Playing the mini-tours in the mid-1990s, we became students of golf technique. This was largely out of desperation. We sought out the help of many of golf’s most prominent teachers, and at times their advice was exactly what we needed. But periods of improvement were marred by steep declines, which made no sense considering all the time we devoted to practice. There was a lack of order in our understanding; we often didn’t know whether to try something new or to go back to something that had worked before, in the hope that it might work again.
During this period we were introduced to The Golfing Machine, a somewhat obscure instructional book written in 1969 by Homer Kelley. Kelley was not a competitive golfer or even a teacher until later in life, but his book showed us how science could be applied to golf. The same laws that govern the universe also govern golf. The book used classification as a way of separating the individual elements or components of the swing. This was what we were looking for in our own games: a system of organization. The advice of great teachers like Larry Bartosek, Tom Tomasello, and Mike Bender helped us put into context many of the principles laid out in The Golfing Machine.
With the help of another teacher, Mac O’Grady, we started to refine our perspective on the golf swing. His knowledge and guidance encouraged us to dig deeper into the patterns that exist in the game. We examined not only our own swings, but also those of the great players and, ultimately, average golfers. The more we studied historical photos of elite players, the more we saw the patterns develop.
And when we started cataloging the swings of average golfers, the reasons they were average also became clear. Most instructors analyze a golfer’s swing only to figure out what that golfer, individually, needs to do. Our systematic analysis of average players has been valuable not only in understanding bad technique but also in helping us see points that apply to even the best players.
In 2005, we videotaped nearly every swing that our friend Steve Elkington took on the range and during practice rounds. We assembled a book for him that tracked his progress using the moves we’re about to share with you. In six months, he went from a ranking of 389th in the world to the top 50, finishing a stroke behind Phil Mickelson at the PGA Championship in 2005.
That year Steve adopted a strange-looking rehearsal move in his pre-shot routine, tilting his spine dramatically to the left just before he stepped up to the ball. It was an exaggeration of the spine tilt we were working on with him, and it got people talking about what we were teaching.
By that time we were already working with Tom Scherrer and Grant Waite, whose improved swings were gaining the attention of fellow pros. Dean Wilson, who lost his card after the 2004 season came to us ready to make changes. Dean became one of our best stories and best friends, working hard on his swing over the next year and eventually winning his first tour event, The International, in 2006. That year Dean finished 22nd on the money list, which got more players asking about Stack&Tilt.
Three more of our tour students, Aaron Baddeley, Will MacKenzie, and Eric Axley, also won for the first time in 2006. By the time Aaron got his second win, at the beginning of 2007, we were both on tour every week, with about a dozen players converted to our system. One of those players was Mike Weir, whose game had slipped since he’d won the Masters in 2004. Mike worked hard to change his form, and in 2007 won in Phoenix and beat Tiger Woods in their singles match at the Presidents Cup. In 2008, Mike finished 14th in earnings on tour, with eight top-10 finishes on the year.
What followed was a Golf Digest profile highlighting the work that took place with Aaron Baddeley. This article attracted countless golfers looking for a reliable method for improving their game. Since 2005, Stack&Tilt Golf’s students have reported over $50 million in PGA TOUR earnings. and the system remains one of the most discussed game-changers in the world of golf instruction.
Our system has been profiled in publications like Golf World and Sports Illustrated, and on syndicated talk shows like The Charlie Rose Show. A best-selling book, The Stack and Tilt Swing, and two DVDs, the latest of which, Stack&Tilt 2.0 Understanding the Numbers, further refines the system using sophisticated bio-mechanics have garnered huge success. Having worked worked with ten different PGA tour winners, Stack&Tilt Golf prides itself on its ability to improve the games of players of all levels with a system that is understandable and accessible to all.
Individual and group lessons with Andy & Mike at Stack&Tilt Miami or other venues around the world based on availability. Contact us for scheduling.