Peter Jacobsen and the One Plane Swing

Truly one of golf’s most colorful personalities, Peter Jacobsen got his start on the PGA Tour in 1976. Although he was a jokester, the man managed to win seven events on the PGA Tour and two on the Champions Tour (both majors). Suffice it to say, the guy can hit a mean ball. At age 49, he became one of the oldest golfers to win a major when he won the 2003 Greater Hartford Open. And even when he began getting a bit long in the tooth, Jacobsen jumped at the first chance to participate in the U.S. Senior Open, one of the biggest majors in senior golf, and won it.

But perhaps the most amazing thing about Peter Jacobsen is his humility. To this day, he still maintains that much of his golfing success is owed to the fact that one fateful day on the PGA Tour, early in both their careers, Jim Hardy gave Jacobsen a quick lesson on swinging that helped the ailing Jacobsen almost win the tournament. He calls Hardy “the most knowledgeable teacher in golf” – no small words from a man who’s enjoyed success on the level of Peter Jacobsen. Indeed, Jacobsen maintains that any golfer, professional, hobbyist, beginner alike, could take away valuable, useful information and advice from a single meeting with Jim Hardy. I don’t know about you, but I’m inclined to believe the man.

Peter Jacobsen started out with what is known as a two plane swing. That means he started closer to the ball, with his arms and back more upright. The backswing was extremely vertical, and as he brought his arms back, the head of the club was allowed to fall off the plane. He was still good, but it wasn’t until he switched to a one plane swing that his hitting really improved. In the one plane swing – as promoted by Jim Hardy – Jacobsen keeps his arms and shoulders aligned, on the same plane, during the backswing. When he swings the club forward, he uses his body to generate the power while maintaining the same plane swing with his arms, shoulders, and club. The result is impressive: an efficient, accurate swing with tons of power. One could really learn a lot from Peter Jacobsen.