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 Shanks
The shanks strike fear into the hearts of golfers. Most don’t dare even speak the word. I’m not afraid. Shanks. Shanks-shanks-shanks. SHANKS! I’m not afraid because I know the cause, and I know the cure. I had a serious bout five or six years ago, so my immune system keeps me from becoming infected again. For those unaware, the shanks are the result of a swing flaw that causes the ball to be struck on or near the hosel of the club (where the shaft meets the club head), causing the ball to shoot low and right (for a right hander). There’s a common misconception that the shanks are caused by the club face being extremely open at impact. This is not the case. So what’s the cause? The basic problem is that the path that the club takes toward the ball at impact is further out from the player than it was at address. Many times, this comes from the player’s weight getting out on the toes during the downswing. At address every thing
Getting To A Full Finish
Some of my swing problems come from the fact that I don’t get to a full finish in in the follow through, like you might see players on TV doing. Intuitively, you might be wondering why the finish is important. After all, once the ball is struck nothing else you do matters, right? Wrong. The golf swing is a complex system that involves your body, a golf club, and a golf ball. How you perform is directly related to your flexibility, stability, strength, and technique. If any of these areas is deficient, your swing will be deficient. Mistakes trickle down into subsequent segments of the swing. Problems in the finish indicate that something probably went wrong prior to that. To achieve maximum power, the club head needs to be accelerating when it meets the ball. If you’re not achieving a full finish, then chances are that you haven’t built up as much club head speed as you might have otherwise. That or you’re bleeding off stored power as your body resists that speed, knowing that
Hitting The Sweet Spot
The golf swing is a complex beast. There are so many mistakes that can be made that drain power that it’s mind boggling: casting, late weight transfer, poor swing plane, getting “stuck” on the downswing. The list goes on. But one of the most fixable things that we may not be doing and don’t even realize it, is hitting the ball consistently in the sweet spot of the club. I’ve heard it said that Bobby Jones used to wear out a spot on his irons that was about the size of a dime. That’s from hitting the ball consistently in the same spot, over and over and over. Today’s clubs are very forgiving, but missing the sweet spot by even 1/4″ can start to rob you of distance. Try an experiment: next time you’re at your favorite golf shop, see if they carry impact tape. It’s usually sold as little stickers that are affixed to the club face. Impact with the ball causes a dark spot, making it plainly visible exactly where you’re hitting the
My Biggest Flaw – The Chicken Wing
Let me be more specific: this is about my biggest swing flaw. If I start getting into general flaws, we’re going to be here a while. I have a case of “chicken wing”. No, I didn’t say I ate a case of chicken wings. I said I have a horrible swing affliction. For those unaware, “chicken wing” refers to a problem where the left arm and wrist don’t stay firm at impact and break down. This results in a power drain and lack of consistency. I first discovered this problem at a lesson a couple of years back. It’s not necessarily apparent because I have a lot of power. But the camcorder exposes the problem big-time. My belief is that in my case, the cause is a late or stalled action of my legs and hips on the down swing. If I hang back on my right foot a little too long it starts the whole thing in motion. Because I have a lot of power, the chicken wing is basically my body’s defense mechanism
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