Stack & Tilt Swing vs. Conventional Swing

I've read countless articles regarding both swing types and I must say I'm partial to the conventional swing type.  But with that said, I want to explain the fundamental differences and key benefits of each swing type. Both swing techniques can be effective respectively, but one is more designed for accuracy, while the other, distance.

Address

Conventional Swing
Your body weight should be centered between your feet 50/50, and also be resting on the balls of your feet (not on your heels or toes). When viewed from front on, your lead shoulder should be higher than your trailing one, tilting your spine away from the target; ball position should be centered or slightly ahead.  Viewing down the line – your arms should be hanging close to straight down from your shoulders, your knees and elbows should be relaxed and unlocked and your lead arm should be visible above your trailing one. Your shoulders hips and feet should all be parallel to your target line. 
Stack & Tilt
Your body weight should be slightly favoring your lead foot on about a 55/45 split.  Much like the conventional setup, your lead shoulder is higher than you trailing one – but this is mostly to do with the fact that trailing hand is lower on the grip than the other. Despite this, your spine should be straight and perpendicular to your knees, shoulders and feet. When viewed head on your shoulders should be stacked over your hips – meaning if you drew a straight line down from either shoulder, it would intersect each knee.  Both your feet should also be slightly flared out. 

Backswing & Transition

Conventional Swing
Your backswing extends back as your body begins to coil – your weight slowly transitions to your right side as your wrists begin to cock. As you reach the top of your backswing, your weight is transitioned to about a 70/30 split on your back leg with most of this weight positioned on your trailing foot’s instep. You’re fully coiled, with most of your body behind the position of the ball. This is an incredibly powerful position and you see it among most other ‘loaded’ sports positions – baseball, hockey, sprinting.  
Stack & Tilt
The stack & tilt’s backswing remains very centered or leaning slightly to the front foot in terms of your body weight (see the image for a good visual view of this swing technique). Your shoulders rotate circularly  around your spine, as this happens your lead leg will bend and your trailing leg will straighten… this leads to a spine angle that is slightly leaning towards the target at the top.  Your head and body is almost directly in line with the ball. From this position there is no need to shift your body weight again.  

Downswing

The stack and tilt method considers the conventional weight-shift to be a nuisance because you have to shift the weight back forward on the follow-through; which leaves a lot of players behind in the dust. This is where you get to see the fundamental difference between these two swing types.  The conventional swing is a distance oriented motion – whereas the stack & tilt is a balance of distance and accuracy (based on the simplicity and repeatability of the swing).   
Conventional Swing
In the conventional downswing, your arms should drop downwards as your body begins to uncoil and your hips open. As this occurs your weight is shifting quite dramatically from your hind leg to your front leg, this move creates a lot of power, although, yes, it can be very difficult to coordinate. At about hip height, your wrists should begin to un-cock releasing a lot of stored energy as you come into impact. Your body and head should mostly be behind the ball at impact. This position helps to create crisp contact, and especially with the driver – makes sure the ball is being hit on the upswing.  On the irons, ball positioning and club length ensures the ball is hit with a descending blow. 
Stack & Tilt
In the stack & tilt swing the downswing starts with the lead hip sliding forward, which tilt the spine away from the target.  The slide from the hips puts your body and head ahead of the ball to encourage a descending blow.  The lead leg straightens slightly which causes the body to lift upwards allowing the hips to uncoil smoothly. The wrists then un-cock in the same general position as with the conventional swing. 

Follow-through 

Conventional Swing
The conventional follow-through continues the weight transitioning to the front foot as the arms swing slightly to the inside due open hips.  This move is criticized by stack & tilt advocates as proof of coming over the top (out to in swing path). If during the transition, your hands make the first move down; your swing path should follow an in-to-in direction, which is perfectly fine and effective. 
Stack & Tilt
The hips continue to thrust forward, resulting in a “reverse C” position, with the body facing the target.  As your body straightens, the spine leans away from the target, but your weight is still sitting on your front foot with a 90/10 split.  Keep your arms rather extended, with a slightly shortened follow-through. 

I hope this clarifies the major differences between these swings... and guys don't be afraid of straying away from convention, golf is a game that shows of individuality more than any other. Be yourself out there!

Article from SirShanksAlot.com

Medicus Dual Hinge Driver – Do the Infomercials Tell the Truth?

The infomerical made very bold claims in terms of what the dual hinged driver could do for any golfer’s game. It looked like another pipe dream, promoting a quick and easy fix to a very hard game.
The driver is the key to a good score – The Medicus dual hinge driver claims to be 100% about getting that ball in the short grass by diagnosing swing flaws, and getting the further down the fairway by reducing mishits. We’ve referred to the driver as the “spoon” of an ice cream sundae. Sure we can eat a sundae without a spoon but it is much messier. Likewise in golf, I can birdie or par holes by not hitting the fairway but it places immense pressure on the short game. Most pros can’t even pull it off on a regular basis.
Driver utilizes a slightly different swing than irons – Woods use a sweeping motion and a wider swing. Irons strike on a more downward blow and are more narrow. Of course we try to keep the golf swing basically the same from shot to shot but it is different. Thus the need for 2 different training aids – golf is a sport of millimeters so slight differences off the clubface can make the difference between a birdie putt and a shot in the hazard.

Evaluating Medicus’ claims

We purchased the Medicus 5 iron years back in 2002 and extensively tested it. Our overwhelmingly positive results with that club actually led to us creating Groove-it Golf in the first place. Catching you up on what we found was that:

• the Medicus golf driver training aid covers 9 possible breakpoints in the swing, which makes it the most versatile golf swing flaw diagnostic tool on the market. Most cover one or at the most, two.
• increases distance by getting shots more square an improving confidence in our swing
• lowers scores by getting our head on the strategy and not the swing
• you can hit real golf balls with it so practicing can be done in real course conditions
• money back guarantee if you can’t get it to work (but if you give it an honest try, that won’t happen)
• durable – our Medicus 5 iron from 2002 still works like the day we bought it
• It only took about 15 minutes to start seeing results. We still have to use it on a regular basis as golf swings slide in and out of being correct
• Medicus ensures they have the lowest price on their website, as opposed to getting it at a golf discount retailer
• Free shipping at the company site
• Comes with bonus DVDs which actually are helpful & not fillers. They have come a long way since our Davis Love video back in ‘02 and contain some real “meat.”

Bottom Line on the Medicus dual hinged driver

Good for any golfer’s game, and the price tag is easily offset in the first year just in lost golf balls, not to mention the added enjoyment or possible winnings from our playing partners (shh!) Purchasing the dual hinge driver at the Medicus site provides the lowest cost option for purchasing
Click here to purchase or learn more about the Medicus Driver

Medicus Stack and Tilt is going International

Medicus Stack and Tilt is going International

I am so very happy right now, my very best program is going International!! It is not good only for me, also my visitors should be happy.
Medicus Video: Learn to Achieve Straighter, Longer & Consistent Golf Swings w/ Instant Access to the Stack & Tilt Method! Includes A FREE Trial to Medicus Video!
This is so good that I could take my wife for a dance on my desk. I can offer one of the best swing's on the tour to all my friends, even Tiger Woods is checking this out.

GET COMFORTABLE WITH YOUR PRE-SHOT ROUTINE, AND USE IT FOR BOTH PRACTICE AND PLAY...

GET COMFORTABLE WITH YOUR PRE-SHOT ROUTINE, AND USE IT FOR BOTH PRACTICE AND PLAY...
By Ed Grant, Author of Subconscious Golf

You should get comfortable with your pre-shot routine on the practice tee, then take it to the golf course. Make it a well-grooved habit. Go out late at night or early in the morning when you're not rushed and just really focus on making your pre-shot routine a habit under playing conditions. Adapting a pre-shot routine will actually allow you to play faster. You'll get rid of indecision, you'll feel more confident, and in turn you'll play quicker. Make a pre-shot routine part of both your practice and play, and it will really help add consistency to your game.

Swing Easy When it's Breezy...
With Roger Gunn, So.Cal PGA Teacher of the Year

If you hang out with some of the great players over the years, sooner or later you'll hear "Swing easy when it's breezy". Is that right? Or is it just some old cliché that doesn't apply any more?

Most clichés are based in truth, and "Swing easy when it's breezy" is no exception.

When you're playing in the wind, a ball with too much backspin can be a real killer. Too much backspin makes the ball balloon up into the air where it's really likely to be blown offline. Using more club than usual and swinging much easier will keep that spin rate down, which will give you much more control.

Does that mean you never want to swing hard on a windy day? Not exactly. When you have a shot that's straight downwind, that's when you can take the shorter club and swing away.

"Swing easy when it's breezy," now that's some advice that really stands the test of time!

Keep your head steady to make more short putts

Keep your head steady to make more short putts
With Bruce Fleisher, PGA Professional

Many of my pro-am partners miss key short putts during their rounds because their eyes are moving during the stroke. As a result their heads are not steady. What I try to do from four feet and closer is to focus on the ball and then listen for it to go in the hole. Try this tip, and you'll be amazed at how many putts you'll make it. If you learn to use the ears during your putting stroke, you'll become a better short putter.

Some quick tips on reading the grain...

Some quick tips on reading the grain...
With Roger Gunn , So.Cal PGA Teacher of the Year

Reading the grain of the grass can be done in a very simple way around the hole, and that is to see how the hole is cut. That's right, if you look when you cut a hole, it basically cuts down through the root structure of the grass, so the grass that's growing in this direction is actually going to have its roots cut and it's going to die. Basically what happens pretty quickly is that you'll see a little dead spot on one side of the hole. Whatever side of the hole that dead spot is, that's the way the grass is growing. You can actually look around the hole and get a really good indication as to what the ball's going to do.

Another tip is to go ahead and look towards the sun, if you can, and try of look at what's happening in terms of if the green is shiny or if it's not shiny. If it's shiny, that means those blades of grass are lying away from you, and that's the direction that the grain is going. If it's not shiny at all, if it has a dull look, then that means that the grass is growing towards you, you're seeing basically the tops of those blades of grass, there's nothing to shine off of, and so that's the grain coming into you. That's also an excellent way to take a look at the grain, to see which way it's going and you can factor it in to see how it might influence your putt.


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