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Odd Shank Issue

formula8

formula8

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I'm not sure if anyone has experienced something like this but I'm having a unique shanking problem. I'll try to briefly explain.

Went to PGASS yesterday to play with some clubs on their launch monitor. I tried about 5 various drivers and couldn't hit a solid shot. Decided to try some MD3 wedges and shanked 2 of 6. Picked up a CF16 7 iron and shanked my only 2 swings. I left the store baffled and can't stop thinking about it. The thing is I don't normally have a problem with shanks. I was just at the range a few days ago and hit the ball great. I even woke up this morning and hit two full wedges from my front yard and flushed both right over my target.

I would just chalk this up to a bad day but about 4 months ago I had a very similar experience the last time I tried to demo clubs at PGASS. I also went into that session with no prior shank issues yet that's all I could do at the store.

I'm not sure if there is something about the lighting in the hitting bays, hitting into a screen, pulling my head up to check launch numbers??? Not sure if there is a logical explanation but I had to throw this out there since it was eating at me all day yesterday.
 
Im sure its just a bad day swinging. Try it again in a few days and see what happens.
 
Man I hate those things when they pop up, they usually go away just as fast as they came so have no fear, they'll see themselves out lol.

I get it though, it's a terrible feeling.
 
Comes and goes a couple times a year for me and passes very quickly. Only shank issue I ever had that hung around any length of time was a couple years back when I started shanking chips. Still makes me shudder......
 
I'll get a shank once in a while but it's only with wedges. Generally I set up with ball on outer 1/3 of face with wedges but if I have ball in middle of face= instant shank.
 
I shank when it's all arms or all torso. The proper swing needs a commitment of both.
 
I think it's mental to where you want to hit the beegezus out of it and your swinging to hard and your mechanics are all rushed.
 
It may just be a combination of what you guys mentioned. Swinging too hard, quick and getting out of rhythm. I can definitely see myself getting too fast at the top and jerking down with all arms before turning with my hips. I'm going to hit the range and try to get some confidence back and then go for round two at PGASS this week.
 
Usually it's setup for me. Too close to the ball = too upright = I shank it.


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formula8 said:
I'm not sure if anyone has experienced something like this but I'm having a unique shanking problem. I'll try to briefly explain.

Went to PGASS yesterday to play with some clubs on their launch monitor. I tried about 5 various drivers and couldn't hit a solid shot. Decided to try some MD3 wedges and shanked 2 of 6. Picked up a CF16 7 iron and shanked my only 2 swings. I left the store baffled and can't stop thinking about it. The thing is I don't normally have a problem with shanks. I was just at the range a few days ago and hit the ball great. I even woke up this morning and hit two full wedges from my front yard and flushed both right over my target.

I would just chalk this up to a bad day but about 4 months ago I had a very similar experience the last time I tried to demo clubs at PGASS. I also went into that session with no prior shank issues yet that's all I could do at the store.

I'm not sure if there is something about the lighting in the hitting bays, hitting into a screen, pulling my head up to check launch numbers??? Not sure if there is a logical explanation but I had to throw this out there since it was eating at me all day yesterday.
Click to expand...
Just went through this last fall through this spring.

Was 100% setup.

I even had about 10 people recording me at a THP event trying to see what was wrong but a PGA pro straightened me out in about 10 minutes.

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well at least it was in a sim instead of during a round. I have and still do have those days where everything is so bad it ooks like I never played the game ever before. In fact I once posted here about a run of (if I recall correctly) about 4 entire rounds in a row where I could not hit a ball with any club from anywhere. I don't mean I just played poorly with a few decent shots here or there but I mean literally could not hit a ball. I couldn't even keep score and literally hacked my from hole to hole so badly Im not sure if the golf course ever recovered. And then it just disappeared as magically as it showed up. While it hasn't happened to that degree again I can still do it here and there. Frustrating I know but as said at least wasn't during a round. Don't worry imo and just let it go and I bet you will be fine. Go back, take it easy, stretch and loosen up and just relax and hit and I bet you'll forget it ever happened.
 
I had something similar a few weeks ago. It was the morning of the final round of a 2 day tournament. I was on the range warming up. A buddy of mine and I were playing a closest-to-the-pin game on the range and suddenly, I could not hit a wedge for the life of me. Everything was off the hosel. I laughed the first 2 times... then I got nervous... then I got angry. I had 3 of my friends trying to help me figure it out.

What 'fixed' me was that one of my friends noticed that I was all arms. He told me to put the club down and take a few swings without a club in my hand and focus on turning my belt buckle towards the target. I did that a few times and then he handed me the club and told me to do the same thing with the club. Instant fix. It got my lower body engaged in the swing rather than me throwing the club at the ball with my arms.

Now, when I stand over the ball with a short club in my hands, I always remind myself... 'buckle towards target'.
 
5150 said:
Usually it's setup for me. Too close to the ball = too upright = I shank it.


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Click to expand...

When it happens, it is always my setup that is wrong

Managed to do it once in a lesson with a 6i and my pro showed me the video comparison to the previous shot that I flushed and it was obvious I was too close to the ball
 
5150 said:
Usually it's setup for me. Too close to the ball = too upright = I shank it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

This. I went thru a severe bout of shanks earlier this year, and this was the cause. Standing to close. The most dreadful bad habit imho in golf. Wish this on no one.
 
It's been about 3 weeks since my original post so I decided to go back to PGASS to try some clubs and get over this shank issue, which has only occurred at this store. Going in I felt completely fine, no nerves, anxiety or anything but the whole thing went like a bad dream, deja vu.

I started off hitting a few different drivers and every single one, about 12 total shots was a mishit. My swing speed was also on average 10 mph slower than normal but my swing felt fine. I then tried a few different brand irons and no exaggeration, every single one was a shank. This was about 10-12 additional swings. So then I though maybe hitting some half swing wedge shots would help. I grabbed two different wedges and hit a total of 5 shots, every one was shanked. Finally I took about 5 more swings with a different driver and again, all mishits with the last 2 being so pitiful that calling it a mishit is generous. I then left the store frustrated, confidence shattered and hoping that no one saw any of these shots.

I'm at a loss. I have no idea what's going on. I'm not even sure what to do beyond trying to hit the range this week, but I don't have this problem there so that may not tell me anything. :at-wits-end:
 
Have you ever hit indoors anywhere else in a similarly sized area? I know I feel really claustrophobic in many bays and have the same thing happen often


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formula8 said:
It's been about 3 weeks since my original post so I decided to go back to PGASS to try some clubs and get over this shank issue, which has only occurred at this store. Going in I felt completely fine, no nerves, anxiety or anything but the whole thing went like a bad dream, deja vu.

I started off hitting a few different drivers and every single one, about 12 total shots was a mishit. My swing speed was also on average 10 mph slower than normal but my swing felt fine. I then tried a few different brand irons and no exaggeration, every single one was a shank. This was about 10-12 additional swings. So then I though maybe hitting some half swing wedge shots would help. I grabbed two different wedges and hit a total of 5 shots, every one was shanked. Finally I took about 5 more swings with a different driver and again, all mishits with the last 2 being so pitiful that calling it a mishit is generous. I then left the store frustrated, confidence shattered and hoping that no one saw any of these shots.

I'm at a loss. I have no idea what's going on. I'm not even sure what to do beyond trying to hit the range this week, but I don't have this problem there so that may not tell me anything. :at-wits-end:
Click to expand...

Since your original post ironically at the range last time I went I shanked about 6 wedge shots in a row. Once one happened it was a chain reaction. Crazy how that happens isn't it?
2 weeks ago on the range before a round I finished off with 4 shanks with the same wedge.
On the course the first time I pulled out the wedge the only thing that went through my mind was..shank. I didnt shank it as I kept down on the ball and made sure the face was square at impact. Honestly I was nervous as hell standing over the ball fearing the outcome!
 
c.a.eleric said:
Have you ever hit indoors anywhere else in a similarly sized area? I know I feel really claustrophobic in many bays and have the same thing happen often
Click to expand...

Yes I have hit indoors in previous years at other stores and been fine. I have also hit at this same store last year on multiple occasions and been completely fine. This all started in April when I went to take a lesson at this store and shanked my first shot with no prior issues. Now both other visits to this store have been a train wreck.
 
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