Shanks HELPPPPPPPP PLEASE!!!!

[colquitt5]

Ok I am a 3 handicap golfer who just had surgery 8 months ago on my labrum. I am now cleared to play golf again. I was cleared a month ago and have played 6 times. Right when I thought my game was coming around I all the sudden got the shanks one day before I went to play. I managed to shoot 83, not sanking it one time on the course but my swing felt completly uncomfortable; however, my wedges, driver, and 3 wood I am hitting better than ever. But 9 through 3 iron I continue to battle the shanks.

I am 6 3, in good shape (play baseball in college, pitcher) so I hit the ball pretty far. Why am I shanking it this bad? I have never had this problem before, and I really need some help. Any advice?

[Gioguy21]

wow, sounds like you and i are pretty much the same. i had surgery on mine 2 and a half years ago, i pitched in college and too had the shanks when i first got back into it. take your irons and ONLY your irons to the range...do a fact-seeking mission to find out why you're doing what you're doing. see if you're not coming too far over the top or too flat...find a 'groove' with the irons again. no worries friend...you'll get it back.

[colquitt5]

thanks man.

[nevets88]

The more common shank is caused by hitting too inside out, more of an emphasis on the out.

The other way, which is what I do, is the outside-in shank, where I spin out by throwing my right knee and right side/shoulder towards the ball. I solved that by banking my right foot towards the target and getting the right knee to go towards the target rather than the ball.

I'd recommend getting your swing on video and/or checking your divots on real grass.

[Kieran123]

Put the ball between two tees and only hit the ball. Your swing will adjust naturally and then you can remove the tees.

I ahd a bad case of the shanks a month or so ago. After this drill it was gone immediately.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by colquitt5

Ok I am a 3 handicap golfer  . . . Any advice?

You should probably consider referring to yourself as a former 3 handicap?!?

Seriously though, the only club I ever seem to shank (at least prior to making this post) is my sand wedge. Occasionally I lose focus and set up like I'm in a bunker then swing on a path better suited to hitting a full shot from the fairway. Direct hit onto the hosel!!

Actually I think I recall a couple shanks while learning to hit a draw with a 2-iron.

[senorchipotle]

get a couple of cardboard boxes. lay the box down lengthwise along the target line. put your ball 2 inches this side of the box. when you can hit the ball without hitting the box, you're cured.

[Harmonious]

Put all your change in your left pocket.  Turn your hat around. Stick a tee behind your ear.  Hey, it worked for Roy McAvoy.

[Fatphil]

Well you prove my theory that a shank is the fault of only good players.  After googling "WTF is a labrum", I can relate.  A shank is just a good swing that your arms moved outwards only about a 1/2".  It shows you are holding your wrist hinge but you are tight in the chest and shoulder (duh you just had surgery) and your entire center moved outward a bit towards the ball.  Sorry I have no idea how you can fix the problem but my solution involves chicken blood and small dolls.

[TN94z]

Originally Posted by senorchipotle

get a couple of cardboard boxes. lay the box down lengthwise along the target line. put your ball 2 inches this side of the box. when you can hit the ball without hitting the box, you're cured.

This. When I had this issue, it was from being too flat and coming inside out too much.

[squaddie]

Here's a quick tip I got from my instructor on fixing a shank.

I had a lesson two weeks ago where one issue I went over was shanking with the short irons.

My instructor told me, "On the downswing, aim to hit the space just before where the ball sits (facing the ball).  Here's a mini diagram

<--target line (right handed)

*    ball - club starts behind ball as normal

[aim here on the downswing, before the ball, about one ball-length away from the ball]

|

|

You

I tried that with an 8 iron and I hit the ball square on the first attempt.  After that I hit 5 more in a row without shanking.

On video, from the down-the-line view, the instructor noticed on the downswing my hands were forward of my hand-position at address.  So on the downswing I was either pushing out my arms or my hands.  Having myself aim at a more inward target put my hands back in the right plane at impact.

[soloredd]

This happens to me from time to time - always on the range, never during a round. I attribute it to bad tempo as I get in a rush at the range. And it almost always starts with a wedge for me. What I do is take my driver cover and place it just outside the ball and I work on swinging through the ball without hitting the cover. If anything, this helps me slow down a bit because I don't want to hit my cover out onto the range!

I've also had a period where when I was shanking, I just hit my driver for 10-15 minutes. Does the same thing as above, gets me to slow down (I know I'm not in a good tempo when I'm slicing so I just keep hitting the driver). Good luck, it definitely is a feeling of being lost in despair when it happens!