Iron Problems

Hi,

Just wondered whether anyone can help. I seem to have developed a nasty shanky type of shot when hitting my irons. I think the problem is that I am sliding my hips rather than rotating them and by doing this not closing the club face enough before impact...hence...waaaaayyy right.

Does this sound right and has anyone got any good tips for clearing the left side through impact.

Taa

19lee78,

If you're setting up correctly posture-wise with the ball lined up in the middle of the clubface and you end up hitting out of the hosel, then it's apparent that for some reason you're shifting your swing arc away from you during the downswing. A shank will always go right for a right hander, so it doesn't necessarily mean an open clubface. It's possible to shank it with a closed clubface.

I'd suggest looking at your swing plane and ensuring that you're not tugging down from the top to hit at the ball. Next time you're at the range just take a 6 iron, get your posture but with your feet together and swing gently and try to knock it 100 yards. If you're pulling hard from the top and consequently cutting across the ball/extending your swing arc away from you you'll soon find out cos you'll fall over!

Find your balance, swing easy and you should get rid of the shanks after a while.

N18

usually when i start that kind of **** its because i have become too armsy in my swing..when i rotate my shoulders or push the club to the top with my left shoulder..shots immediately become solid again.Just my .02 cents.Hope it helps ya.David

Check to make sure you are not swaying going back or that you maybe are jerking the club on downswing.
Drill: visualize your butt end of the club pointing at ball-target line halfway down on downswing and make it happen. You should notice crisp irons with hands ahead and good lag.
Let me know.
Also, s...ng results from not staying with the shot, not committing to the shot and not being in sync, ie. lower outraces upper leaving upper too far behind and open clubface/body at impact.
Try slowing down-getting that balance back so you can hold your finish forever, and don't rush the downswing.
Slower downswings create lag and allow your body to be in balance.

First of all, he didn't say he was shanking, he said a shanky kind of shot..a possible push slice...the ugliest of all shots.

This this first before you go nuts.....

Intentionally stand farther away from the ball than normal. Try lining up with the toe of the club. If it helps, you are standing too close to the ball. Sounds like a simple solution, but I COULD WORK.

Secondly, if you are convinced you are at the proper distance from the ball check to see if you are blocking the shot out. An easy way to do this without realizing it, it to "Chicken wing" the shot with your left arm at impact. Just for a couple of shots, try to think about keeping your left are straight at impact and with proper wrist action.

Chessbum

I don't recall asking you what he meant and would prefer that you not second guess my advice to someone else.
Also, unless you are ready to go on tour or currently work as a teaching pro, leave my posts alone and allow me to communicate with the intended recipient.
Finally, your reply has many faults.

Not my fault you misread the post guy. Next time take a few extra minutes to read the post before you try to give advice.

Makes your whole post suspect.....

Just read it first, baby....

Chessbum....

I don't really want to get in the middle of this but without any video of this gentlemans swing, we are all guessing at what the problem may be, and offering solutions. He can try all of these suggestions and hopefully one of them will work.

From what I read, he said he was hitting a shk...y type shot wayyyyy right. It is unlikely to go wayyyyy right just by having an open clubface at impact. It would have to be extremely open. It is likely hitting the hosel.

i still stand behind my advice to the shanky dude..if you get the shoulders turning up and around on the backswing..even the mis-hits are mostly decent shots.I thought golfonenemesis advice was pretty good also.David

Aholes like you are a dime a dozen on these sites; not worth alot but always mouthing off without any experience or qualifications.
In the future, don't reply to my posts and I will not bother with yours.

My "shanky type" of shot occurred when I brought the club too far inside and swung with so much tension that I left the clubface of my irons severely open and cut across the ball, hitting off the toe. At least, that is how I visualize it. A 7i would go 60 yards forward and 50 yards to the right. The next shot would be approached with even more tension.

Finally, thanks to tidbits I picked up here on GTO, I relaxed and swung more around my spine angle and kept my hands/arms out on the backswing instead of drawing them closer to my body (again, how I am visualizing it). Otherwise, I could not have anything but a horrid result.

My situation was not a true shank, of course, and the OP may not correspond with my malady/fix.

Bill