Magpie golf

Magpies are an amazing Australian bird, smart, multi-talented, self-confident and at times quite funny. They can also be fiercely protective of their nest, aggressive and feisty. It's an excellent model for a golfer.

Magpies are also excellent mimics, even to the point of thievery, which is where I'm coming from. Recently, I've watched some videos from a young guy in the US who is a Stack and Tilt 'supporter' and teacher of many of the S&T concepts. His name is Tom Saguto (TS).

S&T itself has gone through a rough time over the past decade, ridiculed by many golf writers and commentators, and failing to gain widespread acceptance, with very few advocates. This, I suspect, has been because like much in the golf instruction world the system has seemed way to complicated.

So now this is where TS (not S&T) comes in. He has taken the great ideas from Stack and Tilt and built a teaching method that is quite a bit simpler, much more accessible to the average and below average golfer. He has youth and charm working for him, but he also has good communication skills.

I'm not going to try to comprehensively describe his method, but roughly speaking he teaches a golf swing that is connected, tilted, circular, and uses the dominant arm, with the weight staying forward in search of a consistent contact point. He opposes the traditional high hands, weight loading, swing flattening, two-plane. brand of teaching.

In my view, TS has taken elements of S&T, Jimmy Ballard connection theory, Hogan theory, Hardy one-plane swing, Wilson machine golf, and combined them with some conventional ideas about for example the grip, and created his teaching approach. But, as I said above, he has done it in a simple and accessible way.

When I wrote about grip pressure recently, I was aiming to correct my own tendency to grip the club too tightly. My grip was causing me to shorten my swing, lose fluency, upset my relationship with the ball and thus find the low point of my swing consistently. I think grip pressure is a common problem.

However, I probably overstated the grip issue. With the kind of swing the TS recommends there are more important considerations. Of course, he actually does advocate a lighter grip than most average golfers use, that is, he says 4 out of 10 is probably about right. But because he suggests using force with the dominant arm and hand (right for righties) he is probably less worried about grip tightness.

What I like about the TS finished product is that it is quite close to what I have been trying to get to in my golf swing. I've tried to incorporate many of the Ballard, Hogan, Hardy, Wilson and S&T concepts in my swing, but not with the same clarity and certainty the TS has in his approach. He does have youth and flexibility going for him, but he seems well aware of the injury and pain issues facing the older golfer. I believe his approach is well worth following, at least the essence of his approach, particularly in keeping the weight forward, lead shoulder down and connected. Check it out.

So, let's all give a 'beaudy mate' to the magpie golfer and golf instructor.