Stack and Tilt: The Driver

From comments I've read on the Internet, golfers who have tried Stack and Tilt (S&T) seem to have trouble with the driver. That's not surprising. S&T emphasizes hitting down on the ball (hitting the ball first and then taking a divot). It's hard to see how that "fundamental" translates to the driver where the ball is hit off a tee.

This problem is really nothing special to S&T (no credible golf instruction recommends hitting the ground then hitting the ball). Regardless of instruction method, some adjustments have to be made when hitting the driver. The video above does a good job of explaining the adjustments to the S&T swing (you can also see tour player Charlie Wi hit a driver here).

The graphic below is taken from the S&T Book (page 40):

I had some difficulty with the driver when making the transition from the Width Swing (Laws of Golf) to S&T. During the transition, I was always pushing my drives. This was the result of a few problems: not enough weight on my left foot, not pushing my left knee out enough on the backswing and too flat a shoulder turn (not standing up enough on the backswing and not getting my left shoulder down enough on the backswing).

You can hit a perfectly adequate drive with the Width swing and a flat shoulder turn. Since the ball is up on a tee, a flat shoulder turn and a bit of a sway back on your right foot (like a baseball player getting ready to hit a home run) can be very effective. For the Width swing, the "adjustments" have to be made with the irons to hit down on the ball with a flat shoulder turn. After the transition to S&T, however, I'm a more accurate and consistent driver and have not really lost any distance. And, my iron play (where S&T seems to make a lot of sense for everyone) is a lot sharper. So, if you are making the transition to S&T, it's worth studying the video above, understanding that adjustments have to be made, and spending a little time at the driving range.