possible eureka moment - re: shanks

[Darlophil]

First off I apologise if mentioning the 's' word brings back painful memories but I thought I'd share my thoughts to see if they resonate with anyone.

I've seen theories such as lining the ball up with the toe of the club or closing the stance to encourage the club head to 'turn over', but while have a few practice swings in the garden I had what I hope will be my eureka moment.

The shanks have been troubling me with my approach iron shots and wedge shots lately. Like I said, while having some practice swings in the garden it dawned on me that my hands have been too close to my body. That's all fine and well when I'm doing 1/4 swing chips by the green but anything close to a full swing and I noticed my hands on 'impact' would be further away from my body. I'm putting that as the cause for my shanks.

My solution (haven't hit any balls with this theory yet mind) is to address the ball with my leading arm (left) just to hang straight down which will ensure its not too close to my body helping me to maintain my swingpath.

I'll be test this out soon as I have an open at my old club at the weekend. Fingers crossed my game doesn't get any worse!

 

[the_coach]

Yes shanks can be caused by the hand path returning being too far away from the body through impact, so what was addressed as center face becomes heel socket on strike. Just have to figure out why, are you hips moving towards the ball so forcing your weight on your toes so making the hands arms path move away from the position they started in, is it being exacerbated by a very much in to out or out to in swing path etc.

 

[RobertB]

Yes shanks can be caused by the hand path returning being too far away from the body through impact, so what was addressed as center face becomes heel socket on strike. Just have to figure out why, are you hips moving towards the ball so forcing your weight on your toes so making the hands arms path move away from the position they started in, is it being exacerbated by a very much in to out or out to in swing path etc.

this, I can hit 3-4 on warm up at range, doesn't ever happen on course....

 

[ScienceBoy]

this, I can hit 3-4 on warm up at range, doesn't ever happen on course....

We had a S-Net at an old club. Get em all out the way before teeing off!

 

[drs1878]

From experience moving further away from the ball (at address) will not solve the problem it may even make it worse...

A good drill,I use when they crop up is, place 2 balls one about 6" in front of the other, address the furthest away ball but hit the nearest one to you.... Sure there will be a YouTube Clio somewhere......

Also not fully committing to wedge shots used to cause me to shank wedges......

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

mention the s-word as much as you like because I've sorted mine. Pity I'm having to learn a new swing for every iron, Anyway SHANK! SHANK!! SHANK!!! :whoo: I can say the word.

 

[the_coach]

Nobody mentioned moving further away from the ball at address as far as I can see.

The OP suggested his arms should hang vertically from his shoulders (which is correct), rather than being held in very close to his body which he said he was doing which is wrong, unless you're Jim Furyk.

Whether the hips are moving forward towards the ball target line or not, or the weight going on the the toes, if the hands are very crowded to the body at address it's very difficult to return them at speed through the same place they are more likely to move outwards. So any or all or a mixture of all these would unfortunately put the hand path too far away from the body on the downswing to impact so will be likely to move the hosel to the ball, when at address it was in the middle of the club face. Also the swing path itself could very well exacerbate all or some of these things to produce a socket.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Cause of mine was very simple to spot and fix. I was taking club away 'outside the line' from the moment I started it on the backswing. The fix simply has me focussing on taking the club away inside the line and trusting that my backswing is on the correct plane (as it feels weird). And that has been it. Having been hitting 2-3+ a hole, every hole, I hit a grand total of ZERO during my last round. Oh the joy - the bliss.