Given up the game - can I return?

[JV24601]

Regarding your ability and commitment, from what you typed in your first couple of posts on this thread, it suggests that after 10 shots and a couple of bad ones, you lose interest.

We have all been on the range and hit it like a dog but the difference is, we worked through it. I hope you sort out your issues and fall back inlove with the game but it sounds like it's going to be a long, painful process and you have to realise that and be prepared for it.

The shanks are a technical issue, find a decent pro that you feel comfortable with and work through the issue with him. Chopping and changing isn't going to help and be prepared to make changes as advised.

Have you actually stopped to think through what is going wrong? You say the first few are great then it goes pear shaped, what are you doing differently? I hate to give advice without seeing a swing but I do know that one common cause for a shank is getting ahead of the ball and the clubface doesn't close/catch up in time leading to contact with the hosel. This is symptomatic of trying to hit the ball too hard. Maybe you hit a few with decent rythmm then start trying to hit the ball harder as you get warmed up? I don't know, just a possible suggestion.

Good luck sorting it out :thup:

D4S - I still love the game. I'm missing playing nicely, and even playing reasonably poorly. But I'm not missing shanking my way round the course because I can't think of anything worse than that.

One of the instructors really helped me understand my swing and taught me how to receive the feedback from my swing/body on a bad shot.
As a result, most of the time I now know what causes a bad shot, but at present I don't know what it is.

You are absolutely spot on with your suggestion though, as I do try and leather it when it's going well. This happens subconsciously though and is definitely something I need to work on.
I've also been told I'm getting ahead of the ball though.

One thing I try to do when I'm trying too hard is slow the swing down, but then it goes to a real soft shank, and as I said, I've never once managed to stop them when they've come aboard!

I'm going to go to a professional (and stick with them), ask them to give me a plan of what to do to try and shank proof my swing, and work and work and work on it, again.
I'll also ask them what to do when they come in on the range and how to get through it.

 

[power fade]

Been playing 4 years too and have had the shanks every year, usually whilst in the midst of a hot streak.

They tend last around 2-weeks and then confidence returns until the next spell.

Like you, and others i have tried everything to shake them, but its mentally where the challenge is.

personally, my latest bout was caused by a combination of not releasing the clubface - therefore presenting the hosel to the ball.

The thing that made it worse for me is when you hit them, the tension grows and then i started making a false turn with my arms and not shoulders out of fear. I guess thinking the less i turn the safer it would be. This lack of proper turn put me out to in and face open - shank.
in terms of a fix, i do half swings so start to gain feel and confidence of hitting out the middle and gradually build up to full swings with relaxed feel and soft grip.

I guess the good thing is when over them , you forget all the pain and anguish and can start to enjoy

One you understand the cause, you can deal with it. Its such a destructive shot but it doesn't take much from there to hitting them well again.

Best wishes mate

 

[bobmac]

I understand you dont want every member of the forum giving you tips as that would get confusing.
If you want to save a few quid and dont want everyone to see your pain, you could send me a link to your swing in a PM if you want and I'll take a look and see if anything stands out.

 

[JV24601]

I understand you dont want every member of the forum giving you tips as that would get confusing.
If you want to save a few quid and dont want everyone to see your pain, you could send me a link to your swing in a PM if you want and I'll take a look and see if anything stands out.

Bob - that's very kind and thank you.
I'll try and get one recorded tonight and send through. I've got the slo-mo and tripod, etc.
Thanks again and much appreciated, I'll be in touch.

 

[JV24601]

Been playing 4 years too and have had the shanks every year, usually whilst in the midst of a hot streak.

They tend last around 2-weeks and then confidence returns until the next spell.

Like you, and others i have tried everything to shake them, but its mentally where the challenge is.

personally, my latest bout was caused by a combination of not releasing the clubface - therefore presenting the hosel to the ball.

The thing that made it worse for me is when you hit them, the tension grows and then i started making a false turn with my arms and not shoulders out of fear. I guess thinking the less i turn the safer it would be. This lack of proper turn put me out to in and face open - shank.
in terms of a fix, i do half swings so start to gain feel and confidence of hitting out the middle and gradually build up to full swings with relaxed feel and soft grip.

I guess the good thing is when over them , you forget all the pain and anguish and can start to enjoy

One you understand the cause, you can deal with it. Its such a destructive shot but it doesn't take much from there to hitting them well again.

Best wishes mate

Whereas it's a shame to hear you have them too, I'm also pleased that it's not just me!
Tension certainly builds up and adds to the horrible nature of them.

Thanks for the wishes.

 

[Doh]

Good Man Bob. :thup:

 

[bobmac]

Good Man Bob. :thup:

I know how destructive they can be. I almost gave up myself many moons ago because of them, so if I can help someone else in a similar situation, I will.

 

[Ando2600]

Of course there is such thing as a shank - it's when you hit the ball from the shank of the club - hence the name "shank"!

Yes of course a shank is a real thing, but "the shanks" is not some kind of condition or illness, it's just a few bad shots in a row.

 

[JV24601]

I understand you dont want every member of the forum giving you tips as that would get confusing.
If you want to save a few quid and dont want everyone to see your pain, you could send me a link to your swing in a PM if you want and I'll take a look and see if anything stands out.

Is there an option to add an attachment to a PM? Just thinking of ways around it so I don't have to create a YouTube account.

 

[bobmac]

Is there an option to add an attachment to a PM? Just thinking of ways around it so I don't have to create a YouTube account.

It's easy and free to create a Youtube account.
If you don't trust You tube there are others you can use, but to be honest, You tube is brilliant

 

[JV24601]

It's easy and free to create a Youtube account.
If you don't trust You tube there are others you can use, but to be honest, You tube is brilliant

Ok Bob. So when I read your kind offer of analysing my swing, I checked your old posts and saw you'd posted a comment about an Irish chap with the shanks about not turning his wrists clockwise in the backswing. That certainly rang a bell with me so I made a note of it.

Off I went to the range and set the camera up ready, concentrating on the correct cocking of the wrists... and bang!!
I couldn't get a shank on film fortunately, so you've solved it without even looking.

I've now got a YouTube account now though and if they return I'll be in touch if that's ok? Hopefully I won't be though!!

Thanks Bob. Top man!!

 

[Siren]

JV hopefully you've sorted your problem and Bob fair play to you fantastic offer your a top man.

JV you and I seem to be fairly similar both started 4 years ago, both shot +5 rounds and both very prone to the Shank. I think the only real difference between us is I found a pro last year who I click with and spends more time making me understand my swing and why I hit certain shots, I know why I shank, I know what causes it and I know how to reverse it etc.

You just need to find a pro you can click with and stick with them, when you have one or to lessons with someone they wont learn the subtleties in your swing or your habits.

I hope you do get back into the game, im the same as you im a scratch golfer in my head its just finding that magic forumla.

 

[Svenska]

Thank you all for your comments.

D4S and others who are potentially thinking I have ideas above my station and want it all without trying - this really isn't the case but that's maybe my fault and is down to the way I've explained the situation.
Do you think though that I'd bother to come on here and explain the situation if I really didn't want it badly?

To confirm, I am desperate to do well and want to be the best I can. I am a model student in that I actually put the time in on the practice range. I play golf at the range or on the course most days and I've spent hours practicing before.

Firstly, I know everybody is inconsistent at all levels, but you would be stunned by my inconsistency and as I previously said, it's either fantastic or shambolic with me.

Whether I'm good or bad, a day at the practice range is like this: Go with one thought, sometimes just one club, and take my time. First few balls are fantastic and I'm in the groove. Concentration remains as good as it could be then shank... then another... then another.
I could (and have in the past) stayed there for another 2 hours trying different things, not trying, going back to basics, but the shanks are just there and never go.
That's why I can't practice. Nothing to do with a lack of will or effort, or boredom.

I think Ando has hit the nail on the head. It's a mental thing. But this time I just feel like I can't do anything else.

I am doing all this, yet have had several 5 overs and has a ridiculous eclectic score. So I have the ability, but the shanks just keep coming and are murdering me.
I would get no enjoyment from the game with the shanks, despite the lovely setting, company, fresh air, etc.

I guess I'm pretty lost about the whole situation and don't want to post a video of my swing as that'll be more analysis and swing thoughts, when I've already had them off 4 different professionals.

If you believe it is a mental problem then stop focusing on the technical side for a while and invest in improving your mind. It can easily be done. I am an EFT Practitioner and fully qualified Hypnotherapist and the results that can be got in sporting improvement is remarkable. You don't necessarily need to go and pay £50 an hour to see a qualified therapist (even though the amount people spend on golf lessons and equipment far outweighs the cost of this) you can research the methods yourself and put them in to practice.

If you'd like I can send you the basis of what EFT is and how you do it, it's so simple to do and you can try it out. It won't cost you a thing and you don't even need to be convinced by it to start with. The ' tapping ' might seem bonkers to you but trust me it is effective. You know yourself you can hit perfect shots so what is stopping you doing this more often? Yes, there could be something in your swing that means you don't have any consistency but it could be that your mind gets in the way of your natural swing and leads to erratic play. Once you hit that nemesis shank, that's it for you. Your negativity that's ingrained in to you takes over and compounds your belief that you can't improve.

Send me a message if you want any further info on EFT.

 

[farfaeforfar]

I too suffer the S word.

I've worked hard to eradicate them but they make an appearance more often than not. However one thing I have worked hard with my coach on is managing the situation when it happens. Its mostly came from work on the range, a set of 3 steps to make sure my posture and setup are correct. Then take it to the course, so that if it happens you don't think "Why?" you go back to your steps you have rehearsed.

I played last night all fine to the 13th and then a shank. However I managed to recover and finished +1 on my handicap. 1 month ago that would have exploded my round with me struggling to break 100 as I'd stop applying my practice.

Its been around 3 months of hard, long practice. I have been at the range 4 times a week for a month, then splitting it between course and range. Now I am working mostly on playing with the range once a week. So that I put my practice into real situations in pratice rounds or comps. By month three I'm now recovering the round. So in time I am hopeful I will eradicate them, however I'm still taking lessons and also believe a lot of the issue is now mentally based.

 

[garyinderry]

I had an awful dose if them over winter. They happen because you have made a minor adjustment to your swing.

Bob and the coach pointed out that I was swaying off the ball in the backswing. I was swaying back into it with the hozzel every single shot. As soon as I concentrated on Turing rather than swaying I found the middle of the bat.

 

[TheCaddie]

I went to the range last night and shanked my first 40 balls. Each shot, I was thinking about the basics, each checkpoint I'd been taught recently (I am a beginner), and as I stepped up and took another shot low and behold, shank again.

It wasn't until my 40th odd ball, and I was seriously close to just going home, that I remembered one minor minor tweak that I hadn't been doing. All of a sudden, every single one of my iron shots was pure and true.

Point of the story is, sometimes you think you are doing absolutely everything, but actually you're not. Go back to absolute basics, check every single point off in your head, and if you're still shanking it, you are probably missing something off the list.

We all know sometimes that the very smallest of adjustments can make the biggest of changes.

 

[JV24601]

Siren - we do sound pretty similar and I'm sure we'll get down to single figures soon. Keep at it!

Svenska - I would be very interested please. I've recently inquired about a psychology service and got quoted an astronomical fee so soon forgot about that.
Any information would be gratefully received and if I get something from it then great.

TheCaddie - you're dead right. I think I alluded to it slightly on one of the earlier threads that one of the pro's I had helped me understand my bad shots more, which is good.
But when the tension comes and you're head is in a spin it's difficult to check everything.
The wrist-cocking comment I read really got me though and sure enough it was that.

I must say it's a fantastic forum this. The help and advice I've had from this thread has been superb.

 

[turkish]

Does your local course have a good pro on it? Ours does a quick fix lesson(10-15 mins) for £10-£15 I think and for something like the shanks it's probably just a small thing that needs pointed out

 

[JV24601]

Does your local course have a good pro on it? Ours does a quick fix lesson(10-15 mins) for £10-£15 I think and for something like the shanks it's probably just a small thing that needs pointed out

Yes it does, but I've never had the wrists pointed out to me as being a cause. It's been a forward moving head and swaying in the past.
One time nobody could tell what the problem was. That's when I started going all over the place to different pro's in a desperate bid to find the root of the problem.
That makes it sound like I've gone to a few bad ones in hindsight if they couldn't see the problem.

 

[Svenska]

Siren - we do sound pretty similar and I'm sure we'll get down to single figures soon. Keep at it!

Svenska - I would be very interested please. I've recently inquired about a psychology service and got quoted an astronomical fee so soon forgot about that.
Any information would be gratefully received and if I get something from it then great.

TheCaddie - you're dead right. I think I alluded to it slightly on one of the earlier threads that one of the pro's I had helped me understand my bad shots more, which is good.
But when the tension comes and you're head is in a spin it's difficult to check everything.
The wrist-cocking comment I read really got me though and sure enough it was that.

I must say it's a fantastic forum this. The help and advice I've had from this thread has been superb.

I'll send you some info over the weekend pal.