Shanking When in the Rough and Ball Is Below or Above My Feet

[TheIrishman1979]

Good morning,

   I'm going through a little bit of an issue right now and its something I've never experienced before. When I'm in the fairway or rough and the ball is below my feet, I seem to experience the ball shooting dead right off the club face. It does feel like the club is getting grabbed when I'm in the rough. After these shots happen I check my divot path ,and it continues to be straight at the target though. I'm thinking this could be two things. One being that when I come into the ball the grass is grabbing the club , turning it over which causes the hozel of the club to make contact with the ball and that causes it to go a little bit offline to the right or dead right depending how much the grass has turned the club over at impact. 

The second issue may be that I'm getting stuck behind the ball instead of rotating my right shoulder correctly through impact working in sequence with my left hip. 

When I'm on a flat lie in the fairway I do not have any issues whatsoever, and my shots overall have been very pure and that is why this experience I have been having lately on uneven lies has been extremely frustrating and demoralizing. 

I also find that when the ball is above my feet I sometimes have the ball shoot off to the right at times as well , which is bazarre because I've never experienced mishitting the ball like that when I'm faced with a ball above my feet. I also find that when I'm in the rough that if I have a ball on an uphill lie that it tends to do this as well from time to time. 

Any help would be appreciated, thank you.

[iacas]

Is this really true: you shank in the rough with an unloved lie, both above or below your feet?

Are you setting up a similar distance from the ball each time?

[TourSpoon]

When the ball is above your feet I would see the swing flattening enough to introduce the hosel to the ball. Below your feet it could be the opposite where the miss could be so severe it hits off the edge of the toe. Could this be it? 

[TheIrishman1979]

On 8/30/2020 at 12:50 PM, TourSpoon said:

When the ball is above your feet I would see the swing flattening enough to introduce the hosel to the ball. Below your feet it could be the opposite where the miss could be so severe it hits off the edge of the toe. Could this be it? 

So a shank can be caused by the toe hitting the ball when its below your feet? That would explain tons because on the range yesterday we took a look at my wedges with our fitter and he checked me out and we noticed that all my shots were coming off the toe with my wedges. He then recommended that the wedges were too short ( I am 6'4) and he is adding a 1/4 inch to them and then we will go from there. 

Looking forward to hearing back from you. 

On 8/29/2020 at 6:45 PM, iacas said:

Is this really true: you shank in the rough with an unloved lie, both above or below your feet?

Are you setting up a similar distance from the ball each time?

From what I see yes. Maybe on the uneven lies below my feet  I'm setting up a little too close (depending on the severity of the lie) since I'm so tall that its hard for me to get in a good comfortable position over the ball.

Edited August 31, 2020 by TheIrishman1979

[Double Mocha Man]

3 minutes ago, TheIrishman1979 said:

So a shank can be caused by the toe hitting the ball when its below your feet? That would explain tons because on the range yesterday we took a look at my wedges with our fitter and he checked me out and we noticed that all my shots were coming off the toe with my wedges. He then recommended that the wedges were too short ( I am 6'4) and he is adding a 1/4 inch to them and then we will go from there. 

Looking forward to hearing back from you. 

Well, off the toe can look like a shank and feel like a shank.  But a true shank is off the hosel.  But your result is essentially the same.  You've just wasted a shot and are probably in trouble.  Not to mention your ego just took a big hit.

[TheIrishman1979]

2 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Well, off the toe can look like a shank and feel like a shank.  But a true shank is off the hosel.  But your result is essentially the same.  You've just wasted a shot and are probably in trouble.  Not to mention your ego just took a big hit.

Agreed 100%! This is the first time I've been struggling with them on a consistent basis depending on the lie. Its demoralizing, and they come out of nowhere. Now I've gotten to the point where I hope I don't end up with a shot that is below my feet during my round. I never dreaded that shot ever during my playing career.

[Double Mocha Man]

Good luck (and skill) going forward with those longer wedges.

[TheIrishman1979]

Just now, Double Mocha Man said:

Good luck (and skill) going forward with those longer wedges.

Thanks, they should help me out so I don't cover the ball as much during my set up which gets me way too close to the ball.  Which will prevent me from having too much weight on my toes.

I went home and checked the length of a set of wedges I played with 20 years ago when I was on the mini tours. And guess what? They were a quarter inch longer than the ones I currently have in my bag and have been struggling with this year.

[TourSpoon]

2 hours ago, TheIrishman1979 said:

So a shank can be caused by the toe hitting the ball when its below your feet? That would explain tons because on the range yesterday we took a look at my wedges with our fitter and he checked me out and we noticed that all my shots were coming off the toe with my wedges. He then recommended that the wedges were too short ( I am 6'4) and he is adding a 1/4 inch to them and then we will go from there. 

Looking forward to hearing back from you. 

The hosel shank is sometimes regarded as a better player's horrid shot while the toed ball is about 1/4" from a total whiff. Adding 1/4" may be helpful in the general picture of being fitted but I don't think it will cure hitting it toey. You need to look at your technique and get your confidence back. As far as severe uneven lies, the key is solid contact above all. Trying to do to much with it results in pulls, pushes, and worse. Good luck. 

[Double Mocha Man]

17 minutes ago, TourSpoon said:

The hosel shank is sometimes regarded as a better player's horrid shot while the toed ball is about 1/4" from a total whiff. Adding 1/4" may be helpful in the general picture of being fitted but I don't think it will cure hitting it toey. You need to look at your technique and get your confidence back. As far as severe uneven lies, the key is solid contact above all. Trying to do to much with it results in pulls, pushes, and worse. Good luck. 

Wondering if anyone has ever done an "outside" hosel shank???  Where you make contact with the backside of the hosel.  Kinda like a baseball player fouling a ball off his foot, ankle or shinbone. 

[TheIrishman1979]

13 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Wondering if anyone has ever done an "outside" hosel shank???  Where you make contact with the backside of the hosel.  Kinda like a baseball player fouling a ball off his foot, ankle or shinbone. 

I would imagine most players who hit a big draw are more prone to catching the ball on the hosel from time to time due to an inside to out swing path. This would occur when they are standing too close to the ball at address.

Edited August 31, 2020 by TheIrishman1979

[TourSpoon]

16 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Wondering if anyone has ever done an "outside" hosel shank???  Where you make contact with the backside of the hosel.  Kinda like a baseball player fouling a ball off his foot, ankle or shinbone. 

If you can think it, I am sure someone has done it! 

[iacas]

1 hour ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Wondering if anyone has ever done an "outside" hosel shank???  Where you make contact with the backside of the hosel.  Kinda like a baseball player fouling a ball off his foot, ankle or shinbone. 

I saw a guy do that. Hit the ball through his legs.

[Vinsk]

2 hours ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Wondering if anyone has ever done an "outside" hosel shank??? 

Come on...have I ever let you down? 

[Double Mocha Man]

7 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

Come on...have I ever let you down? 

I thought that might bring you out of the woodwork. 😁

[Vinsk]

1 hour ago, Double Mocha Man said:

I thought that might bring you out of the woodwork. 😁

Yeah...I’ve had to see about a girl.....😉

[Double Mocha Man]

2 hours ago, iacas said:

I saw a guy do that. Hit the ball through his legs.

I think I would give up the game at that point.  Not for lack of skill, but for lack of safety.  Or maybe I'd start wearing a cup to play the game.

[Vinsk]

On 8/31/2020 at 8:53 PM, Double Mocha Man said:

I think I would give up the game at that point.  Not for lack of skill, but for lack of safety.  Or maybe I'd start wearing a cup to play the game.

Ohh, I’ve hit shanks that violently interrupted some maintenance guys’ lunch, took out a nice BMW rear window, damn near killed a bicyclist, disrupted a yard sale, and landed one in a passing dump truck and watched the ball get carried away nerve to be seen again.

And I’m still at it....