Can this really cause the shanks???

[DiverDown]

I was at the golf range yesterday, and the dreaded shanks payed me a visit.

I'm a fairly decent ball striker, and any inconsistency in my swing is typically duffing the ball, and I usually know what to do to fix that and it's commonly tension as the fault.

Anyway, the shanks is not something I have a problem with, but it showed up and I could not figure out what was going on!!! It was windy that day so I was having a bit of problem with my setup, I never felt completely right in my stance, but I've felt that before and still hit the ball okay. I finish the range session, take my shoes off, and then I see that the front cleat is missing from my right shoe, which is were I push off from on my downswing.

I had to laugh a little bit about that, but am trying to resolve in my head that would be such a contributing factor to my sudden problem of the shanks.

[saevel25]

Shanks are hitting the hozel, horrible feeling, like the club will shake right out of your hand.

to me, you are leaving the clubface wide open to the point that the hozel takes up majority of the hitting area. Or your comming over the top to the point that the hozel is hitting the ball first. Or your standing to close to the ball you can't get club close enough to you and the ball hits the hozel. Or your comming out of it, your body lifts up, your arms straighten and your extending past the ball with the club, bringing the hozel into play..

My guess would be first check the divot, is it righ to left, straight, left to right. If its an extreme right to left, then your comming over the top. Then check your posture, maybe your standing to close. If all else fails you could be openning the club face in your backswing and not closing it, leaving the club face way open. I found that i get the shanks a bit, when the ball is to far back in my sance and i don't get a good shoulder rotation, were i just lift my hands.