Why do I shank so much?? Its been 10 years

[MichMan123]

I love golf. I love golf clubs and playing different courses and traveling for golf , .... 
Started at 30 mid 40s now.  

A few years ago got down to a 3 HC and was shooting low to mid 70s consistently.  Real life hit kids sports work, business, .... never practice drink when I play and just have fun.  HC is now just under 10 and I struggled to crack 80 almost all year.

 

I can get around a course but have been struggling with the shanks for years.  On and off for over 10 years.  2024 was the worst.  I hit mutiple per round. I walked off the course in frustration.

 

I haven't touched a club since Sept (back to gym instead, lots of kids sports,...)

Took a Video today and of course hit a few shanks.... I almost Shanked the last one in video.

 

I know I have an in to out swing usually its single digits and I can manage it and draw my way across the course when I'm playing well.
I have NEVER hit a fade with an iron in my life.  Never.  

 

Can anyone see anything obvious here?

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15J2kayaz79GnW_IMF-otCRD6dZNI1LlF/view

 

 

 

 

Edited December 15, 2024 by MichMan123

[iacas]

Super shut due to the takeaway/backswing (I feel like you might actually lose the grip in your right hand a little bit), and so you have to tip back and swing out a lot to feel like you won't pull the crap out of it.

[parmark]

I suffer same affliction as you do, just soul sucking at times.  One thing I'm working on this off season seems to be helping is attention to take away.  Both the video in the other thread showing Nelly Korda's slow motion swing, how she starts it back. Tom Watson has a good video also showing initial move back is just the left hand/arm/shoulder taking club back.  I have Early Extension bad, no matter how hard I try to fix it when I'm on the course it's hard not to revert back to bad habits and my sequence gets all our of sorts. I am  lifting up to start back and don't move my right hip back and around - I end up swaying, and when I start downswing for what I have imagined my power is to really thrust my right hip and side up and towards the ball.  That hip move pushes my hands up and towards the ball where the hosel makes terrific contact with the ball.

 

But that Nelly video thread here might be worth a look?  Good luck, rooting for you.

[Lefty_3Jack]

I too have suffered from them for the 16 years I’ve played. I also have played with a very shut face and in to out path.

 

It sounds too easy, but putting a substantial box outside the ball helped me get rid of them and has been maintenance for keeping them away for the last 7 months. It needs to be a box with a little height, preferably solid and som length. It forces your path to be much better with the longer box and if it’s taller/substantial you’re more vested into not hitting it.

 

And even though it doesn’t make sense, if you fanned the face wide open on the way back, you’d prob not shank it either. I think it forces the path to be more neutral to even over the top and youll be focused on closing the face on the way down. It seems counterintuitive, but Iacas explained what the overly shut face does to path so you’ll understand how an open face can do the same, but in the opposite direction.

[skraly]

Just my 2 cents.  It's possible to play shut faced as you do, but it looks to me like you need a lot more rotation through the hitting area to keep your hips from extending toward the ball.  Paul Azinger, among others, made a very nice career playing shut faced.  Compare this video of his swing with yours-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNQqsDsj9dg?si=AqDkqFc9lzL_0o-j

Notice he is dead shut at the top but compare his rotation through the hitting area to yours.  Just my observation and I'm far from a swing expert.  So take that into consideration🙂

[MichMan123]

9 hours ago, skraly said:

Just my 2 cents.  It's possible to play shut faced as you do, but it looks to me like you need a lot more rotation through the hitting area to keep your hips from extending toward the ball.  Paul Azinger, among others, made a very nice career playing shut faced.  Compare this video of his swing with yours-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNQqsDsj9dg?si=AqDkqFc9lzL_0o-j

Notice he is dead shut at the top but compare his rotation through the hitting area to yours.  Just my observation and I'm far from a swing expert.  So take that into consideration🙂

 

Thank you!

 

[MichMan123]

9 hours ago, Lefty_3Jack said:

I too have suffered from them for the 16 years I’ve played. I also have played with a very shut face and in to out path.

 

It sounds too easy, but putting a substantial box outside the ball helped me get rid of them and has been maintenance for keeping them away for the last 7 months. It needs to be a box with a little height, preferably solid and som length. It forces your path to be much better with the longer box and if it’s taller/substantial you’re more vested into not hitting it.

 

And even though it doesn’t make sense, if you fanned the face wide open on the way back, you’d prob not shank it either. I think it forces the path to be more neutral to even over the top and youll be focused on closing the face on the way down. It seems counterintuitive, but Iacas explained what the overly shut face does to path so you’ll understand how an open face can do the same, but in the opposite direction.

 

 

can you show me an example or pic of that box / setup you have been using ?

[Rapidcat]

Deleted

Edited December 17, 2024 by Rapidcat

[Valtiel]

On 12/15/2024 at 2:49 PM, MichMan123 said:

I love golf. I love golf clubs and playing different courses and traveling for golf , .... 
Started at 30 mid 40s now.  

A few years ago got down to a 3 HC and was shooting low to mid 70s consistently.  Real life hit kids sports work, business, .... never practice drink when I play and just have fun.  HC is now just under 10 and I struggled to crack 80 almost all year.

 

I can get around a course but have been struggling with the shanks for years.  On and off for over 10 years.  2024 was the worst.  I hit mutiple per round. I walked off the course in frustration.

 

I haven't touched a club since Sept (back to gym instead, lots of kids sports,...)

Took a Video today and of course hit a few shanks.... I almost Shanked the last one in video.

 

I know I have an in to out swing usually its single digits and I can manage it and draw my way across the course when I'm playing well.
I have NEVER hit a fade with an iron in my life.  Never.  

 

Can anyone see anything obvious here?

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15J2kayaz79GnW_IMF-otCRD6dZNI1LlF/view

 

 

 

 

 

On 12/15/2024 at 3:57 PM, iacas said:

Super shut due to the takeaway/backswing (I feel like you might actually lose the grip in your right hand a little bit), and so you have to tip back and swing out a lot to feel like you won't pull the crap out of it.

To add to what iacas is saying here, check out some of these numbers:



A path that is 4* in to out with a clubface that is basically 10* *closed* to that path is functionally 14* closed in terms of the target which is just....massively shut. All your other shots, including i'm sure that last one, see the strikes all clustered towards the heel which is just a shank lurking in the shadows waiting to jump out at you if you're slightly off. When you're shut at address, shut at the top, shut coming through the ball, and shut in the follow through but the ball is still going right then you're "pushing out" like iacas said above trying to manage said shut face:



You can see that "push out" at impact where your body and subsequently your clubface have moved forward (camera right) which is where your heel strikes are coming from, and the shanks when you're a little off. And to put some useful forensics behind "a little off"



From left to right are your second to last and last shots, that last shot being the "almost shank". I measured via the red line the distance between the tip of your right foot and where your head is in relation to the ball via the tip of your nose on the left image and duplicated the line. We can see on the right you're stood noticeably closer to the ball, and the ball itself which you're addressing out of the toe likely as a compensation for the heel strikes is actually a little *further* out on the toe. It's subtle, only a couple millimeters, but its significant because you're closer to the ball, so if anything that ball should be *less* out on the toe if you were setting up otherwise equally. Long story shorter, your setup is varying enough to influence your strike location and the flaws in your swing that you're managing are magnifying this.

Short term bandaid solution is to be more mindful of your distance from the ball. Closer = more heel strikes. You may also want to practice flipping your compensation here as addressing the ball out of the toe of the club is only going to encourage you to keep coming forward towards it, so try addressing it out of the heel to encourage the opposite and see what happens. Long term you need to neutralize your clubface and path to stop encouraging this in to out "pushing out" path into the ball as it's a pattern that will always encourage shanks. Proper pelvic rotation via correct sequencing and clearing will also be needed to reduce the "hump and tilt back" position you're getting into at impact. (see all links).

If you've watched Bod Does Sports at all, Bob has been stuck in a slightly more extreme version of this same pattern for awhile.
 

Edited December 17, 2024 by Valtiel

[Lefty_3Jack]

2 hours ago, MichMan123 said:

 

 

can you show me an example or pic of that box / setup you have been using ?

 

 

When I said substantial, I meant this one.  I use the range box because if you hit it, it's going to be really bad.  At the very least it needs to be a golf club box or shoe box because it has some height to it.  I found using an alignment stick, it didn't produce the same results and I'd hit it a lot.  Once I started using the range box, they disappeared. 

 

 

[Jjones519a]

nice sim!

 

[MichMan123]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gMXevCTKaNfdJfntzzgitt3aFzb5bqIW/view?usp=sharing

 

Update video

Can you guys analyze a bit? 
Im trying here to hit it off the toe lol.  Not even close.

Trying to create more space to get my hands clear by "dropping" a bit .  Thats the feeling I'm going after.

I'm hitting it very solid but still heel is lurking.

 

 

 

[GoGoErky]

1 hour ago, MichMan123 said:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gMXevCTKaNfdJfntzzgitt3aFzb5bqIW/view?usp=sharing

 

Update video

Can you guys analyze a bit? 
Im trying here to hit it off the toe lol.  Not even close.

Trying to create more space to get my hands clear by "dropping" a bit .  Thats the feeling I'm going after.

I'm hitting it very solid but still heel is lurking.

 

 

 

Your roll the club behind you in the takeaway and your hips work in the opposite direction of how they should work.  
 

The heel is lurking because you kick the club out in transition based on what you do in the backswing.

 

you need to fix your hips and your takeaway 

[MichMan123]

45 minutes ago, GoGoErky said:

Your roll the club behind you in the takeaway and your hips work in the opposite direction of how they should work.  
 

The heel is lurking because you kick the club out in transition based on what you do in the backswing.

 

you need to fix your hips and your takeaway 

 

how lol

what do you think i should do

[GoGoErky]

1 hour ago, MichMan123 said:

 

how lol

what do you think i should do

The best option is to find a good pro and  take lessons.

 

If you choose to go the do it on my own route then

 

https://www.instagram.com/share/BAA0DqQNqj

 

https://www.instagram.com/share/_er3bHKuc

[MichMan123]

please delete

Edited May 18 by MichMan123

[GoGoErky]

3 hours ago, MichMan123 said:

Thanks for all the advice guys.

 

Ive been doing drills for about a month - mostly 2 ball drill and really really concentrating on keeping weight on heels.

This was my PW tonight.  Maybe the best feeling few PWs ive hit in the last few years.

 

First time Ive seen the word "toe" on my sim since i installed it lol

 

Weight on the heels is bad. Nothing athletic is done from the heels.

 

 

[MichMan123]

3 minutes ago, GoGoErky said:

Weight on the heels is bad. Nothing athletic is done from the heels.

 

 

 

except not shanking!  I need a fix and that helps.

 

[iacas]

56 minutes ago, MichMan123 said:

except not shanking!  I need a fix and that helps.

 

I've found that more often that leads to more shanking. 🙂 Congrats on being the outlier.

[ChaosTheory]

Not an instructor, just a golfer.

I agree with @iacas

When I setup on my heels, I shank.  The body moves back to center balance during the swing, moving me closer to the ball.  

Edited February 13 by ChaosTheory

[iacas]

1 hour ago, ChaosTheory said:

Not an instructor, just a golfer.

I agree with @iacas

When I setup on my heels, I shank.  The body move back to center balance during the swing, moving me closer to the ball.  

 

That's exactly it, yeah.

 

It can work for a short time. It can work for a small number. It's generally the opposite of what I've often seen work, though.

[TheDeanAbides]

12 hours ago, MichMan123 said:

 

except not shanking!  I need a fix and that helps.

 

If you keep adding in new compensations you're going to find them hitting you in the backside. It looks like you're putting the work in to try and stop shanking, but if you put that work in less compensatory motions you're going to reap waaaaay better rewards. 

[ChaosTheory]

Btw I’ve found that different shoes create different heel-toe balance, and can cause me to shank.  Yes, really.  Warming up one day, wearing shoes that I don’t normally use, I was shanking everything.  I realized I felt off balance heel to toe.  I changed to my favorite shoes, went back to my warmup, and all was well.