What Is Stack and Tilt Golf Swing?

By Robert Preston
A Stack and Tilt golfer's head finishes much farther back than in a standard swing.
A Stack and Tilt golfer's head finishes much farther back than in a standard swing.

Stack and Tilt is a style of golf swing that differs greatly from the standard swing employed by most golfers. The focus of the Stack and Tilt revolves around minimizing the weight shifting throughout the swing. Although it leads to a swing that can appear strange to those not used to seeing it, it can be very consistent for those who have practiced it.

Ball Placement

The changes between a standard swing and a Stack and Tilt swing begin before the player has even swung the club, with the positioning of the ball in the player's stance, and is most noticeable with the driver, which calls for the greatest adjustment. In order to keep the player's weight before the ball, the ball is positioned farther back in the player's stance, so that the weight does not need to be so far on the front leg to stay forward.

Spine Alignment

The pre-swing alignment of the player's spine is also noticeably different in a Stack and Tilt swing when compared against a standard swing. Although in both cases the players spines are aligned with the ball, the differing placement of the ball between the player's feet makes for a far more erect stance out of a Stack and Tilt player.

Hip Alignment

The change in position of the ball also alters the way a player must orient his hips before swinging.

While in a normal stance, the player's hips will be slightly uneven, with the lead hip positioned slightly higher than the front hip, a Stack and Tilt golfer will aim to be more erect, with hips parallel to the ground. Failing to take this proper stance before the swing will make a proper Stack and Tilt swing impossible.

Backswing

The backswing of a Stack and Tilt golfer often will be shorter than that of a standard golfer. Although not all standard swings see the player bring the club all the way around to face the target, a Stack and Tilt golfer will never swing so far back, as it will throw off the balance the swing aims to keep. By shortening the backswing, a Stack and Tilt golfer makes it easier to ensure that his weight shifts only slightly off his front leg and remains just in front of the ball at the top of the swing.

Downswing

A Stack and Tilt golfer's downswing is different because it does not require as much of a shift in weight, as he is not bringing his center of gravity from behind the ball to before it, but rather from just in front of the ball to close to his lead leg. At the moment of impact, the Stack and Tilt golfer also will have his head much closer to directly over the ball because of the pre-swing alignment.

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