got shanks when practicing pitching

[bruizer]

i was just practicing my pitch shots from 80 yards and everything was going great until i shanked one. Then i shanked a couple and then at the end i couldnt stop shanking the ball. The ball would shoot off to the right. Even if i stood further away from the ball i kept on shanking.  Is this an alignment or timing issue?  Any good drills to stop this. Thannks

[Fatphil]

just an observation more than a solution, but I've never seen a bad golfer shank...so ya got that goin for ya!!  most poor golfers hit it more on the toe.

when I shank I usually am holding the angle OK and coming into the ball on an OK plane but my hands seem to move a bit outward...doesnt take much, only a inch or two.  usually when I am not warmed up and my upper body is tight, causes my hands to wander a bit outside. what ya need to resist doing is falling away from the ball as a fix.

[turtleback]

As a short term fix I address the ball more out towards the toe and focus on swinging down into the ball to keep my angle from shallowing out.

[CuppedTin]

Originally Posted by bruizer

i was just practicing my pitch shots from 80 yards and everything was going great until i shanked one. Then i shanked a couple and then at the end i couldnt stop shanking the ball. The ball would shoot off to the right. Even if i stood further away from the ball i kept on shanking.  Is this an alignment or timing issue?  Any good drills to stop this. Thannks

Hey man, I have many post on this so it will sound like a broken record to many. Hinge and Hold on any shot inside 80 yards, that's all I do. Heck, I can hinge and a hold a flop shot!

HINGE AND HOLD AND FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING HOLY... KEEP YOUR WEIGHT FORWARD!!!

[iacas]

Hinge and hold doesn't work for pitching. It's a chipping motion. Hinge and hold does not expose the bounce.

Look up the "quickie pitching" thread.

[saevel25]

If your shanking your pitches i find its the following issues.

1) your standing to close to the ball

2) your not rotating your body, its not just hand movement

3) your butt gets closer to the ball in the downswing, and your club moves outside more bringing the hozel into play

Pitching for me, make sure you rotate your shoulders, and make sure you have most of your weight on your left side. I like Utley's concept of rotating around your left leg, using it as a pivot (for right handed players). This gets your body into the shot, takes alot of the hands out of it, and it keeps your weight forward.