In golf, a shank happens when the player swings too hard and sends the ball flying off at an angle. This is one of those things that can happen to any golfer, but they’re more likely to occur on shorter shots where there’s less time for the swing to be controlled.
Full Answer
What causes Shanks in golf clubs?
There are a couple of causes for shanks. One can be that a golfer is lunging toward the ball with their swing, bringing the club path to the ball in a way that the hosel hits the ball instead of the intended contact on the club face.
Is it possible to get rid of the shank in golf?
It takes hard work to make progress in your golf game, and fixing the shank is no different. It is certainly possible to get rid of the shanks, but expect to put in some hard work along the way. All of the instruction below is based on a right handed golfer. If you play left handed, please reverse the directions as necessary.
What causes a shank in the downswing?
Sometimes a shank is the result of a lower body ‘slide’ through the downswing – the knees bend and start to move towards the target causing the hosel to lead into the golf ball. A great drill designed to stabilise your lower body is to place your golf bag next to your left hip at address.
What is the in-to-out shank on a golf club?
The in-to-out shank Otherwise known as the “better player” shank, or the “heel” shank. This happens when your clubhead swinging on a path that is too shallow, on a severe inside-to-out, which means the hosel is moving directly towards the ball To solve this, you’re going to need to steepen your downswing, and move your path so it’s less in-to-out.
What Causes Shanks in Golf Swing Path
The classic shank happens when your club, during descent, advances towards the ball to produce heel contact. Therefore, your body loses its stability during the swing and ends up closer to the ball.
How to Prevent Shanks in Golf?
Shanks scare the golfer because it can occur with any type of club if the clubhead is farther than the body upon contact with the ball. The ball is hit with the hosel instead of the head. Once the ball is touched, it will go off to the right side and possibly cost a lot of penalty points.
After shank
The biggest challenge remains the blow that follows a golf shank since the evidence shows that the shank is the most difficult stroke to forget for 42% of golfers surveyed.
Exercise to Practice the Right Posture to Avoid Shanks
A great drill to train your body is to open the feet and pelvis at the address facing left of the target line—practice swinging parallel to the feet and pelvis.
What is a shank in golf?
A shank occurs when you hit the ball off the hosel. The hosel is the socket connecting the shaft of your golf club to the clubhead. Here is a classic example of a shanked chip shot: When you hit the golf ball off the hosel, the ball travels super low and far to the right, assuming you’re right-handed. If you’re left-handed, the ball veers ...
How to tell if you shanked or sliced a golf ball?
Fortunately, you can tell whether you’ve sliced it or shanked it just by observing your ball flight. A golf shank travels low and directly to the right. A slice gets up in the air and curves to the right. For now, I’m going to share golf swing tips for overcoming the golf shank only. But don’t worry.
How to get a lead shoulder in golf?
Take your regular golf stance. Open your stance by shifting your lead foot farther back than your trail foot. Take your backswing. As you swing forward, be mindful of your lead shoulder and the wall behind you. (If there is no wall, imagine one.) You want the lead shoulder to stay low and work back towards the wall.
What is the most dreaded shot in golf?
The golf shank may be the most dreaded shot in the game. You think you’ve got a good shot lined up, then the ball flies low and to the right. Now you’re off course, you’re irritated, and you just wasted stroke.
How to get over shanks in golf?
If you hope to get over the shanks as soon as possible, your first goal should be to get to the bottom of the problem and identify the underlying cause. With that information in hand, you can then set about the task of fixing your swing mistakes so that a shank is unlikely to reappear.
What is the biggest challenge related to the shank?
Perhaps the biggest challenge related to the shank is to prevent it from getting in your head. The shank is no different than any other swing fault – there are things that take place in your swing that cause it to happen, and there are corrections you can make to get back on track.
What happens when a golf ball hits the hosel?
But there's no getting around it: Shanks happen. And they're utterly destructive. A shank occurs when the ball strikes the club's hosel – the part where the shaft and head connect – and darts almost directly to the right (left for a lefty).
What happens if you swing the club across from the outside in?
If you are swinging the club across from the outside-in, you are going to be bringing the hosel of the club dangerously close to the ball at impact. If your timing is off by even a fraction of a second, you will miss the club face and the ball will strike the hosel instead – resulting in a shank.
How to make a golf swing?
Prior to making a swing, place an extra golf glove (or small golf towel) under your right armpit. You should be able to 'trap' the glove in place so that it stays under your arm as you take your stance. Once in your proper address position, start the swing while keeping the glove trapped under your right arm.
What happens if you resist the release of the club head through impact?
If you resist the releasing of the club head through impact, you can again expose yourself to the risk of a shank. As the club swings down toward the ball, the heel end of the club head is leading the way. That isn't a problem – it's how the swing is supposed to work.
How to hit full shots in golf?
When you return to the range to hit some full shots, try making some one-handed (with your right hand) practice swings first. Don't hit balls with these one-handed swings, but use them to get a feel for the release. After a couple of practice swings, put both hands back on the club and hit some shots.
Why does my golf club shank?
One can be that a golfer is lunging toward the ball with their swing, bringing the club path to the ball in a way that the hosel hits the ball instead of the intended contact on the club face.
What is a shank in golf?
Plainly speaking, a shank in golf is what happens when a shot is not struck with the club face but rather with the rounded hosel of the club. Hence why the shanks are sometimes called "hosel rockets.". You're hitting off the hosel of the club.
What Is A Shank In Golf?
In simplest terms, a shank occurs when the club’s hosel strikes a golf ball instead of the club’s face. This can cause the ball to sharply veer off in a different direction from where the golfer aimed it and be destructive to a golfer’s score on any given hole.
What Causes A Shank In Golf?
When the golf club hosel hits the ball this causes what is known as a shank and will have golf balls heading towards an unintended target.
How To Stop Shanking The Golf Ball?
There are several different ways to fix a shank, and one of the most common way is to ensure that your alignment at the address is correct. If you are lined up correctly then there should be no reason why a shank would occur.
Rounding Up
In summary, if you are struggling with shanking the ball, all hope doesn’t have to be lost. There is often a very identifiable and fixable cause and we would always advise that if you think this is the case then seek out the help and advice of a professional golf coach.
1. The in-to-out shank
Otherwise known as the “better player” shank, or the “heel” shank. This happens when your clubhead swinging on a path that is too shallow, on a severe inside-to-out, which means the hosel is moving directly towards the ball
2. The over-the-top shank
Otherwise known as the “outside-in” shank. This is where the heel of the club is moving across your target line, often due to your hands tossing and flipping the clubhead through impact. This severe outside-to-in clubhead path is the opposite of the first shank. Rather than being caused by a swing that’s too shallow, your swing is too steep.
How to stop shanked shots in golf bunker?
To help stop shanked shots from the bunker, players should check these two points of their bunker set up and swing. If they correct one or both of these errors they can swing with more freedom through the ball and start saving more shots from the sand. Cure Your Golf Bunker Shot Shanks.
How to fix a shank in a fairway?
To fix your shanks in the fairway, you have to move the ball off of the hosel and back out into the center of the face. The story in the bunker is a little bit different. While it is possible to hit a shank this way from the sand, the more likely occurrence is actually to hit the ball off of the toe of the sand wedge.
What is the swing path for bunker shots?
2. Swing path - When hitting bunker shots, the stance should be slightly open to the target. This allows the golfer to open the club face. However, many golfers who shank bunker shots don't allow the club to travel along a correct path.
Why do you hit a toe shank in a bunker?
It is more likely to hit a toe shank in the bunker as opposed to a hosel shank because you will be swinging across the ball intentionally while in the sand. A good bunker player swings across the ball from outside-in while playing from the sand in order to loft the ball gently up into the air.
How to hit a greenside bunker shot?
A quiet lower body, an outside-in swing path, and active hands are a great way to hit a quality greenside bunker shot – but make sure those techniques stay in the sand while keeping them out of your full swing. Hitting a shank while you are in the greenside bunker is a quick way to ruin your score for the day.
What is a shank shot?
The shank shot is something most golfers associate with iron or pitch shots but it can spread its tentacles much wider. One place the shank can rear its ugly, unwelcome head is in bunkers. Amateur golfers tend to struggle with bunker shots before the shank appears so stopping that dreadful shot quickly is very important.
How does a golf club travel into impact?
In other words, the club travels into impact with the hosel reaching the ball before the rest of the club face. If the hosel literally reaches the ball first then a shank shot will be produced.
