A DISCUSSION OF STACK & TILT
2012 USGTF DUES WINNER
THE HIDDEN REWARDS OF TEACHING
GREAT AMERICAN TOURING PROFESSIONAL – CHARLIE SIFFORD
As Teaching Professionals
For years I have been working with Tour Edge golf, and I recommend a lot of full package sets to my students who are starting the game. For a little more then price of a top brand driver I can get a student into a full set of life time warranty clubs that will give the confidence to get better. It is so hard to learn the game with clubs that are the wrong flex or wrong length. I recommend that as instructors we pay attention to our students equipment because with proper equipment the students ability to get better will increase dramatically. As USGTF members you can even order Tour Edge club through the USGTF for your students and you can make some extra revenue.
Arlen Bento Jr. is a USGTF Master Teaching Professional, former Head Golf Professional of the PGA Country Club and PGA Village and Director of Golf at Eagle Marsh Golf Club in Jensen Beach, FL. He can be reached via his website at www.abjgolfsales.com
THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT
Of course, we’re talking about belly putters. And, they’ve caused quite a stir. Many of golf’s greats and other observers make the case that using a belly putter isn’t a “real” golf stroke because the end of the putter is anchored against the body. They also decry the use of the long putter, where the left hand anchors the putter near the sternum. Bernhard Langer is the most noted user of this method.
Are these putters really a problem? If you look at the year-end statistics for the PGA Tour, no one who uses a belly or long putter is in the top eight of the “strokes gained” category, the most accurate way to measure putting success on Tour. Scott McCarron, who uses a long putter, is ranked ninth. What about those young guns who are causing traditionalists much consternation over their use of the putter? Bradley is ranked 97th; Haas 84th; Simpson 57th. Doesn’t seem to be much of an overall advantage to those guys, does it? How about Adam Scott, who claims the long putter has revitalized his putting? He’s ranked 143rd. Some revitalization.
We can see statistically that using such putters is no magic elixir. So, let’s go to the next question: Is the stroke made with the long or belly putter a “real” golf stroke? No less than Ben Hogan considered putting not even a part of “real” golf. He proposed a new scoring system where putts only counted as 1/2 of a stroke, thereby emphasizing the tee-to-green game.
This writer agrees with Hogan. Putting is simply different than other golf shots. The technique is completely different, the ball is rolled instead of elevated, and the instrument itself has its own set of rules apart from the other clubs. One example: Want to use a 52″ driver? Can’t do it. Want to use a 52″ putter? Have at it.
If even one touring professional would separate themselves significantly from their short-putter-using peers statistically, then we might agree the issue needs to be revisited. But for now, we say belly up to the bar…er, green…and putt away.
STACK & TILT (PART 2) stripped down
As I mentioned in my previous article the main premise of the technique is to strike the ground in the same place every time with the club. Let’s put this in perspective. One of the most difficult elements for golfers of most levels is to strike the ball consistently without striking the ground before the ball or missing the ground all together or in other words hitting fat and thin shots. The main concepts of Stack & Tilt to help rectify the problem are to start with and maintain the weight on the front/lead foot throughout the swing.
I do not have enough space in this article to dissect what is right and wrong with this concept but suffice it to say, it is not necessary for the individual who is coordinated with a proper transition when initiating the downswing. Unfortunately many golfers begin their downswings by initiating it with an upper body spine rotation toward the target. If the weight is already favoring the front foot at the top of the back swing then this move can be effective as long as:
1) The back swing is flat (lead arm matches shoulder plane) 2) The shoulder plane is steeper (lead shoulder is lower)
Both can be seen in the swing on the left side of the photo:
Let’s dissect this concept further however. We all know that golf swing efficacy is difficult to maintain. There are times when it is working on all cylinders and yet other times when we simply can’t recreate that magical feel. Why is this? It is because it involves proprioception; the mind body connection that gives us a sense of our body parts. Basically feel for what we are doing while performing a movement. What I find perplexing with Stack and Tilt is that we move the arms, club and coil the body away from the target while attempting to maintain the weight toward the target. This is paradoxical because if the components of our upper body are moving in one direction the weight distribution should follow. It should follow in a natural way and not contrived. However with Stack and Tilt it is suggested to maintain the weight on the front foot. The problem that invariably occurs is that golfers don’t simply maintain the weight on the front foot but they increase it in an effort to stay there. Proof is in the pudding.
We have seen Tiger work more closely toward this concept with Sean Foley. Sean does not adhere to Stack and Tilt but rather a biomechanically sound swing based on geometry. I agree with him on his swing concepts and in working with Tiger we see he has gotten Tiger more on his left side at address. From there he wants to see Tiger coil deeply into his backswing in order to create leverage with the ground with both feet. By favoring the left side at address, the coiling of the torso away from the target places the weight equally on both feet at the top of the swing with both being corkscrewed into the ground. From there everything moves toward the target mindlessly with a complete release (hips, torso, wrists). Tiger in his effort to incorporate these changes on occasion increases his weight to the left foot during the backswing which has caused some problems. He has popped shots up on numerous occasions and has been struggling with fairway bunkers because he has been too steep.
This being said the concept of favoring a little weight on the forward foot at address can be effective but it must be done so properly and although the idea of maintaining it there is nice in theory, it is not plausible due to the movement away from the target with the club, arms and torso.
Next article: Stack & Tilt (part 3) The deception DAVID HILL
Is a certified examiner for the USGTF and a ranked instructor. • 24 year golf professional • USGTF Master Professional • Class Member Canadian PGA • Over 25000 lessons given in career • Director of Instruction Elm Ridge CC Montreal Canada • Owner Montreal Golf Academy (4 Locations) • President/Owner Marquis Golf (Corporate Golf/Travel) • Top 50 Canadian Teacher (National Post) • Top 100 USGTF Teacher
STACK & TILT (PART 1)
The main premise behind the technique is to strike the ground at the same place every time and according to both Plummer and Bennett this is most easily performed by maintaining the weight over the front foot (left foot for “RH” golfer) throughout the swing. This of course goes against the paradigm of what has been taught since the game’s inception.
Another premise is the spine’s position both at address and during the course of the back swing. Again Plummer and Bennett adhere to the spine being straight (all the vertebrae being stacked on top of one another) at address. In other words it should not be “tilted” away from the target. From this starting position there is naturally more weight on the front foot. Whilst the back swing is performed on a steady axis the spine will have a slight forward spine tilt toward the target. This is counteracted through impact by the turning and thrusting of the left hip causing the spine to tilt away from the target. Thirdly they have brought to light a change in how we look at ball flight laws. They had us look at the initial direction of the ball as being dictated by club-face direction rather than the path the club-head was travelling. The path creates the spin in relation to the angle of the club-face.
Finally their technique produces a more around your body type swing (flatter if you will) with the back leg straightening slightly during the backswing allowing the spine to also bend lower toward the ball during the back swing (face closer to the ball so to speak at the top of backswing than at address)
I believe this pretty much covers it with regards to their main principles. It should be said that it was not Plummer and Bennett that coined the term “Stack & Tilt”. Golf Digest wanted a term for their technique and offered dozens in which they both turned down. Stack and Tilt were simply two words they used every day in their teaching so they stuck and the rest is history.
History is of course what Plummer and Bennett base their swing theories upon. There is of course merit to many of their ideas and some are plain physics such as basic ball flight laws however they are attempting to create a paradigm shift in the way many golfers, amateurs and teaching professionals have learned about how the body should move and how the club should be swung. Their theories evolved from Homer Kelly’s “The Golfing Machine” and Mac O’Grady’s teachings. You may agree or disagree with some or all of Stack and Tilt but this would be foolish for any instructor worth their merit. The goal is to broaden your knowledge base and open your mind to new ideas. Some of the ideas may very well be old ones brought to light in a way that appeals to the masses, easier to understand and perhaps easier to perform for many golfers.
I have my own ideas and opinions about Stack & Tilt, some favorable, some not in which I will share in the next article. In the meantime if you have never read “The Golfing Machine”, I encourage you to do so but be forewarned. In many circles it has been considered to be the most important book ever written on golf instruction and in others the most complicated. You’ll love it or hate it. Next article: Stack & Tilt (PART 2) Stripped down
DAVID HILL Is a certified examiner for the USGTF and a ranked instructor. • 24 year golf professional • USGTF Master Professional • Class Member Canadian PGA • Over 25000 lessons given in career • Director of Instruction Elm Ridge CC Montreal Canada • Owner Montreal Golf Academy (4 Locations) • President/Owner Marquis Golf (Corporate Golf/Travel) • Top 50 Canadian Teacher (National Post) • Top 100 USGTF Teacher
Teacher Talk
When I was growing up and playing with my buddies in high school and college, we actually looked forward to the par threes. They presented reasonable chances for birdies. Most were in the 130 to 160 yard range and fun to play. Some of the best are no more than 125 yards or so, such as the postage stamp at Troon or my all time favorite the 13th at Brora in Scotland… The 17th at TPC is only 136 yards. If I make a bad shot with a nine iron in my hand, then I deserve a bogey or more. When I have to hit a driver to a green one quarter the size of a fairway that I hit the same club to, surrounded by water, then that becomes a bit extreme and uninteresting. How many balls does one have to lose on top of a double bogey before that course is written off the list of desirable places to play? Long and difficult par 3 holes don’t necessarily make for more enjoyable golf. The chance for the average guy to make a birdie certainly does. Let’s make sure they get that chance.