SHANKS! A long battle with them. HELP!

[Shawshanks]

Long post coming up…

 

I’ve been playing golf properly for around 3 years now. After some months of starting, I suddenly got the shanks but as I was very much a beginner I didn’t worry to much/even know what was happening and eventually shook them.
 

I then started taking golf much more seriously and improved a great deal, I had a few lessons and shot my best (80) last October. But a few Months later, I then somehow developed the shanks again. This time I am very aware of what they are and cannot shake them.
 

I heel strike every drive (some so bad they go left and low) and irons are impossible to hit. The only thing I feel comfortable over are wedges and my putter. Long irons especially have been non existent.

 

Looking at my swing slowed down I do seem to leave the clubface open on the downswing making me very flippy before impact however I can’t seem to fix this and it’s also hard to focus on clubface when you’re shanking every ball lol

 

I have tried the two ball drill/object outside the ball and as much as this works I can feel that I’m not swinging properly and can only achieve about 80% distance max

 

Looking for any advice on my swing and any remedies from people that have battled the shanks 

 

Here’s a slow mo shank from todays range session -

 

Edited September 1, 2023 by Shawshanks

[Shawshanks]

Long post coming up…

 

I’ve been playing golf properly for around 3 years now. Some months in, I suddenly got the shanks but as I was very much a beginner I didn’t worry to much/even know what was happening and eventually shook them.

 

I then started taking golf much more seriously and improved a great deal, i went a long time without the shanks only got them second half of a bucket down the range. 

 

But a few Months later, back in Jan, I then had an awful range session and then developed the shanks again. Once again I shook these with a swing thought which worked at the time but it was definitely a quick fix. As they’re now back again, it only took a couple shanks mid-round to ruin the remaining 9 holes with shank after shank. I knew they were back. 

 

I now heel strike every drive (some so bad they drag left) and irons are impossible to hit. The only thing I feel comfortable over are the shorter clubs, 8i, 9i, wedges and my putter. Anything longer have been non existent and even if I do strike them they’re typically a slice.

 

Looking for any advice on my swing and any remedies from people that have battled the shanks 

 

Here’s a slow mo shank from todays range session - 

[iacas]

You "move" your legs, but your swing is much more "upper body" than it should be. I call this a bit of a "fake turn" because it kinda looks like a turn, because your left knee goes toward the ball and pulls your left hip in, but your right hip almost doesn't move, and it's done by P2.

 

 

I'd investigate how to turn your hips and not be "done" with that motion by P2.

[iacas]

Deleted (they merged a double posted topic).

Edited August 3, 2023 by iacas

[MonteScheinblum]

I would start with way too bent over at address.  Don’t see too many good players over 40.

 

second is your hip turn reaches its maximum rotation WAy too early in the backswing and throws sequencing off 

[Shawshanks]

1 minute ago, MonteScheinblum said:

I would start with way too bent over at address.  Don’t see too many good players over 40.

 

second is your hip turn reaches its maximum rotation WAy too early in the backswing and throws sequencing off 

Ok thanks I’ll definitely check this. I recently had a lesson who said I had a upper body only swing so I’ve probably now gone a bit overkill on the hips 

[Shawshanks]

18 minutes ago, iacas said:

You "move" your legs, but your swing is much more "upper body" than it should be. I call this a bit of a "fake turn" because it kinda looks like a turn, because your left knee goes toward the ball and pulls your left hip in, but your right hip almost doesn't move, and it's done by P2.

 

 

I'd investigate how to turn your hips and not be "done" with that motion by P2.

Ok thanks I’ll definitely check this out. I’ve recently tried to implement more hip rotation in my backswing, just need to do it correctly  

[Shawshanks]

18 minutes ago, iacas said:

Double post?

Yeah I messed up, I forgot I wrote the post whilst signing up. So once my account got approved I rewrote the post and both went live 😩
 

If you know how I can delete the other one I’ll delete it 

[iacas]

38 minutes ago, Shawshanks said:

Ok thanks I’ll definitely check this out. I’ve recently tried to implement more hip rotation in my backswing, just need to do it correctly  

 

Yes. It's again what I call "fake" rotation.

 

Push your right butt cheek back a bit. Behind you.

[RoyalTroon]

Put all your spare change into your left hand pocket.  

[Mikey_HACKilroy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5EsXBwDUEc

 

Follow the above link. I like this because it is a good alignment check (I harp on that around here LOL). I don't like how much the toe of your club seems to be elevated at address. That's a symptom of reaching.

Eliminate the leg/hip movement. I think a coaching/lesson session may be order if you can't eliminate that movement on your own.

One thing that helped me keep anchored was a little drill I came up with. I essentially take a few swings whilst trying to resist all hip rotation. I just keep my left arm straight and initiate whilst focusing solely on that. Tension resists the movement all the way up as the shoulders rotate, but that arm does not loosen up. Obviously, your hips will accommodate, but keeping excessive rotation in check is the key to storing energy for release through the ball.

Your body is a torsion spring during a golf swing. You don't need a perfect swing, but you have to hit the key fundamentals.

That's all I've got. 😄

 

Edited August 4, 2023 by Mikey_HACKilroy

[Giocatore4]

23 hours ago, Shawshanks said:

Long post coming up…

 

I’ve been playing golf properly for around 3 years now. After some months of starting, I suddenly got the shanks but as I was very much a beginner I didn’t worry to much/even know what was happening and eventually shook them.
 

I then started taking golf much more seriously and improved a great deal, I had a few lessons and shot my best (80) last October. But a few Months later, I then somehow developed the shanks again. This time I am very aware of what they are and cannot shake them.
 

I heel strike every drive (some so bad they go left and low) and irons are impossible to hit. The only thing I feel comfortable over are wedges and my putter. Long irons especially have been non existent.

 

Looking at my swing slowed down I do seem to leave the clubface open on the downswing making me very flippy before impact however I can’t seem to fix this and it’s also hard to focus on clubface when you’re shanking every ball lol

 

I have tried the two ball drill/object outside the ball and as much as this works I can feel that I’m not swinging properly and can only achieve about 80% distance max

 

Looking for any advice on my swing and any remedies from people that have battled the shanks 

 

Here’s a slow mo shank from todays range session -

Try the drill where you start in Impact position and hitting punch shots. Will help you feel the proper way to deliver. 

[Shawshanks]

8 hours ago, Giocatore4 said:

Try the drill where you start in Impact position and hitting punch shots. Will help you feel the proper way to deliver. 

I have tried this a few times but still seem to shank them as soon as I do more than a 1/4 swing 😩

Edited August 4, 2023 by Shawshanks

[Shawshanks]

22 hours ago, BALLYBUNION said:

Put all your spare change into your left hand pocket.  

Ah yes the witty classic!

[Shawshanks]

21 hours ago, Mikey_HACKilroy said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5EsXBwDUEc

 

Follow the above link. I like this because it is a good alignment check (I harp on that around here LOL). I don't like how much the toe of your club seems to be elevated at address. That's a symptom of reaching.

Eliminate the leg/hip movement. I think a coaching/lesson session may be order if you can't eliminate that movement on your own.

One thing that helped me keep anchored was a little drill I came up with. I essentially take a few swings whilst trying to resist all hip rotation. I just keep my left arm straight and initiate whilst focusing solely on that. Tension resists the movement all the way up as the shoulders rotate, but that arm does not loosen up. Obviously, your hips will accommodate, but keeping excessive rotation in check is the key to storing energy for release through the ball.

Your body is a torsion spring during a golf swing. You don't need a perfect swing, but you have to hit the key fundamentals.

That's all I've got. 😄

 

I’m going to give this another go. I did actually start to almost “forget” about hip rotation whilst playing and it worked fine up until lately.

 

I think I’m way out of sync in my golf swing which isn’t helping 

[Mikey_HACKilroy]

2 hours ago, Shawshanks said:

I’m going to give this another go. I did actually start to almost “forget” about hip rotation whilst playing and it worked fine up until lately.

 

I think I’m way out of sync in my golf swing which isn’t helping 

 

Out of sync is the correct word. It happens to everybody. 😄

I find the key to everything is to relax. Don't "try" to swing; let the swing happen. That's not meant to be taken too literally. It's a concept, rather. When I stop trying to make sure everything happens and simply trust that it will... I swing better.

When I get out of sync, it's because I'm "trying" again. 😄
 

It happened to me early in my range session today for about 1/4 of my range balls..... totally out of sync...

[dap]

On 8/3/2023 at 10:56 PM, Shawshanks said:

Long post coming up…

 

I’ve been playing golf properly for around 3 years now. After some months of starting, I suddenly got the shanks but as I was very much a beginner I didn’t worry to much/even know what was happening and eventually shook them.
 

I then started taking golf much more seriously and improved a great deal, I had a few lessons and shot my best (80) last October. But a few Months later, I then somehow developed the shanks again. This time I am very aware of what they are and cannot shake them.
 

I heel strike every drive (some so bad they go left and low) and irons are impossible to hit. The only thing I feel comfortable over are wedges and my putter. Long irons especially have been non existent.

 

Looking at my swing slowed down I do seem to leave the clubface open on the downswing making me very flippy before impact however I can’t seem to fix this and it’s also hard to focus on clubface when you’re shanking every ball lol

 

I have tried the two ball drill/object outside the ball and as much as this works I can feel that I’m not swinging properly and can only achieve about 80% distance max

 

Looking for any advice on my swing and any remedies from people that have battled the shanks 

 

Here’s a slow mo shank from todays range session -

There is an old visual trick that can help the right player and looking at your swing you are that player. 
 

Think of hitting the inside quadrant of the ball. Picture a clock face on the ball and try to hit 4.30. Looking at your swing you appear to be trying to hit 2.30. 
 

Visualising hitting 4.30 also moves the path of the clubhead inside the ball reducing chances of shanks because you are looking at the inside of the ball rather than outside.

[Shawshanks]

10 hours ago, Mikey_HACKilroy said:

 

Out of sync is the correct word. It happens to everybody. 😄

I find the key to everything is to relax. Don't "try" to swing; let the swing happen. That's not meant to be taken too literally. It's a concept, rather. When I stop trying to make sure everything happens and simply trust that it will... I swing better.

When I get out of sync, it's because I'm "trying" again. 😄
 

It happened to me early in my range session today for about 1/4 of my range balls..... totally out of sync...

Yeah completely get you with that. That’s why I think the shanks riddle me so bad. Soon as they start I can’t swing with confidence and start to “try” to swing (overthink)
 

When you play well you don’t think about swinging you think about ball flight and where you want it to land.

[Shawshanks]

9 hours ago, dap said:

There is an old visual trick that can help the right player and looking at your swing you are that player. 
 

Think of hitting the inside quadrant of the ball. Picture a clock face on the ball and try to hit 4.30. Looking at your swing you appear to be trying to hit 2.30. 
 

Visualising hitting 4.30 also moves the path of the clubhead inside the ball reducing chances of shanks because you are looking at the inside of the ball rather than outside.

Definitely going to give this a go.

 

My local range has a flightscope which tracks club path. Strangely seem to shank whether I swing in to out or slightly out to in. Which has kind of put me off that thought as a fix but I’ve never visualised hitting the inside of the ball just more felt myself swing more in to out. This could definitely help!

Edited August 5, 2023 by Shawshanks

[Pastit]

1 hour ago, Shawshanks said:

Definitely going to give this a go.

 

My local range has a flightscope which tracks club path. Strangely seem to shank where that’s in to out or out to in. Which has kind of put me of that thought as a fix but I’ve never visualised hitting the inside of the ball just more felt myself swing more in to out. This could definitely help!

I sympathise. I suppose there are two potential methodologies explained above: swing fix or steer around the problem. I knew a 1-handicapper club-team golfer for c 30 years. When I first saw him line-up I was shocked to see him place driver inside of the ball. 
 

I took this to my fairway woods which I heeled most of the time and came down 16 shots in HCP. I then lined-up my irons on the far side of the grooves and played to single figures for c 40 years.
 

it’s for you to decide which option you try but oversize GI irons sound like a must. Good luck.  

[Shawshanks]

On 8/5/2023 at 12:17 PM, Pastit said:

I sympathise. I suppose there are two potential methodologies explained above: swing fix or steer around the problem. I knew a 1-handicapper club-team golfer for c 30 years. When I first saw him line-up I was shocked to see him place driver inside of the ball. 
 

I took this to my fairway woods which I heeled most of the time and came down 16 shots in HCP. I then lined-up my irons on the far side of the grooves and played to single figures for c 40 years.
 

it’s for you to decide which option you try but oversize GI irons sound like a must. Good luck.  

I actually find it works the other way for me. I’ll sub consciously swing further out knowing I have to to hit the ball. Which is a big shame because I’d happily do that if it meant I got rid of them 😩

[Shawshanks]

So an update: 

 

I found that it makes sense that I was rotating the hips way too flat. So I looked at some hip rotation videos and tilt explanations which make sense as I remember beating the shanks at the start of the year by imagining my spine was an axis and rotating round it. 
 

Played a round today and hitting into the nets pre round I stuck some impact tape on. Had the tilt swing thought and didn’t hit a single near the heel. 
 

funny enough I stepped up onto the course and heel striked my driver and then shanked my approach shot. Then had the shanks all round, had to use 3 wood majority of the round just to avoid them 🤦‍♂️

 

it’s like I have no feel for the clubface under any sort of pressure and lose all swing fundamentals 

 

really depressing going from a decent standard to this 

Edited August 6, 2023 by Shawshanks

[OnTheBag]

8 hours ago, Shawshanks said:

So an update: 

 

I found that it makes sense that I was rotating the hips way too flat. So I looked at some hip rotation videos and tilt explanations which make sense as I remember beating the shanks at the start of the year by imagining my spine was an axis and rotating round it. 
 

Played a round today and hitting into the nets pre round I stuck some impact tape on. Had the tilt swing thought and didn’t hit a single near the heel. 
 

funny enough I stepped up onto the course and heel striked my driver and then shanked my approach shot. Then had the shanks all round, had to use 3 wood majority of the round just to avoid them 🤦‍♂️

 

it’s like I have no feel for the clubface under any sort of pressure and lose all swing fundamentals 

 

really depressing going from a decent standard to this 

I know it doesn't help, but anyone who's played golf for very long has fought off bouts of the shanks.  I was a tour caddy for over 30 years and saw the best players in the world struggle with the infamous chili pepper.

 

There are thousands upon thousands of "instant fixes" but at the end of the day, the cause of your shanks yesterday, might not be the cause today.  Weight shift, rotation, swing weight, two hairs crossed in your beard, etc... who the heck knows.  

 

A word of advice from an old man.....take a week off from hitting balls.  In your yard, put a long cardboard box on the ground, like you would an alignment stick, about 1/2" off the toe of the club.  Take swings until you are no  longer hitting the box.  If you need something to aim at, try a toothpick or coin  placed on the ground where your ball would be.  

 

I played my first round of golf in the 1960's and have had the shanks more times than you can imagine.  Sometimes a lesson helped fix them, sometimes that lesson made them worse.  

 

Good luck.  We are all pulling for you.