Shanking on short par 3

[Smiffy]

Got a short par 3 at Highwoods, it's only 129 yards or so from an elevated tee, no more than a wedge really, maybe a 9 iron if it's into the breeze.
It's causing me grief, so much so that I start thinking about it a few holes before I actually get there.
In the last 3 times I've played it I've had two 5's and a 4.
Stand on the tee, and can almost guarantee a shank.
The last time I played it, I took a 7 iron and just tried a punch shot with half a swing just to try to actually hit the green. Came up short but managed to chip and two putt.
Although it feels like I am playing a full, proper shot, I'm sure I'm subconsciously decelerating and causing the problem.
Any tips???
It doesn't matter whether I tee it up or not. It's blooming stupid because faced with the same distance shot into a green I don't do it.
Driving me nuts.

 

[bobmac]

This often happens if the ball is too far back in the stance or if the first part of the backswing is too much on the inside.
Check the ball is in the middle of your stance and keep the swingpath straight back for the first 2-3 feet.
£30 please

 

[Smiffy]

This often happens if the ball is too far back in the stance or if the first part of the backswing is too much on the inside.
Check the ball is in the middle of your stance and keep the swingpath straight back for the first 2-3 feet.
£30 please

I'll give that a try next time out Bob.
Thanks

 

[Golfnut1957]

Let us know how you get on.

I play with a mate who is a serial shanker. I've told him that he is far too inside on the back swing, his hands are barely above his hips, but he changes nothing, just keeps on shanking and moaning about it. He has also threatened to get a lesson but hasn't bothered with that either.

 

[bobmac]

It happened to me at a forum meeting at Blackmoor a while back.
There was a longish walk back to a par 3 tee so I checked the yardage and took an 8 iron back to the tee.
When I got there I realised it was straight into the wind.
So rather than run back to the bag, I put the ball back in the stance, aimed right and closed the face.
Unfortunately, there were about 3 tees all close together and all full of forumites who witnessed the pro hit the perfect shank.
I felt every smug smile.

 

[Smiffy]

As I say, it doesn't happen if I'm hitting a similar distance shot into a green from the fairway.
It's just on short par 3's I suffer from it.
It's the same when I play the 12th at Blackmoor.
123 from the yellow, 129 from the whites.
If it was 150+ I wouldn't have the bloody problem.

 

[big_matt]

I find on short par 3's i can get bad contact if im trying to ease off the swing a bit. I get on much better trying to hit a 52 wedge really hard than trying to hit a pw or 9 iron with a bit taken off it.

 

[bobmac]

I find on short par 3's i can get bad contact if im trying to ease off the swing a bit. I get on much better trying to hit a 52 wedge really hard than trying to hit a pw or 9 iron with a bit taken off it.

You might want to try a shorter backswing then swing through normally.

 

[Orikoru]

This is quite basic so you've probably heard it before. I saw it on a Rick Shiels video, which was on Facebook so I can never find it again. But he basically said stick your bum out more (and keep it there) and make sure you rotate fully trhough the swing, and complete the swing properly. This has generally stopped me shanking it, and it's always in the back of my mind so I focus on those things on every iron and wedge generally. It stops your hips coming forward which means you have no space and your hands go forward as well. And completing the swing was just a path thing for me, I accidentally got in the habit of doing this short punchy follow-through, but I feel it was making my path a bit in-to-out, whereas making sure I follow through completely, right over my left shoulder, seems to make the path better.

Disclaimer: that is just what helps me, you may be different of course.

 

[Sats]

I hate the shanks, but only seem to get them with the PW-58º when pitching/chipping. @bobmac I think you're onto something as it seems to happen when I try to have the ball further back in my stance for a lower shot.

 

[Val]

Surely its a jail term you get for that????

Sorry, I misread the title

 

[DeanoMK]

I'm liable to them, hit a couple of hum-dingers lately. The worst ones lately have been in my chipping, the other day I was just short of a par 5 in two, shanked my chip shot and ended up with a 6!

 

[RichA]

Happened a lot to me when I switched from silly little Mizuno blades (that I love but wasn't good enough to use) to Ping GI irons. I think I was too focused on trying to hit the middle of the face. Trying harder to connect with the toe end of the face sometimes means a slightly weaker fady shot but the GI irons still get it up there and it takes the hosel out of the equation.

 

[Billysboots]

Smiffy, it’s interesting that it happens on one hole, and that shots of a similar length elsewhere are not an issue. It does make me wonder if an element of this is between the ears.

The reason I say that is that I used to suffer with this affliction really badly many years ago but, thankfully, I rarely have one now. But when it does happen, there’s a psychological aspect. I may not have had an unmentionable for months, but for reasons I cannot fathom I will stand over the ball and think “I’m going to ****k this.” Guess what? Invariably I will.

The fact you are thinking about it before even reaching the hole does make me think you’re almost talking yourself into it.

 

[RichA]

Smiffy, it’s interesting that it happens on one hole, and that shots of a similar length elsewhere are not an issue. It does make me wonder if an element of this is between the ears.

The reason I say that is that I used to suffer with this affliction really badly many years ago but, thankfully, I rarely have one now. But when it does happen, there’s a psychological aspect. I may not have had an unmentionable for months, but for reasons I cannot fathom I will stand over the ball and think “I’m going to ****k this.” Guess what? Invariably I will.

The fact you are thinking about it before even reaching the hole does make me think you’re almost talking yourself into it.

As above - psychologically better to think, "Nice high arcing trajectory into the middle of the green" rather than, "Don't SHANK it, don't SHANK it, don't SHANK it!"

 

[Orikoru]

As above - psychologically better to think, "Nice high arcing trajectory into the middle of the green" rather than, "Don't SHANK it, don't SHANK it, don't SHANK it!"

Easier said than done though.

 

[RichA]

Easier said than done though.

Yep. I can certainly talk a good round of golf.

 

[richart]

As I say, it doesn't happen if I'm hitting a similar distance shot into a green from the fairway.
It's just on short par 3's I suffer from it.
It's the same when I play the 12th at Blackmoor.
123 from the yellow, 129 from the whites.
If it was 150+ I wouldn't have the bloody problem.

Isn't 129 off the whites a five iron for you.

 

[Deleted member 25172]

Had Mr Shank come visit me on Monday when playing a 36-hole comp at Princes. He came and said hello no less than 5-6 times actually.

Each time while holding a wedge and trying to swing "smoothly" so as not to go long. Now, I've learnt that there's a big difference between being smooth vs not committing to a shot. The latter leads to a shank in my case.

Lesson hopefully learned. It just cost me my dignity of coming in at the bottom of the field (even though I had more issues than just the shanks) and a good few dents in one of the wedges as the end results from one of them led the ball to be in a wasteland area with loads of rocks and big pieces of gravel.

 

[Jensen]

When people think they shank, is it a REALLY PROPER shank out the hosel. Or is it more that the face is open whilst coming too far from the inside.
I ask this as I’ve experienced a lot of players who say they’ve hit a shank, when in fact it’s really because the face is wide open???