"The Best Golf Swing Ever Is Officially Dead!"
Golfers will go to great lengths to hit the golf ball better. Many Golfers have a tendency to believe just about anybody and everybody that promises to have a Theory on a better golf swing. And although in the back of your mind - you know that much of this stuff is too good to be true - your passion for golf overwhelms all sense of better judgment.
The question is why would a person start trying to use a golf swing such as something called a Stack and Tilt? Which, if you haven’t already heard - is just another invented golf swing that was dreamed up by a couple of snake oil salesman preying on desperate Golfers - that somehow became the latest “hot” thing to do for all of about 5 minutes.
However, thankfully it has now been officially thrown in the overflowing dumpster with all the other golf fads that have passed. This new swing sensation was supposedly being used by a bunch of PGA Tour Players - when in fact, how many of these Tour Players are using this concept today? Probably the same amount that are using another once hot fad that’s in the overflowing dumpster of new golf swings - something called Natural Golf.
Thankfully as we scan the golf internet chat rooms - there is little talk of this Stack and Tilt thing - unlike 5 months ago when it was the latest and greatest. And just like much of America was in a real estate frenzy just a couple of years ago where you had to be in real estate or you were missing something big - the gurus of the golf internet chat rooms had desperate Golfers worked up into a similar sort of maniacal frenzy about having to try this new golf swing.
“I heard that Tiger is going to start using the Stack and Tilt!” ‘My cousin has a friend that knows a guy whose wife is friends with someone that lives next to Mickelson’s accountant and she says that Mickelson is also trying it!’ “I usually score around 95 and I shot a 62 my very first round using it!”
And blessedly, as GMS announced many months ago (in the December 12th, 2007 issue of Golf Improvement Weekly) that this new swing should be labeled as the Stack and Shank - it is now (18 months later) being referred to by that moniker by the same gurus who were proclaiming it as the greatest thing since interchangeable shafts for your Driver. All those poor Golfers that got caught up with another golf swing fad - that wasted the last 18 months not improving, but most likely learning to shank the golf ball and lose distance on their tee shots.
Yet, just like all other fads - it seems that there still might be some Golfers that are now just starting to try out the Stack and Shank - kind of like the little kid that arrived at his friends birthday party at 4:00 pm when it really started at 1:00 pm - saying: “Hey guys, where are you going? Why are you leaving the party already?” ‘Jimmy, we ate the cake and opened the presents - the party is over. There is some leftover birthday cake on the table, but it wasn’t very good - too much frosting and sprinkles - not enough cake.’ “Oh, I’m hungry - I’ll eat anything!”
How is it that people that are so smart that they could build businesses or be key personal in a business - people that have to deal with snake oil salesman everyday as part of their career - get hornsnaggled by a couple of golf pro’s touting their revolutionary golf swing?
I was very lucky at the start of my life in golf - as I was able to train under a very smart Golf Professional that said to me: “Marky, the golf swing is like a box of Kellogg Corn Flakes.” To which I answered probably like you are right now - ‘huh?’
He continued - “The golf swing is like a box of Kellogg Corn Flakes. What’s inside the box never changes - the only thing that changes is the packaging.”
And what he meant was: the golf swing is the golf swing like corn flakes are corn flakes - the ingredients of a good golf swing don’t change, just like the ingredients of corn flakes do not change. There are no new golf swings that will make you better. However, the packaging or in golf terms, the way of explaining the golf swing so that a Golfer can improve - can always improve.
The packaging equates (but isn’t limited) to: being able to continually help Golfers using improved concepts such as better, more effective drills that will help you to feel your golf swing. Developing training methods so that Golfers can better understand their golf swing, without having to think about too many things on every swing, along with understanding how to fix it quickly after a bad shot. And then training Golfers to practice their golf swing more efficiently using a PLAN based on their Strengths and Weaknesses as opposed to just beating golf balls like the Monkeys on the range.
There will never be a new golf swing that will be invented that will help Golfers to improve their ball striking (the actual corn flake doesn’t change). However, Golf Instructors can improve their communication skills and knowledge of the golf swing so that we can teach the golf swing in a simpler manner. Yes, there are varying degrees of talent amongst Instructors - yet, there are no new golf swings.
Yes, there are many movements in the golf swing using all the different parts of your body. Most Golf Instructors will teach you all those movements. And unfortunately many Golfers think that just because an Instructor talks about all those movements - that must mean this Instructor is a good Instructor. On the contrary - an Instructor that needs to talk about all those movements is a weak and ineffective Instructor who probably doesn’t have many Golfers that improve. Yet, they maybe held in high esteem just because they talk like they know what they’re doing.
For years (and still today), many less informed Golf Instructors will teach a Golfer to turn their shoulders and turn your hips and to shift your weight. Three things that most Golfers have been taught and try to do on every golf swing - yet, more times than not; fail to accomplish doing it effectively - thus resulting in an errant golf shot.
On the other hand, a talented Golf Instructor can have you doing all three things without you having to think about doing all three things every golf swing. We help you to do all of the above without thinking about it. Talented Golf Instructors help you by formulating drills that will have you doing all those things naturally - meaning without consciously thinking about it.
Creating good habits in your golf swing without you having to think about it is the first step to a consistent golf swing. And when you can do that - you’ll swing smoother and you’ll hit the golf ball better and more consistent.
The Golf Instructor that feels the need to teach you everything about the golf swing is like the sports hero being interviewed on TV that uses big, fancy words to hide the fact that he graduated high school only because he was a star athlete. So he’ll use fancy words to make him appear smarter and/or more talented - although many times he won’t even use these words correctly.
“You have to make sure that you use a one piece takeaway so that your swing path starts slightly to the inside while making sure you maintain the proper posture. As you’re doing this, your club will be starting on plane as your shoulders turn 90 degrees to the target, hips 45 degrees and that you have 55% of your weight on your right foot and 45% of your weight on your left foot. Then you must ….”
‘Oh, that guy sounds like he knows what he’s talking about. I need to listen to what he’s teaching!”
The skill of a fabulous Instructor is to take all those movements and find a way to wrap them up for the Golfer into one movement. For example: If you ever see a Golfer that’s struggling with their game - do they have more or less swing thoughts than someone that’s playing well? Of course - they have way too many swing thoughts. “Oh, this is terrible - I have so much I’m thinking about on every swing.”
And then this Golfer will go take a golf lesson to improve their golf swing and lo and behold, what might that Golf Instructor do? If it’s like most golf lessons - the Golf Instructor gives this already confused Golfer even more to think about. Why? Because many Instructors want to prove to you how much they know about the golf swing. And they’re going to prove it to you that they know a lot - if you like it or not.
And more times than not - that Golfer walks away more confused, playing worse and swearing to never take another golf lesson again. Which is unfortunate because there are some really excellent Golf Instructors available.
On the other hand - when you speak to a Golfer that’s hitting the golf ball great and ask them what they were thinking about on that last shot, it often is: “I don’t know, I was just trying to make a smooth golf swing.”
So if that’s the case - it’s no wonder why most people get worse after the typical golf lesson. Because the typical Golf Instructor talks about all these little movements and you try to do as your Instructor says and then you struggle on the golf course. Yet, the talented Instructor knows how to take all those movements and have you make all those movements without you having to think about it.
A truly great and talented Golf Instructor doesn’t care about being perceived as intelligent - all we care about is that our Golfers are improving.
The Monkey grabs the new, latest and greatest vine that all the other Monkeys are grabbing just because the other Monkeys are grabbing it
The Player understands the golf swing is like Corn Flakes and finds the Instructor that knows how to package specifically for their golf game
Go ahead, Be a Player!
Regards,
Marc Solomon - Your Instructor For Life
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12 comments
I agree with most everything you say. Yes, if you become too technique-oriented, paralysis by analysis sets in. It's best to be result-oriented. I discovered this myself. I also, believe it or not, discovered myself that cultivating the correct contact position is something that causes most everything else to fall into place. This is one reason why I recognized right off the bat that most of your words really do contain wisdom.
Where are you wrong? On Stack and Tilt, but I'm not coming from where you may think.
A problem arises if you think of it as a new swing. It is not. A true understanding of it makes you realize that it is an old swing and disabuses you of relatively new misconceptions. You also won't understand it if you take what Bennett and Plumber say in the golf magazines to heart. They err in their relation of the concepts (at least in the magazines) and make it unnecessarily complicated.
Now, as you said, there are no new correct ways to swing, only THE correct way, and what is called "Stack and Tilt" is it. To effect the swing, all you really have to do is not shift your weight backwards during the backswing, avoid sliding your head toward the right (which is common advice), and stay connected, which is also common advice. And, yes, these different actions can be experienced as feelings and amalgamated into one complete feeling, thus making the process as non-technical as possible.
Where B&P err is in providing illustrations in the mags that emphasize the FEELINGS you may have to strive for to effect the action. The problem is that actually getting into those positions would be incorrect, and since B&P don't explain this, many people end up getting into those positions and disaster ensues.
Really, the main message of S&T is simple but important: shifting your weight back is a SWING FLAW that has become accepted as doctrine. If you understand body mechanics, you'll realize that it is an unnatural movement that requires a difficult-to-orchestrate compensatory move on the downswing. You'll also realize if you study other sports (tennis, throwing a ball, etc.) that, when left to our own devices, we always have the weight a bit forward at the end of the backswing, windup, etc.
Shifting the weight back is unnatural and is the kiss of death in golf. And you should note that great ball strikers tend to not shift their weight much at all.
But, hey, if all you cats want to reject the proper swing, it's fine by me. I'll have less competition then.
This article on Stack and Tilt is just awful. It's sad when articles like this are written by individuals who are CLEARLY uninformed. I would really enjoy reading your opinion on the specific components of the pattern that you disagree with. Is the lack of weight transfer during the backswing the only issue you disagree with? The article explains what your definition of a good teacher is and how students shouldn't be overloaded with information, but the article has no explanation for your stance that Stack and Tilt is a poor way to play golf. I would appreciate any response you may have.
Nick
I agree with you. You might find my post, which is above yours, interesting.
The next major part would be lack of distance, which they have covered very clear in the CD's for the average player to understand.
What I find ironic is that due to the fast success with Andy &Mikes teaching on tour. It made a quick buzz. Even other teachers had taken notice. After several wins on tour and 19 players some of which would include Tim Clark and Sean Ohier that work off the pattern now.
To be frank at its simple form, its a great way for a new golfer to hit the ball the fastest and play golf. Much better than spending three weeks on the grip and backswing while topping the ball.
You can't criticise something and then not take the
time to explain what's wrong with it. Stack and tilt certainly appears to work - or certainly has. Mike Weir definately used it and hasn't disappeared overnight. Other players have WON ON TOUR using it which means that others could definately follow. Just because some big names have moved away from it doesn't mean that they haven't retained a certain degree of the mechanics. Lots of players appear more stacked now than ever before - I'm sure I even saw Tiger favouring his left side more :)
Trust me if you haven't heard it from the horses mouth and had a chance to discuss your concerns about the Stack & Tilt system, then you carn't possibly form an opinion.
Best teaching seminar I've ever been to. Both of the guys are top draw.
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