# The curse of the shanks when chipping



## Basher (Sep 18, 2014)

Chipping used to be one of the best parts of my game. 
Had a practice session last night up on the course. Initially they were very good. Ball back in stance, hands in front of ball and a relaxed and steady backswing with a hinge of the right wrist and the ball was struck softly with a nice loft and direction and pitched close to the pin. 
Repeated this several times with good results and was pleased with the practice.
Stepped back to around 25 yards from the pin. A bit more backswing, same hinge and tempo but this time the ball scooted low and off to the right. (Right handed)
Thought I was shanking at first but wondering if maybe the club face was wide open at impact. Couldn't hit a shot correctly.
This now has me seriously concerned and worried about the comp on Saturday. Practice time is very limited and my confidence is at an all time low.
I just can't understand how short pitch/chips onto the green go so well, yet anything any longer destroy my game.

Any tips or help would be appreciated. Hoping to get an hour or so tomorrow night, other than that, just don't know how I'll do round the greens on Saturday!


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## JustOne (Sep 18, 2014)

1) Ball too far back?

2) Make sure your hands aren't too close to your thighs at address as you have no space to make your downswing into. (think along the lines of - you want your hands closer to your thighs on the way down than they were at address, then you'll _potentially_ stop shanking)


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## quinn (Sep 18, 2014)

Basher said:



			Chipping used to be one of the best parts of my game. 
Had a practice session last night up on the course. Initially they were very good. Ball back in stance, hands in front of ball and a relaxed and steady backswing with a hinge of the right wrist and the ball was struck softly with a nice loft and direction and pitched close to the pin. 
Repeated this several times with good results and was pleased with the practice.
Stepped back to around 25 yards from the pin. A bit more backswing, same hinge and tempo but this time the ball scooted low and off to the right. (Right handed)
Thought I was shanking at first but wondering if maybe the club face was wide open at impact. Couldn't hit a shot correctly.
This now has me seriously concerned and worried about the comp on Saturday. Practice time is very limited and my confidence is at an all time low.
I just can't understand how short pitch/chips onto the green go so well, yet anything any longer destroy my game.

Any tips or help would be appreciated. Hoping to get an hour or so tomorrow night, other than that, just don't know how I'll do round the greens on Saturday!
		
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I'm no expert so can't offer you too much, but it's happened to me a few times, no confidence and didn't want to play, went for a lesson last time and told me to hit a few balls thinking of getting the toe of the club to the ball first works a treat, touch wood haven't had them again since, the odd bad shot comes out of the toe but it's not as card wrecking as the other shot I won't mention, before you know it they'll be gone,


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## Basher (Sep 18, 2014)

Thanks for the replies so far guys.

Don't actually think I was shanking Justone. Felt more of a case of club face wide open.
It actually started during a round last Sunday!
Hit a steady drive down the par 4. Followed up with a nicely struck 5 iron which left me with a steady 25 yard chip on. It went right! Addressed and carried out my usual swing, went right again, and again, and again. Eventually managed to get on the green and 2 putted for a card destroying 8 !!!
The way right chips followed me all the way from the 15th through to the 18th. I was a basket case after holing out on the 18th!


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## Ads749r (Sep 18, 2014)

I had this too our club pro got me to place two balls side by side and to line the club up with the outside ball and then swing to hit the inside ball. Boooooom haven't done it since. No more blades. Try a more brushy motion too as you might be getting very hingey on the back swing and chopping/clipping into the ball. But then you might find its something totally different ie: grip.


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## the_coach (Sep 18, 2014)

issue most likely the set-up, in that ball a ways too far back plus the hands then a good ways too far forwards. although you may think this would provide a descending blow. if to achieve this you've tilted your right shoulder down, the stroke will really be coming upwards presenting the leading edge & sometimes the socket to the ball at impact.

this gets a ways more magnified from this set-up position as you have a longer shot. as the set encourages you to pick the club up with the hands & arms more, so the action is a ways too arms alone not much chest rotation which throws the swing path a way off, so you can chill dip it, fat it completely, thin it, plus smack the hosel.

good chipping happens with a shallower angle of approach to & through the ball, maintaining the right hand angle by controlling the motion with the chest rotation, which moves the arm triangle, not an arm hand swing motion alone. ball position a ways better if more central so hands are just atop of the very front of the ball, so just a small forward shat lean, not hands way ahead huge forward leaning shaft.

the shoulders, chest rotation control the motion back & through making sure you also move the handle through towards target.

[video=youtube_share;ijSB37X5GNA]http://youtu.be/ijSB37X5GNA[/video]


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## the_coach (Sep 18, 2014)

[video=youtube_share;V1gmuX5c7CA]http://youtu.be/V1gmuX5c7CA[/video]


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## the_coach (Sep 18, 2014)

[video=youtube_share;ua1A-xo7yLQ]http://youtu.be/ua1A-xo7yLQ[/video]


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## the_coach (Sep 18, 2014)

here's a drill using a sharpie marker, that you can do with any of your wedges, mark the club as shown. 

then if you have a more vertical shaft at set up, weight on the left side throughout of a upper body controlled rotation motion to control the arms, the ball more central. hands just atop the very front of the ball - not a ways forward. then you'll get to use the bounce of the club a little ways better & not dig the lead edge in or swing up & blade it. if you're doing it right you'll see the mark start to disappear, if you keep presenting the leading edge the mark will stay on the sole of the club much longer

[video=youtube_share;p6BITAfNMoM]http://youtu.be/p6BITAfNMoM[/video]


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## bobmac (Sep 19, 2014)

Stick a long tee in the ground about a foot behind the ball in line with the target. 
Then make sure your club hits it on your backswing.


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## Ads749r (Sep 19, 2014)

Basher if your not a touring professional by the end of this thread I'm going to quit golf as the amount of info people have submitted is brilliant. Pitching gods.


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## Basher (Sep 19, 2014)

Ads749r said:



			Basher if your not a touring professional by the end of this thread I'm going to quit golf as the amount of info people have submitted is brilliant. Pitching gods.
		
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I know, some fantastic contributors on this forum. Many thanks chaps, hopefully much of the advice will pay dividends tomorrow!!!

I'll let you know!


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## Basher (Sep 19, 2014)

Managed to get an hours practice in tonight.
Played around with the ball position a bit. I've always chipped off the back foot with a slight forward lean so tried a few variations, mainly on the advice of the good videos kindly posted by the coach. Thank you.
Also utilised bob macs advice re employing a straight back and through swing. Thanks Bob.

The results were amazing. Straight forward chips with a 52 and 56 degree wedge gave different flights obviously but went where I wanted them. Then introduced some wrist hinge to get the ball higher in the air using the same back and through swing. This worked well too. Had some shoulder turn but kept the right elbow in close on the wrist hinge shots and concentrated on keeping the hinge and club shaft on the target line. Seemed to work a treat!
Went back several yards and used some of the shorter irons. Again, got good contact and direction, in fact overall I played some of the best chip shots I've very played.

Great success! Many thanks to all.
Let's just see what tomorrow brings!


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## G_Mulligan (Sep 20, 2014)

Firstly I should say the techniques and advice given are fantastic and should help you massively in the long term. I will throw my own oar in though and just warn against becoming too technique based on the course. The more you worry about shanking the more likely you focus on technique which will rob you of your rhythm and tempo, you will end of stabbing at the ball or decelerating into impact both of which will lead to poor results and make shanking more likely. Just relax, breath, and make a fluid movement into the ball. You know how to chip and even the less than optimal technique you have has worked well in the past. If you tense up you won't be able to make the minor alterations of the hands that you need to make good results. So clear your mind, pick a target, then chip.


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## derm (Sep 21, 2014)

bobmac said:



			Stick a long tee in the ground about a foot behind the ball in line with the target. 
Then make sure your club hits it on your backswing.
		
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Tried this, spot on
Thanks Bobmac


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## bobmac (Sep 22, 2014)

derm said:



			Tried this, spot on
Thanks Bobmac
		
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You're welcome


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## lex! (Sep 22, 2014)

Your use of 'wrist hinge' would worry me. This only introduces uncertainty, and shanks and thins unless timed to perfection. You dont want height on a chip shot, you want to get it on the green and rolling asap. I think of the little Harvey Penick books and chipping practise to hit the ball under a bench. Keep those wrists quiet and use the chest and small shoulder turn.


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