Everything BUT Wedges go straight!

[johnclark12]

I have been having a hefty problem lately that I can't seem to solve. I can hit my driver, 6 - 8 irons straight and far without any issues.

Lately I have been having a major issue with the 9 iron, pitching wedge, and sand wedge (mostly the first 2). If I aim for the hole (12 o'clock), the ball will sail directly right (2-3 o'clock).

To my knowledge I am NOT pulling my head and it gets very frustrating to the point I have been using a putter on the fairway when I am 50 feet from green, because I get better and more accurate hit. Why would it be only the high numbered clubs that I have trouble with? To be fair, I don't use the 8 very often, mostly the 6,7, and wedges. Any advice?

Edited June 13, 2018 by johnclark12

[saevel25]

32 minutes ago, johnclark12 said:

Lately I have been having a major issue with the 9 iron, pitching wedge, and sand wedge (mostly the first 2). If I aim for the hole (12 o'clock), the ball will sail directly right (2-3 o'clock).

Looks like you are blocking them right. Higher lofted clubs do not curve as much as lower lofted clubs. So if they are heading that far right, your swing path is too far from the inside and your clubface is just matching up to your swing path.

As to fixing this, create a My Swing thread and post a Face On and Down The Line video.

[iacas]

4 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

Looks like you are blocking them right. Higher lofted clubs do not curve as much as lower lofted clubs. So if they are heading that far right, your swing path is too far from the inside and your clubface is just matching up to your swing path.

I don't think so, @saevel25.

Sounds like a shank, not a block.

[amished]

It indeed sounds like a shank.

A question I have is at what distance does this start to happen?  Do you have the 2-3 o'clock direction on short chips around the green with your wedges, or are those relatively straight?  Does it happen on 10 yard pitches, 20 yard, 70 yard, etc..?

-Edit-

Does the ball flight height differ as well on your 2-3 o'clock shots?  Higher or lower than normal?

Edited June 13, 2018 by amished
Another question..

[johnclark12]

1 minute ago, amished said:

It indeed sounds like a shank.

A question I have is at what distance does this start to happen?  Do you have the 2-3 o'clock direction on short chips around the green with your wedges, or are those relatively straight?  Does it happen on 10 yard pitches, 20 yard, 70 yard, etc..?

Normally within 30 yards of the green. Now that you mention it. I was on a Par 3 this past weekend and used the wedge from about 60 yards out and it landed within 5 feet of the hole on the green.

I'd like to add that when it goes way to the right as I mentioned, it does not get NEARLY as much lift as when it goes straight. We are talking maybe 10-15 feet in the air

 

 

[amished]

(insert standard disclaimer about uploading a swing video, and I'm definitely not an expert so take my thoughts with a grain of salt)

It's possible that your ball position is too far back.  Assuming you're a righty, a push shot  that goes straight means that assuming face contact you have a massive in to out swing and a clubface that matches that path.  For it to go lower, your face would also be delofted.  The picture I have in my head is that your shaft at impact is pointing way out in front of your lead shoulder as that both lowers the loft of the club and points the clubface right.

The other picture in my head is that you're hitting the ball near the hosel of the club.  It's odd that you wouldn't have similar problems in your other clubs, but the shorter length and view of the club could be affecting you in another way.  With half swings and pitches you can correct yourself during the swing but with a more full swing you aren't generating good contact causing the ball to shoot off in odd angles.  I have a not quite as bad problem (hitting near the hosel with my wedges) that's similar to this so what I did to fix it was to go to a practice green, bury my ball in the rough and try to hit the ball with the toe of the club.  Getting used to how far away from the ball I have to stand to hit a different part of the face allowed me to split the difference and find the center of the clubface and improved my shot making ability around the green.  Again, that's a personal fix for a specific problem so if you don't have that problem then this advice would be useless.

[Patch]

Perhaps the lie angle of the club might be causing the issue. Maybe the toe of the club is way low? (heel of club off the ground) Check the divots and see if the toe is digging deeper than the rest of the club. 

I had an issue last week where I was pulling my wedges. Due to a glitch that creeped into my swing, I was contacting the ball with a club face that was way too upright. 

Or, as already mentioned the ball being too far back in the stance, which is contacting the ball with an open club face that matches the swing path at the point of contact. 

[iacas]

1 hour ago, Patch said:

Perhaps the lie angle of the club might be causing the issue. Maybe the toe of the club is way low? (heel of club off the ground) Check the divots and see if the toe is digging deeper than the rest of the club. 

Guys… he said the ball is going to 2 or 3 o'clock when the target is at 12 o'clock.

It's not the lie angle. It's not a push.

It's a shank.

[Patch]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

Guys… he said the ball is going to 2 or 3 o'clock when the target is at 12 o'clock.

It's not the lie angle. It's not a push.

It's a shank.

Just courios here. If I am lined up to hit a ball to 12:00, what part of the club head would I have to hit the ball with, to send it to 3:00?

When I read that, I thought 3:00 was bit of an exageration on the OP's part. 

[iacas]

The hosel. And yes 3:00 is an exaggeration.

But the lie angle? C’mon. That’s 12:10 or so no?

[Vinsk]

13 hours ago, johnclark12 said:

I have been having a hefty problem lately that I can't seem to solve. I can hit my driver, 6 - 8 irons straight and far without any issues.

Lately I have been having a major issue with the 9 iron, pitching wedge, and sand wedge (mostly the first 2). If I aim for the hole (12 o'clock), the ball will sail directly right (2-3 o'clock).

To my knowledge I am NOT pulling my head and it gets very frustrating to the point I have been using a putter on the fairway when I am 50 feet from green, because I get better and more accurate hit. Why would it be only the high numbered clubs that I have trouble with? To be fair, I don't use the 8 very often, mostly the 6,7, and wedges. Any advice?

Get your wedge/9i and set up a head cover, board, shoe box whatever on the outside of your ball at address. Just far enough where if you hit the hosel/heel the toe of your club will hit the object. I’d start there. Then post a swing vid in ‘My Swing’ and find out the cause.

[Zeph]

Maybe you get too close to the ball with the wedges, not giving yourself enough room and sometimes hitting the ball with the hosel?

[johnclark12]

Thanks for the suggestions. Tied up for the weekend with being here at the US Open but will give it a try. 3:00 is barely an exaggeration also, it gets that bad sometimes 😣

[colin007]

I'm much more likely to shank a wedge or a 9 than I am a 5. Not sure why that is, but it happens.

[mcanadiens]

2 minutes ago, colin007 said:

I'm much more likely to shank a wedge or a 9 than I am a 5. Not sure why that is, but it happens.

Me to.

Fought an epic case of the shanks a year ago. They still pop up once every few rounds and it's pretty much always with the SW in hand. Near as I can tell, they usually come when I'm sloppy with my setup. Most often, they come when I'm really mad and rushing.