Please help my brother! :)

I guess a few people here know my cheerful hacker status as a 26 HC but I was put in a slightly bizarre position of my brother asking me for help. He's been down to a 9, current;y playing off 12 - he knows his onions far better than I do, but recently he's REALLY panicking about his short game, and was so desperate he rang me for advice

Ok - so - it's mainly affecting his wristy half-swung pitches and shots in from 50 yards or less. In his words, he's shanking it so badly the ball flies off at 90^ in the direction he's facing. He's at his wit's end, but isn't aware of having changed anything.

I said I'd ask here for help.

I wasn't sure shanking would cause such a drastic 90^ fire off the hosel. To me it sounded more like toe-ing it, rather than off the hosel, but I wasn't sure.

He has a very open unorthodox grip for all his shots and very open stance for all his shots. Whilst I doubt very much he's going to radically change his stance, I did suggest that I thought his set-up and grip were likely to be the main culprits - possibly from an excessive out-to-in path - and, to my mind - the problem is, by definition, a swing path problem, though it is still over a half-swing. His full swing is still making clean contact, even if he's not totally happy with the direction.

I suggested he concentrated on his stance, making sure he wasn't too close to the ball, and making sure he wasn't playing it too far forwards in his stance, but, like I said, he knows way more than I do.

I said I'd bounce it off the guys on here - any thoughts, anyone? Am I hopelessly off track?

__________________
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Personal bests 2007;
Best 18: 78 (+12)
Best 9: 37 (+4)
Best Stableford: 45 pts
Best total putts: 28
Best total length sunk putts (ft): 54

Club tourney history this year: Captain's Day - 1st; Club foursomes - 2nd; Dimex Stableford - 2nd; Club Championship - 13/28 gross, joint 5/28 nett; Ferebee Shield - 2nd; Sept Medal 2nd; Autumn Stableford - 1st

Leadbetter suggests hitting balls with a ball under each toe as a cure for the s***ks, stops weight going to far forward onto the toes...

i have in the past shanked the odd pitch, and found the cure was to stand a little further away from the ball.this works for me at least.

You have to be careful with that approach as if you stand further from the ball it can actually make you reach for the ball and sh**k again, it's a vicious cycle. It all comes down to fundamentals and not letting the weight get from the balls of your feet at address.

Sound like your brother is "throwing" the clubhead away from his body at the start of the downswing causing him to force the club in (an out to in swing path). Check & make sure the club is not taken too far on the inside on his upswing which in turn causes him to loop the club outside the target line during the down swing. Get the upswing to right plane will promote a correct downswing.

Does he have cleveland wedges?

I have a cleveland sand-wedge. Never did the 90 degree bladed toe shot before I got those. The very rounded front edge of the cleveland wedges make them easy to do with.

When I do it, it's usually with an open club to add a little more loft and then blade it off the toe a bit.

Hi Bulldog,

I have seen this problem quite often, had it myself once or twice.

Often the problem is caused by failing to turn the shoulders back and forth in the shot and just pulling back with the arms, this results a very open clubface and cutting across the ball. Rock those shoulders!

Secondly, introduce him to the Right Hand Drill, that should sort it.

It sounds like he is ready for a complete
short game overhaul under the supervision of a
qualified PGA professional.