Shanking it everywhere, feel lost, videos inside, appreciate the help.

[virtuoso]

2 minutes ago, MPStrat said:

Chronic shankers will chuckle at this. What you’re suggesting is often a band aid and doesn’t work as easily as you make it sound. Forcing yourself to back away from the ball or swing inside the ball to avoid a shank is not really understanding what’s happening with most chronic shankers. If this really worked it would be the end all. The shanks would be nearly eradicated from the golfing population other than for the sad few who have never heard of the butch Harmon headcover drill. 

Sure you can try to swing inside the ball and nearly fall over and have really weird contact and avoid the hosel but that’s not getting to the issue. 

 

There is a time and place for the Adam Young  school of thought, until there isn’t. 

Well.....hmmm.....yes, but, anything....albeit a band-aid, that trains you to start having clubhead awareness is crucial. Training yourself to change, on command, where the clubhead is swung in relation to the ball is the most important skill to develop. Then you can add in the PGA Tour Level pivot action at your leisure.

[MPStrat]

6 minutes ago, virtuoso said:

Well.....hmmm.....yes, but, anything....albeit a band-aid, that trains you to start having clubhead awareness is crucial. Training yourself to change, on command, where the clubhead is swung in relation to the ball is the most important skill to develop. Then you can add in the PGA Tour Level pivot action at your leisure.

I don’t know of a single good golfer who has intentionally trained “club head awareness” or “where the clubhead is swung in relation to the ball” in those terms. Like anything in golf I’m sure you can find some.  

 

Im not saying developing skills in golf is a bad thing. I’m talking about really fixing chronic shankers of the ball. Not turning their swings into strange spastic events to avoid the hosel. 

 

 

 

[Chunkitgood]

The OP is not turning his hips enough, soon enough.

 

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/the-one-move-every-pro-makes-anybody-can-do-itbut-most-of-us-dont

 

Here is a description of how it is accomplished in terms of extension/flexion of the legs, etc. in which the terminology may not be the same as is used by everyone, but is perfectly comprehensible in context and with the pictures if studied:

 

http://kelvinmiyahiragolf-articles.com/index.php/articles/articles-2/2011-articles/64-2011-07-how-to-turn-your-hips-part-3-the-backswing

 

Most people know what you mean when you say “turn your hips” and know how to do it.

 

The OP could also try to old drill of keeping the butt of the shaft pointing at or even touching the stomach, which pretty much forces you (or at least me) to turn the hips to get the club moving.

 

This from the outstanding Jonathan Taylor discussing moving the hips by using the legs might help the OP also:

 

 

 

[LKNgolf]

Always interesting to hear how others approach the sh*nks.  In spirit I would agree with everyone that says getting all the way down to the smallest swing that isn’t a chip and retraining path using boxes, headcovers whatever is a bit of band aid.  I’ve also used two golf balls before where you line up to the outside ball and then hit the inside ball.  I would however put it forward that sometimes a band aid can help.  You get very comfortable not shanking it while hitting 20-40 yard pitches and then slowly add length to the swing and speed.  I’m of the camp that visual/physical objects on the ground can take the focus off mechanics and do a lot of great things for your ball contact.   
 

Legitimate question though…

@MPStrat can you elaborate on the statement that went something like you don’t know a single good golfer that trains clubface awareness or club path in relation to ball?  I’m sure I’m misunderstanding something but those two things to me are what defines an accurate repeatable swing.  Sorry if I went Off Topic from the hosel rockets.  Cheers.

[virtuoso]

11 hours ago, MPStrat said:

I don’t know of a single good golfer who has intentionally trained “club head awareness” or “where the clubhead is swung in relation to the ball” in those terms. Like anything in golf I’m sure you can find some.  

 

Im not saying developing skills in golf is a bad thing. I’m talking about really fixing chronic shankers of the ball. Not turning their swings into strange spastic events to avoid the hosel. 

 

 

 

Well, sure, most good golfers started playing when they were kids and have unintentionally learned club head awareness during their development. We are now talking about recreational amateurs that probably started playing golf later in life and have the shanks. Now they have to intentionally train club head awareness. Clubhead awareness is the pathway to better mechanics because mechanics themselves are only quantifiable within the context of better numbers at impact.

[Soloman1]

You have to know your destination before you plan the route.

[Zitlow]

It helps to get the measurements correct at address and to swing you, the shaft and the clubface on their proper planes. Your anatomy will take care of the rest. 

 

When I shank the ball it's because I'm trying to control the clubface in the downswing. You have to give up control to gain the control.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 7, 2023 by Zitlow

[Dufferonius]

On 7/6/2023 at 9:17 AM, Nard_S said:

Might be helpful to adjust setup. Seems there's too much shoulder overhang. Body weight looks to be promoting off balance issue too.

Yup.  He's way out over his feet at setup--leaning forward, on the balls of his feet.

 

That's probably why the toe of his club head is pointing up in the air--and not just a little.  It also appears to be pointing way up just before impact.  (Though, given that it's still way open, there, that's a little harder to say for sure.)  He's also way inside during his back-swing and in-to-out on the down-swing.

 

It starts with setup.  If that's all out of whack, nothing that follows can ever be right, either.  If one is able to make it work, it's all due to a series of compensations--and those have a nasty tendency to arbitrarily abandon one.

 

I've a neighbor who sets up like that.  He makes it work.  But even he admits it's all wrong.

[virtuoso]

19 hours ago, MPStrat said:

I don’t know of a single good golfer who has intentionally trained “club head awareness” or “where the clubhead is swung in relation to the ball” in those terms. Like anything in golf I’m sure you can find some.  

 

Im not saying developing skills in golf is a bad thing. I’m talking about really fixing chronic shankers of the ball. Not turning their swings into strange spastic events to avoid the hosel. 

 

 

 

See PM

[Kenjr1969]

On 7/5/2023 at 5:22 PM, Nels55 said:

There can be mechanical causes of a tendency to shank but it is possible to hit good shots with bad swings so you have to think that the cause could be that your strike pattern has moved up to the heel for no real reason.  Hand eye is out of calibration.  Adam Young mentioned how he fixed a blind golfers shanks by simply setting him up with the ball on the toe and bingo no more shanks.  Do with a sighted golfer and the shanks will often get worse.  One way to correct a shank tendency is to practice hitting the ball on the heel and on the toe of the club.  Practicing this way will often move the pattern to the center of the club.  

 

A pro that I had lessons with had a beautiful swing and had trouble shooting over par most of the time until he got the shanks really bad.  He solved them by practicing shanking until he could do it whenever he wanted and that control got rid of the unwanted shanks.  

 

One drill that seems to work really well is to setup to the ball normally and then take three swings missing the ball completely on the inside each time.  Then simply swing and hit the ball.  I have not seen this one fail.

 

There is some truth in this, definitely. For me, my problem is hitting the ball off the opposite end of the face, the toe. I started just making a little gate with tees and the goal is to swing through it without hit it g either of the tees. The more I do this drill the better I get at hitting the ball squarely. Being able to shank and hit off the toe at will, I feel, is a great skill to have.  
 

I think some of it starts to become a self fulfilling prophecy. In my case, when I went to the range I was so freaked out about hitting it off the toe, I would go all the way to the right side of the range so I wouldn’t kill anybody with a toe shank.

Edited July 7, 2023 by Kenjr1969

[Nels55]

15 minutes ago, Kenjr1969 said:

There is some truth in this, definitely. For me, my problem is hitting the ball off the opposite end of the face, the toe. I started just making a little gate with tees and the goal is to swing through it without hit it g either of the tees. The more I do this drill the better I get at hitting the ball squarely. Being able to shank and hit off the toe at will, I feel, is a great skill to have.  
 

I think some of it starts to become a self fulfilling prophecy. In my case, when I went to the range I was so freaked out about hitting it off the toe, I would go all the way to the right side of the range so I wouldn’t kill anybody with a toe shank.

Been there done that.  The right side of the range is a good place.  Yes, the anxiety can be a swing killer.  Realizing that a shank is no big deal and not an indictment of my existence as a golfer was a big help for me.

[Dougan1640]

On 7/6/2023 at 9:37 PM, Chunkitgood said:

The OP is not turning his hips enough, soon enough.

 

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/the-one-move-every-pro-makes-anybody-can-do-itbut-most-of-us-dont

 

Here is a description of how it is accomplished in terms of extension/flexion of the legs, etc. in which the terminology may not be the same as is used by everyone, but is perfectly comprehensible in context and with the pictures if studied:

 

http://kelvinmiyahiragolf-articles.com/index.php/articles/articles-2/2011-articles/64-2011-07-how-to-turn-your-hips-part-3-the-backswing

 

Most people know what you mean when you say “turn your hips” and know how to do it.

 

The OP could also try to old drill of keeping the butt of the shaft pointing at or even touching the stomach, which pretty much forces you (or at least me) to turn the hips to get the club moving.

 

This from the outstanding Jonathan Taylor discussing moving the hips by using the legs might help the OP also:

 

 

 

 

This might have done the trick, holy cow I have had my head all twisted up for years thinking about keeping my lower body with limited movement.  Video coming below and it feels so much better.

[Dougan1640]

Updated swing below using lower body (legs) and really trying to use what athletic ability I might have lol.  This feels so much better, I still need to work on it clearly as I still don't like how the clubface is still pretty open coming into impact and I still jump up a little.

 

 

[JungleJimbo]

On 7/5/2023 at 5:51 AM, Dougan1640 said:

I am flat out lost, I am not gonna lie.  I can't stop shanking the ball either off the hosel or sometimes with an absolute wide of open clubface.  My backswing feels terrible, nothing feels good.  I feel like I am falling towards the golf ball on my backswing and that might be the bulk of the issue but before I work on that I am looking for any opinions.

 

Videos attached.  Thank you very much for your help guys.

 

 

 

 

Hi OP @Dougan1640 ... if it's any consolation ... your swing and so-called sh*nk = better than DJT's!  Happy golfing & good luck.