Why do I shank in golf?

Question

i started golf in 2003 and for 5 years i never shank-ed not even once and now all i do is shank. it has gotten so i am actually afraid to use an iron. my wood shots are great however. Why do i shank?

Answer 1

You're probably catching up on all the years you never hit shankes. Ha Ha.

Your probably not turning your wrist over at impact. Good drill for this is to go to the range with a bucket of balls, tee up each shot and make sure your wrist are turned over at impact.

Have a good one...

Answer 2

Your chopping at the ball. When you make a nice full swing you get under the ball and that's why it goes high up and travels far. When you chop at the ball you it the ball at the top with the club head and that makes you shank and slice or whatever. With you wood you don't shank because you take a nice full swing. Try to not chop at the ball and I can guarantee you'll be hitting the ball great in a couple of days.

Answer 3

All of these answers are correct. I've had a horrible time in the past year with shanks. Never had them in 7 years and all of a sudden, Boom!  Shank!  A great drill to work on is to place a tee in the ground just beyond your ball (place both balls on the ground, use a short iron) about one or 2 inches on the opposite side of your ball from the side you stand on. So, if you're looking down at your ball, the tee will be in the ground slightly further away from you and the ball, but exactly beside your ball. This way, when you swing, you want to focus on NOT hitting that tee in the ground. Try to hit the ball ONLY. This drill will help you swing from the inside, which will promote more solid contact and eliminate shanks. Also, concentrate on rotating your right hand counter-clockwise at impact so you close the clubface. Best of luck!  

Answer 4

I've given thousands of golf lessons over the course of the last ten years, and the #1 reason a golfer shanks is simply becasue their head moves forward about an inch from the start of the swing back to the impact position.  When this happens, your weight goes to your toes instead of staying over the balls of your feet.  

Need a drill:

Place 5 balls in a line running perpendicular to your feet in the setup.  Be sure to keep them about an inch & 1/2 apart.  Go ahead and hit each ball, being careful not to hit the next golf ball in line.  If this doesn't work, have someone stand facing you placing one of their hands on your head.  If you feel the pressure of your buddies hand in your golf swing, chances are your head is moving forward.  

For this and other tips, please visit me at www.freewebs.com/egolf

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Answer 5

all of the answers are pretty good. However, you need to identify something: Is it a shank you are hitting (on the hosel) or are you simply hitting with a wide open clubface. If it is the latter (which is what I do occasionally) it's holding on to the club at impact rather than releasing. Usually caused by tension and\or gripping the club tightly. I usually fix this by lightening my grip and consciously trying to hook the ball. I got this info from Harvey Penick"s "Little Red Book"

Answer 6

i would say that the main reason you are suddenly shanking the ball so much is that you have unknowingly tried to speed up your swing, and when you swing harder or faster than you have a greater risk of looking up, which causes your shoulders to rise and you to top the ball.

You should just try to slow down and swing a steady swing and watch the ball all the way through. Also, since you said that you are afraid to hit your irons, your confidence with your irons is probably very low, you should just try to forget about all the shanking you've been doing and restore confidence with those clubs.

Hope this helps, and good luck!!!

Answer 7

You are not squaring the face at impact.  You're leaving the face open and making contact on the hosel.  I've had an issue with that as of late and I was working on it the other day and was telling myself to whip the club around to square the face.  I think of skipping a rock across the water on my downswing.  

Answer 8

Anyone that played golf for awhile get this. Start off with a wedge hood the club ( make it face the ball going back ) go to hip height. Then hit the ball. Confidence is the key hit that shot for 20 or 30 times get the feel back in your min swing. Then take a 9 iron then a 7 then a 5.

    

A shank is caused when the hosel ( the heel ) of the club beats the clubface to the ball. It still happens to me and I have played for 13yrs. So dont feel alone, its common. When you pick up your driver feel the confidence of having hit all those other shot so well. Then hit a few medium tempo swings before you air one out and rip  a drive.