Daily Video Blog

Authored by: Brady
Posted on: 21 March 2026

Don Trahan's analysis of his own swing with different clubs reveals golf's most misunderstood concept: it's your arms that swing on plane, not the club.

Most golfers focus on getting the club on plane, but Don's demonstration shows this is wrong. At address, your arms start below the plane—especially the trail arm (right arm for righties, left arm for lefties). This is correct and necessary.

During takeaway, Don rotates the clubhead first, moving the toe toward "the catcher's mitt" and "up the tree." This rotation naturally lifts his lead arm onto the plane, where it stays throughout the backswing. At the top, his lead hand and forearm align perfectly on the plane while the clubhead passes through it.

The downswing shows his lead arm maintaining plane contact until just before impact. After impact, physics takes over—the trail arm moves onto the plane while the lead arm comes off it, demonstrating equal and opposite reaction.

Don's vertical swing style... Read More

Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 18 February 2011
We had a question about the left or front side opening too soon on the downswing and stopping the '€œover the top'€ swing. There'€™s one important word that covers both problems. Quiet. Opening the... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 17 February 2011
While swing tempo is a big deal for a variety of reasons, it can cause you big problems if you'€™ve got it wrong. I recently had a student who slowed down his swing when he got to impact because he... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 17 February 2011
The Big Bang Theory No, I'€™m not talking about astrophysics. I'€™m talking about when your clubhead meets the ball. That is: at impact. I know I talked about this recently, but a student of mine... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 16 February 2011
Comments: 3
Michael says he'€™s having problems keeping his backswing short. Understandably, since in so many of today's swings players are encourage to go to parallel and/or make the big turn, it'€™s hard to... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 15 February 2011
A couple days ago I talked about accelerating through the ball at impact. For one group of golfers this tip is critical. Acceleration through impact isn'€™t a problem for low handicap and scratch... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 14 February 2011
KK has the Surge Swing down pretty well, but recently he'€™d been getting a little flat in the backswing and was hitting some blocks and pulls. I'€™ve been teaching KK since he was seven. To my... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 13 February 2011
Robert is one of my local students. He'€™s a member of the Inner Circle, has all the videos, and knows the manual by heart. He also has a nice swing. We were out the other day in 40 degree weather... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 12 February 2011
Lynn Griffin, Director of Club Fitting, has some pretty strong opinions about the new adjustable drivers. He says that to get any noticeable difference in ball flight path and trajectory you would... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 11 February 2011
Comments: 1
When I was walking around at the Phoenix Open last week, I couldn'€™t help but notice all the rotational swings. That got me to thinking. If you'€™re in the Northern Hemisphere, you'€™re probably... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 10 February 2011
You see it every day on the Tour: rotational swingers. I know it'€™s very tempting to follow those model swings, but the problems you'€™ll encounter in trying to mirror those swings are far... Read More