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
The Importance of the Takeaway
Yesterday, while discussing my faulty release at impact, I mentioned another tip that I got that put me back on track. As I was practicing with a little bit lighter grip pressure, the head pro at my course was walking up and down the range and I had a conversation with him where I whined for a while about my swing issues of late and how I got a tip that was getting me back on track. I went back to hitting balls with much improvement (though not complete). I was content. He wandered over after a few minutes and said, “Mike, do you mind if I give you one small tip?” Of course I welcome advice so I eagerly accepted the offer. He told me that he had been watching me for a few minutes and noticed an issue with my takeaway. He had seen me rolling my hands open to start the swing. I was somewhat surprised to hear this. This is something I tended to do for a long time, but I
Square the Club Face – Natural Release
Early this week I talked about conceding defeat (in the sense of trying to diagnose and fix my own swing) and also about how swing changes take a long time to ingrain. You might remember that I’ve been fading the ball on good shots and slicing or blocking it on bad shots. My initial plan was to go back to the fundamentals: grip, alignment, stance, posture. I felt like it was working for me. And while it did improve me, after several range sessions the problem didn’t go away. I was still unable to turn the ball from right to left and I was mixing in some big misses to the right. Previously, I mentioned an improper release as a cause for slicing and blocking and I suspected I was suffering from that problem. I started to work on a better release, yet I started to get worse. Then, out of nowhere, a great swing tip dropped in my lap after a phone conversation with a friend. After I described my symptoms and my suspicions
Swing Changes Take a Long Time
Yesterday, I said I was going to try one last-ditch effort before throwing in the towel and scheduling a lesson. You may recall that I’ve been sending everything to the right and I said I suspected that I might be standing too close to the ball. An insightful comment from Greg Bartz reminded me of G.A.S.P., or Grip, Alignment, Stance, Posture. When everything is falling apart, the best thing to do is forget it all and go back to the fundamentals. At my range session, I paid careful attention to those four things. My grip and alignment were fine. I had suspicions about my stance and posture, however. As I mentioned, I was concerned that I might be standing too close to the ball. I went through my posture check list: Bent at the hips Back not slouching Arms hanging freely, about a fist-width from my zipper for short irons, a little more for the driver Chin up a little to allow a free shoulder turn Knees flexed Rear sticking out just a bit, indicating
Combat Your Slice
Several days ago, we started talking about the slice. I covered a big cause: the “over the top” swing and factors that lead to it. Then, I covered some additional problems that can lead to a slice. Now, we get to the good part. Today, I’m going to finish up by covering some drills and techniques you can use to combat your slice. Set up Before we can play a good shot, it all starts with solid alignment. For a typical shot, you want to be aimed parallel left of your target. I covered proper alignment in a previous post. Using an aim club helps to set your feet, hips, torso, shoulders, and head in line with the target. Once that’s out of the way, you must have a solid grip. Yesterday, I pointed to a post where The Golf Drill Guru covered the grip, with photos of weak, neutral and strong grips. Once the grip and stance are solid, you’re ready to make a swing. Without those fundamentals, you’re set up for failure. Having
Loading ...
Connect
Here are some other ways we can connect