The IMPORTANCE of Tilt (Tom's Practice Session Today)

SagutoGolfers, I can't stress this ENOUGH. Your relationship with the golf ball is EVERYTHING in the golf swing. Your:

Swing Plane
Club path
Club face angle at impact
POWER and Clubhead Speed
Ability to KFC the golf ball

All of these factors and more are dependent on your ability to maintain your body's relationship to the golf ball throughout the swing.

I just got done practicing today and, I'll admit, I've been in a rut recently with my swing. I wasn't quite KFC'ing the ball like I wanted to. I decided to self diagnose and made a minor tweak to my setup BUT then I started really TILTING - I mean, HARD TO PORT (if you're a boater, you know what I'm referring to). TILTING HARD LEFT while keeping my head in place.

And then........

CRACK - BANG - WOW - HOLY MACKEREL - REPEAT

You would have thought that a new Kentucky Fried Chicken location offering All-You-Can-Eat $20 Crispy Fill Ups spawned on the Litchfield Country Club driving range. It was glorious. 210 yard 6-irons. The speed was there, the ball was drawing, and the KFC was deep fried.

All of this KFC because of TILT. (videos below)

Isn't this a funny game?

5 comments

5 Comments

johnpfistnerjr

May 03, 2021

Former Navy and aviation electrician I better know what port and starboard is. 😁

jerrygrater

Mar 15, 2021

Please clarify "tilting far to left"

You say bump one inch to target at setup. Does that have anything to do with tilting?

Tom Saguto

May 04, 2021

Replying to

@jerrygrater - I'm not sure if your question on bump vs. tilting ever got answered. If not, my apologies. The two are independent of each other. The one-inch hip bump at address presets the weight forward while keeping the swing center intact. Tilting to the left (for a right-handed player) is part of the tilt, turn, and extend backswing motions as described in detail in Chapter 2 of the Golf Swing Simplified course.

I hope that clarifies this for you!

Tom Saguto

Feb 16, 2021

@danny - It's unfortunately a far-too-rare reprieve day from this winter's crapfest of weather down here. Usually we can count on 2-3 days per week like this one during the SC "winter". Not this year... 😠

Yes - even as you really take ownership of your swing you're going to still have hiccups, although it's all relative as your bad days of crispiness at that higher level are something you would have aspired to and gladly accepted previously.

Yes - it's normal for the swing to have to feel focused and deliberate until such time that it doesn't, and that time is when it is fully ingrained and consistently repeatable.

Stay warm!

Yoda-Guru Guy

danny

Feb 16, 2021

There was a recent comment about keeping space between the chin and lead shoulder at the top of the backswing. I was not doing that consistently. I try to make that my swing thought for now and it sure is getting me more tilt and crisper contact. It seems the swing really should be focused and deliberate. When I get a bit lazy, my contact really suffers.

It's a good reassurance that even our Yoda-Guru guy has contact he isn't happy with sometimes. Lets me know that it's not just me and that I'm not really missing something that others don't struggle with as well. After watching your vlog of the few holes you played, over the summer, it's also good to see that even you hook the ball now and then. The reality is, you really need just one or two good shots on the approach to make par. They don't all have to be perfect! (its just really awesome if they are! Not that I would know THAT feeling...yet!!!)

I'm so jealous that you're outside, under blue skies, in short sleeves...

Danny