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The Shanks

ShotScope
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DCNatFan

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Bethesda, MD
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I went out yesterday for a little short game/bunker practice. I then decided to play 9 holes since the course was empty. I last played a full round a week ago and everything was fine.

Yesterday on the 3rd hole, a par 3 (160 yards) I hit a 7 iron, my typical club selection and the ball went straight right and about a foot off the ground. Thought that was strange so I teed up another and the same result. This continued throughout the entire round with all of my irons. I went to the range after the same problem continued. I was able to hit my driver with no problems.

Slept on it overnight and went at it again today with the same problem. I can't even hit a little chip with out it going 90 degrees to the right. Now I can't stop thinking about it.

I need something to get me out of this and quick.

Help.
 
The shanks can drive you nuts. Get back out there!!!! The shanks start from poor setup and more important are caused by the hands getting farther away from the body at impact. Next time you go out to the range start by hitting shots with your feet together. See how this goes. Notice that your hands are closer to your body. If the issue is still there I want you to hit short shots with your left arm only. Get the feel and the tempo back. Most of all trust that you are going to hit it solid. Try these 2 out and let me know what you see out there.
 
Thanks I will give this a try tomorrow. I played today and it was a total disaster. I could hit driver but not much else. I almost quit after 9 but my buddies encouraged me to plan on but with little success.

Very frustrating. I feel like the baseball catcher who all of a sudden can't throw the ball back to the pitcher even though he has been doing it for the last 15 years with no problem.

Just need to work through it.
 
Your favorite drinks (s) and a night of Tin Cup. Just make sure you have your Advil ready for the wake up. Well....worked for me....
 
Don't feel bad. I had the same thing happen to me today and like you I felt lost. I was absolutely nailing my driver but iron shots were shanked bad. 50 yard pitch shots are the worst.
 
amollerud said:
The shanks can drive you nuts. Get back out there!!!! The shanks start from poor setup and more important are caused by the hands getting farther away from the body at impact. Next time you go out to the range start by hitting shots with your feet together. See how this goes. Notice that your hands are closer to your body. If the issue is still there I want you to hit short shots with your left arm only. Get the feel and the tempo back. Most of all trust that you are going to hit it solid. Try these 2 out and let me know what you see out there.
Click to expand...

I can personally testify the feet together drill cured my Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhanks! Thanks to Andy his advice did wonders for me. Heck I had them er things sooooo bad I ended up playing the entire round with my feet together. Actually I shot pretty darn good using that technique and it took stress off my bad knee to boot :eek:)... My playing partners kept saying, "Gray if you have to go to the bathroom that bad, there's a big oak tree over there dude!"
 
/ol grey on/

Keep at em, yung ern. Them pesk shanks'll be strung up by der heels in no time!
 
aggro said:
/ol grey on/

Keep at em, yung ern. Them pesk shanks'll be strung up by der heels in no time!
Click to expand...

lmao!!! You tell em aggro :eek:)..... You can do it man however you need to listen to Andy, practice, and believe in yourself. Kick those nasty old shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhanks right in the arse!
 
OK. I made it out to the range today. Started off with the feet together and hitting a sand wedge. The 1st 20 or so balls felt good - solid contact and straight. I then tried the same thing with a 7 iron and nearly everyone was shanked right.

I went back to the sand wedge with feet together and hit some solid but also a couple shanked right and even a few pulled left.

Next tried hitting the wedge with a normal set-up and everything was shanked right for the most part.

Interestingly I hit about 10 balls with the driver and those were all being pulled left with some being popped up and left.
 
Back to the range tonight with a little more success. Worked mostly with a 7 iron and feet together, hit some good shots with fewer shanks.

I was working on my backswing and I noticed that when I came to a complete stop almost hesitation at the top of my backswing I would hit the ball solid - does this make any sense.

Tried going back to my normal setup and hit a couple good ones, couple slices and couple shanks.

What would be the next sterp after hitting balls for awhile with feet together?
 
You could try this drill. Drop your right foot behind you at almost a 45 degree angle. Try to keep your upper body square to the target. Hit some balls using this really closed stance. It will force you to swing through your left side and help you feel how to release the club. Good luck buddy. I feel your pain and most everyone on here has at one time or the other.....
 
Ok. I have spent a fair amount of time at the range with little success so I decided to take a lesson last week to get another set of eyes on my problem. My teacher tells me that I am not getting my weight to my left side and that my left hip was swinging open which was causing my hands to lag behind. We tried several drills to try and get me to stay down - all weight on my left foot, backswing,hesitate and then swing, ball placed way forward in stance and a few others. With every drill I would hit the first couple ok and then I would somehow get back to finding a way not to get my weight on the left side. She also thought it might have to do with some flexibility issues with being able to rotate properly - not sure I agree with this as I have never had issues with flexibility and my swing. I was very discourage after the lesson and stayed another hour hitting balls with little improvement.

I decided to play anyway on Sunday and actually came away feeling much better. I only shanked one or two iron shots and by the back nine was hitting the ball solid again. I did have a couple issues with the driver and pulling them badly to the left - I think this was case of opening up way too much in an effort to get my weight on the left side. Ended up shooting a 94, putting was the problem.

Hopefully things have turned the corner.
 
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