7 handicapper hosel-shanking wedges

[ericld]

(this seems to be an oft discussed topic)

I play a LOT of golf. I know a fair amount about the golf swing.

That being said I am emberassed to say that I don't know why I am hosel-shanking wedges (not toe - ive seen the marks). It's happening a lot lately - maybe twice per 18-hole round. These are short swings where the club is going back to waist-parallel.

Without seeing my swing what is the primary cause of this problem. Other longer irons are ok.

[cap217]

I do that a lot lately and I am a 1.9.... we all take the hit!!!!

 

 

Here is the deal:

 

figure if it is an outside or inside swing path

 

Is the face open or closed at impact

 

where is the club face throught the swing

 

 

 

I swing to far inside with an open face and shank... not fun and very demoralizing. Makes me want to give up sometimes! But it is the off season and I hit on crappy mats in a dome. So it is probably mental.

[joesgonegolfing]

I do that a lot lately and I am a 1.9.... we all take the hit!!!!

 

 

I swing to far inside with an open face and shank... not fun and very demoralizing. Makes me want to give up sometimes! But it is the off season and I hit on crappy mats in a dome. So it is probably mental.

 

 

For the single digit player the above post is spot on, it is almost always the inside out swing you normally make, but you have crept up on the wedge and lost your spacing. If you feel the need to be close, on the take away rehearse an outside take away.

 

If you get the club started going out, when you bring it back inside on the follow thru you will fix the problem. Just rehearse the drill path and you will be fine.

 

Joe

[JVi]

Lee Trevino said in an exhibtion round I personally watched that you should imagine putting your right hand (for a righty) into your pocket on the downswing (i.e. tuck in your right elbow - helps from coming over the top too).

[CallawayKID9]

I cant believe it either...I'm going to Hilton Head next weekend and wanted to get in a little xtra practice to make a good showing and THWACK! Ball goes right. No problem...next one goes straight. For the next 10 minutes every third or fourth goes tearing off to the right. I play to an 8 and have been playing well as of late...this was something i battled in the past when I was a 15! It goes to show that you ALWAYS need to stay focused on the fundmentals of golf....

[Punchy50]

My last range session had my confidence up again. I felt like I was reaching for the ball so I actually stood a little closer and was hitting it flush. Maybe it forces me to come more from the inside rather than over the top.

[JerseyGolfer]

I just got back from Myrtle beach. I played 8 rounds in four days. I get home and go to the club and start hitting my 52 wedge. I shanked it 11 times in a row. I'm scared now and it's stuck in my head that I'm going to shank every shot I hit fron now on. I didn't shank one wedge all week and now I'm a shanking idiot. What is the cause? Too much golf or just a mental block. I play to a 12 handicap. Help!!!!!!!! :)

[marty69]

this happened to me last year. i hated it. i thought about giving up the game of golf alltogether. i was shanking all of my irons.Both short and long, it was weird. at the time i was playing to a 6 maybe a 5.5 or something i forget. For me it was not making a full turn. maybe i was too close to the ball aswell but i got to handsy and forgot to turn. I fixed it rather quickly by thinking of hitting the ball to right field and off the toe of the face. this works. try it i think you will have the same success i did. gl. oh and by the way i will never ever ever quit this game.I just love it too much, ok good day then

[chip]

im an 8 and have had this experience with my 54* ---it is unnerving as hell. its an instant feel and confidence killer---it it happens on the range, the best cure is to hit a couple of chips with the offending wedge as it gets your spacing back. then i go immediately back to full shot routine target golf. You must resist the urge to start machine gunning as improper alignment and aiming will only compound your frustration.

[Johnny]

I'm a 5 and I never shank...

 

 

 

 

 

at the range :) manage to save them for the course.

[ericld]

There are two types of golfers...

 

Those who have had a bad shanking episode and those who will.

[ezra76]

I do that a lot lately and I am a 1.9.... we all take the hit!!!!

 

 

I swing to far inside with an open face and shank... not fun and very demoralizing. Makes me want to give up sometimes! But it is the off season and I hit on crappy mats in a dome. So it is probably mental.

 

 

For the single digit player the above post is spot on, it is almost always the inside out swing you normally make, but you have crept up on the wedge and lost your spacing. If you feel the need to be close, on the take away rehearse an outside take away.

 

If you get the club started going out, when you bring it back inside on the follow thru you will fix the problem. Just rehearse the drill path and you will be fine.

 

Joe

 

Spot on. I found that "mission impossible" drill up there somewhere and it worked very well for me. A sort of similar one I do is a "stagger step" where my front foot is ahead of my rear. This makes me come back outside and drop in and around. Thankfully my only wedge hosel rocket sessions have come at the end of a few range buckets. Sucks big time though. For me it's most definitely my OTT move at it's finest... or worst that is.

[Emperoryder]

I had this issue and got it sorta fixed with a lesson today. It would only happen w/ my lob wedge and all my other iron shots were fine.

 

We did this drill where we tee the ball up high and hit it.

 

I was hitting the hosel because I was coming too much from the inside and didn't let my hand fall down.

My elbow was stuck on my side and I dipped my chest and shoulder down.

 

Basically, my hands and chest was in sync and my hands were falling behind.

[theothertwo]

I do that a lot lately and I am a 1.9.... we all take the hit!!!!

 

 

I swing to far inside with an open face and shank... not fun and very demoralizing. Makes me want to give up sometimes! But it is the off season and I hit on crappy mats in a dome. So it is probably mental.

 

 

For the single digit player the above post is spot on, it is almost always the inside out swing you normally make, but you have crept up on the wedge and lost your spacing. If you feel the need to be close, on the take away rehearse an outside take away.

 

If you get the club started going out, when you bring it back inside on the follow thru you will fix the problem. Just rehearse the drill path and you will be fine.

 

Joe

 

 

I agree, so demoralizing when it happens. The pro I work with first noticed me taking it too inside while we were practicing bunker shots.

[thenewbie]

I found a GREAT way to NEVER shank your wedge. . .just hit 2 to 5 inches behind the ball. its worked great for me.

[samvan]

try a different grip when you chip -> palm grip with thumb and thumb pad firmly against shaft. maintain square (to the path) club face and power the chip with your shoulder (no lower body, no wrist) accelerating down. I never shanked when I chipped this way.

[dtwainright]

I found a GREAT way to NEVER shank your wedge. . .just hit 2 to 5 inches behind the ball. its worked great for me.

 

:( :russian_roulette: :clapping:

 

...now that I'm done laughing...I feel a bit uneasy...how did you read my mind???

I do the exact same thing! If I shank it...I swing harder and hit well behind the ball...at least it goes straight!

[spider]

I am a 7 handicap and have had this same thing happen and only with my 54° wedge. Once it happens I can't get it out of my head. When it does I know I grip too tight... bring the club from way too far inside...then leave the face open. viola a shank from inside 100 yards. The only way I have found to somewhat cure it on the course is to almost feel like I am hooking it. Each time I have a great drive then pull out the wedge it haunts me the rest of the round. I really think for me atleast and most that it is mental after the first one. No confidence results and tighter muscles. Gotta just work through it and try to forget. Obviously you are not alone :russian_roulette:

[jreed]

Wow, I came on to start a thread about this very subject...it appears I am by no means alone. This has gotten out of control for me. I am ruining my rounds by hitting wild, hard, wedge shots the take off low and way right.

[thenextnumber1]

I do this sometimes! I get off to a great start in a competition then shank a 60 yard shot into a bunker.

 

My aim for the round goes from trying to break par, to trying to hit the ball on the sweetspot!!!! So then i can forget about shooting a good score!

 

My confidence is like - 1000000000000000000%! Im scared to go up the golf club and play these days lol!

[mfm22]

I have that shot in my bag as well ,usually when practicing in field with 54 or 56 wedge get comfortable hit some nice pitch shots than wham hard right . My problem is I get too comfortable and roll arms inside without good turn . to correct I try to feel hands in front of chest going back seems to work

[thatswhatshesaid]

Check to make sure that your hips aren't sliding through on the downswing. If your hips are outracing your hands, it's very tough to catch up. My hips are always sliding through. I think my natural shot is a shank. With the way I swing, I know I've hit it bad when it goes straight.

[Lovemymizuno's]

had the same problem a month ago and i am a 4 handicap. It was just my 52* and i was so scared to hit it. I took a day off and visualized me hitting it and came back and havent shanked one since. Haha when i was hitting those shanks i was thinking some one was going to kick me off the range! Oh and i kept thinking of the part in the movie Tin Cup where his caddy says " Man you are hitting chili peppers up Lee Jansen's a** man!"

[balata7272]

I have a good drill to help you solve the hosel shank. When it happens to me it's usually with the wedges, sand, 60 degree. The way I solve it is when I set up to hit a normal shot, I put a second ball down closer to me, about a ball length closer. I set up to the outer ball and when I swing I hit the closer ball. This seems to help me, I hope it helps you.

[HunterDT]

i am battling through a case of the s#%&ks. I believe it has a lot to do with not fully turning my hips towards the target to power my downswing. My arms become disconnected and the result is, well, you know. I have also been doing this wierd move right before I swing, where I push the club forward ever so slightly. So instead of being lined up on the sweet spot, the club begins lined up on the toe! Where that move came from, I dont know!

[jvwvu]

My buddy is in the same boat, he's an 8 now previously 12 with the inside out path. He truelly has two carry to wedges a 56^ to get out of the bunkers and a F2 technology wedge to do anything else because he hit hossel rocket shanks. The face forward technology works, or you need to practice as above.

[TWO2]

I’m a single digit who plays a draw and fights a shank.  I was recently on a Trackman that showed I’m swinging inside to out which is fine and where the draw comes from.  But apparently over the years I’ve developed a swing where the club face is also open a few degrees coming thru to keep the draw manageable and avoid a hook.  Result…coming into the ball hosel first.  My guess is a lot of better golfers who naturally draw the ball and shank are doing this same thing.

[Golf_Goof]

13 years later... 🤣

 

Count me in as one of the afflicted

[Paddy_2_Iron]

 

This is why most people shank and I am one of them.  Shutting down the face to much.  You can tell by your divot.  Long and narrow.   Butch is the man.  

Edited July 13, 2021 by Paddy_2_Iron
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[N0rs3man]

I'd say you are taking the club inside on backswing or instead of straight back, or along plane, this will make you come inside out and cause some issues.