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GOLF
TEACHING PRO MAGAZINE®
RECENT CONSTANT CONTACT NEWSLETTER AND MEMBERS’ RESPONSE
Monthly Correspondence
This past June, the
Constant Contact Newsletter that goes out to USGTF members via
e-mail, created many interesting responses among those who received
it.
The content was as follows:
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Alternative swing methods of the past, such as Mindy
Blake's “Swing of the Future,” and, more recently,
“Natural Golf” and Jack Kuykendall's “Lever-Power Golf”
have failed to gain any widespread acceptance on tour.
However, one alternative method is gaining converts on
tour, and that method is the “Stack and Tilt” method
devised by teachers Andy Plummer and Mike Bennett. They
are the current swing coaches of such notables as Aaron
Baddeley, Dean Wilson, Brad Faxon, and Will MacKenzie,
among others.
Their
method goes against conventional teaching in several
ways. First and foremost, Plummer and Bennett advocate
keeping the weight on the front foot during the swing –
even the backswing. The June 2007 issue of Golf Digest
shows Baddeley modeling the swing. Page 122 shows
Baddeley modeling what most of us would consider a
severe reverse pivot, coupled with a reverse spine tilt,
at the top of his backswing.
However,
if you look at the actual swing sequence photos of
Baddeley at the top of his backswing, his spine is
definitely not tilted in a reverse manner, nor is the
majority of his weight on his left foot. It does appear
his center of gravity has remained unchanged, though.
With most modern players, you can clearly see that the
center of gravity has shifted towards their rear foot.
There are
other aspects of the “Stack and Tilt” swing that Plummer
and Bennett highlight. For more information, see the
June 2007 issue of Golf Digest.
It is
important that golf teaching professionals keep up with
the latest teaching trends, and know how to apply them
to our students. It is also important to review each
trend or swing method with a critical eye, asking
ourselves what the teacher(s) really meant, and how
their students are actually swinging the club. |
Here is a sampling of
some responses the USGTF National Office received about the
newsletter:
From Jim
Sturgeon
I happened to have read about this new swing in a recent issue of
Golf Digest. In studying the pictures and reading about this, I
notice that this is not so new after all. Did anybody bother to look
at Jack Nicklaus’ swing back in the 60's and 70's? I have some
interesting articles and pictures in some old Golf Digest magazines
of Jack back then and there doesn’t seem to be anything new at all.
From Scotty
McAlarney
The stack-and-tilt method is basically similar to Homer Kelley's
methods with its own twist. I have been teaching a similar
methodology for years, especially with students hitting irons.
From Frank
Menges
After I read that article I went out and tried hitting balls like
that. I made good contact and got a nice trajectory on the ball but
I lost about 15 yards in distance. It seems that every week there is
someone out there trying to change everything we have been teaching
for years. It’s like every month someone comes up with something
completely different from traditional methods.
From George
Rhoades
...and that is what it is – a trend. Teaching this way I am pretty
sure could only alienate all the students we’ve taught until now.
From the USGTF
Technical Committee
It’s not only USGTF teachers that have reacted strongly to Bennett’s
and Plummer’s ideas, but also many of those who coach Tour players
have reacted strongly, too. The general consensus is that it is a
method that can work for some, but not necessarily for all.
Regardless of what “method” of teaching someone employs, it is
important to note that if they are making a student’s clubpath more
consistent and clubface angle more consistently square, they are on
the right track. The ball flight laws cannot be fooled for long by
any method.
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