Shanking the ball ! Tips anyone please.

Had an absolute nightmare game on Saturday,  just felt like coming off the course after 6 or 7 holes. 

By the back 9 I was shanking every shot, even SW & PW from within 100 yrds of the green.   (and on the last hole from 30 yards - straight right into the water)

Ive been playing for 3 years and never had this problem.

So frustrating as on Wednesday was really playing well and looking forward to Saturdays comp.

Anyway, I went to the range yesterday and still Shanking - I managed to start hitting SW ok but anything up from that and the shank was back.  Literally, every shot not just the occasional.

Ive not knowingly changed anything so has anyone else suffered this and what did they do to overcome it please.

Typical as well, I'm away for a 2 day golf break this weekend coming so fantastic timing!

Thanks all if you have any tips - going for a game later if anyone has any tips or advice for me to try out.

John

I have never shanked a full shot but was prone to doing so with the short pitches up to 30/40 yds. One cannot play golf if one is shanking and as it sets firmly in the mind it becomes harder and harder to erase it.

I now carry two shank proof wedges and the fear is now gone from my game.

A drill that will prove invaluable is to place the range basket just above the ball and swing one handed with the wedge. This will teach you two very important stages of the swing, one it will set the club in the right position at the top of the swing as it will be impossible to hold the club if it is incorrect and two, the path of the swing will be grooved once one stops hitting the basket on the way down and through.

In fact, if and when I go to a driving range, that is the only exercise I do, as once this is grooved the basis for any swing is correct from then on.

What's a shank proof wedge, John?

One I'm not allowed to use Tim........

Tim. I have 56 and a 60 degree.

http://www.worldgolf.com/golf-equipment/a-look-at-the-f2-pitching-wedge-6097.htm

John,

I had the same problem about 6months ago. I went to see my pro who spotted that my error was I took the club in an outward fashion which meant that as the club returned it was too far away from the ball which meant the hosel was hitting the ball.

A very quick fix to get confidence back was to hit half shots with your left arm keeping in contact with the body at all times. Once I got the confidence of hitting crisp shots I went to full shots & then went to not thinking about it at all.

Give it a go it might work!?!?

John. 

John F,

Shanking can be caused by a multitude of faults that creep into our game from time to time, mine were caused opposite to you in that I was to much inside to out.

As I said I have never shanked a full shot, only those little half pitches.

I now am very wary as to what shot I play when reasonably close to the green and if I feel that a shank is possible then I use my shank proof wedges, incidently these wedges are excellent from deep rough close to the green as they cut through without any snagging and pop the ball up lovely.

It is this new confidence I have from close range now, that has made me well known for my short game at my club.

F2 wedges,custom fitting and an offset closed driver, John P you've become a technophobe. (hope that's spelt right).

David, the f2 wedges are fantastic, the custom fitting was a charade and I did not buy an offset driver. The Ping G10 is not the draw version.

My rescue club does what it likes and has not gone anywhere where I have told it to. I think I will be going back to the 3/4 iron. Make an effort to enter the friendly game David has put up in the events section.

Names down John, glad you didn't by the offset driver Urghh.....and i needed rescuing from my rescue wood.

Quick update after my game last night.

Started off hitting my drive off the first out of bounds and so 1st hole written off.

Anyway on the second hole my golfing parter noticed I was Breaking/cocking my wrist very early on the back swing

So i started to keep left arm straight until at least parallel - this made an immediate difference.  No idea what had made me start doing this.

also,  I'd read possible cause of shank is too much weight on the balls of feet so I put the weight more central which felt a lot more balanced thru the swing

and finally  I stood a tiny bit further away

By the 6th or 7th hole I was fine and hitting irons ok again without thinking too much of the above,  the difference from Saturday was unbelievable.

Thanks all

John

Minute adjustments, massive differences.  There are so many variables in the swing, stance, grip, address, etc that a minor tweak in any one can totally balls up all the others!!!

When I was tryng out wedges in the US, I was being served by a teaching pro.  Three swings and two shanks in he said to me "If you don't mind me saying, you're standing too close to the ball".  He told me to set up with the far edge of the ball in line with the toe of the club.  Every one came out of the centre from then on (the impact tape proved it).  Has improved my wedge play no end (along with a couple of other minor flaws he helped me with like weight distribution). 

As I said in a previous post, minute adjustments, massive differences.

Matt

This seems ages ago and had forgotten about it.  At the time it was a nightmare and I think a lot of it was just in my head & like i mentioned I just wanted to get off the course.

I literally couldnt hit a ball for a few days and all of a sudden the problem was gone.

I tried several things  

To get some confidence I just went to the range and started off hitting sand wedge 20 yards, then further, then moved onto PW and gradually 9 iron, 8 iron and so on.

the problem was only for a few days and after that Ive not even thought about it.

John 

Matt, possible cure for the dreaded shank. This works for some people without any changes to your swing, just your set up. Try at address to line the ball up with the toe of the club as you may find that you are actually standing too close to the ball. took me ages to cure my shank when younger and if I ever get one now, this is the first thing I try with an instant cure. This also cures my fade when trying to leather my driver. It might feel a bit weird at first but the results for me inspire great confidence. Worth a basket of balls on the range to try it out!!!!!!!!!!!