The Stack and Tilt Golf Swing: 5 Burning Questions Answered
The Stack and Tilt Golf Swing is one of those mysterious elements of golf subculture. You’ve probably heard of it, but you probably couldn’t explain it to a friend in detail without catching some confused looks.
Is the Stack and Tilt golf swing dead? Who invented the Stac and Tilt anyways, and why? Do any players I’ve heard of use the Stack and Tilt golf swing?
These are all valid questions. Let’s answer them.
1. What Are the Origins of the Stack and Tilt Golf Swing?
The Stack and Tilt is the brainchild of Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer. Both aspiring tour players who made it as far as the PGA Tour qualifying school. These architects of the methodology are commonly referred to as the Swing Whisperers.
Bennett and Plummer began teaching the Stack and Tilt golf swing in 2005 after creating the technique as a way to help students consistently improve. The duo was assisted in creating the Stack and Tilt by some existing golf instruction resources, including Homer Kelley’s famous book The Golfing Machine, which Byrson DeChambeau has often cited in his pursuit of perfection.
The finished product was an unorthodox method of swinging the club that goes against the grain of almost everything teachers and students of the game have believed and practiced. Despite all that, it worked for many of the world’s best golfers.
2. What Players Use the Stack and Tilt Golf Swing?
Bennett and Plummer began teaching the Stack and Tilt successfully in 2005. Their stable of tour players who at one time or another relied on the Stack and Tilt method include:
- Steve Elkington
- Aaron Baddeley
- Tommy Armour III
- Mike Weir
- Will MacKenzie
- Charlie Wi
- Grant Waite
Other players may have elements of the Stack and Tilt in their swings, including Justin Rose, but may not have become full adaptors of the system.
3. How Does the Stack and Tilt Compare to a Conventional Golf Swing?
The Stack and Tilt breaks from the conventional golf swing right from the get-go, beginning with the setup.
For years, instructors have taught that a 50/50 weight distribution is ideal and that the head should be behind the ball. The Stack and Tilt preaches a more upright address position with more of the weight resting on the front foot.
From here, the methods really veer off in opposing directions. Where the conventional swing teaches a lateral move away from the ball and loading up on the right side, the Stack and Tilt promotes a shift of weight to the front foot and stacking of the shoulders over the hips.
The swing is void of any lateral movement and focuses predominantly on rotation. The head and shoulders remain in front of the ball throughout the swing. This technique produces a downward blow at impact, trapping the ball between the club head and ground. The swing ends with the completion of weight transfer, ending with 90 percent on the front foot.
Here’s a breakdown of how the Stack and Tilt compares to a more conventional swing.
|
Traditional Swing |
Stack and Tilt |
|
|
Setup |
Weight split 50-50 between each foot |
More weight on the front foot |
|
Backswing |
Weight loads up on the trail side |
Weight shifts to the front foot |
|
Finish |
Weight transfers to the front foot |
Completion of weight transfer to the front foot |
4. What Are the Pros and Cons of the Stack and Tilt Swing?
The Stack and Tilt was designed to reduce lateral movement, which in theory can make the golf swing simpler, and more repeatable. However, the unorthodox technique has garnered some criticism. Here are the pros and cons of the Stack and Tilt golf swing.
Stack and Tilt Pros
The abundance of lateral movement is the death of many golf shots, and the mechanics of the Stack and Tilt method will promote more consistency through impact.
The Stack and Tilt will also produce a flatter ball flight that will be beneficial, especially in windy conditions.
Cons of the Stack and Tilt
The Achilles heel of the method is the transfer of weight from the front to the back foot through impact, or reverse pivot. This is a common occurrence when too much weight is shifted to the front of the swing and will produce a fat shot.
Critics also argue that the method requires an enormous amount of flexibility and physical prowess, two traits that the average golfer does not possess.
5. Is the Stack and Tilt Golf Swing Dead?
The Stack and Tilt golf swing might not be dead, but it’s on life-support.
As long as a golf swing theory exists, there will be players who are willing to see if it can help their game, which creates a market for coaches to teach it. You can easily learn as much as you’d like about the Stack and Tilt swing on YouTube and find additional training resources through the official Stack and Tilt website.
These days, however, you won’t find many, if any, touring professionals using the Stack and Tilt swing, or at least ones who will call it that.
Sure, elements of Stack and Tilt can be mined out of video clips of many professional golfers’ swings, but that doesn’t necessarily make it a Stack and Tilt swing.
The Short Stack
Golf instructors agree that there is no one way to swing the club. One could attempt to utilize the technique and if unsuccessful, integrate some aspects of the swing into her own. After all, the game is about building a better mouse trap.