The 3 major causes of shanks include:
- Poor setup at address
- Improper weight shift / loss of body posture
- Clubhead gets ahead of the hands in the hitting zone
Full Answer
What causes Shanks in golf swing?
Aug 04, 2015 · Here Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Andrew Jones shows why you could be hitting the dreaded shank shot and what can be done to help cure it!. Become a FREE SUBS...
What does it mean to Shank a golf chip?
Oct 03, 2003 · The most common causes of a shank, according to instructor Roger Gunn in our Mishits Tip Sheets feature, include: Standing too close to the ball in the setup; Standing too tall over the ball or sitting back on your heels in the setup position; Pushing your arms away from your body in the backswing ...
Why do I have a shank on my butt?
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). Nearly all shanks are hit with irons, as the hosels on woods and hybrids are usually placed out of harm's way.
How do you shank the golf ball?
The shank occurs when the golf club contacts the ball at an improper angle. In this case, instead of meeting the central part of the clubface, the golf ball meets the hosel part of the club where the clubface connects with the shaft. Making a shank leaves you behind in the game and makes you feel embarrassed about yourself. Why Are You Shanking?
Why do you shank the ball in golf?
1:008:013 Reasons Why You Shank The Golf Ball + How To Fix Them FastYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd that is going to change my strike location coming into impact because the right side of my bodyMoreAnd that is going to change my strike location coming into impact because the right side of my body is moving forward that is pushing. The hands further out in front of me.
Why do good players Shank?
One of the main reasons for the “shank” is the player swings excessively steep and downward into the golf ball. This means that from the top of the swing, the club shaft gets very vertical coming down, and there is nowhere to go but down on top of the ball, usually with the hosel of the golf club.May 19, 2015
How do I stop shanking the golf ball?
4:236:17How to Stop Shanking the Golf Ball - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThat. The club stays in front if i do the old remember the old. This way this way that golf ball'sMoreThat. The club stays in front if i do the old remember the old. This way this way that golf ball's not in front and that golf ball's not falling boom there's my shank.
Why am I shanking my irons all of a sudden?
Setting up at address with your weight on your heels and transferring it to your toes during the swing can move the clubface forward just enough to lead to a shank. So can standing too close to the ball and then adjusting by moving the club more to the outside on the downswing.Sep 6, 2011
Are the shanks mental?
On the one hand, the shanks are something mental, but you have to acknowledge that there is a physical component. The experience was shocking, sad, surreal, shattering my firmly held convictions. I felt like the skeptic who'd scoffed at hypnotism, only to wind up clucking like a chicken.Jul 23, 2020
How do you get rid of Shanks forever?
0:052:40A SIMPLE WAY TO CURE THE SHANK - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipTo the outside golf ball and just address the golf ball as you normally would. From. There you'reMoreTo the outside golf ball and just address the golf ball as you normally would. From. There you're going to make your regular backswing.
Can standing too close to the ball cause a shank?
Standing too close to a golf ball can cause a shank. This is one of the most common hits experienced by a player who stands too close to the ball. A shank causes an unpredictable ball trajectory and is one of the worst hits possible.Jul 28, 2021
What causes a shank in golf?
The most common causes of a shank, according to instructor Roger Gunn in our Mishits Tip Sheets feature, include: 1 Standing too close to the ball in the setup; 2 Standing too tall over the ball or sitting back on your heels in the setup position; 3 Pushing your arms away from your body in the backswing or downswing; 4 Or leaning your head toward the ball or the target.
What is a shank in golf?
A shank happens when the golf club contacts the golf ball on the rounded hosel portion of the clubhead, rather than on the flat clubface. Cleveland Golf. Brent Kelley is an award-winning sports journalist and golf expert with over 30 years in print and online journalism. The shank is one of the worst (and most embarrassing) mishits in golf.
What is the name of the golf ball that rockets off the hosel of the club?
The most common alternative name for a shank is " hosel rocket ," because the golf ball rockets off the hosel of the club.
Why are golfers superstitious about shanks?
The pros can be particularly superstitious about talking about or witnessing shanks because of the belief that shanks can be contagious. One great golfer hitting a shank might cause the other tour golfers in the group to "catch a case of the shanks.". Sam Snead once said this:
What happens if you shank a shot?
A golfer who shanks a shot is likely to be very embarrassed. And might even be laughed at by his or her playing partners, if the shanker is part of a group of golf buddies who enjoy teasing one another. One of the worst things about hitting a shank is that "the shanks" often arrive without warning.
What happens when a golf ball misses the clubface?
Or, even worse, the golf ball misses the clubface entirely and solidly connects with the rounded hosel. And since the hosel is rounded, the ball can shoot off in just about any direction with various spins. But most commonly, a shank results in a ball that shoots out to the right (for a right-hander) at a severe angle.
What does "standing too close to the ball" mean?
Standing too close to the ball in the setup; Standing too tall over the ball or sitting back on your heels in the setup position; Pushing your arms away from your body in the backswing or downswing; Or leaning your head toward the ball or the target.
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 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.
How to respond to a bad shot?
The best way to respond to a bad shot is to simply come back and make a great swing next time. The shank is different, however. When you hit a shank, it feels like more than just a bad shot. Not only does the ball usually end up in a terrible spot, but you likely will feel embarrassed by what you have done.
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 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.
What does a shank mean on a golf club?
What it is: A shank happens when you hit the ball with the housel (the intersection of the clubhead and the shaft) of the club. It doesn’t matter if the face of your club is open, closed or square, a ball struck on the housel of the club will exit almost directly to the right (left if you’re left handed) with no height and no distance.
Why can't I hit a ball straight?
Now you’re worried. You start tinkering with your swing and before you know it, you’re lost and you can’t hit a ball straight to save your life. Believe it or not, the root cause of the shank is pretty well known and there are ways to prevent it from occurring.
What to do when you get a case of the shanks?
In some instances it may be beneficial to take a couple days off from the game. Work on your putting, read some golf books, do anything that can take your mind off your swing for a little while. It will pay off.
How to make contact with the ball on the housel of the club?
How it Happens: In order to make contact with the ball on the housel of the club, your swing path has to be too far from the inside or too far over the top. With amateur golfers it’s usually the latter. If you’re slicing the ball a lot, you’re coming over the top. If you consistently hit more of a hook, you come from the inside.
What is the most common way a golfer shanks the golf ball?
This is a swing path where the golf club gets over the top of the swing plane with the golf club coming down steep in the downswing. As the swing speeds up in the downswing the clubhead moves outside of the golf ball before it gets to the impact zone.
Where is the sweet spot on a golf club?
The sweet spot is actually about 2 inches from the hosel which is not in line with the handle that you are holding.
What is a severe in to out swing?
Severe in to out swing path: This is a path where commonly the clubhead gets stuck behind the golfer on the downswing. As the swing speeds up the clubhead gets pushed out through the impact position. The clubhead falls away from the golfer and continues to do so resulting in a shank straight right of the target.
What happens when the right hand gets too strong?
This happens when the right-hand gets too strong and pushes against the shaft forcing the clubhead to reach the golf ball before the hands. The hands will unhinge too quickly and roll underneath causing a scooping action through the impact zone bringing the hosel into play for a shank to occur.
Does it matter if the clubface is open or closed?
It doesn’t matter if the clubface is open or shut, a golf shank can still occur. Remember this, because often golfers mistake a golf shank with the face position which has nothing to do with it and you could end spending hours trying to fix the wrong root cause of the problem.
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.
