How to Learn the Stack and Tilt Golf Swing

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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”

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