Shanks!!!!!!!

[Jamie23]

Here we go again!

Been playing well since the last bout of shanks which was around last June. Figured out at that point it was early extension causing it and kept my full concentration on keeping my weight back on the downswing which has worked successfully for months.

Was playing last week when I hit a few balls of a mat after finishing the round and hit 4 shanks one after another.

Since then its like a switch flicking in my head and once again I am shanking it and this is now with the swing thought of keeping my weight/backside back so now I am lost.

Anyone got any suggestions of a way to fix this?

 

[Crow]

Get yourself a set of Cleveland VAS, sorted.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/cleveland...445090?hash=item2a7d0a2c22:g:KE4AAOSwfVpYogjj

 

[Jamie23]

Get yourself a set of Cleveland VAS, sorted.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/cleveland...445090?hash=item2a7d0a2c22:g:KE4AAOSwfVpYogjj

Haha ye I am tempted

 

[Deleted member 15717]

Ha. I had the same in my practice session tonight. I'll see if I can upload pics of the strike marks. Comical...and heartbreaking

 

[Billysboots]

Nobody here knows the cause of your shanks, so any tips for a cure could only make matters worse. A half hour lesson is the best advice I can give you.

 

[Deleted member 15717]

Simply amazing stuff!

 

[Jamie23]

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Simply amazing stuff!

Ye thats my strike pattern all year round. If I could figure out a way to consistently make toe impact I would be more than happy with that

 

[srixon 1]

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Simply amazing stuff!

Those pictures look like stills from a horror movie. Scary stuff.

 

[Lump]

Ye thats my strike pattern all year round. If I could figure out a way to consistently make toe impact I would be more than happy with that

If I feel even remotely shanky. I try my hardest to hit out the toe of the club, I change nothing in my swing other than aiming for a toe strike. Works every time!

 

[the_coach]

is this happening or tending to first appear more with pitches even chips ? then spread through the iron set

less likely to start when hitting full shots with say a 7i/6i?

 

[Jamie23]

No it can be any club to be honest, my driver is consistently heel strikes!

Can avoid them for months at a time or even a year but for some reason once I hit one they seem to come back quickly

I will hit a few balls today with the headcover outside the ball to guarantee a toe strike, that usually sorts it out again

 

[Capella]

Maybe try this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYmqBHzWkNA

It helps me when I get struck by a bout of the dreaded shanks out of nowhere.

 

[moogie]

I had a bout of these unmentionables a few weeks ago
1st time I'd ever wanted to walk off the course in years
Could barely pull the club back such was the place my head was in

Booked in for a lesson 2 days later with a mate of mine that's a PGA pro
After 3 swings, told me the issue, and sorted

Seek help......:thup: ....... That's my advice

 

[Dan2501]

Great fix I used to help get away from the heel/hosel of the club is to hit a few balls on the range where you set-up with your club beyond the ball, then as you come down you have to try and re-adjust your hand path to hit the ball (or another way is to set-up to one ball and then on the way down adjust to hit the inside ball). After a few attempts at that it should begin to drill in the movement you need to make. I do this with an invisible ball as a practice swing before every shot. Has really helped me eleviate the shank and has helped move my strike (particularly with the driver) much more towards the centre and toe.

 

[Jamie23]

Great fix I used to help get away from the heel/hosel of the club is to hit a few balls on the range where you set-up with your club beyond the ball, then as you come down you have to try and re-adjust your hand path to hit the ball (or another way is to set-up to one ball and then on the way down adjust to hit the inside ball). After a few attempts at that it should begin to drill in the movement you need to make. I do this with an invisible ball as a practice swing before every shot. Has really helped me eleviate the shank and has helped move my strike (particularly with the driver) much more towards the centre and toe.

I usually make a practise swing at an imaginary ball as you mentioned.

I pick a spot on the ground and make sure my swing is toe side through the spot on the grass I pick.

I can do this no problem, it's when I actually hit the ball its heel side so it's obviously a change I am making when hitting the actual ball that's causing the issues

 

[patricks148]

TBH, there could be a number of reasons for Shermans. i would go see a pro and let them sort it out. getting a load of tips for it might just cause a different problem.

 

[thesheriff]

I had a problem with heel strikes. One lesson sorted it out and now getting the build up of strike marks right round the middle which does amazing things for your confidence. It is ridiculously simple, but I often find it hard to see the wood for the trees with my swing. Disclaimer: this was my swing fix and may not apply to yours.

So I was standing 3-4 inches too close to the ball. Simple as that. Saw myself on the video next to the great Ernie Els and I could see my arms getting cramped for room on the downswing and fighting to get the clubhead square and avoid hammering into the mat for fat shank. I never got the sensation of standing too close and I thought my setup was good before, but clear as day when you get a pro involved and a video up. During the lesson, I stood further away from the ball and I felt like I was going to topple over to begin with. However hit 100 balls after the lesson, the brain accepted the new positions and have never hit a better bucket in my life. Still finding the middle which is very reassuring.

My advice here wouldn't necessarily be to stand further away from the ball, rather to get a lesson. It could transform your game.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

A lesson or two.

The reason I was doing it was a bit unusual as it was a result of a swing I'd grooved over 30yrs of playing pretty good club level golf. My Ass Pro spotted it immediately. And I now know what to do if I do one - which I still occasionally do as it's difficult to break the habit of a 'lifetime'.

I know that I am like every golfer and that every so often I will do one, the difference today is that knowing why I do it means that when I do one I no longer FEAR and DREAD immediately doing another, and for me it is that 'head stuff' that has sorted me.

Lesson

 

[Jamie23]

Well I videod my swing today and I am clearly falling forward in the downswing

The worrying thing is I can't actually feel i am doing it when I am swinging and this is with me keeping my full concentration on keeping my weight back

Really clear in the video that's the main fault which is causing the strike to be towards the heel

 

[Green Bay Hacker]

Rory's shank out of the bunker on Saturday, which led to a double, effectively ended his Masters challenge. He's not alone when it comes to shanks ending a players major hopes though as DJ for one will testify when a last round shank OOB cost him the Open a few years ago.