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 creates this through-the-plane club movement because he rotates less than traditional methods. While other instructors teach rotation to ten o'clock and two o'clock, Don's minimal rotation creates a more vertical arm swing.
The key insight from his multi-club demonstration: the club responds to arm movement, not the other way around. When your arms swing properly on plane, the club naturally finds its most efficient path.
Stop trying to control the club's path. Focus on swinging your arms on plane—lead arm up and down through the swing, trail arm mirroring through impact. This shift from club-focused to arm-focused thinking leads to more consistent, powerful shots and transforms how you approach swing mechanics.