The dreaded shanks

Hi all,

Just joined the site and would like some advice on a problem i have. I generally draw the ball (slightly) but have a reoccuring shank problem with my short irons. I have noticed that all my divots point to the right, even with my wedges, the divots also taper to a point sometimes, and are very rarely the full width of the club. When i am playing well, there isn't a problem and even the short irons behave, but occasionally (with what seems like the same swing) i get a shank, which i then think about on every short iron shot.

I try to make my swing more upright with my wedges to rectify this, but it doesn't seem to work. No matter what i do, my swing path always seems to go in to out. Can anyone offer any help to sort this out.

Dave (7 handicapper)

Hi Dave,

Like most golfing diseases, I have had this one!

A pro I went to see about it was confused when I said I had in-out divots but was shanking.

I'm not sure it was the absolute correct answer, but I fixed it by strengthening my grip a little, and not throwing my right shoulder out toward the ball in the downswing.

I had a weaker grip and was attacking the ball from the inside, but at the same time was working on creating lag to have my hands lead the shot. Consequently my clubface was coming in waaaaaaaaaaaaay too open, and because I was attacking it waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay from the inside to try and not hit a shank, my hands would flip at the ball to make contact and so the first thing to meet the ball was the shank. It got so bad that sometimes I was hitting the ball with the outside of the hosel!!!!!

Nice.

I sincerely hope you find the right medicine.

A video posted on here may help.

__________________
Luke: I don't believe it!
Yoda: That is why you fail.

Hi Dave,

I fully concur with Neil on this one. I suffered with this once and the problem was swinging too much in to out which encourages the hozel to strike the ball on the way through. I rectified it by working on a more inside to square to inside swing path. You may find that you are taking the club back too far inside in your take away.