The shank is the most demoralising shot in golf, and when you
get them, you think you'll never lose them.
Well you can lose the shanks, just like I did, and got my
handicap down from 14 to 9.6
What is a shank?
Have you ever watched Tin Cup?
I know it’s a movie, but there is a scene when Roy 'Tin Cup' McAvoy (Kevin Costner) is at the practise range, and he is hitting shank after shank.
How did he do that?
Well Roy did the same thing that I did and every other golfer does when they shank the ball and that is when you hit the ball with the hosel of your club as shown below.
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What
is a shanked shot? |
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A good shot |
A shanked shot |
The hosel is the rounded bit between the shaft of the club and the club face. This part of the club has a rounded surface, and so the ball shoots off to the right at an amazing angle (to the right for a right handed player and to the left for a left handed player).
Basically you are hitting the ball too close to the heel of the club, rather than the center of the clubface.
As you can see from the photo, the amount of adjustment needed to turn a shanked shot into a good shot is ½ inch or less
Most likely your shot will fly off as a line drive directly away from your body.
5 Common faults that will cause a shank
Reason # 1 – You are transferring the weight from your heels to your toes
Weight transfers to the toes at impact making you lean forward
When you set up to hit the ball, you may find that you feel more pressure in your heels than in your toes. This occurs because you are basically leaning or sitting back.
As a result you may be compensating for this imbalance during your swing. This will have the effect of leaning slightly forward and thereby moving the club head forward. Remember looking at the photo of a shanked shot, all it takes is ½ inch of forward movement from transferring the weight from your heels to your toes and you will get a shank!
An uneven weight distribution between the back and the front of your feet during your swing may be causing you to shank the ball
Reason #2 – You are standing too close to the ball at setup
If you are standing too close to the ball at setup, your natural tendency will be to adjust your downswing to a more comfortable and natural swing path. The effect will be that the club head will move away from you, and as we have found out, even ½ inch will cause the dreaded shank to appear into your game.
Simply standing too close could be the reason that your are shanking the ball!
Reason #3 – Your natural swing aim is flawed
Your natural swing aim is flawed
A flawed swing aim – where you hit the ball with the hosel
When you are hitting the ball, you are most probably aiming at the middle of the ball, and expecting the middle of the club face to make contact with the ball.
The cause of your shanks could be as simple as a slightly incorrect aim!
Reason #4 - Your arms move away from your body
When you are making your downswing, do your arms drift away from your body?
If they do, the effects can be disastrous!
One of the effects is the club head moves away from the correct swing path and so the club connects the ball with the hosel, and you get a shank.
Reason #5 - You have an incomplete shoulder turn
If you are not getting a good or complete shoulder turn, then your swing will become too narrow and steep.
Your left shoulder should rotate to a position above your right knee. If you are not getting to this position, the result is that you are likely to be swinging on a very narrow arc.
Having a narrow swing due to an incomplete shoulder turn may be causing you to “fall” into your shots during your downswing, and by leaning forward by ½ inch will cause a shank.
The cause of shanking could be due to an incomplete shoulder turn.
How do you cure the Shanks?
As you can see there are at least 5 faults that cause you to
shank the ball. I have seen many quick cures and tips for
curing the shanks, but if you ask any professional golfer how to
cure the shanks, as I did, and they will, in all likelihood say
"You need a solid and reliable,
repeatable swing"
Once you have established this, you will swing with
confidence and have no doubts about the shanks!
For a reliable, repeatable swing, you must start with a good
setup. The setup you use must be simple and provide
a solid foundation for your swing.
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You
need a solid reliable setup |
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I use this setup routine and combine it with a swing that is
simple to learn and to reproduce known as the Simple
Golf Swing.
I have eliminated the majority of problems out of my
swing and it cured the shanks
I strongly suggest that you review the Simple Golf Swing yourself
by Clicking
here
By reviewing the Simple Golf Swing, you will
- Learn a detailed procedure that will ensure that your grip promotes
straight ball flight, and not a hook or a
slice, and definitely no shanking
- You will find a
step-by-step guide with detailed photos that will teach you the correct way to
grip the club. Instructions for the interlocking and the overlapping grip are included. This will let you experiment to see what works best for YOU.
- Learn a method to check that you grip the club in the same manner for every shot to
promote
consistency and eliminate shanks.
- Learn a secret on how to
align the club face so that you don't push the ball right. This is a problem that many golfers face, but luckily it is an easy one to fix.
- Discover an
easy method to hit more greens. It's not difficult once you have the correct information.
- Learn the
revolutionary setup. "The Simple Golf Swing" setup allows you to swing around your spine. The key is to limit the amount of horizontal and vertical body movement during the swing. This setup will
automatically give you the correct swing plane that promotes consistency and power. It's given to you in a step-by-step procedure that is
easy to remember on the course.
You could get results like Alan got below. When you learn more about "The Simple Golf Swing" on David's site, you'll see that this email was sent on Sept. 15th, 2005 - and you'll also see literally
hundreds of other success stories just like Alan.
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"Immediate
Improvement"
Date: 9-15-2005
David,
I purchased your book online a few months ago. I haven't taken the time to read the information until this past weekend. Having only read the information and not practicing any of your methodology I decided to put it all to the test, "cold turkey" if you will, yesterday.
I am a nine handicap and play only about once a week. My biggest disappointment with my golf game is my inconsistency. Well, I teed it up yesterday after devouring your book and making mental notes. Needless to say my very first tee-shot was a little on the rough side, not bad by any means just not what I was accustom too. Second shot was to 10 feet from the pin and I am putting for a birdie. I made par and could not have been more pleased.
I proceeded to make 14 pars yesterday and 4 bogeys on my way to, for me, a stellar 76...even with one penalty stroke.
This is with NO PRACTICE Dave and just pure desire to implement your methods. I had to fight-off some old bad-habits during the round but I have no doubt that I have embarked on a golf swing that I can simply and easily repeat over and over and over. My golfing partners were already counting their winnings when I told them what I was about to do. Needless to say my winnings managed to pay for the cost of your book and more. It all seemed a bit odd at first but
I did manage to trust my swing and your methods and the results were terrific. I know my confidence will soar as I begin to practice and better master this simple golf swing as well.
This is golf as it is meant to be played. A simple set-up, a couple of simple swing thoughts and "poof" a simple but VERY productive golf swing yielding terrific results.
Best regards,
Alan Doll
Gering, Nebraska
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