Arrrgh... Shanks

[Artoist]

Beginning to lose confidence from 100 yards and in,same happened to me again today and its becoming quite regular.
Start round off really well ,pitching well then from nowhere i shank one and it sticks in my head then for rest of the round and seem to shank most shots from 100 yards in and cant work out why,anybody have any similar traits and how did you cure it?

 

[Crow]

I'm hopefully just coming out of a serious attack, had a lesson with the Pro this week and in my case it was due to rolling my wrists too early on the takeaway and not getting a good shoulder turn on the backswing.

Shanks can have many causes though so it's best to get someone knowledgable to have a look at your swing.

 

[Doc]

Had four today.

I feel your pain.

Steve...

 

[Tommo21]

Beginning to lose confidence from 100 yards and in,same happened to me again today and its becoming quite regular.
Start round off really well ,pitching well then from nowhere i shank one and it sticks in my head then for rest of the round and seem to shank most shots from 100 yards in and cant work out why,anybody have any similar traits and how did you cure it?

Had it for about six months, cost me my cat one HC for a while. I went to the pro who I've seen over the years and he got me to draw the club away straight and low for the first 10 12 inches. My swing was getting way too flat over time and now I'm more upright. Another thing you can try....no joke, curl your toes, it stops you from leaning towards the ball. Not the best of tips, but when you've got the shanks, you'll try anything. Just taking your eye from the ball that little bit early wont help, so stay with it.

 

[Region3]

When you say it's within 100yds, is it when you're playing shots with an open stance or is it your normal stance and swing?

 

[DaveM]

One of the main reasons is hitting on to much of an in to out swing path. Ie. hitting the ball before the club is square to the swingpath. Have you got the ball to far back in your stance, or to much forward slide so causeing the samething.

 

[Artoist]

Thanks for replies fellas,I do tend to roll my wrists and am very conscious of it and my only swing thought is to keep clubface square to ball till my hands get past my right foot,maybe its just a lapse in concentration.
I cant quite remember if i shank with an open stance or normal stance ,i think it may be both ,i will have to take more notice next time,to be honest my head just drops and i become so frustrated its spoiling so many good rounds,same goes for ball position i shall have to take more notice.
Thanks again for your input.

 

[JustOne]

Make sure you have good posture, bent forward at the waist, keep your hands a good 4" away from your thighs to make room for the club to swing through and not swing away from you, don't take the club back too far around (behind) yourself (a better posture should help prevent this anyway).

 

[Dave B]

Every now and then when I'm out of sync a shank or two will creep into my game. Keeping my head still, with a low takeway and making sure I cock and release your wrists generally sorts it out.

One drill I always do if one creeps in is a practice 1/2 swing before making a shot to make sure I cock my wrists properly on the takeaway

 

[SocketRocket]

I find it is normally lagging the hozel into the ball due to an extremely open clubface.

On these 100 yards in pitches I prefer to keep the clubface square to the swingpath, this ensures the face is square at impact. Are you rotating your forearms in the backswing? If you are then you have to return them in the downswing otherwise it is Sherman city. Try working on no rotation of the wrists or forearms in the swing, this will feel a bit different but will not rely on the precise timing needed when the clubface is fanned open.

 

[Vancouver]

Had exactly the same problem with short irons....at my worst I couldn't hit any iron without shanking it. Stopped playing all comps for 12 months & had 'understanding' friends who felt my pain & put up with me! Came really close to selling my stuff & taking up bowls!!
I'm back! Playing really good golf and loving it. Shot a 77 in a Winter league match 2 weeks ago, 7 below my handicap.
Iv'e tried lots of different things & actually quite enjoyed working through the problem. Here are some of the things that have helped me:

• Video lesson with a pro. When you can see what you are doing & why the club hosel hits the golf ball helps you to understand what you have to do to rectify it. For me the cure or trigger was simple...turning my hips on take away. passive hands & wrists, turn hips & so back & shoulders. A simple key or swing thought has really helped me.
• Equipment. The shank problem didn't effect my ability to hit my driver or fairway woods. I carry & use 5, 7 & 9 woods! Your mates will of course take the hiss but my 9 wood is much easier to hit than a 4 iron, & you don't have to use a pink head cover on it!
• Rescue clubs. My 6 Cobra baffler is saved me from packing it all in. The hosel comes into the top of the club head so you can't really shank it. Using this club has really boosted my confidence & I'll use it whenever I can. I made a post on this forum last week asking 'the Experts!' about higher lofted rescues....if I could get a 9 rescue I'd be made up!
• Technique. My pro has shown me a great chipping / pitching technique which has almost taken the need to hit a full short approach shot out of my game. I use this with my gap wedge , pitching wedge & 9 iron. Push hands ahead of the ball, pretty much over the left knee / thigh, weight on left side. The key is to keep the wrists in this position, don't break the wrists. Rock & turn the shoulders, a bit like a putting stroke. Keep the wrists & hands ahead of the clubhead throughout the stroke. I can hit a pitching wedge about 90 yards using this technique. Again this has boosted my confidence.

Stick with it & experiment. Until it's happened to you most club golfers don't understand the problem. Keep a sense of humour & persevere.
Good luck!
Richard