The Dreaded Shanks - Tips/Cure please

[mikezone13]

OK.. to start things off I had been hitting the ball really well then just out of the blue fairways remain consistent (8/14 and 8/13 on the weekend) but I hit at least 8 shanks per round with all clubs from 5iron through to lobby.

This meant -11 in a par game on Saturday (highly embaressing) and a very very scrappy 31 points that was aved thanks to some big hitting to get me within chipping range on short 4's and all 5's and a few birds.

Anyway, I think I know the 3 reasons I am shanking...

1. Too much arms in the swing and not enough shoulder turn
2. Lower body is sliding towards the ball (partly due to point 1)
3. My swing has become too flat and the hosel is being presented to the ball (yuck)

So what tips do you have for me to try and get out of the shanks and back "on the grooves".

I managed to nubble my way roudn on Sunday by sitting up to hit big cuts with an out to in path with my irons, but for someone whose natural shape is normally a draw this just gave me a false sense of security so after a few nicely struck cuts I'd try to hit a straight ball or a draw and shank it again.

Any tips, cures, advice welcome - especially looking for drills I can do at home and not on the course (i.e. no ball hitting).

[3oneday]

Terrible feeling, but the thought of the word is enough for some folk, so good luck with it !!!


:lol:

[Jarro]

Send Eag's a PM, he hasn't hit one for ages 8)

[razaar]

Shanks are caused by not c0cking your wrists properly and keeping clubhead lag during your downswing. The more you shank the tighter you grip the club and the shorter the swing gets bringing the shoulders into the act to get more power. The cure is to fully c0ck the wrists during the backswing and to retain the greater part of this angle during the first half of the downswing. A light grip and relaxed arms are part of the cure.

[mikezone13]

I should've prefaced this by saying I have had them before and got through them so I'm not at an Ian Baker-Finch stage just yet. :)

[virge666]

I should've prefaced this by saying I have had them before and got through them so I'm not at an Ian Baker-Finch stage just yet. :)

Easy fix - go and hit some low cuts.... no ... not shanks... low cuts. Use 8i and 6i.

Shanks are caused by exccessively closing the impact. You need to stop doing this.

Be at the range on Thursday to help sort it out. It really is bloody easy to fix. You just need a bit of faith.

Enjoy

[henno]

Virge, I was the opposite during last year's shank-athon. I was leading in with the hosel, and basically not closing the impact enough.

But yeah, they suck.

[mikezone13]

Be at the range on Thursday to help sort it out. It really is bloody easy to fix. You just need a bit of faith.


Fingers crossed I'll see you there!

[markTHEblake]

Any tips, cures, advice welcome - especially looking for drills I can do at home and not on the course (i.e. no ball hitting).
you have got to be a good golfer to hit shanks, as that is a really narrow part of the clubhead. any dill can use the clubface.

But if you really want to get rid of them, try to hit shanks deliberately, and you will find that you cant.

[BrisVegas]

another helpful tip is to check your ball position. Some people (like me) hit shanks when the ball creeps too far back in the stance.

[oldmannoodles]

May sound obvious but have you tried standing an inch or two further from the ball? You hitting any slightly fat as well?

[Eag's]

Mike, I had big issues with the shanks awhile back. My coach told me to set up to the ball with the toe of each iron rather than in the middle of the club. Sounds to simple but worked a treat.
I haven't hit a shank since and it has been at least 20 rounds 8-)

[razaar]

Teaching pro Gary Calder recommends curling one's toes upwards from address to finish, stops a forward sway towards the ball, if that is the cause of shanking.

[mikezone13]

May sound obvious but have you tried standing an inch or two further from the ball? You hitting any slightly fat as well?

No, no fat shots... although I have just switched to irons that are 1/4" shorter and have heavier shafts than my previous irons, but it can't be them as first day at the range I was striping them with not a shank in sight.


Mike, I had big issues with the shanks awhile back. My coach told me to set up to the ball with the toe of each iron rather than in the middle of the club. Sounds to simple but worked a treat.
I haven't hit a shank since and it has been at least 20 rounds 8-)

Cheers mate, are you saying you're still doing this? I'd hope this is more of a quick fix than a long term solution because I've had many years of no problems lining up the ball in the middle of the clubface.

[Eag's]

Cheers mate, are you saying you're still doing this? I'd hope this is more of a quick fix than a long term solution because I've had many years of no problems lining up the ball in the middle of the clubface.

No, I don't set up that way any more but it sure fixed my problem.
Give it a go on the range mate, sometimes I think it is more a mental problem than physical.

[virge666]

Virge, I was the opposite during last year's shank-athon. I was leading in with the hosel, and basically not closing the impact enough.

But yeah, they suck.


Are you sure - cause I really doubt it. It is VERY VERY rare to shank the ball by leading with the hosel. Grab a club and try and do it - it feels stupidly wrong and no one with a handicap under 30 would ever get into anything like that position.

Usually, a leading hosel shank goes left.

[Toolish]

I shank when my weight starts heading toe wards...

Looks like a square face here...then rapid close after impact...like he knows it is wrong even before he gets there

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVsTKT1mTr8

[virge666]

And also look at everyones weight when they shank.

Always miles behind it.

[Fishman Dan]

The worst thing for shanks is asking a forum how to fix them. ;)

You need to clear your mind of what you're doing wrong, and just hit the ****ing ball!

However....... Make sure you are rotating properly. When you go to the range, hit a few 7-irons with a 1/2 swing and your feet together. Notice the position you finish in - your belt-buckle will be pointing at your target.

Now - do that on the course with your feet apart!

[Jono]

Usually, a leading hosel shank goes left.

Huh? :-k

Unless you shank it so bad that it hits the other side of the hosel ... :lol:

Mike, try to hit some shots on the toe of the club. You are good enough to do it. Make sure you set up to the ball normally. DON'T stand further away from the ball to address the ball on the toe of your club. This will encourage you to do what you don't want to do, ie. club moving further away from you at impact than at address.

FWIW, my shanking spell was with a lob wedge when I opened it right up to play a flop shot. UGLY ...

[zigwah]

This may sound silly, but i put my practice net right next to a window, haven't shanked since, either into the net out into the paddock or on course :)

[adlo]

I've never had a shank so I'm no help here.

Bunters cant shank, Your swing is the cure when someone has a bout of the shanks.

[TheTrueReview]

May sound obvious but have you tried standing an inch or two further from the ball? ....

+ 1 here. I had a recent case of the shanks & my teaching pro found I was standing too close to the ball.

Once the cause is identified, it's cured almost immediately.

[mikezone13]

I've never had a shank so I'm no help here.

Yes you have, under a cart into my ankle at Kooindah Waters :)

[PeteyD]

That was on purpose though. I thought you can't shank with a closed face, so hit screaming hooks for a bit.

[Scottt]

Mike. The solution is easy! Get some of these:

http://www.3balls.com/images/dynamic/products/stock_photos/cleveland/irons/vas_plus/used/stk_x_large.jpg

Sexy!

[mikezone13]

LOL @ scott.... the Vas... there's a blast from the past

[mikezone13]

Well thanks to virge and our persistence in the persisting rain and gale force winds at the range the shanks were gone for at least an hour.

Fingers crossed for this weekend out on the course!

[Jono]

Narrabeen range? Not much shelter there ...

[virge666]

Narrabeen range? Not much shelter there ...

Frigging horrible evening. But Mike's swing is way better now. Be interesting if he can take it to the course.

Horrid night.

[mikezone13]

Narrabeen range? Not much shelter there ...

Nope, but I was persistent and stood out in the rain swinging my club like a madman.


Frigging horrible evening. But Mike's swing is way better now. Be interesting if he can take it to the course.


Yes this will be the big test... was doing a bit of mirror work last night on keeping the 'horizontal stripes horizontal'.. missus thought I was mad.


Ah yes..one of my golfing highlights. I still recall the noise it made when it hit your ankle...and I called it pre shot.

I just remember hobbling for the next 3 or 4 holes ;) defintiely not my golfing highlight :D

[Webster]

Clubface open on takeaway, complete the backswing fully, then transfer weight to left without sliding on th downswing and you will never shank again.

[virge666]

Clubface open on takeaway, complete the backswing fully, then transfer weight to left without sliding on th downswing and you will never shank again.

To the letter of what we did yesterday.

Open on the back and open on the way down - squaring the club with the body.

Impossible to shank with an open clubface.

[Jono]

To the letter of what we did yesterday.

Open on the back and open on the way down - squaring the club with the body.

Impossible to shank with an open clubface.


Yeah but if you have an open clubface and DON'T square it up with the body, then you can still shank, right?

[Webster]

no that will just be a slice, not a shank.

[virge666]

Yeah but if you have an open clubface and DON'T square it up with the body, then you can still shank, right?


Nope - That would be the SLICE !!

[just]

no that will just be a slice, not a shank.

Lookout, Jack's giving swing advice! Any tips for me?

[Webster]

stay away from zigwah

[Coogee Beach]

Maybe we all have different things to cure the evil bastards, but mine is to get on the range and really work on in-to-out swings ... and turning the shoulders ... and relaxing the arms ... and exaggeratedly hitting a cover drive almost, even with the right leg back and your back 45 degree to target ...

they do go away.
but they're evil.

[Jono]

no that will just be a slice, not a shank.


Nope - That would be the SLICE !!


Hmmm ... perhaps the low marker's shank differs from the hacker's shank. :-k

[mikezone13]

Whatever it is... as of about 7pm last night mine seems to be gone... fingers crossed the rain goes away so I can get to the course tomorrow to really test this out.

[virge666]

Maybe we all have different things to cure the evil bastards, but mine is to get on the range and really work on in-to-out swings ... and turning the shoulders ... and relaxing the arms ... and exaggeratedly hitting a cover drive almost, even with the right leg back and your back 45 degree to target ...

they do go away.
but they're evil.

Another poor loon that has no idea what a shank is or caused by.

Practicing in to out swings to fix shanks... :shock:

[PeteyD]

Glad I wasn't the only on surprised by that !

Interested in the physics, I am pretty sure you can hit it with the shank with an open clubface. It would be pretty hard to squeeze it out right (for a right hander) with a closed face?

It is interesting to read solutions on the net, as most don't seem to agree on what causes the shanks. Weight too far forward ( as in towards the ball / on your toes) seems to be popular.

[razaar]

Another poor loon that has no idea what a shank is or caused by.

Practicing in to out swings to fix shanks... :shock:
Not many golfers can swing in to out with a ball in play; what feels in to out may be on a square to target path, which is inside to square to inside, or open to square to closed, or shut to square to open.

[Craig_Syd]

An old Pro mate of mine once taught me to just put your head behnd the ball and concentrate on keeping it there through the whole swing....After a while the confidence to swing freely comes back and you are cured. Has worked every time I have ever suffered or given advice on the course.

[razaar]

IMO pitching and half shots is where most players shank. Not sure I have ever seen a player who was a serial shanker with full shots.:?

[Grunt]

Ah yes..one of my golfing highlights. I still recall the noise it made when it hit your ankle...and I called it pre shot.

Actually one of the funniest golf incidents I have ever seen, only those that saw it happen would believe it did.:smt038

[virge666]

Interested in the physics, I am pretty sure you can hit it with the shank with an open clubface.


Try it - bet you can't. The way the club is weighted makes it almost impossible. You get all these idiots out there who reckon if you hit it a shank, you are coming through impact leading with the hosel. CROCK OF SHIT.

You are actually coming through close to square, what is happening is that the ball just touches the hosel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVsTKT1mTr8&feature=PlayList&p=C8E4E91EA44B862A&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=26

The truth
- Balls hits the hosel. Usually only in the tiniest way
- This hit slows the hosel
- This hit does not slow the toe of the clubhead
- The toe of the blade rotates like a bastard due to inertia.
- The ball richochetes off the hosel onto the blade
- Ball goes violently low and right, with a tonne of spin.

The rubbish
- You are not leading with the hosel, the hosel is in front of the blade.
- You are not hitting the ball with JUST the hosel, it is usually both. ()
- It is not "very close to a perfect shot" any more than a bad toe hit is.
- You are not standing too close to the ball, you are moving the bottom of the swing arc.

This is all standard knowledge for anyone who has studied the golf swing.

The Cure.

Shanks can be caused by a whole bunch of things - there is no single way to fix it anymore than a single way to fix a slice. With Mike, he had some serious posture and turn issues, once I fixed the posture and got him to turn around his spine instead of his knees - his shanks stopped.

The only real similarity I see with shanks is the overuse of the legs and sliding. So the best way to sort it out over a forum is to get you weight forward and get people to hit slices. This gets a student lagging the club properly with a more stable base, but the main thing is that it gets the club working around the body and it is impossible to shank when the club works around the body.

So if you have the shanks - learn some drills to work the club AROUND the body with a very stable leg action. Try to keep your right shoulder low on the back swing.

Lastly - stop listening to bullshit wives tales from the 1950's.

[Daves]

So if you have the shanks - learn some drills to work the club AROUND the body with a very stable leg action. Try to keep your right shoulder low on the back swing.

Would feet together drills fit that prescription?

[PeteyD]

So, if you clip the hosel with an open clubface it will close the face and end up being a normal shot instead of a shank?

[virge666]

Would feet together drills fit that prescription?

Not really - feet together is a balance drill. We are working with power delivery.



So, if you clip the hosel with an open clubface it will close the face and end up being a normal shot instead of a shank?

LOL !

You don't believe me with the leading hosel thing do you... :)

The reason this doesn't happen in the manner you wish is that your right side gets to jammed up, there is just not enough room to slide, hold the club face open, get you right elbow past your right hip AND keep our shoulders closed. You have to hang back SO much to even get near the ball. You would have to be a 60 marker to not know that this is not the way to swing a club.

The bit you are missing is that the hosel is ALWAYS leading the blade until after impact. A shank is just the opposite to a toe hit, nothing more nothing less. The problem is that a toe hit still goes 60-70% of the distance, whereas a shank goes right 60-70% of the distance. :)

You fix both shots the same way. Once your mind gets around this and ignores all the bullshit aura that goes with shanks - your life get so much easier.

Enjoy.

[PeteyD]

Just trying to understand it. I don't have an issue with shanks.

[virge666]

Just trying to understand it. I don't have an issue with shanks.


All good - hit me with any questions - if I can't answer them, I will find someone who can.

[mikezone13]

Well the verdict is back... not a single shank today and 11 greens hit by me in our 2 ball ambrose event in a near gale.

As virge said getting myself "connected" again and keeping my swing compact rather than swaying my weight backwards and then forwards and actually turning (shoulders ands hips) again was all that was needed.

But the best tip was the little 'pull back' with the right elbow to initiate my turn - working a treat and elimnating the old 'chicken wing/flying elbow' that has always made me a bit loose.

[virge666]

But the best tip was the little 'pull back' with the right elbow to initiate my turn - working a treat and elimnating the old 'chicken wing/flying elbow' that has always made me a bit loose.


Move the clubhead before anything else. Move the clubhead first - no "low and slow", no "dragging it back"

All these things get your turning around your body. These get your hips going around and not up and down.

Top news mate !

[Coogee Beach]

So if you have the shanks - learn some drills to work the club AROUND the body with a very stable leg action. Try to keep your right shoulder low on the back swing.

Lastly - stop listening to bullshit wives tales from the 1950's.

Hang on Virge ... "swinging around the body" ... is what I meant by practising in-to-out swings ... and putting the right leg back ... gives me that feeling of hiting the ball on what "feels" like a cover-drive ... ie in-to-out but which is in reality square and flush.

What's the diff?

And what does it matter anyway if it fixes em??

[Coogee Beach]

Virge?

[virge666]

Virge?

Present.

You want In - to - In swings to solve the shanks... Not in to out. Even for two plane swingers.

In to out work on timing an rhythm. In to in solves the problem.

[Coogee Beach]

Just humour me on In-to-in, V ... might sound a stupid question, probably is but ...

if the club goes back INside a "perfect" swing plane, it has to come back heading the same way, ie outwards, doesn't it? ... ie come back the same way ... heading forwards along the same path it went back?

?

[razaar]

Just humour me on In-to-in, V ... might sound a stupid question, probably is but ...

if the club goes back INside a "perfect" swing plane, it has to come back heading the same way, ie outwards, doesn't it? ... ie come back the same way ... heading forwards along the same path it went back?

?
If you hold your centre around the axis the clubhead will turn inside again at some point into the follow through. Your shoulder plane during the through swing will influence when this happens; a steep shoulder or arm plane will keep the clubhead on the ball/target line longer than a flatter shoulder plane. For a power fade the ball will need to be positioned at that point where the clubhead is starting to turn inside; for a draw the ball position is just before the clubhead reaches the bottom of its arc and is still inside the ball.

[virge666]

Just humour me on In-to-in, V ... might sound a stupid question, probably is but ...

if the club goes back INside a "perfect" swing plane, it has to come back heading the same way, ie outwards, doesn't it? ... ie come back the same way ... heading forwards along the same path it went back?

?

Thats the point - the club is meant to work around your body, the whole "down and out" thing that you hear only suits a particular kind of swing pattern.

To work on an in to in swing you work the club around your body... the central pivot being your core...

Seriously - easiest way to fix it. If you want more info look up Jim Hardy's one plane swing for more info.

[Matt 3 Jab]

To bring up an old thread, i played with trung and dave yesterday and had 8 full shot shanks.

Virge, with seeing my swing a bit, what you think my cause would be?

Today im just going to line everything up off the toe, but need a solution before EAS or it'll be a great day at the lakes hitting shanks into expensive cars

[Matt 3 Jab]

another 5 shanks today, each one costing a double bogey (3 were on par three's, which 2 hit water and 1 went accross silverwater rd).

I cant explain it, but 31 points with all that crap going on, i wish i could!

[dc68]

A shank cost me the club championship on the weekend... I have had a dose for a couple of months now.

[Scottt]

I reckon it's just in your head, Matt.

Got a spare set of irons in the garage? A change is as good as a fix, as the ho always says...

[ParMaster]

Why not just try and hit the ball of the toe of the club?

Also if you adress the ball telling yourself not to shank it or feeling unconfident then you will probably shank it..

So it's probably a confidence thing aswell.

[Sydney Hacker]

I was once told the quickest fix while on the course (until you can work out why it is happening) was to get more of your weight on the back of your foot/heels.

Not sure if it is a placebo thing but it has worked for me in the past.

[Matt 3 Jab]

i tried everything today, in the end i addressed the shots with my club in a normal spot and the ball 2 cms outside the toe.

Its something but its causing alot of grief!

[Courty]

My shanks usually come from gripping too tight with the left hand, preventing me from making a proper release.

[Yossarian]

I seem to shank most when I **** the wrists too early.

[razaar]

i tried everything today, in the end i addressed the shots with my club in a normal spot and the ball 2 cms outside the toe.

Its something but its causing alot of grief!
Matt, I know this is not nice to read but I think you are casting during your downswing. It is extremely difficult to shank with a late hit action but very easy to do so when the wrist angle releases too early. The reason is that centrifugal force causes the clubhead to go outwards, that is why efficient swings have the clubhead dropping inside from the top and retain their wrist c0ck very late in the downswing with the right elbow against the right side.

[3oneday]

Play lefthanded

[sms316]

Play lefthanded

:roll:

Get a full set of hybrids. No hosel = no shanks.

[Jono]

Matt, adressing the ball towards the toe is the worst thing you can do when you are shanking. That actually promotes the club moving away from you through impact.

If anything, try the opposite on the range. Address the ball towards the heel. That way, the club has to stay close to your body through impact.

[Toolish]

Try addressing it off the hosel. With the ball way out off the toe you know you have to move towards it so you will. Address it off the hosel for a while and you may get used to not reaching for it.

Suggest you try it at the range not the course though.

Seems Jono beat me to the punch...I agree with him!

[Webster]

Buy a copy of The Golf Machine and read it through a couple of times and you will be cured. The answer on shanking is in there somewhere.

[3oneday]

Flying right elbow ? maybe try keeping the right elbow close to your body ?

[Toolish]

Buy a copy of The Golf Machine and read it through a couple of times and you will be cured. The answer on shanking is in there somewhere.

If you make sure PP#3 is lagging the sweetspot and not lagging the hosel and providing pressure into a 3 dimensional impact then at the moment of truth you should be able to avoid the hosel rocket.

[3oneday]

If you make sure PP#3 is lagging the sweetspot and not lagging the hosel and providing pressure into a 3 dimensional impact then at the moment of truth you should be able to avoid the hosel rocket.

excellent, I could imagine that as the last swing thought before I hit it :lol:

[oncewasagolfer]

Had the shanks real bad today would smash a drive then shank a gap wedge into the trees totally demoralizing:( the last month I have been having about 2 shanks a round but still playing to my handicap, today I hit 7 and shot 90. Worst part is I'm playing the final of our clubs match play tomorrow. Wish me luck guys.

[sms316]

Had the shanks real bad today would smash a drive then shank a gap wedge into the trees totally demoralizing:( the last month I have been having about 2 shanks a round but still playing to my handicap, today I hit 7 and shot 90. Worst part is I'm playing the final of our clubs match play tomorrow. Wish me luck guys. Don't hit it off the hosel then.

[oncewasagolfer]

Don't hit it off the hosel then. Thanks will try and remember that:)