Golf Wins Bid To Be In The Olympics!

It’s official! Golf is in the 2016 Olympics. It comes at a perfect time during the play of the Presidents Cup. Golf is growing as a global sport. So it is only fitting that International Olympic Committee award golf with the opportunity to showcase itself on the grandest stage in sport.

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Re: Understanding the Stack and Tilt golf swing

This post is so popular, that I desided to re-post it.

Petri

Understanding the Stack and Tilt Golf Swing

Understanding the Stack and Tilt Golf Swing by Rick Hendershot

In a recent issue of Golf Digest (June 2007) a “new” golf swing has been described as the hottest thing on the PGA tour, and its proponents, Andy Plummer and Mike Bennet, have been hailed as the newest golf gurus. The new swing is called the “Stack and Tilt” swing.

In describing the Stack and Tilt swing, Peter Morrice, the author of the article, indulges in a bit of overstatement when he says “Their secret…contradicts almost everything being taught in the game today.” But is this swing really that unique?

The Key Difference

The major difference with the “Stack and Tilt” swing is that it encourages the golfer to keep his weight on his or her front foot during the entire swing. In other words, it does away with the idea that there should be a “weight shift” during the backswing. With the Stack and Tilt swing the golfer starts with about 60% of his or her weight on the front foot, and actually shifts more weight to the front when taking the club back.

Some older golfers will think this looks like a “reverse pivot” where the golfer seems to be leaning towards the target at the top of the swing. Teachers of the typical modern swing have their golf students draw the club back and stack their weight over their back leg when the club hits the top of the swing. But Stack and Tilt encourages the golfer to lean towards the target while the club is taken up.

Subtle Differences

It may be hard for many golfers to spot the differences at first, but some of these differences are significant. For one thing teachers of the typical modern swing want the back leg to remain slightly flexed at the knee. But with the Stack and Tilt swing the back leg straightens out as it pushes back towards the target. See the photos featured in the Golf Digest article on page 122.

As a result the front side of the body is “stacked” over the front foot, and the trailing side of the body is “tilted” towards the target.

For a comparison with the typical modern swing look at photos of Tiger’s swing of the last few years, or see the photo of V.J. Singh’s swing on page 43 of the same issue of Golf Digest. Singh’s upper body is “stacked” over his back leg at the top of the swing, and the trailing side of his torso is perpendicular to the ground as he pushes his weight back over his back leg. This is quite different from the way the torso is angled towards the target with the Stack and Tilt swing.

Lessons from the Past

If you are familiar with the teachings of most modern golf coaches this may sound like a radical departure from golf orthodoxy. But the fact is, there have always been alternative schools of thought which questioned the simplistic “weight shift” idea. In particular, look at old photos of Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan or Sam Snead. None of these golfers make the major shift over the back leg like you see with Tiger Woods, for instance.

Or look closely at the famous 1930s teaching videos featuring Bobby Jones. He does not shift his weight to the back either. He remains centered over the ball throughout the swing and has a much more obvious focus on rotation around the center point rather than the lateral weight shift promoted by most well known modern teachers.

Points of Interest

There are several interesting points made by the the Stack and Tilt advocates which may help the average golfer hit the golf ball more squarely and (perhaps) more powerfully.

The first is the idea of keeping your weight on your front foot. Shifting one’s weight to the back inevitably promotes a shallower swing at the same time as turning the ball into a moving target. This increases the chances of bottoming out too early. Depending on the golfer and the course conditions this can either result in fat shots or thin ones. Pressing into the front foot as you take the club back is a good way to force a steeper approach to the ball and a way to eliminate topping the ball. It also results in a lower trajectory since it results in de-lofting the club face. Unfortunately it also puts more strain on the front knee.

The second point is that Stack and Tilt promotes a flatter swing. A flatter swing is less vertical and more rotational, and is the way Stack and Tilt compensates for being more on top of the ball when the downswing is begun.

The third point is the not-much-discussed idea of the “pelvic thrust” which the Stack and Tilt guys claim is necessary in order to get the club approaching the ball correctly. With Stack and Tilt, since one’s weight and shoulder position are forward, the approach to the ball will be significantly steeper than normal. The pelvic thrust helps to “shallow out” the swing. You achieve this by whipping your hips around and thrusting your lead hip up and towards the target. In other words you have the sensation of jumping up and striking the ball while on your toes. For examples of this see photos of Natalie Golbus or Sergio Garcia, or a younger Gary Player.

If these seem like technical points that are beyond your level of expertise, just give the “weight forward” idea a try. All you have to do is start with noticeably more weight on your front foot, and then press into that foot as you take the club up. You will probably find that it feels quite different from what you are used to. This move should result in fewer thin hits. But it may also result in more pushes, especially with the longer clubs, so you may have to adjust the positioning of the ball. You may also find it more physically taxing – requiring more body contortions – and for most of us that is not a good thing.

Rick Hendershot is an avid golfer who blogs about golf swing theory and exotic and not so exotic golf destinations. Read his blogs called The Weekend Golfer.

Article Source: Articles Directory – ArticleGOLD

How to Learn the Stack and Tilt Golf Swing

from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit

If you’re having trouble hitting consistent golf shots with your irons (i.e. “fat”, “thin” or weak shots), the “Stack and Tilt” golf swing may help!
While not for everyone, it basically involves keeping your axis centered over the ball (“Stacked”) and then rotates around this axis (“Tilt”), with the weight starting slightly forward at address, and continuing to shift forward throughout the swing.
Removing the shift of weight from back to forward may help eliminate problems associated with a “reverse pivot” or incomplete weight shift, and result in more consistent ball striking — and oftentimes more distance!

Steps

1. • Set up with the golf ball positioned in the center of your stance. You may find you need to adjust this location depending on personal preferences (such as moving long irons slightly forward), but it is a good starting place.
   • Your hips, and shoulders should be centered over the ball and there should be no significant lean.
   • Weight should be approximately 55% to the front foot.
2. • Your weight should also be on the balls of your feet, not your heels!
   • On the backswing, the head remains centered over the ball, and weight increases to approximately 65% over the front leg. The front leg will flex while the back leg will straighten slightly natural move to allow loading of weight to continue forward.
   • The natural tilt of the spine at this point will feel like the body is tilted forward — but from the straight-on view is actually centered over the ball. Turn the shoulders on a steeper angle and keep the lead arm across your chest as you approach the top of the swing (the lead shoulder will be close to the chin). Keep the elbow of your trailing arm close to your body. This will help prevent you from leaning back too much.
3. • On the forward swing, the weight continues to move forward and through with the hips pivoting strongly and pushing forward (like the feeling of a standing long jump).
4. • At the finish (like the traditional swing), the torso will have moved forward and the butt will tuck under the picture the golfer in the PGA Tour logo.

Video

Golf Tips video outlining some additional thoughts regarding Stack and Tilt.

Tips

• The real keys to this swing are staying centered over the ball and shifting the weight continually forward.
• Keeping the head centered over the ball will prevent the body sliding back during the shot, and hitting behind the ball. If you’re still hitting the ball fat, check to see if your head position remains centered. Look at the reference point of the tree behind my head in the photos — the head (and centerline of the body) virtually stays in line with the tree, not moving back in the backswing… which causes a tendency to hit behind the ball for inconsistent shot contact.
• The proper Stack and Tilt swing with a stable head and weight shift moving forward will result in the club striking the same point on the ground each time. As a warm-up, lay a club on the ground perpendicular to your swing path where your ball placement would be (in front of your ball position so you can’t accidentally hit the club!) and take practice swings… the divot should be on or slightly ahead of this club line.
• While the stable head and forward weight shift promotes solid contact, a weight shift that occurs too quickly will promote a tendency to hook the ball.
• Overswinging will kill this method! Since the player will/should be pinching the ball at impact, there is no need for overswinging.

Warnings

• Due to the rapid turning of the hips in this steeper swing plane, some people have experienced issues with lower back pain. Proper stretching prior to play can help with this, but if this swing causes chronic pain, stop using it and check with a doctor.
• This is also one of the hardest golf swings for beginners to learn correctly and there by have an effective shot, but once learned it is very repeatable. *It is a good idea to have a good working knowledge of a golf swing before you try this method.
• In order to master this swing it is vital for the player to re-learn the most basic fundamentals of the golf swing. It he/she can do this, this swing can produce outstanding results.
• Do research and try this swing on your own before you buy the videos. The videos are SO technical, the beginning golf will be totally lost in lingo and theory.

Sources and Citations

• Golf Digest, “Stack and Tilt: The New Tour Swing”

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Learn the Stack and Tilt Golf Swing. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Hinge Golf Club Improves Swing Tempo And Plane

How Does the Medicus Trainer Facilitate the Stack and Tilt Golf Swing?

How Does the Medicus Trainer Facilitate the Stack and Tilt Golf Swing?
By Walt Ballenberger

This article will explain how the Medicus trainer golf club facilitates the famous Stack and Tilt golf swing that has been very popular in recent years.

In fact about a couple of dozen PGA Tour pros have adopted this swing technique. But first of all we need to discuss what the Stack and Tilt golf swing is and subsequently what are its advantages and disadvantages. The Stack and Tilt Golf Swing In a nutshell, the Stack and Tilt golf swing advocates that a golfer’s weight should remain toward the front and not shift to the back during the swing.

Another way to look at it is that the head should remain in the same place during the swing. Some golfers have the tendency to “sway” during the golf swing, and in fact this works for some players. But it can only be effective if the golfer can have his club hit the ground at the right spot consistently and if the proper weight transfer occurs which will allow the player to hit the ball squarely. In fact some teaching pros advocate moving the body backward during the swing, especially with the driver, and keeping the body weight and the head position behind the ball in order to generate more power.

The Stack and Tilt requires almost the opposite in body position. That is, most of the weight is on the left side, say perhaps 60%, and remains there during the backswing. If you can picture a stick being placed in the ground that touches the golfer’s left hip, his left side should remain touching against that stick throughout the swing.

This would be for a right handed golfer, and the opposite would be the case for a lefty.

If a player swings in such a fashion, his shoulders will be lined up vertically at the top of the backswing and “stacked” over the left hip (again for a right handed golfer). Since the body has turned and the player’s back is more or less facing the target, his spine will necessarily tilt somewhat. e

So that is where the “Stack and Tilt” expression comes from.

It would seem to be easier to just think about keeping the head in the same place and making the swing after setting up with about 60% of the player’s weight on the front foot.

How Does the Medicus Trainer Facilitate the Stack and Tilt?

The Medicus trainer helps a golfer who wants to emulate the Stack and Tilt swing.
iThe Medicus Trainer has been specifically designed to break, or become unhinged, at six different parts of the golf swing if swing faults occur.

Here is an article that explains all six of these mechanisms in detail: Medicus Driver. The Medicus trainer aids in attaining a Stack and Tilt movement specifically at the moment of ball impact. That is, if the golfer’s weight is positioned too far behind the ball at impact the Medicus trainer will become unhinged. This would be a pretty weird feeling to have the club break just as the ball is being hit.

I doubt most golfers would want to repeat that type of thing, and in that way the Medicus almost forces the golfer to correct his swing fault. Why Bother With All This?

The Stack and Tilt swing was promoted to facilitate hitting the golf ball squarely. If the player’s weight is to the rear, it is possible he or she will not be able to successfully transfer weight to the left side (again, for a righty).

The result is an open or closed clubface at impact, depending on how the player’s body tries to compensate for the error.

However, some teaching pros feel that the Stack and Tilt approach is not for everyone. Some high handicap players have too much weight towards their front foot already, and they also do not have the athletic ability to get through the ball squarely.

For those players the stack and tilt is a bad idea.

Walt Ballenberger is web master for http://www.medicusdriver.info and several other golf web sites. Check out http://www.medicusdriver.info/MedicusDriverArticleIndex.htm for more information about the Medicus Driver and other Medicus golf training aids. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Walt_Ballenberger

Stack and Tilt Golf Swing Video

bradcooke55

I think a lot if people hit the ball further when they can make solid contact consistently. Which supposedly this system does. A lot of players tend to get way out of sync and mis hit shots.

bogeyhitter25

does kevin na doing s&t?

rgmmiller93 (

How do we know this? Prove it? In 5 lessons Hogan says he actively transfers his weight onto his right side, as well if you look at a lot of pics of Hogan, in the grid, you can see his head and weight moving to his right. I quite like stack and tilt, however I don’t like how they say how Hogan and others tilted left when they clearly did not.

ssgolf37

look at the pictures they dont lie. what people say and did are different

rgmmiller93

I agree, but in almost all pics of Hogan that I have seen he tilts right at p4. You will have seen his swing in front of the grid, his spine and head travel back to his right hand side. However, snead………. Logan, I have been working on the pps, especially those under the armpits, going to post a vid over at dana’s, have a look if you want.

nevermore7777

The thing is though, he never did. Im sure you’ve heard of how he had that extra spike put into his shoes right? He used that as a focus point to where he applied all the pressure on the inside of his right foot. He then bent his knee in on the same leg which does NOT allow you to get your weight back. he would turn against that foot, creating resistance while all his weight is on his left leg. Thats how he would create so much lag, from all the resistance in his body, and then letting it all go

bigdanusa

Birdie3040

more bullchit to sell books/videos/etc… you want to learn the game read from the best. hogan/tiger’s instructional books.

bwalt12

Hogan’s Five Lessons; Anyone who wants to play this game should read this book

bwalt12

The S&T method though is the closest teaching method to what Ben Hogans swing was like in my opinion. Hogans arms never leave the left side of his cody in his swing, its all just 1 fluid motion using his whole body. SOmewhat like this method, which is trying to help you better utilize your body rather than your arms.

Swing Problems Solved with the New Stack and Tilt System: from luckylasagne

Swing Problems Solved with the New Stack and Tilt System

(My Original Blog Post: http://ping.fm/pJzYp)

Stack and Tilt was developed by teaching professionals Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer in 2007. It has become all the  rage in the golf world. Golf Digest magazine, the golfing bible for a lot of golfers, has also written about Stack and Tilt golf instruction. Golf enthusiasts from all over the world are trying out this new swing with good results.

Amateurs and professionals alike are trying the stack and tilt golf swing. At first, not shifting your weight might feel awkward, but in time, it will not only feel better, but relieve the strain on your back and shoulders. The swing is a lot more upright and you stand closer to the ball. If you are interested in trying the Stack and Tilt golf swing the DVD may be helpful. Watch the swing being executed then start practising yourself.~View a demonstration and then give it a try for yourself. This method promises help with fat, thin and slice shots.

More: Here

How to Learn the Stack and Tilt Golf Swing

If you’re having trouble hitting consistent golf shots with your irons (i.e. “fat”, “thin” or weak shots), the “Stack and Tilt” golf swing may help!
While not for everyone, it basically involves keeping your axis centered over the ball (“Stacked”) and then rotates around this axis (“Tilt”), with the weight starting slightly forward at address, and continuing to shift forward throughout the swing.
Removing the shift of weight from back to forward may help eliminate problems associated with a “reverse pivot” or incomplete weight shift, and result in more consistent ball striking — and oftentimes more distance!

Steps

• Set up with the golf ball positioned in the center of your stance. You may find you need to adjust this location depending on personal preferences (such as moving long irons slightly forward), but it is a good starting place.
• Your hips, and shoulders should be centered over the ball and there should be no significant lean.
• Weight should be approximately 55% to the front foot.

• Your weight should also be on the balls of your feet, not your heels!
• On the backswing, the head remains centered over the ball, and weight increases to approximately 65% over the front leg. The front leg will flex while the back leg will straighten slightly natural move to allow loading of weight to continue forward.
• The natural tilt of the spine at this point will feel like the body is tilted forward — but from the straight-on view is actually centered over the ball. Turn the shoulders on a steeper angle and keep the lead arm across your chest as you approach the top of the swing (the lead shoulder will be close to the chin). Keep the elbow of your trailing arm close to your body. This will help prevent you from leaning back too much.

• On the forward swing, the weight continues to move forward and through with the hips pivoting strongly and pushing forward (like the feeling of a standing long jump).

• At the finish (like the traditional swing), the torso will have moved forward and the butt will tuck under the picture the golfer in the PGA Tour logo.

Video

Video from Golf Digest profiling results from the Stack and Tilt golf swing

Video

Golf Tips video outlining some additional thoughts regarding Stack and Tilt.

Tips

• The real keys to this swing are staying centered over the ball and shifting the weight continually forward.
• Keeping the head centered over the ball will prevent the body sliding back during the shot, and hitting behind the ball. If you’re still hitting the ball fat, check to see if your head position remains centered. Look at the reference point of the tree behind my head in the photos — the head (and centerline of the body) virtually stays in line with the tree, not moving back in the backswing… which causes a tendency to hit behind the ball for inconsistent shot contact.
• The proper Stack and Tilt swing with a stable head and weight shift moving forward will result in the club striking the same point on the ground each time. As a warm-up, lay a club on the ground perpendicular to your swing path where your ball placement would be (in front of your ball position so you can’t accidentally hit the club!) and take practice swings… the divot should be on or slightly ahead of this club line.
• While the stable head and forward weight shift promotes solid contact, a weight shift that occurs too quickly will promote a tendency to hook the ball.
• Overswinging will kill this method! Since the player will/should be pinching the ball at impact, there is no need for overswinging.

Warnings

• Due to the rapid turning of the hips in this steeper swing plane, some people have experienced issues with lower back pain. Proper stretching prior to play can help with this, but if this swing causes chronic pain, stop using it and check with a doctor.
• This is also one of the hardest golf swings for beginners to learn correctly and there by have an effective shot, but once learned it is very repeatable. *It is a good idea to have a good working knowledge of a golf swing before you try this method.
• In order to master this swing it is vital for the player to re-learn the most basic fundamentals of the golf swing. It he/she can do this, this swing can produce outstanding results.
• Do research and try this swing on your own before you buy the videos. The videos are SO technical, the beginning golf will be totally lost in lingo and theory.

Sources and Citations

• Golf Digest, “Stack and Tilt: The New Tour Swing”

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Learn the Stack and Tilt Golf Swing. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Tips for good golfing:

Tips for good golfing: it’s all in the swing Believe it or not, when one performs a golf back swing, it is not just your arms. It is also more about the golfer’s back as it turns away from the target. The club is more so as being put behind the golfer’s back than it is swung up towards the air. The move backswing If you look at it closely, the golf back swing actually works from up to down. The takeaway back swing begins from the top as you make the movement on your arms and follows as you do that turn on your shoulders. The movement then goes straight down towards the legs and the hips. The golf back swing is primarily about how the body is being coiled upwards thus creating the needed tension in the muscles as well as torque to be able to let out that all powerful downswing. Particularly, that swing is created anywhere in between the golfer’s turning his or her upper body as well as shoulders and the turning – to a lesser degree – the lower body and the hips. Relax It is highly advisable that one should not do the swing in a hurried manner. If a back swing is in any way done in a hurry, the downswing does not become fast, actually it could do the opposite. The backswing speed should be in a tempo that is steady and should neither be fast nor slow. Although some golfers have that tendency to go way faster than the regular. Anytime you catch or are aware of yourself doing this, try to slow it down a bit. The move downswing When you reach the downswing, all you really need to do is to just let it go. Let the downswing happen. However, this only applies if ever you were able to start with a golf stance, backswing and grip that is correct. The downswing must be the organic result of all that went before it. If you were able to do your backswing in the correct manner, your body will unwind in itself thus releasing the club and striking the ball that will therefore result in a follow through that is balanced. The follow-through move A follow-through should be best seen as the feather in your cap move. The legs must be adequately straight and the hips have to form a straight line together with the legs. This move will serve as the gauge of the whole swing you have just done. You know that you were able to pull a swing that is smooth and balanced if in the end you have a position that looks like the letter C only in reverse.

How To Easily Achieve “Rock-Solid” Posture For More Power In Your Golf Swing

How To Easily Achieve “Rock-Solid” Posture
For More Power In Your Golf Swing
Written By
Mike Pedersen
Golf Swing Trainer & Body Golf Specialist
Creator of The
Effortless Golf Training System

Have you ever had your golf pro tell you that your golf posture is poor and that you need to have a correct spine alignment if you want to maximize your driving distance?
Or, you are practicing your golf swing in front of a mirror, and you get that side view and see this big hum in your back?
No matter how hard you try to straighten it out, you just can’t get it to stay straight, especially after a couple of holes during your round. In fact, the more you try, the harder it is, and the more frustrated you get.
Why is this?
Throughout the years, we’ve been sitting for 8 or more hours at our jobs, then we go home and sit for a few more hours, and if you’re honest with yourself, your posture during all these hours is not very good.
As the years go on, your muscles get both tight and weak, causing this sometimes dramatic curve (hump) in your upper back. You cannot fix this through thought.
What I mean is by trying to keep it straight. This is a “physical” issue and needs some simple, easy and very quick exercises you can do anywhere to fix this debilitating golf swing restriction.
If you don’t read this  report and implement the simple exercises I’m going to show you, your golf swing will continue to lack power and consistency.
Let me explain, to help you understand the biomechanics of your golf swing.
Your golf swing is a rotary movement. Picture your spine is this rod that you have to rotate your body around, and this rod is very, very straight and rigid. Imagine a rotisserie on a barbeque. Your spine is this rotisserie.
If the rotisserie is straight, it spins perfectly, around and around. If it’s bent, it wobbles much slower and will not cook the chicken as well as it should, and it will take much longer to cook.
Let’s get back to your golf swing!

If your spine is curved, this will dramatically limit your ability to freely rotate back and through in your golf swing. Have you sometimes felt like you just can’t make a full turn no matter how hard you try?
This is the reason why!
Until you get your spine in alignment, you will continue to hit weak drives that very rarely go straight.
There are two main reasons why you can’t correct this through thought and effort. One, you have a very restricted chest and front shoulder area, which is pulling your shoulders forward causing the rounding of your upper back, and second over the years your upper back (spinal erector) muscles have weakened to the point of them being elastic and not firm.
Take a look at the picture below. The side view picture shows the accentuated curve in my upper back (white curved line).

And take a look below at this picture from the front. I am maintaining the incorrect curve in my back and trying to make a backswing.

Look how I can only go a little bit without coming out of my posture. This is one of the MAIN reasons older golfers can’t make a turn.
Now take a look at this side view (below). This is what you’re posture’s going to look like after you apply the information in this report.
See the line I’ve drawn to show you how straight the spine is here? Believe it or not, I’m not having to put much effort into achieving this position, and neither will you very shortly.

Look at the turn you’ll soon make after you get this corrected (see below). This is something you can definitely achieve, but need to implement the below 2 simple exercises daily to get there.

Now here comes the EASY solution!
This will take you less than 2 minutes, but will make a dramatic impact on your power, distance and consistency.
The first exercise (see picture below) is a SIMPLE stretch you can do several times every day. Find a doorway in your home office (anywhere), or in this picture I’m using a corner wall that you can leverage your upper arm against to stretch out the chest and front shoulder arrow.

This stretch feels SO GOOD, and you should do it multiple times a day! Make sure to do both sides for a 10 second hold. You’ll soon feel your chest area “opening up”, which will not only help you with your upper back posture, but give you more width in your golf swing.
The second exercise is using some tubing you can get anywhere (even Target). Notice in the picture how I’m pulling my hands out to the side to contract the muscles in my upper back?

This is the MOST targeted exercise to strengthen your spinal erector muscles that will give you that straight upper back. You’ll want to pull your hands back until the tubing touches your chest. Repeat this 10 times and you’re done!
The combination of the simple stretch, and easy exercise is your ticket to a near perfect spine angle and many years of fun golf!
Now I can’t cover all the techniques in this FREE report, but I can tell you there are several MUCH more effective golf swing training drills that will quickly and easily get you making a FULL turn and adding 10,20 and maybe even 30 yards to your drives depending on your starting point and initial restrictions.
It’s amazing to me… how simple techniques you can do right in your home, can make such a dramatic difference in your golf swing power, consistency, and accuracy.

Congratulations on taking the first step to making a better backswing!
You’re now one step closer to hitting longer drives.