Shank chips

Please help me cure this! I only shank short chips, right of the hosel, at first I thought it was a open face, but no, ball marks off the hosel. What’s the cause?

It doesn’t happen just every once in a while! I’ve shanked sometimes four in a row!

I'm prone to do this. One of my buddies noticed I was looking up to see where the ball was going before I hit it. This is one case where "Keep your head down" really did work. Make sure you watch the ball as the club goes through it. If that still doesn't work, try chipping toe down and hitting it with the toe of the club, about halfway between the sweet spot and the actual toe. You still have to watch the club go through the ball though.

Your hands are disconnecting from your body. Keep that handle forward and TURN through the shot even for a chip. If you are a player that uses his hands too much around the green the shanks and open faced blades can come into play.

I wish wrx would block out the word in the title as they do schoen. Just not something anyone should have to see while perusing.

> @70445 said:

> Please help me cure this! I only shank short chips, right of the hosel, at first I thought it was a open face, but no, ball marks off the hosel. What’s the cause?

> It doesn’t happen just every once in a while! I’ve shanked sometimes four in a row!

Traveling in circles is usually not much fun.

Believe me, I feel your pain, this problem has come and gone from my game for longer than I like to remember. However, I really believe that @wfrogge1 is on to the cause of the problem. Recently, I started practicing chips and short pitches using the Tour Striker Smart Ball (an inflatable ball that you trap between your forearms at address), which really forces me to use my upper body rotation to power the shot. So far, so good. You might use something similar to see if that helps ... good luck!

I'd urge you to get a lesson; another set of eyes looking at this particular problem is a big deal.

The simplest explanation is likely that you are coming from much too far inside, so that the shaft arrives at the ball before the club can close, but WHY you are coming from too far inside can vary. But it's a tricky problem to get rid of because the more it happens, the harder it becomes to release the club, so the more it happens, etc., etc.

Short-term band-aid; open your stance significantly so that you can't really come inside, put your weight on the front foot and keep it there, and get your hands in front of the ball at address and keep them there thru the swing. But I'll say it again; get a lesson!

standing too close?

I did this all year, until recently when I figured out what I was doing.

On short chips I think I was trying to swing the club face down the line and actually getting stuck and swinging too far in-to-out and shanking due to this.

I focus on swinging out-to-in and I don't shank anymore.

> @wfrogge1 said:

> Your hands are disconnecting from your body. Keep that handle forward and TURN through the shot even for a chip. If you are a player that uses his hands too much around the green the shanks and open faced blades can come into play.

^ This.

It may also help to keep your weight a tad bit more toward the heels. I good way to feel this is to chip with your toes raised into the top of your shoes.

Lightly attach your right elbow to your right side and maintain this until after you've hit the ball, then momentum will pull it away from you. This will establish a fixed radius with your right forearm and you'll hit the ball squarely.

Seppuku is your only honorable choice.

Thanks to everyone for ideas or fixes! I’ll try most if not all!

I tended to shank when the ball was below my feet. I decided to try withdrawing my trail foot a little to discourage me from "falling" downhill during impact. This has eliminated the shank when chipping or pitching using wedges or even up to a 7 or 8. Like many other golfers, my shank was due to my right knee and hip moving toward the ball. I find now if I set up everything all square then pull back my trail foot by 2" or 3", my shots are solid, straight, and the shank has gone. The fear of standing on a par 3 or a short wedge in on a par 5, knowing a shank is imminent has disappeared.

This works simply because I've given my trail hip further to travel toward the ball and the hosel never gets as far as the ball.

**I've had lessons on the shank but no-one has suggested just pulling back the trail foot. Try it, it works!**

ALSO agree with WFROGG1 that it is ESSENTIAL to keep turning finishing with arms straight and chest facing the target. The swing may resemble a putting stroke but there IS a slight weight transfer to the lead foot in the turn.

Try lower hands closer to your body. Fixed my shanks by presettig the wrist a little..

> @eagles1 said:

> > @wfrogge1 said:

> > Your hands are disconnecting from your body. Keep that handle forward and TURN through the shot even for a chip. If you are a player that uses his hands too much around the green the shanks and open faced blades can come into play.

>

> ^ This.

> It may also help to keep your weight a tad bit more toward the heels. I good way to feel this is to chip with your toes raised into the top of your shoes.

Third this. It’s the main issue. When people get relaxed or wristy. Then it gets in your head so you try to go slow and don’t turn even more. Shank central.

Probably rolling face open on backswing. Used to do that and would get the occasional hosel. Keep face square going back and should help

> @wfrogge1 said:

> Your hands are disconnecting from your body. Keep that handle forward and TURN through the shot even for a chip. If you are a player that uses his hands too much around the green the shanks and open faced blades can come into play.

^ This - and also, keep your upper arms connected to the torso as well, keep your trail part of your keyster back on follow through. Finally, it also helps to practice these shots with your toes in the air (pressed upwards to the top of your shoes) which will help prevent moving closer to the ball at impact during downswing.

Best wishes.

I feel, your pain, bro - I really do.