As usual…another super long post. But I think I've reached the point where I now understand how S&T relates to tour pro swings. The continued attempts to somehow create a fake separation between the two "swings" is, for me, getting old...real fast. Online "instructors" claim they have a "unique" swing system....they don't ....it's ALL S&T. Just rebranded.
Upon analyzing many of the top tour pro’s swings, both the PGA and LPGA, it is clear to me that a majority of their swings are based on S&T. Some will say the two swings are different, but they are not. The average person who hears the term “S&T” believes it’s a "different swing" simply due to the terms that are used. The pro’s both stack and tilt. Check.
Woods and Nicklaus, among many other elite golfers, talked about being stacked over the ball, or not moving off the ball. Check..S&T. Tom did a video about Woods discussing how he is stacked over the ball in a Golf Digest article. They also talk about shoulder rotation (aka left shoulder down) on the takeaway. Check...S&T. They wish to create a wider arc with a shoulder driven backswing with extension to the top…all of this is in the S&T book, and/or taught by Tom and others. Check.
As the pro’s extend to the top, there’s a pressure shift into the inside of the trail heel that creates a coiling of the lower vs. upper body which creates torque…S&T. At the top, their club shaft is nearly over, or over, their trail shoulder…S&T. Contrary to some beliefs, S&T does not prescribe an exact "must have" position at the top. Some folks may be more upright, others a little less. I think this is where folks get confused with S&T. I did too.
I know some folks who believe the S&T swing is a flatter, shorter swing, with a lot of weight starting and remaining on the lead side. It isn't. In the beginning stages of learning S&T, I got into a flat, shorter, left side dominate swing that resulted in all kinds of trouble, from shanks to hooks, loss of divots, and decreased distance. So what was I missing? Backswing extension.
The pro’s employ backswing extension which creates a pressure shift into the inside of the trail heel. This shift creates lower vs. upper body twisting, or torque…S&T. At the top the lower body uncoils to start the downswing. Some pro’s may shift slightly more, some less, but none of them shift their weight on top, or outside their trail foot. So while there may be some variations, at the end of the day their backswing extension / pressure shift is S&T. Some may argue that the weight should start and stay on the left, and the “shift” into the heel of the trail heel is a no-no, but without a pressure shift the result will be lower, more punch-like shots.
So now all that remains is the downswing. Due to backswing extension and thus, the ensuing coiling of the body at the top, the downswing is nearly automatic because the lower body unleashes first, and after that the impact position should be similar to the tour pros, provided there’s no manual manipulation such as throwing the club out at the top, or the head moves around. Impact positions are nearly universal in golf.
I started getting into the shanks last year, and again this year. The shanks actually helped me understand that I was missing a huge piece of S&T teachings. I incorrectly focused on parts of S&T, not ALL of the parts. I now understand that the left shoulder down, combined with backswing extension are mandatory. Today, with these changes, I feel VERY upright...but I'm not. My club shaft is just outside of my trail shoulder at the top, meaning very close to being over my trail shoulder at the top. Then I thought “hmmm, this swing feels REALLY familiar”. But why?
It wasn’t until recently that I discovered what I was taught years ago was actually the S&T fundamentals. My golf coaches told me to be over the ball at the top (stacked). They didn't want me moving off the ball onto my trail side (sound familiar?). They didn’t use the term “tilt” but it didn’t matter because if I was stacked over the ball, and my shoulders didn’t flatten on the backswing, then the tilt component was achieved.
My coaches placed golf balls under the outside of my trail foot to keep my weight on the inside heel at the top (avoid excess shift). They didn't pay much attention to keeping the right knee bent at the top (same as S&T). The other "must haves" was a shoulder driven backswing with extension (same as S&T). They didn't call it "extension" back then, but that's what it was. They wanted the club shaft to be near, or over the trail shoulder at the top such that on the start of the downswing the club would shallow. As I moved from a 5 iron to 8-9-PWs, they wanted more eight on the lead foot at address (S&T). This is why S&T feels very familiar to me. Maybe my coaches were ahead of their time? Or maybe they inherently knew the key components of the golf swing.
The terms "S&T" vs. "Shift and Lift" defines what's correct vs. incorrect. The term "shift and lift" is used because most folks learned, or believed, they needed to shift a lot of weight onto their trail side on the backswing. After they over-shifted their weight, they were relegated to lifting the club to the top. Thus, shift and lift summarizes the faults of most amateur golf swings. However, some folks believe the shift and lift swing is a pro tour swing…it’s not.
As for S&T, I believe some folks may not understand that the static positions shown in the book are the positions to be in for a full golf swing and thus folks get into a shorter, flatter swing. When the backswing extension piece of S&T swing is done correctly, the S&T swing looks nearly identical to a so-called "pro swing". As for weight distribution at address, starting at 55/45 weight is good, but it's not a must have. I can start 50/50, but as my left shoulder goes down, and I extend to the top, my weight shifts to 55/45, or even 60/40 at the top. Thus, I can start at 50/50 and end up with more weight on my lead side at the top. My point is I don’t fuss over the exact percentages at address, but in practice I start with slightly more weight on my lead foot.
I truly believe S&T is the best teaching system because (to me) it is primarily designed to help those who have historically shifted off the ball and lifted the club to the top. I now understand that some of the static positions displayed in the book, and taught online, are exaggerated because the intent of those positions is meant to offset decades of shifting and lifting caused by bad teachings.
So the next time someone tells me most pro’s do not employ the fundamentals of S&T, I will ask them to explain which S&T fundamentals the pro’s employ that deviate from S&T. They will try very hard to find some miniscule detail, but they won’t have a good answer.
Finally, to illustrate my point, see the pictures of Tom and Tiger Woods (2020) below.
By the way, my old coach put golf balls under the outside of my trail foot for FEEL. He didn't want me to get into tilting the trail foot on my setup because I would look like I'm "knock kneed" on my trail side because the drill pushes the trail knee forward towards the lead knee Some guys took it way to far.
Every day some instructor has a new drill to fix this, that and the other thing. Yet no one gets better. So many swing thoughts of do this, do that. Seems we are forgetting that the objective is to just hit a stationary ball somewhere close to our intended target. Once we ingrain the principles of stack and tilt into our subconscious mind we are freed up to just hit that ball!
You folks will love this quick story.
Talked to a guy yesterday who moved from S&T to Clay Ballard. He said Clay has a "new" drill to keep the weight on the inside of the trail heel as the club reaches the top. What's the "new" drill? Putting a door stop wedge under the outside of the trail foot. The idea is to stay stacked over the ball at the top. Hmmm. I said to the guy "that's what S&T teaches". He said "yeah but it's a little different". Ok.
Going back to my post above, my high school golf coach put golf balls under the outside of my trail foot. That's like 40 years ago.
New. Different. LOL.
Excellent post, @GolfLivesMatter!
As I've remarked before, it we were to ask how many PGA Tour winners TILTED, TURNED, and EXTENDED in the golf swing, the answer would all of them! The Stack and Tilt system is not just rooted in physics, geometry, and human physiology, but it is also based on data from the best golf ball strikers. (Should there really be any difference??) For this reason, someone can be embracing key Stack and Tilt elements without being aware of it, or they may be aware of it and simply don't want to be labeled with the "stigma"...😆
There are basic requirements that must be met to hit a golf ball consistently on the center of the clubface. There are also components necessary to add power to the golf swing without sacrificing accuracy. It all comes down to the three true golf fundamentals according to S&T: 1. Being able to hit the ground in the same spot every time (consistently crispy contact), 2. Having enough power to play the golf course well (distance), and 3. Being able to have a predictable curve (accuracy). A player MUST be able to do these three non-negotiables in order to be good at golf, and S&T provides a road map for accomplishing them incredibly well in a low-maintenance and body-friendly manner. As far as Tour players using 100% of it, 99% of it, 97% of it, or 78% of it, it doesn't really matter because they're ALL doing it to some significant extent. The fundamentals never change!
I want to add that backswing extension takes some physical effort, especially in the beginning because the body is simply not stretched. Plus, it will be harder for those who have always lifted the club, and/or their shirt buttons more point to the ground at the top.
It will also feel like a very long, upright swing because the shoulders are moving to 90* vs. a partial shoulder rotation to 45* then an arm lift. The fun part is the significant, and effortless increase in swing speed that results, especially with the driver.
My best shots occur when I feel like the club is over my head at the top, but it's not. But that's my feel because I am prone to taking the club back too flat and too inside, then throwing it out. I think the flatter swing creeps up on me because I get lazy. Backswing extension does take some effort to accomplish until the body gets used to the movement.
Thanks @GolfLivesMatter... I literally have had arguments with my buddies over post round drinks about S&T. mostly about weight distribution and shallowing the club. They noticed my weight up front and not shifting and the say I need to put more weight on my trail leg, blah, blah blah. It's usually a scene with dudes demonstrating on/in the 19th hole. My argument is that the impact position is always the same and the downswing objective is also the same so why go through all that overhead?. Then the argument comes to an end when I tell them to look at the scorecard..sometimes :) . went out yesterday and was frustrated after a 47 on the front. A couple triple bogies and a double. Regroup. Focus on the weight up front, shoulder down. 3 pars, a birdie and 5 bogies later come in with a 40. Damn mental aspect of this game is killing me.
Thanks, I enjoyed the commentary on the S&T golf swing similarities.