Understanding the Stack and Tilt Swing

Stack and Tilt

If you have been playing golf for any period of time, you may believe that there is nothing new under the sun. Conventional wisdom, however, is there for the challenging and the powers that be can come up with new ideas. Such is progress. In 2007, golf coaches Andy Plummer and Mike Bennet introduced a new technique that has come to be known as the stack and tilt swing. If you have heard of this, you may not understand exactly how this differs from what has been taught in the past. You also may be wondering if applying the technique can improve your own game.

Conventional wisdom teaches that a proper golf swing is most effective when you shift your weight to the back foot while making the backswing. This new stack and tilt swing, in contrast, encourages you to straighten the back leg and keep your weight towards the front and actually lean into your swing as the club impacts the ball. In practice, it looks much like the reverse pivot. While this is quite different than what is traditionally taught, the truth is that everyone has their own personal techniques, and there has always been differences among golfers.

Is it possible to improve your game using this new technique? No doubt about it - yes. It's always possible to improve and this swing may very well help you to correct some of the weaknesses in your game. The swing does a few things. A properly executed stack and tilt results in a steeper approach and a lower trajectory. It also generally produces a flatter swing. If these are areas of weakness in your own game, you may want to try to learn this swing. However, it is also clear that this swing can be quite difficult to learn. It may be hard to teach an old dog new tricks but perseverence is key. It might be difficult for you to adjust to this new swing if the tradition alone is very much ingrained. Your game will probably suffer in the meantime, but it can be done with plenty of practice.

In the golf world theories and opinions vary widely. While the stack and tilt swing can offer some benefits, many golfers achieve award winning success without ever giving it a try. Tiger Woods, for example, uses a very traditional swing. And as they say, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". If your current swing is working for you, you may want to stick with what you know.