Planemate for a month+. Before playing my first round, I did the seven-day protocol and a range session. My swing was off, I was impacting the ground first, and I was not rotating throw to finish.  I was all arms.

After playing, I went to my basement to review day 4 and day 5 for a few more days.  I decided to do a few more range practices.  During one of my range sessions, my shot was still a little off (my tempo was too fast). I only focused on the day 4 drill and noticed I was making great contact.  I then decided to do full swings but started casting the club.

When I got home, I watched a coat hanger drill to stop casting.  During my next range session, I incorporated a coat hanger into the Planemate practice.  Wow, that made a significant difference because I could maintain my wrist position throughout my swing.  The hanger drill and the Planemate allowed me to build a better swing muscle memory.

One significant improvement was my swing tempo.  Although it felt like I was swinging slower, I made better contact and gained distance. In my last round, I noticed more consistency with my swing and had a few more greens in regulation; however, putting is a different topic….lol.

I’m a big fan of the Planemate.  It’s easy to practice your swing rhythm at home in-between ranges sessions or rounds. 

[Kenny B]

On 4/16/2023 at 8:41 AM, jhtebag said:

anyone knows whether both of the arms should be straighten or is it alright for the left arm to be slightly bend at the finishing move?

At impact the trail arm is slightly bent and straightens with the left arm after impact.  Body rotation carries the arms to the finish with the left arm folding down... not up.

With an out-to-in, over-the-top swing path, the left arm will bend up into the dreaded "chicken wing".  

[jhtebag]

anyone experience sore back after using this?

[Kenny B]

1 hour ago, jhtebag said:

anyone experience sore back after using this?

Never.  Actually, using the PM correctly gets me in a good position to just rotate on the downswing so I have less stress on my back.  I'm 75 and have had a poor back for many years.  

Maybe the tension is a little too tight?  There shouldn't be much tension; just enough so you can easily keep the bands straight.  If you want a workout, use the red band but I would be cautious at first as this stronger band could get you out of position which could cause injury.

[jhtebag]

17 minutes ago, Kenny B said:

Never.  Actually, using the PM correctly gets me in a good position to just rotate on the downswing so I have less stress on my back.  I'm 75 and have had a poor back for many years.  

Maybe the tension is a little too tight?  There shouldn't be much tension; just enough so you can easily keep the bands straight.  If you want a workout, use the red band but I would be cautious at first as this stronger band could get you out of position which could cause injury.

yea probably the tension is too tight. ill probably try sitting it lower on the hips and loosen the tension. been having sore back like 15 mins after performing the protocools for a couple of days

[Harveythehacker]

I’m thinking about this but not sure if it’s for me?

My faults are:

1 moving up and out of my posture on my backswing - think I need to pivot with a steeper shoulder plane;

2 shaft plane steep and crossed over on backswing- I do shallow the club and generally come from 3-5 degrees on the inside going into impact;

3 my strike when I hit a poor shot has been fats and thins with low point behind the ball;

4 poor rotation through the shot - probably helping to cause the fats and thins and moving off the ball in backswing.  This has been making my facet joints and neck on my right side feel sore.  I’m told my left leg and glute don’t straighten and go back on my swing.  

5 poor wrist action - limited flexion of left wrist - in fact opposite on backswing and little upwards wrist cock - usually improves if I train with hack motion.  
 

6 my backswing tempo often gets far too quick.
 

7 my takeaway has become very club outside the hand line since my pro from last season started giving me the Jim Hardy bucket drill for my takeaway.  At P2 it’s like it’s 2 foot in front of my hand line.  

I did the day 1-3 protocols without a plane mate and found it fixed my chipping though - especially the day 3. 

I was playing 5 handicap golf last Summer and coming down but the last 8 months I’ve got completely lost and now I can’t break 90 anymore.  
 

Lessons don’t really help other than to tell me the problems I have and I have tried a few different pros now.  I struggle to change it no matter how hard I practice.  I have lost 30 yards on my driver carry since I lost my swing. 

My ideas are:

1 consciously steepen plane on backswing- place extension pole just above and an inch to right of head when doing it/use stead head - 30 reps.  Put hack motion on (if hitting proper balls as it doesn’t pick up foam ball) trying to improve flexion numbers (15-30 more flexed at impact than at address).  Try and use 5 reps of sure set before each shot.  30 minutes. 

2 do 25 reps each of plane mate protocols 1-3 (without the plane mate) to improve turn through and get clubs behind hands at P2 before down swing.  10-15 minutes.  

3 25 reps on explanar to build feel and improve strength - focus hard on left leg straightening behind me on backswing.  5 minutes (need a rest as that only take a minute) 

4 10 shots without aids but rehearsing form and smooth backswing tempo (5 rehearsals for each shot). 10 minutes.  I feel the shoulder plane and setting the club are the main swing thoughts here though.  

Does anyone think the plane mate will solve me.  I learn best by feel.  You can show me my faulty swing a hundred times on camera and I can’t change it no matter how hard I try.  
 

The other aid I’m thinking of is a pro sendr but I’m not sure if it’s any better than training with an impact ball and hack motion which I already have.

Expert ideas gratefully received.  
 

 

[Harveythehacker]

When I say steepen plane in my last post I mean my shoulder plane not my shaft which needs shallowing on the backswing 

[RickyBobby_PR]

1 hour ago, Harveythehacker said:

When I say steepen plane in my last post I mean my shoulder plane not my shaft which needs shallowing on the backswing 

The club doesn’t shallow on the backswing it shallows on in transition and the downswing

 

2 hours ago, Harveythehacker said:

2 do 25 reps each of plane mate protocols 1-3 (without the plane mate) to improve turn through and get clubs behind hands at P2 before down swing.  10-15 minutes.

You don’t want the club behind you at p2 or p3. The club should be in front of the body 

 

2 hours ago, Harveythehacker said:

Does anyone think the plane mate will solve me.  I learn best by feel.  You can show me my faulty swing a hundred times on camera and I can’t change it no matter how hard I try.  
 

It could but you are doing lots of work without the planemate in your proposed practice plan. 
 

Reading your post your big issues are improper pressure shift, improper wrist movement and more than likely improper hip movement. The planemate can fix most of that when done correctly.

2 hours ago, Harveythehacker said:

Lessons don’t really help other than to tell me the problems I have and I have tried a few different pros now.  I struggle to change it no matter how hard I practice.  I have lost 30 yards on my driver carry since I lost my swing. 

It’s not about the effort level of practice but the way practice is done. 

[Harveythehacker]

23 hours ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

The club doesn’t shallow on the backswing it shallows on in transition and the downswing

 

You don’t want the club behind you at p2 or p3. The club should be in front of the body 

 

It could but you are doing lots of work without the planemate in your proposed practice plan. 
 

Reading your post your big issues are improper pressure shift, improper wrist movement and more than likely improper hip movement. The planemate can fix most of that when done correctly.

It’s not about the effort level of practice but the way practice is done. 

Thanks for reviewing my post and responding.  
 

I agree for most golfers a steeper backswing shaft plane is better followed by shallowing in transition.  I think I’m an exception as I already shallow a lot.  Recently my backswing looks more Matt Woolf like.  I hit the ball best when the shaft points just in front of my toes (or flatter so it’s a few inches in front) so that there is less rerouting to do usually.  That’s why I’m trying to get the club head less outside on my takeaway so that it’s in line at P2 or slightly outside my hands.  I’m not sure if plane mate helps that or if it’s just for the opposite problem which I definitely don’t have.

Also worth noting some golfers actually steepen the shaft to get it on plane in transition eg Sneed and Rahm.  Even my son when he was playing plus 5 index.  After he changed his swing and now has a conventional shallowing he’s playing plus 1 golf.  I agree that being on plane on the downswing is very important for good ball striking though and that most good players shallow in transition to get in the slot.

My wrist action is definitely an issue but not sure if plane mate solves that or if I’m better using other tools.  
 

I saw a top bio mechanics guy at the weekend and worked on his ideas yesterday.  He said my weight movement was great except that I lacked downforce in my left leg on the downswing.  He also said I moved up and out of my posture on my backswing.  He’s a good guy and works with a number of top your golfers including a player who’s won on the PGA tour this season.  
 

He got me to practice straightening my left leg rapidly while it clears behind me on the downswing (which opens the hips and makes me come off my right foot) while trying to pull my left hand and arm heavily upwards.  I tried working hard on that yesterday afternoon and suddenly I got the 30 yards back on my driver and compressing the ball like I haven’t done in a good while.  When I focused on that my backswing feels much more compact so I don’t move out of it as my backswing progresses although I’m guessing the shaft plane will still look steep when I video it.  I thought the feeling of pulling up with the left hand would make me top or miss the ball (always thought I was supposed to hit down to compress it) but it actually does the opposite and makes me really compress it well. 
 

I notice in a mirror that rehearsing the move leaves me with 45 degree open hips and 20-30 degree open shoulders with a forwards shaft lean in the impact position.  
 

It feels like this may get me back to averaging 12 greens in regulation territory again like I was 12 years ago (my short game used to suck back then - was like a 2 handicap ball striker with a 28 handicap chipping and putting game).  I used to use my explanar a lot back then and yesterday I was rehearsing the straightening leg feeling while pulling up with left hand feeling.  Then my range practice was fantastic and I even hit my best shots when I played a quick 2 hour 18 holes after just before sunset.  As I’m turning through much better it meant my golf wasn’t hurting my back like it had been in the last 8-9 months too.  
 

The release feels completely different to what I’d done last season with a Plane Truth coach who’d focused on getting me to throw my right arm to the left.  It worked well for a while but after he got me doing the Jim Hardy bucket drill on my takeaway (with right elbow going back and behind me) my golfing nightmare started and I lost my takeaway and then my swing.  

Yesterday I felt like the club was more upright going into impact and that the club was staying more in front of me. I also found myself wanting to stand a bit more upright at address than I’d been doing recently.  I haven’t checked my wrist at impact with my hack motion yet but based on the impact will guess that I have the recommended significant extra left wrist flexion at impact than at address.
 

I am starting to wonder if the explanar is a better bet for me than the plane mate.  I may also experiment with the pro sendr when it arrives for my son next week.  
 

I was sceptical the bio mechanics guy could help me as I’d been stuck in a golfing hell for 8 months and seen a number of top golf pros to try and get ideas to solve it.  But it appears he had the core of s solution after all and has hit the nail on the head.

My reflection is also that the Plane truth instruction is not necessarily the way to go and that the matrix system they use can just get you in trouble and hurting your back if you’re not careful.  

[RickyBobby_PR]

44 minutes ago, Harveythehacker said:

Recently my backswing looks more Matt Woolf like.  I hit the ball best when the shaft points just in front of my toes (or flatter so it’s a few inches in front) so that there is less rerouting to do usually

Tm if your backdown looks like Matt Wolff’s then there is a a lot of rerouting that has to happen as the clubhead is pointing toward the target line instead of the butt if the club so head has to actually then go behind the body and “drop into the slot”

But if you are trying to change that so that you have a more conventional swing so that at p2 the club is on the toe line then the planemate will help with that.

48 minutes ago, Harveythehacker said:

Also worth noting some golfers actually steepen the shaft to get it on plane in transition eg Sneed and Rahm

John rahm doesn’t steepen his swing. It’s relatively flat due to his short backswing and then he keeps it on that same plane with just a littte dip as he adds flexion to his lead wrist. He would have to lose flexion to his lead wrist for it to steepen or he would have to move his right shoulder out to be somewhat over the top which he also doesn’t do

Snead definitely doesn’t steepen his swing. Here is a picture of Snead in the downswing if he had a steep swing then shaft would be pointed more vertical.

 

If you are working with an instructor your best bet is to work with him, do the drills he gives you and ask him what/if any training aid would help you 

[Harveythehacker]

 

[Harveythehacker]

Rahm gets club quite behind in P2.

very flat at the top

and steeper going into delivery 

Or is my eye sight faulty?  

[RickyBobby_PR]

1 hour ago, Harveythehacker said:

Rahm gets club quite behind in P2.

very flat at the top

and steeper going into delivery 

Or is my eye sight faulty?  

The angle isn’t ideal to see where tb club actually is. And the shaft runs thru his forearm in the downswing which is where it’s supposed to be. 
 

The amount of change in his shaft plane is nearly negligible because of how short the swing is.

There are outliers that have a steep shaft in transition/downswing that are really good golfers. That type of swing requires some good timing of compensations and comes with more cons than pros.

An example would be rickie fowler. He is prone to a getting stuck and having a 2 way miss with his swing because how flat it is and that it has to steepen first then shallow again but much later than is optimal. When he’s having a good day he drives it well and hits irons good. When he’s not he hits lots of blocks and pull.

For the amateur golfers it’s much easier to have a steep to shallow move. It’s also what the best ball strikers do 

[Goober]

I talked to Martin about this product a little more on my 2nd visit to his academy. And he said that many are trying to over shallow the club with it. Which is a sure cure to being stuck with hands and clubhead way too far behind the body in transition. He mentioned that a ‘slight’ shallow is the most effective way of using it. You don’t want the band super limp in transition. You want to keep some tension in it. He called it creating a piece of pizza. And keeping that pizza all the way to the finish. Which the band will be around your right  upper forearm if you used it correctly. And this device was meant more for 60-70% swing power versus all out full speed. I still will use it a few times a week. But one thing I notice is I tend to open the face early in transition . And close it dramatically late In transition. Which creates some over shallowing which Martin said wasn’t optimal. Were by my clinic lessons were squaring the face early in transition and keep that mojo until the finish. So I’m seeing how this device is a huge shallow maker if you’re not careful. That limp band after a proper steeper backswing is so tempting to relax it way too much. And get Sergio style transition looks. So keep slight tension. But don’t let it get limp. 
 

and he told me not to cheat it. When using the green longer band. The clubs balance point for irons is usually a one and half to two inches from the Ferrell of the club. That is way lower than most people on YouTube were placing the plastic clamp. That really makes it more difficult and you get the full effect out of it. If you can swing it without it wrapping around your forearms with that clamp that low. Than your doing one heck of a good job matching up your rotation and arms and hands 

Edited Thursday at 03:21 AM by Goober