Shanking and topping habit?

[Dr Draw]

Recently I came back from a vacation and it's been about 5 days since I swung a golf club. When I got home, I started hitting some balls in the net in my garage and I first noticed that the contact was different. It started feeling less solid, like it was just brushing the club face and going into the air. Then after a while I just got into the worst habit and now I can't get out of it. There are two primary golf shots that I'm hitting right now; 1) a terrible shank 2) a really weird top that is very painful to my hands. It's weird, I video tape myself to analyze my swing to see what I'm doing different from when I was hitting the ball well, and I can't see anything different. When I stop it at certain parts of the swing, it looks almost identical to what it was like before. I don't get it. The reason I said the tops were painful is that when I do it, the club twists in my hands and rubs against them really hard and it hurts so bad. My hands are so raw with a few blisters. The shanks are just confusing and I've been trying everything that is most commonly prescribed when faced with a shanking problem (like standing farther from the ball, etc). Does anyone have any ideas what might be going on?

[geauxforbroke]

My suggestion would be to keep practicing the great advice you're getting from Erik and Mike in this thread , and post videos with your progress.

[Dr Draw]

My suggestion would be to keep practicing the great advice you're getting from Erik and Mike in this thread, and post videos with your progress

I know I'm practicing it but I'm just trying to figure out what exactly is the problem... It's one thing practicing and finding it's gone but it's another really knowing what you're doing wrong to prevent it in the long run.

[geauxforbroke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by geauxforbroke

My suggestion would be to keep practicing the great advice you're getting from Erik and Mike in this thread, and post videos with your progress

I know I'm practicing it but I'm just trying to figure out what exactly is the problem... It's one thing practicing and finding it's gone but it's another really knowing what you're doing wrong to prevent it in the long run.

Do you really need to know? You probably don't know the name of the bacteria that gave you that sinus infection, but you're glad when it's gone. Think of this as an opportunity to build a proper golf swing, not a desperate attempt to salvage one with quick fixes. Keep practicing, and not only will the sh*nks be gone, but you'll have built a solid swing that's much more resistant to their reemergence.

[Dr Draw]

Do you really need to know? You probably don't know the name of the bacteria that gave you that sinus infection, but you're glad when it's gone. Think of this as an opportunity to build a proper golf swing, not a desperate attempt to salvage one with quick fixes. Keep practicing, and not only will the sh*nks be gone, but you'll have built a solid swing that's much more resistant to their reemergence.

I know what you're saying, but yeah I feel like knowing is a really important thing. That case, if you miss hit or hit one heavy, or even shank one, it is best to know why you did it and compensate for it than going off going "Wow, how'd that happen." It's a helpless feeling when you get yourself into a bad funk and you don't know why.

[billchao]

Your shanking and topping are caused by the same issue. One or the other occurs (fat shots, too btw) simply because of timing. Erik gave you the answer already, but I'll quote it again for you. [quote name="iacas" url="/t/71950/my-swing-dr-draw#post_938904"] You get the sweet spot well outside the golf ball. You come over the top and when you don't pull the sweet spot in fast enough, you don't pull the hosel in fast enough, and blammo, you shank. [/quote]

[David in FL]

Recently I came back from a vacation and it's been about 5 days since I swung a golf club. When I got home, I started hitting some balls in the net in my garage and I first noticed that the contact was different. It started feeling less solid, like it was just brushing the club face and going into the air. Then after a while I just got into the worst habit and now I can't get out of it. There are two primary golf shots that I'm hitting right now; 1) a terrible shank 2) a really weird top that is very painful to my hands. It's weird, I video tape myself to analyze my swing to see what I'm doing different from when I was hitting the ball well, and I can't see anything different. When I stop it at certain parts of the swing, it looks almost identical to what it was like before. I don't get it. The reason I said the tops were painful is that when I do it, the club twists in my hands and rubs against them really hard and it hurts so bad. My hands are so raw with a few blisters. The shanks are just confusing and I've been trying everything that is most commonly prescribed when faced with a shanking problem (like standing farther from the ball, etc). Does anyone have any ideas what might be going on?

[quote name="geauxforbroke" url="/t/71978/shanking-and-topping-habit#post_939186"]My suggestion would be to keep practicing the great advice you're getting from Erik and Mike [U][URL=http://thesandtrap.com/t/71950/my-swing-dr-draw]in this thread[/URL][/U] , and post videos with your progress. [/quote] As geauxforbroke said, your answer lies in your "My Swing" thread. So will the solution.

[saevel25]

I know I'm practicing it but I'm just trying to figure out what exactly is the problem... It's one thing practicing and finding it's gone but it's another really knowing what you're doing wrong to prevent it in the long run.

How to prevent it in the long run? Keep doing what Erik and Mike are suggesting. Keep working on the swing. Golf isn't a quick fix, lets read Golf Digest and hope for a miracle. Golf is putting in the work to get better. Believe me, I was a 12-15 handicap just by playing a lot of golf. Got good at my bad shot shape. Then I took a lesson from Erik and it transformed my golf game. Shaved my handicap in half, but I put in the work. I did what he told me, and I am still doing it.

Shanks are horrible, I know, I've been there. It makes you want to never pick up a club again. Keep at it, and things will work out.