D Plane Email Share

[Michael Jacobs]

I received an email from a Flighscope customer and I figured I would share the details of the information :

I have a quick question I thought you could answer.

In trackman, I believe if you zero out club path (which from what I read factors in aoa and hsp) with zero face angle, then you get a straight flight. Is there a similar parameter in Flightscope? Is it the Strike Direction?

Thanks for answering if you have the time.


Glad you decided to get the X2 - Congratulations! I am going to be putting together a Science of the Golf Swing Conference this year which will feature the Flightscope and its use. Stay tuned for that on my website Michael Jacobs Explosive Golf School Home and on my forum.

As for your question on Zeroing out:

When it comes to zeroing out we have 2 Parameters Path & Face:

Parameter #1
When we refer to path we are talking about 'The 3D Club Path' and all of its ingredients.
The Swing Direction - Referred to as HSP {Horizontal Swing Plane}
Angle of Attack - Referred to as Club Attack
Vertical Swing Plane - Referred to as VSP {indicates the angle of the club head relative to the ground, which factors into the blending of swing direction and angle of attack}

These 3 ingredients of Swing Path integrate with one another to produce the true 'CLUB PATH' or 'RESULTANT PATH.' On a Flightscope, this is called 'Strike Direction'

Parameter #2
Club Face Angle
Club Face angle is a Calculated measurement of the club face. If the club face matches up with the True Path/Strike Direction at 0 degrees we have a straight flying ball. If the club face and the path diverge from one another we have curvature.

On a side note, the Spin Axis of the ball which is a measurement you get on a Flightscope is AT A RIGHT ANGLE TO THE D PLANE

Hope that helps and I am going to post this up on my forum for all to gain knowledge

Thanks Mike Jacobs

[trickyric]

fantastic description

[trickyric]

James Leitz made a video of the d plane machine and a very good description.
I should have mine by the end of the week!

here is the video link:

[Michael Jacobs]

James Leitz made a video of the d plane machine and a very good description.
I should have mine by the end of the week!

here is the video link:

YouTube - D Plane Model Video 3 29 11

that video has a golfer with a vertical swing plane angle that is astronomically high, those number combinations would cause severe issues with different clubs in the bag

[trickyric]

yes he did but that was pointed out,did you like the way he explained it and how the machine works?
we could make a video with mine if I can drag it to ny.

[Steve Greffen]

that video has a golfer with a vertical swing plane angle that is astronomically high, those number combinations would cause severe issues with different clubs in the bag

Mike, which swing are you talking about? You mean the second one where he is trying to trace a straight swing plane right? I didn't hear him say vsp numbers, is it just a visual that you see?

Thanks Mike, and thanks Ric for posting the link.

[Steve Greffen]

Btw I like the machine and visual explanation, but it truly does show how the double pendulum of a normal model would change aoa and path a great deal. Certainly more complex, which adds to the value of a great launch monitor like Flightscope and Trackman.

[RASWING]

So where the ball is located in your stance in relationship to your HSP is also key for hitting straight shots?

[Michael Jacobs]

yes he did but that was pointed out,did you like the way he explained it and how the machine works?
we could make a video with mine if I can drag it to ny.

Ric,

The video was a nice explanation of the basics, the little model looks cool. I was at James' place twice over the years, he has lots of gadgets he is always putting together.. very nice guy

Something more to consider: The D Plane sits at a right angle to the spin axis of the ball. The future direction of this type of study will be heavily concentrated on the ball's spin axis and its relationship to the Horizontal Launch Angle of the ball. Here is a Flightscope screen shot of the measurement:



Horizontal Launch Angle probably sounds really complicated, but it is not. Its the launch direction left or right and is effected by the relationship between your resultant path and the club face.

2 Things will tilt the spin axis of the ball:

Differences in the path and face

Off Center Hit - Impacts towards the heel or the toe

With this information, we are then able to look at the relationship between the Horizontal Launch and the magnitude of Spin Axis and get a much better indication of the centeredness of strike

Here is a little diagram to help you see the spin axis of a golf ball and how the top of the d plane sits at a right angle to the spin axis




This information will all be mainstream in the next 5 years, you can jump ahead of the curve by understanding these relationships. As always, anyone feel free to ask questions so I can help everyone reach an understanding to which they can apply to their golf game


Some other questions in this thread to be answered:

Mike, which swing are you talking about? You mean the second one where he is trying to trace a straight swing plane right? I didn't hear him say vsp numbers, is it just a visual that you see?

Thanks Mike, and thanks Ric for posting the link.

Steve,
The high vertical swing plane angle of the 1st golfer was something I picked up on visually and also a result of some quick math by the extreme case of the downward angle of attack. As the club head steepens relative to the ground, the angle of attack will get deeper as well. The point I want to make is that there is an endorsement in Ball Flight studies and with Trackman that all we are looking for when it comes to Vertical Swing Plane Angle is 'consistency' from the golfer. I don't agree at all.... a golfer will be consistent doing whatever it is they are accustomed to but changing a vertical swing plane angle in a more favorable way is a huge step in improving their handling of all golf clubs in their bag. SO what I am saying is, the golfer in the video - first golfer - not recommended to be left with those numbers. I would foresee problems moving through the different clubs in the bag and certainly a more drastic swing adjustment needed for tee balls.

So where the ball is located in your stance in relationship to your HSP is also key for hitting straight shots?

Ball position will of course have an influence on the whole kit & caboodle , this is what I was trying to drive home in the mini article I sent out yesterday concerning X Golf School File #5 Viewing Golf Swings. In it, you will see the emphasis in positioning the camera angle for swing analysis to be at a right angle to the Swing Direction. Ball placement movements can definitely alter Swing Direction setup and execution

[RASWING]

MJ,
Since the D plane is at right angles to the spin axis; how long does the initial ball direction which is base on the face at a percentage between 75 to 90 last in 3D space before the ball starts to curve?

Is it a short period of time say 3 feet in front of you or is there a true distance the ball travels in relation to the face before it turns due to path?

Or is it base on how much the face and path angle are different in degrees?

More askew then the curvature happens sooner?

R/RA