Stack & Tilt: The Standup

The final part of the Stack and Tilt (S&T) move I've discussed in prior posts is the "standup". Arguably, it's the most important because it's when you actually hit the ball--the rest is just preparatory. For me, it was the most difficult part to get right but, in retrospect, that was because some of my preparatory steps were slightly wrong.

To review, the first part of the swing is the "stack" (first frame above) where the weight is 55% on the left foot. On the backswing (next frame) the hands move inside while the right elbow (actually the right tricep) stays attached to the side (the right lat muscle). I actually tilt (the third frame) before starting the backswing but I have to constantly think about keeping my right "elbow" attached to my body while tilting and swinging backwards. The tilt pictured in frame three is a little more severe than prescribed in the S&T book (page 30) but, remember, I'm fighting fat shots. Finally, the "standup" is shown in frame four.

After much struggle with the standup, what I have found is that if the first steps are done right (stack, right elbow and tilt), the standup happens automatically if I concentrate on taking a divot after the ball.

When I started S&T, I felt as if I was falling into the ball when tilting. This was because my right elbow (tricep) was not staying attached (one of the critical "pressure" points described on page 160 of the S&T book). Also, with the right elbow staying close to my side on the backswing, my left shoulder naturally went "down and under" my chin (step 2, "shoulder down" in the S&T Six Step article).

Once I was in this position (stacked, right elbow in and tilted), if I just swung my hands without standing up, I would hit the ground "behind" the ball--my dreaded fat shot. By using the stand-up properly, I was able to hit the ball then take a divot after contact. When done correctly, I have the distinct sensation of "pulling" the club through the ball rather than "hitting" with my hands.

I learned to do the standup move by getting in the backswing position position (stacked, right elbow in, tilted) and taking practice swings without the ball, hitting the ground after an imaginary line drawn perpendicular to the middle of my stance (see page 5 of the S&T book). Now, my practice swing before every shot is this drill. It seems to focus my attention.

If I do the standup wrong (meaning if I make poor ball contact), it's usually because (1) my right elbow crept away from my body, (2) I lost my stack, swaying backwards or (3) I didn't tilt enough, moving my shoulders on too flat a plane.

There are six steps in the prescribed S&T swing. At this point, that's three too many for me. At some future point, these other steps may need some attention. My bad swing, right now, is a push. The S&T book (page 181) suggests concentrating on pulling the left hand through impact, which seems to work.

CAUTION: For me, S&T does not always work on hilly lies. I usually find this out after the practice swing when I can't keep my balance on the slope I'm forced to hit off. I'll describe my S&T solution to hilly lies in a future post. Also, there is some controversy about whether the standup might create spine problems. I'm not a physician, but I'll talk about the controversy in future posts.