Ready to quit the game

[GreiginFife]

Could you simply be overthinking everything? With all the diagnoses from different pros and the list you put up earlier in the thread, I'd happily admit I wouldn't know where to start with all that going through my head. I don't even understand half of it.

If pros have fixed it and it's come back, is t you that's reverting to old ways of working? Not golf but I see it at work a lot, ways of working improved and it lasts for a few weeks and then folk just go back to what they used to do.

Simplify would probably be my advice. Think about what you are doing rather than what you think you should be doing.
Actually, that sounded a lot clearer in my head...

 

[guest100718]

your that bloke at the zoo that pokes a lion with a stick ent ya? 😁

moi? not at all. Mr LP likes to tell us how the range bores him and that he doesn't practice.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

moi? not at all. Mr LP likes to tell us how the range bores him and that he doesn't practice.

The range does bore me and I don't practise - do you have a point ( to break the habit of a lifetime )

 

[Junior]

Good luck with the fix.

Stick with it and only remember the good shots ! I'm not sure where abouts up North you are based but Adrian Fryer at True Fit Golf in the North West is very good. He recently cured a friend of mine in the very same situation.

 

[GeeJay]

Nothing more demoralising than 'Tommy Tanks'. I get them sometimes, but not lately thank goodness. I found a David Leadbetter video on YouTube that helped me, but I got more help from a local pro when I went for an iron fitting.

Face 'scarily' open at the top (his words not mine)
Casting at the start of the down swing
In to out path at impact

Result, weak fade or a shank because I'm leading with the hosel.

Have made some progress on this, but need to have a few lessons I think to get it fixed in my head.

Good luck.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

They say that it is virtually impossible to hit a deliberate shank.

ie I shall give you £50 if you shank your next shot.

When I coached people with the shanks I used to ask them to shank a shot deliberately and they never could.
I then asked them to hit a normal shot and they would hit a shank.
I have often wondered if perhaps there is a cure in there somewhere.

 

[Crow]

Two years ago I was off 8 and then got a bad case of the shanks. I started to see some light at the end of the tunnel at the end of last season when I had a few buffers but over those two years my handicap has risen to 11.

As others have said, I'd also recommend seeing a Pro as there are several possible causes for shanks and trying to self-diagnose from YouTube, books and similar is the road to ruin.

For me it was a few things that my Pro pointed out and has made a few adjustments to my swing, these are for my faults and yours may be completely different:
- Stand slightly closer to the ball! I'd gradually moved further away from the ball trying not to socket it and as a result I was falling forwards onto my toes in the downswing.
- Make sure my hips clear to give the club room to come through, two parts to this, firstly better stance with backside sticking out and secondly rotating those hips.
- Keep my right elbow close to my body to prevent flying right arm.

I'm still not fully cured and don't think I ever will be but it's much better, as an example I was playing a par 5 in a match yesterday, just duffed my second and had 165 to go to a small temporary green, the opposition had walked ahead on my right and were directly in line of a socket rocket, last year I'd have insisted they moved or took cover but yesterday I dismissed the shank thoughts and nailed it to the green.


Keep at it, you'll get there, but my advice would be to use one good Pro and follow his advice and his alone.

 

[hovis]

They say that it is virtually impossible to hit a deliberate shank.

ie I shall give you £50 if you shank your next shot.

When I coached people with the shanks I used to ask them to shank a shot deliberately and they never could.
I then asked them to hit a normal shot and they would hit a shank.
I have often wondered if perhaps there is a cure in there somewhere.

i am a chronic toe striker. my swing thought is to try and shank it.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

I think the first thing to try to do is to tell yourself that it is fixable and believe it. If you have the attitude that it can't be fixed then it probably can't.

The other thing to focus on is that the shermans must be coming from some form of fundamental issue with your swing. If you look at all the rubbish swings you see at the driving range or on the course, plenty of them deliver acceptable results, albeit possibly not consistently.

If you haven't found a pro that can tell you what that is, then you haven't been to the right one yet.

It probably isn't going to be just a small tweak here, or a small tweak there. I think you need to have a bigger change, and that bigger change should also help you get past the mental issue. Without that, you're probably going to just slip back into the old habits.

I would also have a look at as many different videos online for solutions as you can and see if any resonate with you. I find Monte Scheinblum's explanations of the mechanics of the golf swing resonate with me. I can really understand what he's saying and put it into practice. Of course it might be meaningless to you, so find something that works.

It's tempting to post what I find works for me, but I think that would be no help for you at all. You need to find something that works for you.

 

[Craigg]

Really?
It's just golf!

 

[garyinderry]

A lot of time golf instruction is to do the complete opposite of what you are currently doing then try and find a nice middle ground.

You have listed quite a few things that you do. look up some videos on how to eradicate those things and you should be able to remove the offending move.

As bob says, plenty do those same moves and don't shank it so one of them must be making you shank.

I had them quite badly at a stage. Bob recommended I stay centred and not shift like crazy of the ball. Pretty much cured me instantly.

 

[clubchamp98]

I seriously think I am ready to stop playing. I am getting no enjoyment from the game due to my constant shanking. I get them so regularly and it seems I have them more than I don't.
The rest of the time I am playing off a handicap of 8 and keep getting told I will come down further.

It's not the odd bout of them, it's been on and off for 5 years and for at least 3 months at a time when they're in. It's at a stage now where I just can't take anymore as they dominate me when I'm stood over the ball.

Unless you've gone through it I don't think you can understand how annoying it is. I'm absolutely gutted and surprised that golf can make you feel like this.

I've had lessons that seem to give it a temporary fix and I do actually put a lot of time into my practice and am a model student. I just now don't think I'm good enough not to hit them regularly.

To good to quit .
back to basics learn how to hit the ball properly again

Trafford golf centre there is a guy called Ged Walters he sorted mine out.

Stop practicing your mistakes .

just some thoughts Do your clubs fit you ?

Loft , Lie , Length , Grip size can have a drastic effect on your delivery to the ball.

best excersize I had was hit balls off lie above your feet.

put a tee inside the ball just touching try and hit both out at the same time.

dont give up its tough but others have mastered it I am sure you will come good.

 

[2blue]

Thank you to everyone who has offered some help. Granted, I did say I'm ready to quit the game and didn't ask for help, I'm glad most of you realised that I didn't want to quit really.
At the end of every session I do, and even now I do to some extent - but I know I won't. I'm just desperate to get over it and get my handicap down.

I keep going to the range and trying to get through it and I guess I will again.
Where is Bob based and does he do lessons? I'm based up North would be willing to travel to deepest Devon or anywhere if the instructor was that good and genuinely believed they could fix me.

Oh... if you're anywhere near Leeds I'd say it would be worth investing in letting this guy have a look at your problems.
PGA Master Professional Bill Ferguson: £30 / 30min; £60 / 60min.
He's helped out many of the top Pro's.... I've certainly responded well to his, 'Old school' style... & I'll 'guest you' for a round if it fits :thup:

 

[Midnight]

Mate, I can not offer any advice as I am pretty crap at this game, I have no idea what your going through but hope you get your enjoyment and swing back.

 

[Pin-seeker]

But you're not really going to give up are you?
Just suck it up and battle on 👍🏻

 

[Region3]

Golf sucks when it's going badly. I am in a 40 year slump.

But it's very impressive how far you hit the ball the wrong way.

 

[Region3]

To the OP, I can offer no advice on how to fix it, but if you do have it fixed in a lesson ask them to video a bad one and a good one on your phone. Also, write down the diagnosed fault and cure.

You will then have something to refer back to and hopefully see and compare the old swings to a current swing if it happens again in the future.

 

[graham64]

I go through the same thing but not as bad. What I tend to do is have a lesson with my pro or the first sign of a shank and he usually spots whats wrong within 3 or 4 shots. I've found it stops a lot of heart ache

 

[FairwayDodger]

Many years ago when I was only a very occasional golfer I was invited to play the Kings course at Gleneagles. I managed to shank literally every iron shot I played that day and was nearly in tears by the end of it. Battled with them for a while but since I only played a handful of rounds a year at that time they just stopped after a long layoff. However, I feel your pain.

I'd suggest you're over thinking things and trying too hard not to shank. Try just swinging and not thinking about it - do it at the range, if you shank it doesn't matter, just relax and take another swing... no swing thoughts!

Also, if you're at the range you could always try placing the ball right up next to the rubber tee and then hit some shots, making sure you don't hit the tee.

 

[pokerjoke]

Some say the shank is the worst shot you can produce in golf.

When my dad had them I actually felt very sad for him at the time because everything he tried and everything I suggested didn't help and mentally hit hurt,however now over them I still struggle to beat him.

The OP does not want to quit but you can understand why some do.