Standing too far from ball to avoid shanks.

[Jon_T]

Any ideas on this guys?

I had a bout of the dreaded shanks in about September and overcome them by standing a little further from the ball. I have had the odd one slip back in but have been playing ok even though I sometimes feel I'm stretching for the ball a little. Anyway I filmed myself at the range yesterday and I'm definitely stretching a little for the ball and it does not look comfortable. My hands are in direct line under my nose rather than my chin and I am leant over a bit too much. I am hitting irons well but not striking longer clubs well at all. Should I go to the other extreme and go much closer to the ball or move back a bit at a time? Am i compensating for early extension maybe?

 

[Val]

Standing further back could make it worse as you may bring more body movement in because you are reaching for the ball. Best advice would be go for a lesson, a pro will fix it better than any advice you could get on here as he'll see all the faults creating it.

 

[Craigg]

I fixed it by standing closer to the ball. Work that one out

 

[brendy]

The proper fix for my shanks (anything less than a full shot) was to stand regular distance from the ball but instead of swinging inside on the way back, I keep my hands what feels like outside the line on the takeaway and feel like i am trying to fade the ball. I had got so far inside that the correct path felt like I was trying to almost miss the ball completely. All working great now though.

 

[Lump]

The proper fix for my shanks (anything less than a full shot) was to stand regular distance from the ball but instead of swinging inside on the way back, I keep my hands what feels like outside the line on the takeaway and feel like i am trying to fade the ball. I had got so far inside that the correct path felt like I was trying to almost miss the ball completely. All working great now though.

Its bloody god awful aint it. My shanks come from the exact same thing. back inside, then either getting stuck on the way down and coming from way inside or throwing the club and moving forward on the ball. Both result in pure shanks.
Glad all is getting better Brendy, I felt for you.

 

[brendy]

Its bloody god awful aint it. My shanks come from the exact same thing. back inside, then either getting stuck on the way down and coming from way inside or throwing the club and moving forward on the ball. Both result in pure shanks.
Glad all is getting better Brendy, I felt for you.

Best part of 4 year plus a part time affliction for a few years previous.
Back enjoying it again and certainly dont get wound up about the odd chunk or thin so much now.
Handicap doubled in the process but its got to start coming down now.

 

[Lump]

Best part of 4 year plus a part time affliction for a few years previous.
Back enjoying it again and certainly dont get wound up about the odd chunk or thin so much now.
Handicap doubled in the process but its got to start coming down now.

A few bouts of a couple of months for me. Drives you wild until it becomes the norm and then it starts to affect you mentally as you know certain shots bring it about more. Even 1 after a good period without 1 can see your mind wandering back....

Another good tip to stop shanks, ensure the club head goes straight back low, rather than picking it up with your hands early (and usually taking it back inside)

 

[brendy]

A few bouts of a couple of months for me. Drives you wild until it becomes the norm and then it starts to affect you mentally as you know certain shots bring it about more. Even 1 after a good period without 1 can see your mind wandering back....

Another good tip to stop shanks, ensure the club head goes straight back low, rather than picking it up with your hands early (and usually taking it back inside)

Yea I started laying up on par 4s with irons off the tee so I would have less half shots to greens etc. It was head screwing at its finest in golf.

 

[patricks148]

i found i was shermaning because i was standing to far from the ball and was often falling over or stretching to reach it.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

"...to avoid s****s" that word should be banned from all self-respecting golf forums Unmentionable or Lucy Locket are my preferred euphemisms.

 

[the_coach]

Any ideas on this guys?

I had a bout of the dreaded shanks in about September and overcome them by standing a little further from the ball. I have had the odd one slip back in but have been playing ok even though I sometimes feel I'm stretching for the ball a little. Anyway I filmed myself at the range yesterday and I'm definitely stretching a little for the ball and it does not look comfortable. My hands are in direct line under my nose rather than my chin and I am leant over a bit too much. I am hitting irons well but not striking longer clubs well at all. Should I go to the other extreme and go much closer to the ball or move back a bit at a time? Am i compensating for early extension maybe?

difficult to say without knowing what is happening in the swing motion - bunch of things can be a cause

such as hold on the handle ways too tight so arms/shoulders so tense gets a ways difficult to make a synced body rotation so the arms tend to work more on there own up and away from the body to the top then a big snatch with hands/arms/club hitting at ball with clubhead traveling leftfield at the same time standing up some and just presenting the heel to ball

so a ways to work to an answer would be keeping a more relaxed hold of the handle so the forearms remain 'soft' no tension going up through the arms and work to make a connected move away with the arms and body turn feeling the very upper inner arms staying lightly connected to the chest wall until the club shaft is horizontal to the ground
feel the goal of the swing is not 'ending' with a hit at impact but finishes at a full balanced through 'swing' with hips & chest looking slightly leftfield of target (assuming RH) trail foot on toes, so sole of shoe would be visible to someone standing dtl of the shot

but you mention EE - so often times through the swing into just after impact do you feel majority of the weight onto the toes - so ways unbalanced 'falling' towards the ball? this would be because the trial hip is staying 'high' in the downswing with the trail foot working up on toes towards the ball/target line knee working that ways too - means the pelvic angle is lost so whole posture angles lost, the butt works to ball/target line again standing up some into impact all this moves hands/arms/club forwards towards the ball so again the heel of the club presented to the ball

so a ways to work to an answer would be with an alignment stick parallel to ball/target line stand on it running through the middle of the feet, work to make some 50% speed full rehearsal swings where the concentration is to feel you stay in balance on that stick into impact without the weight working towards the trail toes, trail knee works towards target, towards the lead knee not out towards the ball/target line - to do that you work to stay in posture keep the pelvic angle by turning the lead hip left

video here shows a drill that can be done indoors without hitting a ball - but majors on the feelings in the last para above - can see hope the weight is kept more through the middle of the feet (that feeling you can get standing on an alignment stick) plus shows how into impact the posture (the pelvic angle) is kept into impact by the transition of weight pressure to the lead foot while the lead hip then turns and clear trail knee trail thigh working towards the lead knee that then leaves space for the hands/arms/club to swing to and through impact so middle of face to ball it's not pushing the arms/club forwards out to the ball to connect with the heel.

[video=youtube;q233DIAsqgg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q233DIAsqgg[/video]