This is one of the closest swings we've seen from Ernie Els that would classify him as a one plane swinger. This particular sequence — captured several years ago during a practice round at an event he went on to win — contains several valuable mechanics to study and is genuinely beautiful to watch in action.
At address, Ernie sets up with a fairly steep spine angle at approximately 40 degrees. His hands hang naturally and low from his shoulders, positioned within his chin line with what appears to be a mid iron — a textbook setup for consistent ball striking.
During the takeaway, Ernie's head immediately shifts closer to the ball. As the club approaches parallel to the ground, the toe remains quite square and the club position tracks roughly over his toes, with his left arm angling inward toward his body. This early move sets the foundation for his characteristically smooth tempo.
As his arm reaches parallel to the ground, the swing plane becomes quite steep, with the club pointing between his feet and the ball. Notice that the club never works behind him in this particular swing — a hallmark one plane trait — though his hands do sit more behind his chest at this point. Also observe how his head continues to move downward, maintaining his address posture beautifully.
At the top of the backswing, his arms and shoulders align on the same plane — a defining characteristic of the one plane approach — and his shoulder turn is notably steep. His head has moved significantly toward the ball compared to address. It will track back away from the ball during the downswing, creating that distinctive Ernie Els rhythm.
Halfway down, he has shallowed the club slightly from his backswing plane while keeping his hands well behind his chest — an elite sequencing pattern. His hips have already squared at this point, demonstrating excellent lower body rotation leading the downswing sequence.
As he approaches impact, his hips continue to clear aggressively, yet his right heel remains planted on the ground — providing a stable base and exceptional control through the hitting zone. The club sits slightly behind his hands in this frame, approaching from the inside for a powerful, compressed strike.
At impact, Ernie releases his arms and hands fully to the ball — he does not try to hold his right elbow back or restrict the release. Instead, he fires his hands aggressively through impact, as the next frame reveals with striking clarity.
He has maintained his spine angle beautifully throughout the downswing and continues to clear his hips efficiently. His head has also tracked back toward its original address position — a sign of excellent balance and rotational control.
In this frame, you can see just how powerfully Ernie releases his right hand over his left — his right elbow has actually swung out well past his left arm and is rotating over it aggressively. This release pattern is actually quite similar to Vijay Singh's, though not quite as extreme since Ernie's right hand stays on the club through the release. This is what generates his effortless-looking clubhead speed.
His release sends the club exiting through the left shoulder plane. A classical one planer such as Ben Hogan would have the club exiting beneath the left shoulder, while a two plane swinger would typically have it tracking more between the shoulder and the neck.
Ernie falls somewhere between these two patterns. One of the most impressive aspects of his golf swing is the extraordinary control he maintains throughout. Notice how his right foot has barely lifted off the ground at this point, despite his hips having fully cleared — a testament to his balance and the smooth transfer of energy through the kinetic chain.
Ernie's as cool as they come, and his finish position reflects that effortless power perfectly. The club has dropped onto his neck with his arms completely relaxed — zero tension, pure flow. Notice how his right foot is still gradually working off the ground into a more vertical position rather than snapping violently upward. Unlike some tour pros or other big hitters who aggressively snap their hips through, Ernie's power is generated through efficient sequencing and effortless timing — and it's one of the most beautiful swings in the history of the game. If you want to see how your swing compares to an elite model, try a free AI swing analysis to get your personalized GOAT Score.
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Watch part 2 now to see how you're moving your body in the opposite direction of the pros!
