# Toe Shanks



## jpquinn91 (Aug 14, 2014)

Over the season I have hit a handful of these shots which go straight right at about a 45 degree angle. I know that you're all going to tell me that they came off the hozel but I'm absolutely convinced that they came off the toe (so far off the toe that I've nearly missed the ball). Usually with a wedge/short-iron.

I'm normally a decent ball-striker so it's a really strange shot that I don't know how to prevent. I think my hands get too close to my body, pulling the club towards me but I've no idea why. Anyone hit any shots like this? I don't think I've ever seen anyone else hit this shot.


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## the_coach (Aug 14, 2014)

Pretty impossible to give you a specific answer as to why you may be doing this without seeing the swing.

The only other way to narrow the reasons down some would be to know what the general pattern your reasonable shots are in terms of the direction the ball starts off in, the curvature of the flight, is the flight towards the low side or high etc.

But it is an you elude to in the 1st para a real unusual occurrence not that common at all. Often folks have told me that's what they do, hit a few shots, shank a few, & then say see, right off the toe, but they've really hit a pure socket.

But that said, if you are really getting some right off the 'toe end', it would likely mean there could be a lot of general strikes that are the toe side of middle strikes as well, these would sound a bit 'slappy'?

Likely will have something to do with the way you're set-up, whether you lose balance & posture through the swing motion. How the club (on what path? etc.) is taken away from the ball.

Without knowing a little more, or seeing what you do can't really give you a definitive answer. Even if someone else was hitting these right off the 'toe end' strikes that wouldn't mean they'd necessarily being doing it in the same way as there's a few things folks can do for a strike to be very near the toe.

Which way do the divots go, left or right? Or are there no divots to speak of at all?


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## One Planer (Aug 14, 2014)

the_coach said:



			Pretty impossible to give you a specific answer as to why you may be doing this without seeing the swing.

The only other way to narrow the reasons down some would be to know what the general pattern your reasonable shots are in terms of the direction the ball starts off in, the curvature of the flight, is the flight towards the low side or high etc.

But it is an you elude to in the 1st para a real unusual occurrence not that common at all. Often folks have told me that's what they do, hit a few shots, shank a few, & then say see, right off the toe, but they've really hit a pure socket.

But that said, if you are really getting some right off the 'toe end', it would likely mean there could be a lot of general strikes that are the toe side of middle strikes as well, these would sound a bit 'slappy'?

Likely will have something to do with the way you're set-up, whether you lose balance & posture through the swing motion. How the club (on what path? etc.) is taken away from the ball.

Without knowing a little more, or seeing what you do can't really give you a definitive answer. Even if someone else was hitting these right off the 'toe end' strikes that wouldn't mean they'd necessarily being doing it in the same way as there's a few things folks can do for a strike to be very near the toe.

*Which way do the divots go, left or right? Or are there no divots to speak of at all?*

Click to expand...

Question on this.

Isn't, or shouldn't divot line be linked to alignment at address? 

What I mean is If you set up square to a target, your divot would point fractionally left. If you were playing for a draw, it would point to, or just right of target. For a fade it would point more left than the square set up divot.

Sorry if I've over complicated things


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## bobmac (Aug 14, 2014)

If you set up square to a target, your divot would point fractionally left.
		
Click to expand...

At what point of the arc does the club enter the ground to take the divot?


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## One Planer (Aug 14, 2014)

bobmac said:



			At what point of the arc does the club enter the ground to take the divot?
		
Click to expand...

I would hope on the target side of the ball as the club is moving back left.

Probably wrong


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## bobmac (Aug 14, 2014)

Gareth said:



			I would hope on the target side of the ball as the club is moving back left.

Probably wrong 

Click to expand...

Depends where your weight is, the swing path, ball position, angle of attack etc


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## CMAC (Aug 14, 2014)

jpquinn91 said:



			Over the season I have hit a handful of these shots which go straight right at about a 45 degree angle. I know that you're all going to tell me that they came off the hozel but I'm absolutely convinced that they came off the toe (so far off the toe that I've nearly missed the ball). Usually with a wedge/short-iron.

I'm normally a decent ball-striker so it's a really strange shot that I don't know how to prevent. I think my hands get too close to my body, pulling the club towards me but I've no idea why. Anyone hit any shots like this? I don't think I've ever seen anyone else hit this shot.
		
Click to expand...

big pull into your body with the arms/hands- possibly trying to hit so hard you get early extension (hips moving towards ball) causing you to lose hip angle and upper body posture (standing up) and it turns into an armsie swing- I see it a lot in kids.

the_coach is the real expert, I'm just giving an opinion based on what I've seen.


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## jpquinn91 (Aug 14, 2014)

I'm gonna try and film my swing or get someone to watch me because I've been struggling in general for a while. To be honest, I hit all kinds of shots, some good some bad but my bad shot is usually a block/slice.

I don't hit many off the toe at all in general. Like I said, my ball-striking is decent, although I hit too many fat shots.

It certainly isn't trying to hit it too hard because I've done this on pitch shots with a 3/4 swing, although what you say about being armsie sounds possible. Because I've had some swing problems, I tend to get my hands and arms too involved, so I think this is probably the main issue.


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## the_coach (Aug 14, 2014)

Gareth said:



			Question on this.

Isn't, or shouldn't divot line be linked to alignment at address? 

What I mean is If you set up square to a target, your divot would point fractionally left. If you were playing for a draw, it would point to, or just right of target. For a fade it would point more left than the square set up divot.
Sorry if I've over complicated things 

Click to expand...

The question about divots related more to seeing where the divots were pointing when the shanks hapening, though knowing the general pattern would show the swing path tendency, most folks have very similar swing paths that to a large extent repeat themselves  as folks normally always do the same things ...  

Divots more relate to what's happening just before & after impact, so swing path, clubhead direction through impact, shaft angle through impact so whether the club head is heel up toe down, toe up heel down. 

No divot or ground contact at all, clubhead being pulled up by hands arms pulling into the body or losing posture by standing up out of posture or both.


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## CMAC (Aug 20, 2014)

Shanks embraced

[video=youtube_share;AibC83y4vmU]http://youtu.be/AibC83y4vmU?list=UUFNzdmF8KDIrs8MTGa_MAEQ[/video]


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## SocketRocket (Aug 21, 2014)

The problem can be due to trying to get too much forward shaft lean and in doing so you pull the grip end of the club in towards your left hip.   This can create a chicken wing effect with your left arm and pull the toe of the club into the ball.

Try reducing the forward lean, keep your left arm connected to your chest through impact and allow the club to release a little more down the target line before it pulls inside.


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