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Shanks... Where does it come from???

I feel your pain, I went through it last season but it got better and then I started going through it this season and it did not get better. I kept trying different things, taking time off and it just did not get better and ultimately my swing got worse. Broke down and am getting lessons and I already feel better about it because I cant actually see what the heck is going on.
 
I had them a week ago and realized just tonight whag was causing them...I bought new golf shoes.

I went from FJ Contours to the Contour Casuals(which make your heels lower, but Throws me off for some reason) I switched to my regulars and didnt have a shank today....

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motoo344 said:
I feel your pain, I went through it last season but it got better and then I started going through it this season and it did not get better. I kept trying different things, taking time off and it just did not get better and ultimately my swing got worse. Broke down and am getting lessons and I already feel better about it because I cant actually see what the heck is going on.
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This is the last thing that I wanted to hear. Hahhahaha Thanks!
 
I just stand further away from my ball. generally if im trying to hit a draw (which turns into a hook), i will swing more out at the ball, which causes me to shank the ball if i don't consciously stand far enough away. balance could be something to do with it also
 
where do the shanks come from...........the bowels of hell!!
 
I had this recently and its horrible! In my case my shanks were caused by whipping it inside and to much hand rotation. I really have to concentrate on takeaway, I find it helps to look at your divots you can learn alot from that.
 
I had a slight run in with this on saturday, it was only with my wedges, had 4 shots from the middle of the fairway that I shot straight to the right...it isnt the first time its happened, its usually due to too much lower body movement, I ended up putting both feet together on wedge shots and hitting that way til I could get out of dodge
 
I shank when I get too far inside and flat with my downswing. Inside to out with a closed face leads to shanks for me. I focus on hitting the ball into the ground when I want to get rid of them.


John Deere Tap'n
 
Ok it's gone. Good thing I don't have a tournament coming up soon, then I would've really freaked out.
 
Dirtydawg67 said:
I shank when I get too far inside and flat with my downswing. Inside to out with a closed face leads to shanks for me. I focus on hitting the ball into the ground when I want to get rid of them.


John Deere Tap'n
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Thank you for saying a closed face leads to your shanks. I posted a thread about this the other day, and how I try to practice getting rid of them. A closed face is what leads to my shanks and when I said that, I think people thought I was nuts, because most believe its from having a club face that is too open, which a lot of times it is.
 
I didn't play this past weekend due to family obligations. I managed to get out to the range though Sunday afternoon, i'm glad I didn't play that's for sure. I hit a large bucket of balls at the range and i'd bet I only hit maybe a dozen of them solid. It's been 2 or 3 years since I have hit / swung the club that bad! I think a lot of it was in my head though. The grass I was hitting off of on the range was very thin and I never felt comfortable over the golf ball the whole time I was out there. Looking for redemption tommorow....going back to the range hitting another bucket, going to get my confidence back some I can go out and have a nice round on thursday!
 
Hawk said:
The fact is - the range sucks and promotes crappy swings. Get on the course and hit some shankless balls wonton.
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This comment from Hawk is quite erudite. (And I even looked up the definition of erudite, just to make sure.)

I know that I personally can't hit for crap off matts, and if the grass is thin like a lot of ranges, then things aren't much better.
So I second what Hawk said and suggest you get yourself out on the course.

I've had an issue with the shanks for much of the past year, and it got so bad that I actually started expecting not to hit the ball where I was aiming. That lack of confidence in my game actually upset me more than a shanked shot. So I had to attempt a fix, which I've been successful at.

What worked for me was to get some of that impact tape and tape up my club face to see where I was hitting it. That was quite revealing. Many shots were right off the hosel and very few were center hits. I adjusted a few things, and had a GREAT range session, then went and played 9 holes and shot a 43 (good score for me). And I was hitting some fine full and partial wedge shots.

So good luck and let us know how it's working for you.
 
Coming too far inside going back then hitting out at the ball from too far inside is a big part of the shank problem. Putting a tee on the ground just a half-inch or so inside the ball at address and trying to hit the tee instead of the ball when you swing will give you a good feel for what you need to do to fix it. Swinging back outside more will help also, it feels outside but it is really straighter going back.
 
Check out this picture from my Friday range session. Yes you can shank the driver too. Wtc!

b6dcc2ce.jpg
 
Kmac said:
Check out this picture from my Friday range session. Yes you can shank the driver too. Wtc!

b6dcc2ce.jpg
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Ah, I hate when that happens!!!
 
Me too. It was awful and it carried over to my round Saturday but just for the driver. I could hit everything else but the dang driver and specially mine.
 
Kmac said:
Me too. It was awful and it carried over to my round Saturday but just for the driver. I could hit everything else but the dang driver and specially mine.
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Especially on the black face... it's so noticeable and discouraging. My 910 had its fair share of those marks before! Uggghhh... hope that was a quick fix for you buddy!
 
They come from reading threads like this! haha....in fact - I can't even make myself read it, I just skipped to the end with my eyes closed. As Cheech said they're like a virus. I went through a really bad episode when I was a teenager - it was brutal. I took lessons from 3 different pros to try to get rid of them...finally something worked - I have no idea what it was, but they just stopped. Since then I try not to say or think the S-word.
 
flaMtneer said:
They come from reading threads like this! haha....in fact - I can't even make myself read it, I just skipped to the end with my eyes closed. As Cheech said they're like a virus. I went through a really bad episode when I was a teenager - it was brutal. I took lessons from 3 different pros to try to get rid of them...finally something worked - I have no idea what it was, but they just stopped. Since then I try not to say or think the S-word.
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S-word... Shananigans?
 
I have bouts of the shanks with my short pitch shots. Last fall I went to my instructor begging for help because I could not hit a pitch shot without shanking to save my life. He watched me hit about 10 shanks in a row and then stopped me. He told me to start hitting small chip shots. I could hit those fine. He had me continue chipping and slowly increasing my swing. In no time, I was hitting perfect pitch shots. Then we had a competition to the 50 yard flag. I ended up throwing darts and beating him. He tells me I just get in my own way sometimes. So every time I get the shanks, I just go back to simple chipping and slowly increase my swing.
 
Romeo said it best. They are like a virus. No one knows where they come from.
 
It is incredibly bad luck to type, read, or say that "s" word.

You just hope they go away as quickly as they came and don't return.
 
KellyBo, we both suffer from the strain of shank virus. I have spells where I could shank my 30-60yd pitch shots out of no where. What your instructor had you do is what works for me also. That or just take an ice cream break if I'm at the range:D

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KellyBo said:
I have bouts of the shanks with my short pitch shots. Last fall I went to my instructor begging for help because I could not hit a pitch shot without shanking to save my life. He watched me hit about 10 shanks in a row and then stopped me. He told me to start hitting small chip shots. I could hit those fine. He had me continue chipping and slowly increasing my swing. In no time, I was hitting perfect pitch shots. Then we had a competition to the 50 yard flag. I ended up throwing darts and beating him. He tells me I just get in my own way sometimes. So every time I get the shanks, I just go back to simple chipping and slowly increase my swing.
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This is good until you start shanking the small pitch shots. Then you just need to putt it down the fairway. :D
 
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