Years of the shanks - Please help

[BillShankly]

Hi all,

I think the title gives this one away slightly but here goes. I’ve suffered with the shanks on and off for years. Mainly on pitch and chip shots. Recently I’ve been practicing my chipping a lot and started to see and improvement but today the dreaded shanks came out of nowhere. I then must have hit 10 in a row. I have watched every video going, I cure them then they come back again, they kill my game. The head cover next to the ball works but as soon as I take it away they come back. I’ve had lessons too by the way. Is this a form of the yips? I don’t know? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

[Crow]

I suffer from the shanks on mid to long irons and like you it's been going on and off for years, can't offer any advice I'm afraid as there are several causes.

 

[SocketRocket]

In my experience it's often caused by a wide open club face. Look at your takeaway and make sure it's not too inside. Consider if you've rotated your forearms in the backswing and whether you've returned them back in the downswing. As a drill work on pointing the club face at the ball for as long as you can as you take it back then when halfway back down get the club face pointing down towards the ground.

Hope this helps.

 

[BillShankly]

It arises when I work on other aspects of my swing, like hip turn etc. For me not to shank the ball I need to focus purely on strike. I’m focusing so much on strike that I struggle with distance control. I’ll sort it, I just wish they wouldn’t reappear as soon as I think I’m through it.

 

[BillShankly]

In my experience it's often caused by a wide open club face. Look at your takeaway and make sure it's not too inside. Consider if you've rotated your forearms in the backswing and whether you've returned them back in the downswing. As a drill work on pointing the club face at the ball for as long as you can as you take it back then when halfway back down get the club face pointing down towards the ground.

Hope this helps.

Thank you for this. I’ll get down the range tomorrow and practice this. Appreciate your advice.

 

[sweaty sock]

Also check how your weight moves through the swing, alot of shanks come from weight moving towards to ball, often theres a compensation in the swing to correct it (early extension of the hips, or raising the handle maybe) when you work on other things as you suggested, it interferes with the correction.
If you feel like your weight is on your toes at impact, that could be your body moving towards the ball....

 

[BillShankly]

Also check how your weight moves through the swing, alot of shanks come from weight moving towards to ball, often theres a compensation in the swing to correct it (early extension of the hips, or raising the handle maybe) when you work on other things as you suggested, it interferes with the correction.
If you feel like your weight is on your toes at impact, that could be your body moving towards the ball....

thanks. I watch a video by Andrew Rice and this is what he suggested. I’m currently working on this and it seems to be having the desired effect. Thanks again for your advice.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I’ve suffered them on and off for 20yrs - last ten more on than off. I’m getting new clubs; changing my grip and address position, and stopped thinking about my swing but thinking about a club head hitting a ball. So not changing much - other than just about everything.

Meanwhile as I wait for new clubs I have just about eliminated them by gripping right down the club, right hand almost on the steel. This makes both the club and my stance more upright and ensures the club head is not toe-up as it has been. Plus I have had ball too far forward in stance so I have pushed it back towards centre with club handle pointing more towards left hip.

Even though this works it is not a long term answer.

 

[eddie_1878]

Had this issue last year…as sweaty sock suggested it may be a case of your weight moving towards your toes on the downswing- it was with me.

As soon as I was conscious of it and confirmed it by filming myself swing, I worked on staying more balanced throughout the shot. Now I FEEL as though I’m falling backwards slightly towards the target when I initiate the downswing and haven’t hit a shank in a good while…good luck!

 

[TheBlackCat]

Just try and hit the ball off the toe of the club, no other swing thoughts.

 

[Huwey12]

in my case there were 2 causes
1 weight moving towards the ball. Feel your weight is in the middle of your feet
2 Too much wrist hinge at address, try lessening the angle of lead arm to club shaft at address
These 2 worked for me

 

[patricks148]

Personally I would seek professional advice to sort this out, little fixes can often make things worse..better to find the actual reason for them and fix that. When I do it I know the reason and worked with a pro on this so now it's easy to self diagnose.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Just try and hit the ball off the toe of the club, no other swing thoughts.

…to the extent of actually addressing ball normally then trying to miss the ball inside…one thing my pro had me trying…kind of worked sometimes but not the answer for me.

 

[Rlburnside]

…to the extent of actually addressing ball normally then trying to miss the ball inside…one thing my pro had me trying…kind of worked sometimes but not the answer for me.

My friend asked me to help him ( he’s 70 and doesn’t do internet) your tip is the one I found online and got him to try, 2 hits on the inside then 3rd swing hit the ball.

It worked instantly and surprised me.

 

[JustOne]

In my opinion shanks come and go..... due to posture change, especially people who stand too upright.