Aug
07
2007

Golf Digest Revisits the Stack and Tilt

Posted by Double Eagle in Ball Striking Tips, Stack and Tilt

Golf Digest started a big buzz in their June 2007 with the first major coverage of the “Stack and Tilt”, somewhat of a revolution in the golf swing (with some concepts that aren’t all that new). Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer, the architects of the swing, had already been making a name for themselves on tour with several pros from the PGA and Nationwide tours in their stable.

After the first article, the Stack and Tilt spread like wildfire. I covered it myself in three separate posts (click the Stack and Tilt category in the sidebar to read them) and the internet was filled to the brim with both success stories and criticisms.

One of the problems for players has been the lack of information about the swing, and a lack of teachers and schools teaching it. Players have been forced to learn for themselves and share with each other.

Along those lines, with so little information and so few professionals backing it, criticisms were left to be bounced around the web, sparking debate among fans and skeptics.

Well, Golf Digest got together with Plummer and Bennett for round two coverage of the Stack and Tilt in their September 2007 issue. The issue recently hit the news stands so if you don’t subscribe, think about picking it up. [Edit: Read Stack and Tilt Part 2].

For this go around, Plummer and Bennett give another series of lessons to help players understand the difference between the Stack and Tilt and the conventional swing.

They cover the basics of the swing, three of the swing’s key moves, and tips for hitting the driver. Hitting the driver is possibly one of the most requested Stack and Tilt techniques. Many players quickly grasp the short and mid irons and struggle a bit with the long irons and driver.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the article for me is the reactions and criticisms from some of the game’s top teachers and the subsequent responses from Plummer and Bennett. We hear from Butch Harmon, Mike Bender, Todd Anderson, Jim McLean, Ralph Simpson, and Tom Ness, and of course, Bennett and Plummer respond to each directly.

If you’re a Stack and Tilt player or just want information about the swing, consider picking up the issue for tips, instruction, criticism and response on the swing. If you don’t want to shell out the cash, then check your local library or wait until the article hits the Golf Digest website and I’ll link it up here.

Happy Stack and Tilting!

——————————————–
Further Reading:

Stack and Tilt Instructional DVD Set (Life in the Rough)
More Stack and Tilt Analysis (Life in the Rough)
Stack and Tilt: A Follow Up (Life in the Rough)
The Stack and Tilt? (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)


Stack and Tilt Golf Swing Videos by Medicus Golf

Did you like this post? Get free RSS updates!

Leave a comment | Comment Policy | Trackback URL

There are currently 17 responses to “Golf Digest Revisits the Stack and Tilt”

  1. 1

    More Stack and Tilt Golf Swing Analysis said:

    [...] Further Reading: Golf Digest Revisits the Stack and Tilt (Life in the [...]

    Posted on August 9th, 2007 at 11:26 pm

  2. 2

    Stack and Tilt: A Follow-up said:

    [...] Further Reading: Golf Digest Revisits the Stack and Tilt (Life in the [...]

    Posted on August 9th, 2007 at 11:31 pm

  3. 3

    The Stack & Tilt? | Life in the Rough said:

    [...] Further Reading: Golf Digest Revisits the Stack and Tilt (Life in the [...]

    Posted on August 9th, 2007 at 11:31 pm

  4. 4

    George Glenn said:

    Does Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer have a golf school? How can they be contacted?

    Posted on August 13th, 2007 at 5:44 pm

  5. 5

    Joe G said:

    Been reading these articles and the responses. I have been trying the S&T myself and find it is working very well. While not a complete magic bullet, my shots are straight to a slight draw plus all the appropriate power in spite of the naturally reduced backswing. Depending on your rotation and hands, I still get a push to the left if I over-rotate or come over the top some, and if I do not allow the hands to release I get a little fade++. I do find considerably more consistency in hitting the ball on the sweet spot.

    I have not had that much trouble with Driver tho I do find the shorter irons “easier”, just to add to the controversy there.

    But my reason for writing is to suggest that people try their short game with the S&T. I have been using various length swings with PW and SW, including openning the face of SW, with a great deal of consistency in the shots. You have to recalibrate distances a bit, but the swing is very effective. I also find sand shots effective here as well. So my experience is it’s full application vs just the longer game.

    Posted on August 13th, 2007 at 6:48 pm

  6. 6

    Double Eagle said:

    George,

    Last I heard, Plummer and Bennett had set up shop somewhere outside of Philadelphia. However, the September 2007 Golf Digest article mentions that they don’t have a base but if you want to find them, follow the tour. I did a quick Google search but didn’t come up with anything. I’ll keep poking around and see what I can find.

    Joe,

    Thanks for dropping by and sharing your experience. In one of the other S&T comment threads, Jeff had mentioned having success in the short game as well. It’s nice to see that so many people are having positive results in their short, medium, and long games.

    Press on!

    Posted on August 13th, 2007 at 9:04 pm

  7. 7

    Jeff said:

    I liked the Golf Digest revisit. I thought some of the criticism from other instructors was off base. Obviously they have not tried it themselves and don’t intend to either. It is important to remember that this swing is designed to improve ball striking only. It is not a cure-all swing, but rather gives the player the best chance to hit the center of the clubface.

    I also loved the other article about breaking 100-90-80, because it broke down the difference between the one-plane and two-plane swing. Since the Stack and Tilt is one-plane, I focused on those sections.

    Joe,

    There is a section there that talks about starting the downswing with a drop of the right forearm while keeping the right elbow to your side and allowing the left forearm to rotate toward the ground. I found that this helps to keep the club on-plane coming down on an inside-out path, eliminating the over-the-top move. You should read it yourself to get the details.

    Jeff in S.A. TX

    Posted on August 16th, 2007 at 9:13 am

  8. 8

    Double Eagle said:

    I think you’re right, Jeff, that some of the responses were clearly from a negative perspective without having taken any real time to break down the swing.

    The Jim Hardy series in 100-90-80 was also really interesting. I’m somewhat familiar with his teachings, but that article laid out the two-plane versus the one-plane swings in a very informative way.

    Posted on August 16th, 2007 at 9:22 am

  9. 9

    Phil Ritti said:

    How can I find an instructor in my area versed in the Stack & Tilt? I live south of San Jose, CA.

    Posted on November 14th, 2007 at 5:48 pm

  10. 10

    Double Eagle said:

    I wish I had a good answer for you, Phil. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s hard to find instructors versed in a specific technique in a specific place.

    One place to start is the PGA of America locator. You can get to that here.

    You might be able to get a list of pros in your area and start asking around.

    Another alternative might be to stop into local courses and golf schools and ask around. Maybe information is spreading by word of mouth and another pro can point you in the right direction.

    You might have to resort to speaking with a pro who may not be experienced in the technique, but who is open to the possibility of getting versed with it and working with you. Not the best situation, but better than nothing. A good pro should be able to pick up the concepts quickly (especially if you point him/her to the Golf Digest articles).

    I wish I had more information to give you. If you do manage to find a pro, please let us know how you did it. I’m sure there are many others with the same question.

    Posted on November 14th, 2007 at 6:07 pm

  11. 11

    kevin keding said:

    My name is Kevin Keding I’m an old friend of Mike Bennits. From Syracuse, NY…I tried the stack and tilt last night. I shot 33. Hit eery fairway and green. It could of been 28 ..I had two putts come up a ball short and didn’t birdie 2 par 5′s from next to the green in 2…The stack n tilt makes so much sense. the swing realy eliminates unneeded moving parts…Everyone should try it.

    Posted on June 20th, 2008 at 12:09 pm

  12. 12

    Pete said:

    Here’s the real deal on the S&T swing.
    Go back to the WGC-Match Play Championship earlier this year and check out who really outplayed Tiger tee to green. In this mano’ e mano’ event, it was Aaron S&T Baddeley and had he been able to putt, Tiger would have been eliminated. Now check out the top 20 golfers in each event since then. What you see are more Stack & Tilters finishing higher & higher. Most of these guys are reconditioned S&T’ers still learning the swing… just wait till the new crop of young S&T’ers hit the scene…then you’ll see new challengers to the golf throne.
    The swing of the future…is now here!

    Posted on August 1st, 2008 at 6:09 pm

  13. 13

    mo said:

    i’m a tall 69 year old with an 18 handicap.
    my swing is always erratic. i’ve been at
    the range almost every day lately experimenting with grips, stances, swing planes etc and i’ve come upon a method that’s been working pretty well. better than usual. then i saw a link for stack and tilt, which i never heard of before yesterday. i looked at all the stuff on it on the internet and tried swinging in the backyard. it felt good so i went to the range and got a bucket. man, it was unbelievable! without any practice i was hitting straighter, longer, and with more consistency than yesterday, with the exception of a few wild pushes–which i’m sure were because old habits took me out of the tilt. not only that, but my body
    felt less fatigue and my back less strain
    than i normally feel after hitting 40 balls. i’m sold and will ALWAYS swing this
    way for whatever years i have left. my only
    regret is it took so long for someone to come up with this method. WOW!

    Posted on August 6th, 2008 at 8:28 pm

  14. 14

    Double Eagle said:

    That’s great to hear, Mo. It’s definitely normal to hear that people have nearly immediate success.

    Enjoy the lower scores!

    Posted on August 6th, 2008 at 8:46 pm

  15. 15

    Tom Kay said:

    With the S & T do you keep your right wrist (right hander) cocked slightly all the way through impact with the driver?

    Posted on September 7th, 2008 at 11:28 am

  16. 16

    Gary said:

    I purchased S&T last year. There is much more that can be learned from the discs other then the S&T system. Mike and Andy do a great job at revisiting the true fundamentals of the golf swing. For any technicians of the swing, this is a must have even if you do not believe the S&T will work for you. I applaud both Mike and Andy for the efforts they put into the discs and thinking outside the traditional golfing box.

    Posted on March 27th, 2009 at 2:13 pm

  17. 17

    Double Eagle said:

    I agree, Gary. There was a lot of information in there beyond the S&T fundamentals.

    Posted on March 27th, 2009 at 2:15 pm

Leave a Comment

Comment Policy

*
To prove you're a person (not a spam script), type the security word shown in the picture. Click on the picture to hear an audio file of the word.
Click to hear an audio file of the anti-spam word

Subscribe without commenting

Get Camilo Villegas' Golf Secret

  • Connect

  • Random Tip

  • Putting With Tempo

  • One aspect of putting that is misunderstood by some is the importance of tempo.

    Tempo is an important element in music. Musicians often use a metronome to set the tempo. It gives them an audible cue to help them get the feel for a certain number of beats per minute. Tick-tock tick-tock tick-tock. Depending on the tempo of the piece, the tick-tocks will be faster or slower.

    What many don’t realize is that putting should have a tempo [...]

  • Read More...

  • Poll

  • If you had to play a round with only three clubs, which would you choose? (Please select THREE)

    View Results

    Loading ... Loading ...

  • Advertisements

  • Twitter Updates

Follow Me on Twitter