Stack & Tilt vs. Sean Foley

By golfdigest.com

Photos by J.D. Cuban and Stephen Szurlej

A quick spin around golf's blogs and chat rooms turns up the claim that Sean Foley teaches a swing that is remarkably similar to Stack & Tilt. View a frame-by-frame comparison of Sean Foley and Stack & Tilt's teaching of the golf swing and decide for yourself.

A quick spin around golf's blogs and chat rooms turns up the claim that Sean Foley, golf's hottest instructor and the likely new coach to Tiger Woods, teaches a swing that is remarkably similar to Stack & Tilt, the controversial method conceived by Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer and unveiled in Golf Digest in June 2007. Is there any basis to the claim? Now you can compare their swing philosophies and decide for yourself. We went back through several Golf Digest articles by Foley and Bennett/Plummer and tried to match up their comments; for example, Foley's advice on weight shift versus that of Bennett/Plummer. The Foley quotes were taken from "4 Steps to Save Your Back," an article published in Golf Digest in March 2010; Bennett/Plummer from "6 Ways to Stack & Tilt," published in the December 2009 issue.

Shoulder Turn

Stack & Tilt: Turning your left shoulder downward instead of level helps to keep the center of your shoulders in place, which is a key move of Stack & Tilt.Foley (inset): Many golfers try to rotate the shoulders level, but turning the left shoulder down lets the thoracic spine (mid-back) and not the lumbar spine (lower back) handle the twisting.

Shoulder Turn

Foley: Many golfers try to rotate the shoulders level, but turning the left shoulder down lets the thoracic spine (mid-back) and not the lumbar spine (lower back) handle the twisting.Stack & Tilt (inset): Turning your left shoulder downward instead of level helps to keep the center of your shoulders in place, which is a key move of Stack & Tilt.

Leg Action

Stack & Tilt: Straightening your back leg on the backswing frees your hips to turn more, which allows your shoulders to turn more.Foley (inset): If the right knee straightens on the backswing, the right side of the pelvis moves considerably higher than the left, tilting the bottom vertebrae to the left, which puts stress on them.

Leg Action

Foley: If the right knee straightens on the backswing, the right side of the pelvis moves considerably higher than the left, tilting the bottom vertebrae to the left, which puts stress on them.Stack & Tilt (inset): Straightening your back leg on the backswing frees your hips to turn more, which allows your shoulders to turn more.

Weight Shift

Stack & Tilt: The more forward your weight is at impact, the farther forward the low point of the swing will tend to be. This is the most important factor for ensuring solid contact with the ball.Foley (inset): At impact, 90 percent of your body weight should be over your left leg, and your shoulders and hips should be level and turning open.

Weight Shift

Foley: At impact, 90 percent of your body weight should be over your left leg, and your shoulders and hips should be level and turning open.Stack & Tilt (inset): The more forward your weight is at impact, the farther forward the low point of the swing will tend to be. This is the most important factor for ensuring solid contact with the ball.

Through Impact

Stack & Tilt: Pushing the hips forward and upward on the downswing allows the body to keep turning. The feeling is that the butt tucks under the upper body as the hips slide forward. This is a major power move because it releases the hips from their tilt toward the ball, increasing their range of motion so they can continue to turn through the shot.Foley (inset): As you start down, feel as if you're preparing to leap off the ground by making a squat move with your lower body. If you don't squat, you might turn your hips but you won't move your pelvis forward enough. Thrust your pelvis toward the target. Push forward and stand up: You should be at your normal standing height at the finish.

Through Impact

Foley: As you start down, feel as if you're preparing to leap off the ground by making a squat move with your lower body. If you don't squat, you might turn your hips but you won't move your pelvis forward enough. Thrust your pelvis toward the target. Push forward and stand up: You should be at your normal standing height at the finish.Stack & Tilt (inset): Pushing the hips forward and upward on the downswing allows the body to keep turning. The feeling is that the butt tucks under the upper body as the hips slide forward. This is a major power move because it releases the hips from their tilt toward the ball, increasing their range of motion so they can continue to turn through the shot.