Need help with s----ks

parmark · July 21, 2006

Can someone provide video critique

Can I ask anyone for your help here.... Been to five different swing instructors/lessons this year - yet no one is able to tell me how/why I am hitting the lateral shot or what the cause is. If anyone wants to give it a shot and can provide the answer - a round of golf at your choice of Chicagoland courses is on me. And Thanks for any observations. I warn you -it ain't pretty. I'm 50 years old, 10-12 handicap until this "shot' became a part of my game. I've been able to deal with it in past years - just a phase, but as you can tell - this year it's information overload and it is getting the best of me. Thanks again for any help advice or observations anyone might or can provide. I can emial my swing if you want to take a crack at it...

Mallard · July 21, 2006

Many views on this one....I believe that one of the cuases of the hozel shot relates to the shoulders outracing the arms in the impact zone. When the shoulders get to this open position the usual recovery move is to stand up through impact causing an even steeper path into the ball. I wuold say that most shanks occur when you are steering the club into impact.

I think it is an easy fix. Hit some pucnch 3/4 puch shots with your weight on your left side during the entire swing. Feel like you are keeping your back to the target until after impact and your spine angle stays constant. Use some impact tape to learn what move produces shots on the toe, center and hozel.

binneguru · July 22, 2006

check your divots. If they are pointing right you are too inside out and that is causing you to shank it.

you could be too close to the ball but I am guessing it is too inside out.

MAJYk · July 22, 2006

No matter what your motion is, a shank is a result of a very CLOSED clubface at impact. Focus on keeping the clubface open through impact and that should improve our condition. If not, I hear lawn bowling is great this time of the year.

mahanate · July 22, 2006

There was a great article by Butch Harmon about his legendary father Claude in Golf Digest (I think) a couple of months back, and it mentioned fixing the shanks in one of the better anecdotes:

To cut a long story short, most instructors mistakenly believe that shanks are caused by a clubface that remains open thru impact, with the hosel impacting the ball. Actually, it is the exact opposite- the club face closes prematurely, trapping the ball and sending it right. Best fix- to hit half swing shots, from waist high to waist high, ensuring the the scoring lines on the club are pointed straight up when pausing the swing halfway back, and then making sure that the lines return to the vertical (straight up) position when curtailing the swing halfway through.

A non-Harmon tip: If I have trouble releasing the club correctly, I use a split grip (ten finger or hockey style) for a couple of swings, and it seems to work.

Let us know if this fixes it!

wedgetoafoot · July 22, 2006

Wow, guys this advice is all over the place.

I'm not a professional, but I have had the "dead right shanks" this season and beaten them. I'm sure there are a number of ways to shank it, and obviously without seeing your swing, I can't be sure, but at least I can share my experience with you. As the cause and solution are pretty simple, you should be able to decide if I am on the right track or just filling your brain with useless information.

For me, the shank was caused by two things (both of which caused me to hit the ball between the heel and hosel (sometimes even off of the hosel). Clubface closed or open, the only way to hit the ball on a dead right curve to hell is to hit it with something round rather than flat.

To pull off this horrible shot, problem 1 was that I was standing too close to the ball. Make sure there is about a fist width between the butt of your club and your knee at address. If you are addressing the ball and move your right hand over to check this distance, you will quickly see if you are doing this right or not. From a position too close to the ball, you are either making a big compensation, or you are going to swing farther over than you want to (off the hosel/heel). This was such a releif because all I had to do was stand in a different spot to get over it.

Problem 2 was that when I got to the top of my swing, I would change my spine angle to bring my head closer to the ball. It was harder to beat this beacause it was difficult for me to feel, but on video it was easy to see. It was really more of a movement towards the ball rather than down. Of couse, this makes the bottom of the swing farther over than intended and as luck would have it, I was making consistent contact with the hosel, lucky me.

The way I got over this was to put a 2 x 4 opposite the ball and parellel to the target line, lined it up so that if I hit the ball on the hosel/heel area, I would hit the board too (use the arrow shaped range marker wood blocks). This provides pretty good feedback, it doesn't damage your club and really gives good results for the spine angle problem. The only way to hit the ball without smacking the board is to keep your spine at the correct angle the whole time.

This problem was solved in one hour with my instructor who teaches out of Pine Meadow in Mundelein. Again, I haven't seen your swing, but if you think these problems sound familiar, I would get out your video camara and a 2x4 and give these drills a try. You will be happy you did.

If you want to drop some cash and do the same thing, PM me and I'll send you my instructor's contact information. He's usually pretty booked though.

Best of luck to you, hope you fix it soon because winter is much too long and coming much too soon.

binneguru · July 23, 2006

my advice was spot on. I recommend a shoe box instead of a 2x4. You are inside out and regardless of the face angle you will shank it if you are inside-out extreme enough to shank it. I hit the ball like crap and I never got to the point of the shanks...just a lot of pushes and pull hooks.

I found i had to go flat so i had a one plane swing straight back and straight through. I will take a video with the macbook the next time i am at the range :drinks:

My swing flaw was too upright coming back and then dropping it in the slot and often dropping it too low and coming in too shallow to make solid contact with irons. I bombed it off the tee but I couldn't do anything once i got to my bombs.

-Scott

parmark · July 23, 2006

Thanks for all the input. This just shows, as with the instructors I've worked with - no one has a common explanation as to why this happens. I just want to know why - is that asking too much? Then I can fix it.

I don't take divots with my irons - that's one of my problems. But I've had a pretty good repeating swing. I don't know if it's too inside out, or over the top. I don't know if its from clubface totally open and I'm pushing right shoulder out - thus connecting with wide open club face and hitting off hosel - as it appears to be the case when I see the ball mark on hosel of club - or if indeed this is result of a clubface being CLOSED as one suggested. My misses are usually high & right fanning the club open, leaning me to believe clubface is too open at impact and thus shank is from right shoulder pushing open club face out onto ball. All I know is this is not fun. I want to try to get a video analysis, my only hope. Thank you again for all suggestions.

BigD · July 24, 2006

Wow, guys this advice is all over the place.

I'm not a professional, but I have had the "dead right shanks" this season and beaten them. I'm sure there are a number of ways to shank it, and obviously without seeing your swing, I can't be sure, but at least I can share my experience with you. As the cause and solution are pretty simple, you should be able to decide if I am on the right track or just filling your brain with useless information.

For me, the shank was caused by two things (both of which caused me to hit the ball between the heel and hosel (sometimes even off of the hosel). Clubface closed or open, the only way to hit the ball on a dead right curve to hell is to hit it with something round rather than flat.

To pull off this horrible shot, problem 1 was that I was standing too close to the ball. Make sure there is about a fist width between the butt of your club and your knee at address. If you are addressing the ball and move your right hand over to check this distance, you will quickly see if you are doing this right or not. From a position too close to the ball, you are either making a big compensation, or you are going to swing farther over than you want to (off the hosel/heel). This was such a releif because all I had to do was stand in a different spot to get over it.

Problem 2 was that when I got to the top of my swing, I would change my spine angle to bring my head closer to the ball. It was harder to beat this beacause it was difficult for me to feel, but on video it was easy to see. It was really more of a movement towards the ball rather than down. Of couse, this makes the bottom of the swing farther over than intended and as luck would have it, I was making consistent contact with the hosel, lucky me.

The way I got over this was to put a 2 x 4 opposite the ball and parellel to the target line, lined it up so that if I hit the ball on the hosel/heel area, I would hit the board too (use the arrow shaped range marker wood blocks). This provides pretty good feedback, it doesn't damage your club and really gives good results for the spine angle problem. The only way to hit the ball without smacking the board is to keep your spine at the correct angle the whole time.

This problem was solved in one hour with my instructor who teaches out of Pine Meadow in Mundelein. Again, I haven't seen your swing, but if you think these problems sound familiar, I would get out your video camara and a 2x4 and give these drills a try. You will be happy you did.

If you want to drop some cash and do the same thing, PM me and I'll send you my instructor's contact information. He's usually pretty booked though.

Best of luck to you, hope you fix it soon because winter is much too long and coming much too soon.

This is the best advice of them all. This was my problem as well.

i_luv_golf_ · July 28, 2006

Put 2 balls on the ground about 1 inch away from one another, now put a tee an inch ahead of the ball on the right, set up to the ball on the left, make your backswing and try to hit the ball on the right and take the tee out by making a few divots.... I tried this with 2 balls after shanking 50 balls warming up for a competition and i went onto the first tee and hit a good tee shot and went on to shoot one under my handicap. (BTW if i get the prize give it to someone else I live in Ireland) :man_in_love: