Hitting it off the hosel

[wolfridge]

Ok guys, this is a mystery to me.

I play the first few holes of a tournament (this for some reason doesn't happen when I'm just playing for fun, at least not often) and about the fourth hole, I'll swing a short iron and shank it right, the ball seems to come off the hosel of the club instead of the face. After the first time, I can line up farther from the ball, swing slower, do a bunch of little tricks, but nothing works, I end up having to finish the round on half swings from my irons and wedges (that for some reason cleans up my contact) I can keep my score in the low 80's with swinging half, 8 iron goes about 120yds. I'd love to be able to hit a wedge more than 40 yards, but when I'm at this stage, I don't dare try. When I go to the range after, or the next day, it seems all is fixed. Only to regress next important round. It seems that if it EVER happens in my practice rounds, or golfing for fun, I can target the right rear quadrant of the ball as if to hit a draw and I make perfect clean contact. That doesn't fix it when I'm playing competitively.

This thing has to be 99%+ mental, but is there anything I can try, or any thoughts to keep in my head to try and combat this? I try to stay positive, I try to picture myself hitting a good shot, but it doesn't work.

[CG031]

See if any of these tips can help you...

- Make sure you are not crowding or standing closer to the ball than you normally do.

- Don't get too 'wristy' through impact. Overactive wrist and hand movement at impact can cause some WEIRD things, like a shank off the hosel.

- Make sure there is a transition from backswing, to downswing. A slight 'pause' at the top of the backswing seems to help me initiate the downswing. When I get too quick and the slight 'pause' at the top doesn't exist, I'm susceptable to a shank. This may happen to you in a tournament if you get a little bit nervous and the juices are flowing, your tempo may get a bit quick from the backswing to downswing.

- Try swinging flatter, more around your body, or "out to right field"... You make be coming a little too steep on your downswing. Can't really say this could be it without seeing your swing, so I doubt it.

[wolfridge]

Yea, I wish I had a camera, I'd tape my swing for you.

Tournament play always makes me a bit nervous, I never thought of that quick from the top idea, I'll have to concentrate on that next time I play.

I don't think I'm crouding the ball, because if that was the case, stepping back should aleviate the shank. Now, mentally, I could be reaching for it when I step out and actually make the swing worse, thats a definite possibility.

[CG031]

The quick from the top and/or overactive wrist action is probably your main cause. Your probably getting quick because your nervous and anxious (I do it too; my last tournament I made a triple because I shanked my ball from the middle of the fairway into the trees)......it's typical but you just need to develop a solid preshot routine and go to it religiously, it will help keep you in your tempo, rhythm, and timing!!!!

[higdonp]

See if any of these tips can help you...

Excellent advice! That's exactly what I apply when hitting off the hosel.

[wolfridge]

Wow, this is actually neat. I never saw anyone I play with have this sort of problem. Its good to hear I'm not alone in this. Thanks for the advice guys.

[squaddie]

Make sure you aren't bringing your head down towards the ball during your backswing or downswing. Doing so always causes me to hit the hosel. Ideally the head should stay level.