Fixing a problem

[GG26]

I started this season well, scoring 36, 35 & 30 points in the first three comps and then getting a two shot cut to 23 with 41 points in the next one. Was really pleased with my game and felt at last I was looking at potentially getting down to say 20, with an ultimate goal of 18.

Out of nowhere I started to shank the ball, lost all confidence in chipping, and ended up with 23 and then 20 points in competitions at the end of June / beginning of July. My putting, however, was as good as ever and was the only part of the game that I was happy with. I went out on my own a couple of Saturdays ago and hit the ball so badly that I managed to lose 11 balls in just 9 holes before walking in. My confidence was in tatters.

I watched a few videos on You Tube re shanking the ball, but these all suggested that its caused by the ball coming out of the hozel. My thoughts were that that ball was coming off of the toe end of the club and this was backed up by a PP in the last comp that I played.

To try and resolve this I bought some of the stickers that you put on to clubs to confirm where you have struck them and tried them out on the range yesterday. This confirmed that all my strikes were toe end. I tried altering my swing etc, but in the end tried standing nearer to the ball with the ball level with the hozel at address. The strike became much nearer the centre and was able to flush a few out of the middle. Feels like I am standing too close to the ball, but cannot deny that it works.

Had a stableford comp this morning and tried the new address and the result was 37 points with a far more consistent strike. That includes two blobs on our two shortish par 3s where I pulled the tee shots OOB. Towards the end of the round tried also standing slightly nearer to the ball with the driver as well and this also improved the strike.

Seem to have fixed the problem for now and also my confidence in chipping returned during the round.

What fixes have you achieved and did they work permanently or was it just a temporary improvement?

 

[Capella]

You don't fix golf. It fixes you.

 

[Orikoru]

Out of nowhere I started to shank the ball, lost all confidence in chipping, and ended up with 23 and then 20 points in competitions at the end of June / beginning of July. My putting, however, was as good as ever and was the only part of the game that I was happy with. I went out on my own a couple of Saturdays ago and hit the ball so badly that I managed to lose 11 balls in just 9 holes before walking in. My confidence was in tatters.

I watched a few videos on You Tube re shanking the ball, but these all suggested that its caused by the ball coming out of the hozel. My thoughts were that that ball was coming off of the toe end of the club and this was backed up by a PP in the last comp that I played.

Just to clarify, a 'shank' is specifically the name for when you hit it out of the hosel. So what you were doing wasn't shanking, it was just toe-strikes or some other word I don't know.

In answer to your topic - I don't have lessons so everything I've done in the last few years has been trial and error fixing of stuff, haha. Mostly simple things though. I used to thin my wedges, or do the same as you and slice them right off the toe - I realised it was the oldest 'fix' in the book - keeping my head still! I suspected my head was coming up too early, subconsciously too eager to look at the green to see the result I guess, since I focussed on not doing that, my wedge striking has been great.

Another recent one was putting. I changed my grip by the most minimal amount - my right thumb around the grip by a centimetre or two, but it's worked wonders and I seem to be putting much better, I have some confidence in my putting now for maybe the first time ever.

 

[Ndw7]

I started this season well, scoring 36, 35 & 30 points in the first three comps and then getting a two shot cut to 23 with 41 points in the next one. Was really pleased with my game and felt at last I was looking at potentially getting down to say 20, with an ultimate goal of 18.

Out of nowhere I started to shank the ball, lost all confidence in chipping, and ended up with 23 and then 20 points in competitions at the end of June / beginning of July. My putting, however, was as good as ever and was the only part of the game that I was happy with. I went out on my own a couple of Saturdays ago and hit the ball so badly that I managed to lose 11 balls in just 9 holes before walking in. My confidence was in tatters.

I watched a few videos on You Tube re shanking the ball, but these all suggested that its caused by the ball coming out of the hozel. My thoughts were that that ball was coming off of the toe end of the club and this was backed up by a PP in the last comp that I played.

To try and resolve this I bought some of the stickers that you put on to clubs to confirm where you have struck them and tried them out on the range yesterday. This confirmed that all my strikes were toe end. I tried altering my swing etc, but in the end tried standing nearer to the ball with the ball level with the hozel at address. The strike became much nearer the centre and was able to flush a few out of the middle. Feels like I am standing too close to the ball, but cannot deny that it works.

Had a stableford comp this morning and tried the new address and the result was 37 points with a far more consistent strike. That includes two blobs on our two shortish par 3s where I pulled the tee shots OOB. Towards the end of the round tried also standing slightly nearer to the ball with the driver as well and this also improved the strike.

Seem to have fixed the problem for now and also my confidence in chipping returned during the round.

What fixes have you achieved and did they work permanently or was it just a temporary improvement?

One thing I would say, is that if your strike is out of the toe, you must be bringing the club closer to you at some point during your swing. Addressing the ball out of the hozel, will only encourage you to keep doing the same movement that started your problems in the first place.

 

[Jensen]

I've had this problem and from nowhere it happened to me on Saturday, which a few on here would clarify.
It's not a shank, but a blade, your club face will be far too open as you approach the ball. It's probably caused by rolling your wrists in The takeaway.
Check out Chris Ryan on YouTube and his drill for rolling the wrists. He's got a couple but the best is where you choke down on the club and keep your left arm across the chest. At the same time make sure the butt end brushes your right thigh

 

[Grant85]

Golf is hard.

I have struggled with toe strikes and the shank has never bothered me.

Generally to combat this I concentrate my left eye on the ball and feel like I am keeping my left shoulder over the ball.

Different for everyone I guess.

Probably at your level, as a keen improver (?) a serious investment in lessons over the winter will allow a pro to really improve your overall swing. But this will be a few hundred quid and quite a bit of time and range balls.

I have had an extensive course of lessons previously when I was fed up playing poor golf and not improving at all. This massively upped my game with I think 8 lessons - 6 of these on my swing. Went from 23 to 17 in one year.

I remember a guy who was in the club I used to play at. He spent a fortune on equipment, had 2 golf memberships, GPS, new clubs etc. but went out hitting irons off every tee complaining he couldn't hit a driver and he preferred to just get the ball in play. I'm sure dropping a few quid on 2 1 hour lessons would at least get him able to hit a driver and give him a chance of reaching a few greens every round.

It would have been nothing in the context of the thousands he spent on golf every year. But he obviously didn't see the bigger picture and continued with the same strategy that meant it would have been very difficult for him to improve dramatically.

 

[Jensen]

So much for my advice, went to the range and was doing it again 🙄. Time for another lesson with JJ at Matfen