One-Plane Swing
A one-plane swing is a golf swing in which the club, arms, and shoulders move on a single, matching plane from address through impact, rather than shifting between a flatter shoulder plane and a steeper arm plane.
What is a one-plane swing in golf?
Every golf swing travels around the body on an invisible tilted circle called the swing plane. In a conventional swing, often called a two-plane swing, the arms lift onto a steeper plane than the shoulders during the backswing, then drop back down before impact. A one-plane swing removes that shift. The club stays on one consistent plane the whole way, so the golfer has fewer moving parts to time correctly.
The appeal is consistency. Because the club never leaves its original plane, there is no need to reroute it on the downswing, which is where many amateur swings break down. The Canadian professional Moe Norman built his entire game on this idea, and Tiger Woods told Golf Digest’s Jaime Diaz in 2005 that Norman and Ben Hogan were the only two golfers in history who had “owned” their swings.
A golfer watching from behind the ball can spot a one-plane swing by the shaft angle: the angle of the club at address closely matches its angle at impact, with no steep lift in between.
The two meanings of “one-plane”
The term causes confusion because two separate teaching camps use it, and they do not mean quite the same thing.
The first comes from instructor Jim Hardy, whose 2005 book The Plane Truth for Golfers popularized the one-plane versus two-plane framework. In Hardy’s model, a one-plane swing is one where the lead arm and the shoulders sit on the same plane at the top of the backswing. The Art of Simple Golf gives a practical measurement: if the angle between the lead arm and the shoulder line at the top is less than 12 degrees, the swing qualifies as one-plane.
The second is the Single Plane Swing taught by the Graves Golf Academy, modeled directly on Moe Norman. Here, the defining trait sits at address rather than at the top: the golfer sets up with the club shaft, hands, and trail arm already aligned on the plane they will occupy at impact. According to oneplanegolfer.com founder Dr. Chris Nix, the simplest test is whether the club shaft angle at address matches the club shaft angle at impact.
Both camps chase the same goal, a swing with fewer compensations, but a golfer researching the term should know which version an instructor or article is describing.
How a one-plane swing works
At address, a one-plane golfer typically stands slightly farther from the ball with a wider stance, arms extended so the lead arm and club shaft form one straight line from shoulder to clubhead. The wrists are held in a lowered, unhinged position (known as ulnar deviation) rather than the angled position of a conventional setup.
From there, the swing is rotational. The shoulders turn on roughly the same tilt throughout, producing a flatter, more around-the-body motion than the up-and-down action of a two-plane swing. Because the setup already resembles the impact position, the golfer returns the club to the ball with minimal adjustment. Brendon Elliott, the PGA professional who wrote Golfspan’s guide to the technique, notes that the shaft plane at impact is essentially identical to what it was at address, which is not true of a conventional swing.
The trade-off shows up in power. A flatter, more connected motion tends to produce an in-to-out path that favors a draw (a shot curving right to left for a right-hander), but it reduces the leverage a two-plane swing generates, which can cost distance with the driver. It also makes a fade (the opposite curve) harder to play on demand.
One-plane swing vs. two-plane swing
Most golfers swing on two planes without ever thinking about it. Golf site The Left Rough estimates that 85% or more of the swings at any driving range are two-plane. The table below summarizes the practical differences.
| Feature | One-plane swing | Two-plane swing |
| Setup | Wider stance, arms extended, shaft and lead arm in one line | Narrower stance, arms hang naturally below shoulders |
| Backswing | Arms and shoulders turn on the same flatter plane | Arms lift onto a steeper plane than the shoulders |
| Downswing | Club returns on the same plane, little rerouting | Club must drop or “shallow” onto a lower plane |
| Typical ball flight | In-to-out path, natural draw | More neutral path, easier to shape fades |
| Strengths | Consistency, repeatability, less strain on the back | More leverage, speed, and shot-shaping options |
| Common users | Moe Norman, Ben Hogan, Bryson DeChambeau | Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, most tour players |
Neither method is objectively better. Golf instruction site Swing Align suggests the one-plane motion suits players with good flexibility and rotation, while the two-plane swing suits players who rely on timing and rhythm.
Common misconceptions
“One-plane means swinging exactly like Moe Norman”
Norman made the swing famous, but his extreme setup is one version of it rather than the definition. His record was remarkable: 55 wins on the Canadian Tour, 17 holes-in-one, and three rounds of 59, according to GOLF.com. But plenty of one-plane golfers use setups far less extreme than his, and Hardy’s version of the swing looks close to conventional.
“No great player has used it”
Ben Hogan, winner of nine major championships, is widely classified as a one-plane swinger, and Bryson DeChambeau won the 2020 U.S. Open with a swing that single-plane instructors point to as the closest modern example. PGA Tour winner Richard Zokol, a friend of Norman’s, told PGA.com that DeChambeau’s action is the nearest thing on tour to Norman’s.
“It’s only for beginners”
The method is often recommended to newer players because it has fewer moving parts, and to older players because the quieter body action puts less rotational stress on the lower back. Norman himself played 27 PGA Tour events and made 25 cuts, per PGA.com, so the ceiling is far higher than a beginner’s crutch.
Related Golf Terms
- Ground reaction force — Pushing against the ground to generate speed and power.
- Hinge and hold — A short-game method that sets the wrists and keeps them firm.
- Low point — The bottom of the swing arc, ideally just ahead of the ball with irons.
- Swing path — The direction the clubhead travels through impact.
- Kinematic sequence — The efficient order in which body segments fire during the downswing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who invented the one-plane swing?
No single person. Moe Norman developed his version independently in the 1940s and 50s, Jim Hardy formalized the one-plane versus two-plane framework in his teaching, and Todd Graves later systematized Norman’s method as the Single Plane Swing. According to One Plane Golfer, Herman Keiser, the 1946 Masters champion, used a one-plane action before Norman turned professional.
Is a one-plane swing easier to learn?
Many instructors say yes for consistency, because there are fewer positions to time. It still requires practice, and some golfers find the setup feels unnatural at first.
Does a one-plane swing cost distance?
Often, yes. The flatter motion limits the leverage that generates clubhead speed, so drives may fly shorter than with a well-executed two-plane swing.
Is Bryson DeChambeau’s swing a one-plane swing?
Broadly, yes. His swing plane is steeper than Norman’s, but single-plane instructors consider him the best modern example of the philosophy on tour.
Sources
- Golf Digest. “Tiger Woods interview with Jaime Diaz” (January 2005), as quoted in PGA.com.
https://www.pga.com/archive/secrets-of-moe-normans-swing. Accessed July 2026. - GOLF.com. “We plugged golf legend Moe Norman’s swing into a shot tracer app.”
https://golf.com/instruction/moe-norman-golf-swing-video-legend-shot-tracer/. Accessed July 2026. - PGA.com. “The secrets of Moe Norman’s golf swing.”
https://www.pga.com/archive/secrets-of-moe-normans-swing. Accessed July 2026. - Golf Monthly. “What Is A Single Plane Golf Swing?”
https://www.golfmonthly.com/tips/what-is-a-single-plane-golf-swing. Accessed July 2026. - Golfspan. “Single Plane Golf Swing: Pros, Cons, How To, & Mistakes.”
https://www.golfspan.com/single-plane-golf-swing. Accessed July 2026. - The Art of Simple Golf. “1 Plane Golf Swing Vs. 2 Plane Golf Swing.”
https://theartofsimplegolf.com/1-plane-golf-swing-vs-2-plane-golf-swing/. Accessed July 2026. - The Left Rough. “The One Plane Golf Swing: Myths vs. Facts.”
https://theleftrough.com/one-plane-golf-swing/. Accessed July 2026. - One Plane Golfer. “What is the One Plane Swing?”
https://www.oneplanegolfer.com/post/what-is-the-one-plane-swing. Accessed July 2026. - Plane Truth Golf. “About Jim Hardy.”
https://www.planetruthgolf.com/about-jim-hardy/. Accessed July 2026. - Swing Align. “Golf Swing Plane Tips.”
https://swingtrainer.com/blogs/instruction/golf-swing-plane. Accessed July 2026.
