The Stack & Tilt?
posted in Ball Striking Tips, Stack and Tilt
This isn’t breaking news, but I just learned of the new “revolution” in golf this morning when I was leafing through the June issue of Golf Digest (I’m a little behind).
The Stack and Tilt is a major revolution in the golf swing. I’m surprised I haven’t heard of it until now (OK, sometimes I really live under a rock). It was developed by Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer (you might recall reading about them in The Scorecard Always Lies) and is being used by around 20 tour pros, including Aaron Baddeley who has won twice since making the switch. There has been some comparison to the techniques of Mac O’Grady. While I know who O’Grady is, I’m not very familiar with his swing method, so you’ll have to educate me there.
Check out the article linked above for an in-depth look at the technique. The basic premise is rather simple: that shifting weight to the right on the back swing only to then shift back left on the down swing is inefficient and inconsistent. The Stack and Tilt has the player keep the spine vertical over the ball throughout the swing, as opposed to tilted away from the target.
During the back swing, the weight stays left and the right leg is relatively straight. This is a far cry from the currently accepted swing technique, and would be considered to be somewhat of a reverse pivot.
On the downswing, because the spine stays over the ball, the club approaches the ball on an extremely steep angle of attack. To shallow out the club, the lower body must spring up. The article uses the analogy of trying to crush a soda can under the left foot. As the foot pushes down and the left leg straightens, the hips release and thrust upward.
The finish is more along the lines of a reverse-C position, with the spine tilted away from the target for the first time in the whole process.
Admittedly, I’m very intrigued. One of the problems with the modern golf swing is that there is so much going on. This technique promises to simplify some of that. To me, simpler is better. I think I’d like to give it a try on the range and see what I think.
In the mean time, Geoff Shackelford posted about the Stack and Tilt last month. His post was brief, but the comments section has been very lively, with a number of people having tried it with success. There seems to be an indication that it might be easier to accomplish with lower irons and more difficult with the driver, but several people have claimed success there too. There seems to be a lot of consensus that the technique increased ball striking, accuracy, and distance to a noticeable degree.
I’m curious to give it a try for the sake of experimentation, but as with anything new that goes against everything I’ve been taught, I’m cautiously skeptical. As soon as I give it a try, I’ll let you know what I think.
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Further Reading:
Golf Digest Revisits the Stack and Tilt (Life in the Rough)
More Stack and Tilt Analysis (Life in the Rough)
Stack and Tilt: A Follow Up (Life in the Rough)
The New Tour Swing (Golf Digest, June 2007)
Stack and Tilt Part 2 (Golf Digest, September 2007)
Stack and Tilt Critics Speak Out (Golf Digest, September 2007)
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