WTF! Shanking all 30-70yd Pitches?

[nokmond]

Ah yes the old shank. I had those a few months back. Very memorable day since I had my first eagle that day with a pitch-in from 40 yards. What you need to do is step away from the ball a little bit, bend your knees/bend at the waist more, and open your stance. You will get more of a turn through the ball and catch it more cleanly. Hope this helps!

Cheers for that. I'll report back when my short game is fixed!

[iacas]

Something I sometimes do: I short-arm it at address, and then when swinging my arms extend to their fuller length. It's just about half an inch, maybe an inch longer, but that's enough to shank it.

That's usually on little chips and pitches, though, for me, and not 30-70 yard shots.

[kyhunter]

i hate the S word. funny thing is, i probably "S'ed" 3 or 4 shots this morning on the range, but on the course today, my wedge game was lights out...go figure

[bioman]

Angle of attack could be too steep and the club is coming on an out-in path on the downswing.

[nokmond]

Had my first round today since developing the shanks.....hit a personal best +11!

I deliberatly tried to leave myself 100yd approach shots tho and my SW was like a wand! Only had 2/3 short pitches so i lined the ball up more toward the toe, so far so good.

[hclping09]

same problem. this is the most frustrating thing that has ever happened to a golf swing.

[shortstop20]

same problem. this is the most frustrating thing that has ever happened to a golf swing.

........and NOTHING is more embarrassing, I've been there.

[NorCalGolfer]

sorry if this is a repost, but I had this problem last year and for me I finally figured out I was standing too close to the ball.

[Lefty88888]

#1 Accelerate. Also back swing must be shorter than your follow through.

#2 Neutral grip. V's pointed at your nose. Do not use your driver grip for this shot. ( If this isn't a full swing )

#3 Neutral ball position.

[Divot Tool]

Hi all. Yesterday i developed a problem which i've never had before, and it continued to be a problem today in competition!

Been there, done that. I can empathize, the sh*nks are dreadful. At the peak of my shanks, I had an uncle watch me chip and pitch for a good hour. The root of my problem originated with rolling the hands on the backswing or (fanning the club open). The club would go too far inside on the backswing. I would come back at the ball too shallow with the hosel leading the way, producing disastrous shots. I might even say that i was standing too far away from the ball. My solution: Let your (arms + club) hang naturally at address. Swing around the spine. As your progress from a chip to a pitch, naturally . . . 1) the right arm will fold (due to a longer backswing) 2) your wrists (if supple) will set the club Lastly, try not to manipulate the clubface. All the best.

[gb123]

I have/had this problem it is/was all due to decelertation on the follow through.

[tigerwoo]

Hello, I've been having a few 'franks' every other round as well lately and the most frustrating thing is it is the difference between a round in the 70's or 80's for me being a 7 handicap now. Even more frustrating and painful at time is if I drop a brand new ProV1 and the only hit it gets is a 'frank' into the woods. I'll likely see it displayed in an egg carton sometime later this summer by the golf course ball vendor on the 14th hole.

Anyways, there was an article by Butch Harmon in last months Golf Digest suggesting his theory on the 'franks'. Sorry I just can't utter the word... spooky! Butch suggested that it was mainly two things... an out to in downswing with the closing of the clubface which makes perfect sense to me since I only seem to frank it within PW or pitching distances where I put the ball back in my stance and make 3/4 swings at most. I have recently implemented turning my wrists more which causes the over closer of the clubface. My not so perfect swings then would be an out to in and wham... there is frank again!

Butch suggests placing a headcover directly on the other side of the ball furthest away from you and swinging. If you are out to in you'll hit the head cover... in to out you won't. Apparently as simple as that... ugh...

[ChappyEight]

I've suffered from the shanks quite often since I started playing last summer. For me it was somewhere between deceleration while swinging, not rolling my wrists through the swing, and a potential visual alignment flaw.

By visual alignment flaw, I'm referring to the fact that I figured out that for some reason on my wedges, I would tend to swing to where the shaft would hit the ball instead of the club face.

It was like my eye was going down the line of the shaft instead of focusing on hitting on the club face. If I backed away from the ball, I still hit it on the inside as my arms would naturally extend to accomodate.

Weird.

[ukalum]

Wow, I'm excited. After having the shanks for a few years now on my pitches, I have found the Holy Grail. I was searching for some instructional videos to help me and came across the one below. I watched it and immediately went int he back yard to practice and my shanks were cured. I've hit a few hundred practice shots and it worked.

The key for me was to have the club on plane by aligning the butt end of the club inside the ball on the takeaway. Watch the video and you'll understand what I'm saying.

I'm not sure how to post the link, but search Youtube for video WGA9HofE1Ek

Good luck, I hope it works for you as well.

[iacas]

I'm not sure how to post the link, but search Youtube for video WGA9HofE1Ek

You do it by embedding the video, which is explained in a few places.