The Shanks!

Qwerty said:
Can anyone make any sense of this or has anyone experienced anything similar.
This has been going on for some time..

Whenever I attempt to warm up in a net before a round without fail I shank most of the irons.
I steer clear of the nets now because of this.
Also,at the range the same happens, I'd say at the moment and for some time 50-60% of iron shots = a shank.

So range and Nets Its Shanksville...

But on the course I never shank the ball!! :confused:


I'm hoping to get a lesson at some point during the week but wondered if anyone on here had experienced anything similar?
Why am I only shanking it at the range/net?
Click to expand...

The answer is actually within your own question. Ready? Your mind associates hitting in the net with a shank, so you hit a shank.

Look at Brooks Koepka in the Ryder Cup just past, hit a stone cold lucy rocket then stepped up to the 230 yard par 3 and stiffed it. Did he change anything in his swing, stance, ball position, distance from the ball?

It's all to do with your mind perceiving where the sweetspot is, not mechanics. Often the case is that someone with the shanks thinks the sweetspot is the hosel, you need to stop and think for a second and allow your mind to feel that the sweetspot is about an inch further away. If you can grasp this concept and get good at it you can practice hitting balls out the heel, middle and toe.

Hope this helps.
 
On Our little warm up range, the range bays are at an angle and this is where I do it the most. It also happens when I try and hit half and 3/4 swings. Could just be a muscle memory or commitment thing...
 
Scratch lefty said:
It's all to do with your mind perceiving where the sweetspot is, not mechanics. Often the case is that someone with the shanks thinks the sweetspot is the hosel, you need to stop and think for a second and allow your mind to feel that the sweetspot is about an inch further away. If you can grasp this concept and get good at it you can practice hitting balls out the heel, middle and toe.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that, it does make sense, the hard part is just doing it.

It just blows my brains (not hard) that it only happens at the range and it also seems I'm not the only one doing this.

For now I think I'll persevere with the basket drill and hopefully it'll come good, it's just mind numbing having to practice something so boring just to get back to hitting
the ball reasonably well.

I know what you're saying though about my mind/eye trained to think the Hosel is the Sweetspot.
 
Every time for me Dave. Was laughing for a basket of balls at Castle Stuart beside Jocko. I've no idea where it comes from. I'm at the stage I hit hybrids, fairways and driver on the range at big courses and I don't go near nets at other courses before rounds.

Strange thing is if I go to a range (rare occurrence) it doesn't happen.
 
I've been known to hit shanks on the practice ground, usually rushing and not paying attention to the posture. The weight moving forward onto my toes is my usual cause and so I simply try and slow down and go back through the basics. I will sometimes put a ball either side of the target ball, just wider than the iron and make sure I only hit the central one. Not good to do if there are too many warming up with you especially when it doesn't work.
 
HomerJSimpson said:
. I will sometimes put a ball either side of the target ball, just wider than the iron and make sure I only hit the central one. Not good to do if there are too many warming up with you especially when it doesn't work.
Click to expand...

Yep, I tried this Homer. I wasn't pretty though. I'll maybe take some PPE next time.
 
I've got into a habit in the last few weeks where my first shot on the range is a shank, occasionally the second too, but after that all is ok again. Occasionally, this is also repeated on the course.
 
Bit of an update - After some tinkering I found a cure tonight.
I addressed the ball 1" behind it with the hosel in line with the ball.
Took the club away then kinda dropped it on the inside on the downswing, this produced a very good middled strike with a straight ball flight most of the time.

It worked for me but don't try this at home kids, it could ruin your game :thup:
 
Qwerty said:
Bit of an update - After some tinkering I found a cure tonight.
I addressed the ball 1" behind it with the hosel in line with the ball.
Took the club away then kinda dropped it on the inside on the downswing, this produced a very good middled strike with a straight ball flight most of the time.

It worked for me but don't try this at home kids, it could ruin your game :thup:
Click to expand...
Why would you address the ball differently in the nets? I really don't like introducing a fault to cure another fault. Madness that way lies....
 
bluewolf said:
Why would you address the ball differently in the nets? I really don't like introducing a fault to cure another fault. Madness that way lies....
Click to expand...


I'll be trying it out on the course too.
I wouldn't class it as another fault so long as its helping bring the club back to the ball correctly.
Watch What The Beef does at address - He does the opposite to what I've just described - He draws the clubhead towards him so it's off the toe before taking it away.
 
Qwerty said:
I'll be trying it out on the course too.
I wouldn't class it as another fault so long as its helping bring the club back to the ball correctly.
Watch What The Beef does at address - He does the opposite to what I've just described - He draws the clubhead towards him so it's off the toe before taking it away.
Click to expand...
Oh, ok then. Are you in my team on Sunday? ;)

You still have the Srixons in the bag?
 
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