# Why am i now shanking my chips/pitches?



## bozza (Mar 1, 2013)

After a short game lesson with my pro a month or so a go he got me to stand open with my pitches/chips as i stood square and used to pull them all left.

Everything was going fine and i was improving my short game until i played the other week i hit a shank with a pitch and i've struggled ever since.

I don't feel as though i'm doing anything different and worked on the drill where i miss the ball on the inside to keep my arms closer to my body and that doesn't seem to help.

If i stand square with the ball in the middle of my stance it seems to fix it but i start to pull them all a little left.

I know it's not easy to try give suggestions to fix it without seeing my swing but i need help!


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## Wolfman (Mar 1, 2013)

Maybe standing too close ?


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## percy_layer (Mar 1, 2013)

You could be more on your toes at address and/or going onto your toes through the shot, forcing the club path forwards and causing the shank.

Standing too far away makes it worse as it encourages you to reach for the ball and then move onto your toes during the shot.

Ensure your balance is equal toes to heels and that your arms hang naturally from the shoulders.

Check your ball position is not too far forward in your stance, to the left for a right hander, the compensatory move required to strike the ball before the ground can encourage a heel strike.


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## bozza (Mar 1, 2013)

percy_layer said:



			You could be more on your toes at address and/or going onto your toes through the shot, forcing the club path forwards and causing the shank.

Standing too far away makes it worse as it encourages you to reach for the ball and then move onto your toes during the shot.

Ensure your balance is equal toes to heels and that your arms hang naturally from the shoulders.



Check your ball position is not too far forward in your stance, to the left for a right hander, the compensatory move required to strike the ball before the ground can encourage a heel strike.
		
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The ball is just inside my right heel which is about right i think?

It just seems to be as soon as i hinge my wrists the shanks kick in, if i play the shots firm wristed like a bump and run i'm fine.


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## brendy (Mar 1, 2013)

You could well be leaning into the balk, try getting your weight a little further back on your feet.
Worked for me.


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## louise_a (Mar 1, 2013)

arent you supposed to keep your wrists stiff while chipping? thats what my pro tells me.


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## bozza (Mar 1, 2013)

louise_a said:



			arent you supposed to keep your wrists stiff while chipping? thats what my pro tells me.
		
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It's more pitch shots i struggle with, from around 70 yards and in where i need to throw the ball in the air and make it stop, the bump and run type of chips i'm not too bad with.


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## bozza (Mar 1, 2013)

brendy said:



			You could well be leaning into the balk, try getting your weight a little further back on your feet.
Worked for me.
		
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I'll give it a try, the simple thing to do would be to see my pro and he would fix it straight away but i won't get chance for a few weeks so need try fix it myself for now.


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## percy_layer (Mar 1, 2013)

Check that you're not flicking the club behind you when hinging your wrists, this would force the hands out away from you and affects the clubpath back trough the ball.


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## ScienceBoy (Mar 2, 2013)

You only need to stand open a TINY amount, I see some people at near 45* and its crazy!

Keep your weight on your lead foot (70/30), your hands ahead and your club face square and you will hit spinny chips all day long. 

Just remember when you do get better at chips you will need less loft for the same result, so when you used to need a lob wedge you can use a gap wedge, an 8 iron when you used to use a PW


What has probably happened is a very common post lesson problem. Without knowing it you have exaggerated or misinterpreted what your pro has instructed you do to. It happened to be last week (he said think of doing a fade, I fanned the club on takeaway) and turned my game into a top-fest. I just double checked the basics and fixed it then and there.


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## moogie (Mar 2, 2013)

I think I know Why...............



Its cos YOU are on MY Team tomorrow at Cleveland........!!! 

Im sure u will sort it  (today .... Hopefully, ha)


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## AmandaJR (Mar 2, 2013)

I have come through EXACTLY the same problem and it was fixed in seconds in my SOS lesson. Feet were slightly open and I felt comfortable like that BUT my shoulders were way open. Left feet where they were and squared shoulders to target and hey presto back to hitting my favourite shots beautifully...

Worth trying?


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## bozza (Mar 2, 2013)

moogie said:



			I think I know Why...............



Its cos YOU are on MY Team tomorrow at Cleveland........!!! 

Im sure u will sort it  (today .... Hopefully, ha)
		
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Hopefully i'll hit plenty of GIR and won't need to rely on my short game!


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## bozza (Mar 2, 2013)

AmandaJR said:



			I have come through EXACTLY the same problem and it was fixed in seconds in my SOS lesson. Feet were slightly open and I felt comfortable like that BUT my shoulders were way open. Left feet where they were and squared shoulders to target and hey presto back to hitting my favourite shots beautifully...

Worth trying?
		
Click to expand...

I'll try anything at the mintue to try fix it! haha.

I went through a faze of of shanking my chips about 2 years ago and i lost all confidence in my short game until i hit a couple of good pitches in a row and it seemed to sort it.

It's not helping when all i'm thinking of when i'm stood over a pitch or a chip is "don't shank it, don't shank it!! "


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## AmandaJR (Mar 2, 2013)

bozza said:



			I'll try anything at the mintue to try fix it! haha.

I went through a faze of of shanking my chips about 2 years ago and i lost all confidence in my short game until i hit a couple of good pitches in a row and it seemed to sort it.

It's not helping when all i'm thinking of when i'm stood over a pitch or a chip is "don't shank it, don't shank it!! "
		
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The transformation has been amazing and enables me to keep my arms nice and close and simply turn and deliver the club back where it came from. I was getting too steep and still trying to bounce the club as well as hands/arms too far away.


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## HomerJSimpson (Mar 2, 2013)

Read this thread last night and guess what.. shanking pitches and bunker shots today. Annoyed as these areas were great last week. Back to work tomorrow then and get it sorted


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## SocketRocket (Mar 2, 2013)

In my experience the problem is taking the club back too much to the inside.   This gets you blocked on the downswing and the club gets pushed away and creates the 'Sherman'

Take the club away more to the outside or down the extended ball target line and you will see an improvement.


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## garyinderry (Mar 2, 2013)

are you getting your weight onto your left side and hands staying ahead of the ball throught the stroke.  un*****able!!


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