Range shanks, but never on the course

[Mikee_j]

Ok, so I’m getting fed up with going to driving ranges and shanking maybe 10-30% of my shots. I’m sure it’s something to do with the matts you have to hit from...

 

BUT... I’ve not shanked a shot on the course for years.

 

Does this happen to anyone else..? Driving range shank but never of the course.

 

Usually means my practice sessions are wasted working out how not to shank rather than actually practice.

[sixfootnick]

Do you hit more blocked shots off mats as well?

[dubbelbogey]

 

While the range shanks are pretty rare for me - no where near the 10-30% range - when it does happen, it's only on the range for me, too. For me it's more like every 1 out of 10 sessions, I'll hit 3 shanks in a row while warming up, then it goes away. I've never figured out why this happens only on the range and never on the course for me, either. Maybe on the range I'm intentionally hitting warm-up shots, and on the course, that never happens, even if you tee off cold straight from the car. Who knows.

 

Some of my worst golf comes on the range. Even if I'm not outright shanking it, my worst range days from a ball-striking perspective are far worse than anything I'll do on course. Probably has to do with the repetitive nature of range practice, whereas real golf has no pattern and each shot is unique.

[Mikee_j]

> @sixfootnick said:

> Do you hit more blocked shots off mats as well?

 

Can’t say I do. Generally (or recently) it’s either pretty solid ball striking or a shank. Some shanks are worse than others too.

 

The worst is actually pitch shots. Last evening I hit 10 60 yard pitches in a row and shanked each one. Out on the course I’m so confident with my wedges...

[flip flappy]

I struggle on mats with the shanks. I had not hit off mats in years and figured I would be over it. Was at a course with mats only driving range and the reared there ugly head after just a few swings. I have no idea why.

[sixfootnick]

You will shank if you shove your hands forward instead of letting the club release, maybe you're trying to avoid an impact with the mat?

[MaineMariner]

Had this problem all last season, particularly on mats, and only my lob wedge (some full swings, but partial swings being the worst). I remember specifically Googling "hitting shanks at driving range but not on course." It was mind boggling and infuriating.

 

I think that something was happening subconsciously, maybe pulling up/holding off the release because of the impact with the mat. I didn't have a problem hitting off nice, real course turf. I'm guessing that the steepness of my wedge swing combined with the mat messing with my head had a nasty result.

[Mikee_j]

So check this out everyone... impact position for 2 shots, one is a straight hosel rocket and the other a pure strike:

 

Can you guess which is which..?

[LeftDaddy]

I had the same thing happen a couple of years ago. Didn’t even know what a shank actually was until that fateful day on an awful range mat. I didn’t think too much of it at first. Except it happened again at a different range with mats. It started with wedge swings. Eventually it turned into full blown shanks. I even ended up with chip shanks at one point.

 

My advice to you is that you should treat this as a leading indicator and work on fixing your shanks now. It may not happen on grass just yet, but there is a reason you are shanking the ball. Yes, the thin mats seem to exacerbate whatever it is to cause shanks. But there is a problem in there somewhere just waiting to come out on the course.

[toc]

> @Mikee_j said:

> So check this out everyone... impact position for 2 shots, one is a straight hosel rocket and the other a pure strike:

>

>

> Can you guess which is which..?

 

Guessing shank is left

 

 

[Hanlpa01]

I hate hitting off of mats. Leaves green marks on the club and the ball doesn’t come off the club the same way as grass.

[Mikee_j]

> @toc said:

> > @Mikee_j said:

> > So check this out everyone... impact position for 2 shots, one is a straight hosel rocket and the other a pure strike:

> >

> >

> > Can you guess which is which..?

>

> Guessing shank is left

>

>

 

It’s actually the one on the right..! To my very untrained eye, there doesn’t seem to be much difference between both that is obvious why one is shank and one pure

 

[MtlJeff]

It happens to me far more on the range than the course. I think it's because when I'm hitting a lot of balls eventually I get sloppy, don't keep my head down and rock a bit . It gets me out of position

 

 

[Hawkeye77]

Shanked a little wedge near the green today - hit the headcover on my golf bag, ended up about 5 feet away from me. Too lazy so far to look in the new rules and see if that is a penalty. And lazy is why I shanked it in the first place.

[TServos]

Seriously, I read the title of this thread and wondered “did I start this topic?”

 

I am a huge shanker on the range. It’s embarrassing. Short irons. Long irons. I hit draws/hooks with long irons and I pull short irons and any attempt to keep it right tends to end up as a shank. But I rarely hit shanks on the course.

[Mikee_j]

Nice to know I’m not the only one having this weird shank happen..!

[herdman]

I do it on the range as well. To the point that I don't like to warm up that much before a round. hahaaa. Hit some pitch shots, a few drivers, and then go. Don't know what it is. I think I just get sloppy or nerves or something.

[shanx]

> @Mikee_j said:

> > @toc said:

> > > @Mikee_j said:

> > > So check this out everyone... impact position for 2 shots, one is a straight hosel rocket and the other a pure strike:

> > >

> > >

> > > Can you guess which is which..?

> >

> > Guessing shank is left

> >

> >

>

> It’s actually the one on the right..! To my very untrained eye, there doesn’t seem to be much difference between both that is obvious why one is shank and one pure

>

 

Weight is more forward on the shanked shot, looks like you are "lunging" towards the ball, causing the shank.

 

As my username here indicates, I have a very close relationship with shanking it, so I know what I say...

[RobertBaron]

Shanks tend to creep in for me when I start getting fatigued on the range. Maybe work on making range sessions more focused than just hitting as many balls as you can(if you’re doing that).

[PowderedToastMan]

I don’t have the shanks, but this principle applies to me with fat shots. I don’t remember the last time I hit a true fat shot on the course. On the range though, I fat shots at the percentages you are talking about.

[Mikee_j]

> @shanx said:

> > @Mikee_j said:

> > > @toc said:

> > > > @Mikee_j said:

> > > > So check this out everyone... impact position for 2 shots, one is a straight hosel rocket and the other a pure strike:

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Can you guess which is which..?

> > >

> > > Guessing shank is left

> > >

> > >

> >

> > It’s actually the one on the right..! To my very untrained eye, there doesn’t seem to be much difference between both that is obvious why one is shank and one pure

> >

>

> Weight is more forward on the shanked shot, looks like you are "lunging" towards the ball, causing the shank.

>

> As my username here indicates, I have a very close relationship with shanking it, so I know what I say...

 

Thanks, this makes a lot of sense, and is something I’ve been working on. Potentially can see that on the range I’m over exaggerating this move causing a shank...

 

On the other hand... I have no idea..!

[shanx]

> @Mikee_j said:

> > @shanx said:

> > > @Mikee_j said:

> > > > @toc said:

> > > > > @Mikee_j said:

> > > > > So check this out everyone... impact position for 2 shots, one is a straight hosel rocket and the other a pure strike:

> > > > >

> > > > >

> > > > > Can you guess which is which..?

> > > >

> > > > Guessing shank is left

> > > >

> > > >

> > >

> > > It’s actually the one on the right..! To my very untrained eye, there doesn’t seem to be much difference between both that is obvious why one is shank and one pure

> > >

> >

> > Weight is more forward on the shanked shot, looks like you are "lunging" towards the ball, causing the shank.

> >

> > As my username here indicates, I have a very close relationship with shanking it, so I know what I say...

>

> Thanks, this makes a lot of sense, and is something I’ve been working on. Potentially can see that on the range I’m over exaggerating this move causing a shank...

>

> On the other hand... I have no idea..!

 

Shanks are caused by having the hosel where the clubface should be. Uneven weight, poor posture, severe in to out swing path are all causes. I recently took a lesson, and the video that was taken showed that I had a severe casting problem, I was "all arms" and no lower body rotation. Once I started swinging with my lower body, the shanks went away, my draw came back, and I gained a ton of yardage.

 

[CaddiesFault]

I hit shanks periodically on the range but not on the course as well, but never at that rate. Try going through your actual shot routine on the range and see if it goes away. Try to simulate on course shots as best you can.

[CaddiesFault]

> @Mikee_j said:

> So check this out everyone... impact position for 2 shots, one is a straight hosel rocket and the other a pure strike:

>

>

> Can you guess which is which..?

 

The problem with this photo comp is that one is just before the strike and one is just after. The ball on the right could already be on its way off the hosel so it appears in the middle of the club.

 

The pic on the left is before impact so if you have on o2i path, then what looks like hosel before impact may not be at impact.

 

Obvy its hard to get 2 still shots perfect at 80mph but it does make a big difference.

 

Also, the ball looks to be in a slightly different spot in both pics, but if you draw a line straight down from the front of your forehead to the mat, you are more on top of the ball in the right pic by at least a couple inches.

 

Good luck!

[gsea33]

is it me. don't go to the range, play more

[rainkingjr]

I absolutely hat range mats. Unfortunately, it's tough to find a place with a nice grass range in my region. I am extremely inconsistent on mats and I believe it has everything to do with subconsciously anticipating impact with the mat itself. Much different feel. Nothing like the feedback of real turf. I'm to the point where it's useless to practice on mats at all. I plan on spending a lot more time putting and chipping this year.

[ironcat]

Address it now, video yourself and should be easy to diagnose. If not, it_ will_ find it's way to the course!

 

I've been there, a year of range shanks not a single one on the course until this season.

 

My guess is you just get sloppy at the range, slow down, play the imaginary course so you're not hitting the same club over and over without any thought.

 

[TheCityGame]

My "self diagnosed" reason for getting mat-shanks is that I don't like "getting down into" the ball on mats. When you raise the clubs/raise your hands and don't keep your weight over the ball, you don't only raise the club head vertically. You are raising it on an arc that brings the heel of the club closer to the ball.

 

 

[alfriday]

One of my playing partners had a similar problem last year. He is an excellent golfer, but he developed the shanks, first on the range and then they made there way to the course. He used an Adam Young test to find out the problem and it helped him eliminate the problem.

 

He took a can of foot spray powder and sprayed his club heads, then checked the impact position when hitting balls on the course and on the range. He found out that even on shots that he thought were flush, he was making contact near the heal. The shank was only a small error from a regular shot. He then worked with the foot spray powder to improve his center of club contact and to reprogram what he thought of as a flush shot. After a few range sessions, his shanks were gone.

 

 

You might give it a try. I suspect that there is something about hitting off of matts (such as not wanting to hit down on the matt , like you would with grass) that causes you to vary your swing a bit, causing the shank. But the first step is to see if you are making center impact on good shots, or are toward the heel.

[crapula]

I'm the opposite. You should be happy.