Shanks on Purpose

[B-Con]

Golf: The only sport where a skilled player learns to do all the things they had to learn to not do when they were a beginner.

Evolution of a golfer's goals:

1) Try to stop shanking
2) Try to stop slicing
3) Try to stop fading
4) Try to stop hooking
5) Try to intentionally hook
6) Try to intentionally fade
7) Try to intentionally slice
8) Try to intentionally shank

[ohiolefty]

Anyone who has ever really fought the shanks (like me) finds this to be an odious idea. Depraved. Vile. Psychopathic.

[bwdial]

Anyone who has ever really fought the shanks (like me) finds this to be an odious idea. Depraved. Vile. Psychopathic.

I shanked three in a row today while I was working on my new Stack & Tilt swing and I was almost reduced to tears.

[out_in_30]

Golf: The only sport where a skilled player learns to do all the things they had to learn to not do when they were a beginner.

hahahaa thats so golf. what a game!!

[kafka01]

I actually thought about this if it would come useful being able to hit a shank on purpose - e.g. if you are blocked by a tree or if you need to shape it, but you are in the thick stuff where you dont get any spin on it anyways. Those are the practical things i could think about when shanking on purpose would be useful.

But if you want to do this to "increase" the bets a bit on the first tee, you definetly should work on topping your driver a couple of feet in front you so that everybody on the range can see your duffed balls right in front of you. And then you need to finish it off with some nice T-bone steak like divots that are pointing 30° left - and you have yourself a payday .

Did anybody here ever on purpose did "sandbag" somebody like that? That could make for some intresting stories.

[Shanks A Million]

It's funny, because the shank has never really been a problem for me, not for many years. When I was a kid, I'd hit the type where the ball went 2 feet forward, and 100 feet right. Now, when I haven't hit balls for like a month, I shank about 10 of the first 20 balls on the range when I go to warm up. It's quite funny. I hit those really hard, 45° shanks that fly pretty well, start fairly straight, but veer nearly dead right.

I even have videos of these shanks. The reason is a simple swing fault, one that I will correct soon. My back straightens, and my head rises during the swing. It's merely a setup problem, my back is at about 56° at contact, but 48° at address. Once I fix it, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. I've reduced it over the years, but it still has further to go. It's funny how the little things you do can really affect your swing. Certain tour pros have certain mishits, just like we do.

[allin]

Anyone who has ever really fought the shanks (like me) finds this to be an odious idea. Depraved. Vile. Psychopathic.

Exactly, it we be like daring them to come back!

[Shindig]

It dawns on me that this is an incredibly useful shot to have in the bag. When the range's know-it-all wants to give you unsolicited advice on your swing, especially with others (who he's talked to) watching, you can say, "like this?" and proceed to hit this shot. Repeat for all his advice, insist you're doing what he's saying. Problem solved.

[dchoye]

Really like this thread, so I thought I`ll bump it up.

Off season for me and been working on the range with a local teaching pro and Im swinging freely and much better than during the season.

I think just trying new things and not worrying about  specific target has really freed up my swing and Im able to increase my swing speed as well.

Now, I be hitting ball solid and swinging freely then out of a sudden I get a shank.  Never shank once during the summer on the course.

It`s funny when I'm on the course, I get a bit `tighter`` and  I dont swing as well but I dont shank.

When i'm loosing up on the the range I swing much more freely but I get the occasional shank.

Guess you have to take the good with the bad sometimes.

[Ernest Jones]

Lol, this can be Erik's native name - Shanks on Purpose.