36 replies to this topic

[Optima Golf]

Hey guys,

I have developed my first case of the shanks.  I am a 10.7 HC and I have never had a problem with shanks until last weekend.  Shanked all balls at the range on friday and then shanked all balls on the course durring our round.  Went back to the range next day and shanked again and then shanked all balls on the next round we played..  I can't figure out why I am doing it.

For some reason my wrist feels weird in my backswing but maybe it is me thinking to much after shanking the ball a ton.  At address and the top of my backswing it feels like my wrist are rolling the wrong way.  Watching these videos versus old videos when i was hitting the ball normal, it has the same amount of wrist cup I usually have.

Below are two videos.  one shank and one hit solid.  Both videos look to be the same swing, turn etc but one shanks (like it did for the past 4 days now) and one is good.
Sorry for the terrible videos.  wasn't planing on filming anything so we broke out the camera phone real quick.

Here is a video of a shank


Here is a video of a normal swing.


Thanks guys.

[Optima Golf]

Old video of 7 iron swing.

[Meanmachinemoe]

Take away looks too inside. Also, having your right wrist cupped has cause casting which can lead to a shank. Try this drill. take a head cover and place it next to the ball. Focus on swinging inside the hc. But, in my opinion, your coming too far inside on your backswing.

[MadGolfer76]

Vids are set to private, hommes. It is a nice security function to protect the public from outbreaks of shanks, seeing as how watching someone poot a couple shanks out there is how the shanks are transmitted in the first place. Only those who have had shanks are immune from another case of el hoseleros. With my shanks in currently remission, I would be happy to watch your vids (okay, not happy), but you have to take them off private first.

[rymail00]

can not see the videos in the first post and it says they are private

[Meanmachinemoe]

MadGolfer76, on 19 November 2012 - 11:03 PM, said:

Vids are set to private, hommes. It is a nice security function to protect the public from outbreaks of shanks, seeing as how watching someone poot a couple shanks out there is how the shanks are transmitted in the first place. Only those who have had shanks are immune from another case of el hoseleros. With my shanks in currently remission, I would be happy to watch your vids (okay, not happy), but you have to take them off private first.

watch the second video and after it will give you links to 3 of his shanks videos.

[Optima Golf]

Shoot, sorry about that.  I just made them public.

[xabia]

You may not be able to tell but in the shank video you come out of your swing about a fraction early and everything shoots out to the right.. funny you posted this bc I am prone to the el hosel and have been playing a LOT lately. Saturday I had an early round in the cold on a soaked course and was even par through 5 holes and had a 7 iron in the middle of fairway and BAM shankasourus came about and there went the round. I didn't really worry too much and went to the range yesterday and hit about 300 balls without one. I think sometimes in my case I simply get way to fast and lose overall stability which leads to me coming out of the shot just that fraction early, both with my head looking up to see the result and a subsequent body sway that accompanies it. It's tough but trust your game and how many thousands of shots you have hit well and it will be ok. Good luck

[Guia]

Your a little to far inside with downswing and take away. Also, it looks like in the shank video you have
too much body movement and leaning forward toward the ball.  

Check your distance from the ball and stand a little taller and don't lean in on the strike.

[Optima Golf]

Guia,

This was my guess after watching them over and over.  I have always had an inside takeaway and can play pretty well with it.  sometimes i get stuck going over the top but never shank.  It does look like I am moving towards the ball instead of the target on the downswing.

The weird thing is just swinging the club in my living room now, nothing feels normal.  Oh the joys of mental golf.

[chiva]

On the shank swing I see a bit of goat humping which will fo sho give u da shanks. Maintain your spine angle better and don't thrust your pelvis at the ball and the shanks should go into remission. That's my Rx for you. Now, take your medicine:)

[Guia]

I have a bad habit of getting too inside and ahead of my swing.  I can relate.

[Optima Golf]

The weird thing is when i try and do just the slightest fraction of a swing, like to about 7 oclock, i will still hosel the ball.   Even when im chipping.

[xabia]

That's because I guarantee you are anxious to see the ballflight on those shots and are lifting your head especially while in a bout of shanking. Try maintaining the most stable base you can and forcing a count of one after impact to not check the ballfight.

It's most likely a combo of goathumping to the extreme and head movement

[Cmartingolf]

Optima, left wrist is cupped at the top. Face is wide open, you are avoiding a right shot with OTT and early extension. Fix the wrist conditions and you won't need to be OTT to avoid hitting it right.  

Too close, too far, is hooey. Yes, possible, but a good striker can hit three golf balls in a row on different target lines without moving his feet at all... Here's a video that may help:

[JPeacockGolf]

Mr optima, I hate to break this news to you but the test results came back...... You have shankapotametheosis ... This is a severe form of the shanks brought on by hitting more shanks in an attempt to cure your shanks.  We are going to have to transfer you to a facility better equipped to handle your case.

[Mountaineer]

Do you have any recordings that are face on? I have a hunch, but would like to see a face on video before I jump to conclusions.

[Optima Golf]

i do not right now no.

martin,  i have always had a bit of a cup. you can see in the 7 iron video it is cupped but striking the ball well.  I feel like it is something in my wrist and/or grip because at the top of the backswing it feels like my wrist is cupping even more and almost feels like it is restricting my wrist hinge.

As i stand in my living room and try and swing I can feel it.  It feels like my right hand rolls forward and my left wrist cups.  Funny thing is when i let my right elbow fly a little more rather than be tucked it feels complete normal and i swing and release.

I could just be over thinking all of this way too much.

[Cmartingolf]

Optima Golf, on 20 November 2012 - 12:48 AM, said:

i do not right now no.

martin,  i have always had a bit of a cup. you can see in the 7 iron video it is cupped but striking the ball well.  I feel like it is something in my wrist and/or grip because at the top of the backswing it feels like my wrist is cupping even more and almost feels like it is restricting my wrist hinge.

As i stand in my living room and try and swing I can feel it.  It feels like my right hand rolls forward and my left wrist cups.  Funny thing is when i let my right elbow fly a little more rather than be tucked it feels complete normal and i swing and release.

I could just be over thinking all of this way too much.

If I put you on Trackman, I bet I'd see excessive swing direction numbers on the negative side (left). My quick look says wrist conditions. If you can't bare to change that, then lets attack path directly.. Feel like your weight stays on your left foot more throughout your swing AND keep your left knee flexed during your downswing, almost to impact. That should get your path from getting outside your target line too much. If you hit it right doing this, you'll know you need a face correction via grip and wrist conditions. Good luck, you'll get though it.

[Kadin 25]

Guia, on 19 November 2012 - 11:21 PM, said:

Your a little to far inside with downswing and take away. Also, it looks like in the shank video you have
too much body movement and leaning forward toward the ball.  

Check your distance from the ball and stand a little taller and don't lean in on the strike.

+1 This is what I saw.

[Optima Golf]

Cmartingolf, on 20 November 2012 - 08:23 AM, said:

Optima Golf, on 20 November 2012 - 12:48 AM, said:

i do not right now no.

martin,  i have always had a bit of a cup. you can see in the 7 iron video it is cupped but striking the ball well.  I feel like it is something in my wrist and/or grip because at the top of the backswing it feels like my wrist is cupping even more and almost feels like it is restricting my wrist hinge.

As i stand in my living room and try and swing I can feel it.  It feels like my right hand rolls forward and my left wrist cups.  Funny thing is when i let my right elbow fly a little more rather than be tucked it feels complete normal and i swing and release.

I could just be over thinking all of this way too much.

If I put you on Trackman, I bet I'd see excessive swing direction numbers on the negative side (left). My quick look says wrist conditions. If you can't bare to change that, then lets attack path directly.. Feel like your weight stays on your left foot more throughout your swing AND keep your left knee flexed during your downswing, almost to impact. That should get your path from getting outside your target line too much. If you hit it right doing this, you'll know you need a face correction via grip and wrist conditions. Good luck, you'll get though it.

Thanks!  The wrist condition is what my head is stuck on for the what the problem is.   Not to mention all the other things pointed out haha.

Just gonna get out there and play some more.  I will keep you guys posted but I will for sure work on the cupping of the wrist and the inside take away.

thanks guys.

[Optima Golf]

Cmartingolf, on 20 November 2012 - 08:23 AM, said:

Optima Golf, on 20 November 2012 - 12:48 AM, said:

i do not right now no.

martin,  i have always had a bit of a cup. you can see in the 7 iron video it is cupped but striking the ball well.  I feel like it is something in my wrist and/or grip because at the top of the backswing it feels like my wrist is cupping even more and almost feels like it is restricting my wrist hinge.

As i stand in my living room and try and swing I can feel it.  It feels like my right hand rolls forward and my left wrist cups.  Funny thing is when i let my right elbow fly a little more rather than be tucked it feels complete normal and i swing and release.

I could just be over thinking all of this way too much.

If I put you on Trackman, I bet I'd see excessive swing direction numbers on the negative side (left). My quick look says wrist conditions. If you can't bare to change that, then lets attack path directly.. Feel like your weight stays on your left foot more throughout your swing AND keep your left knee flexed during your downswing, almost to impact. That should get your path from getting outside your target line too much. If you hit it right doing this, you'll know you need a face correction via grip and wrist conditions. Good luck, you'll get though it.

Forgot to ask.  Do you have any drills or points to fix the wrist condition?  I feel like my right palm is hinging towards me instead of up like holding a dinner plate.  when it does that it literally pushes my left wrist to the point where it feels like it locks my arms up.

Thanks again.

[muddy62]

Looks to me like you're not "standing the club" in your backswing. What I mean is that when the club reaches the point where the it is vertical (from the face on view) the butt of the club should point at, or very close to the target line. On your shanked shot it's pointing well outside of the target line but is much better on the second video and the 7-iron video. Manuel de la Torre calls this "left-hand dominance". What actually happens is that your left hand overpowers your right on the backswing and uses it as a pivot causing your hands to move away from you while flipping the club head toward the inside. He prescribes focusing on using both hands as a unit in the backswing. Tom Watson also addresses this issue on his video where he says to "keep the hands in and the club head out in the backswing.

[muddy62]

Meant to say not "standing the club UP" in the prior post.

[Bwell]

I just got rid of the shanks "knock on wood".

Look at your hip/leg movement in the first video and compare it to the second video.  Your hips are out alignment with your shoulders, you aren’t allowing your hips to rotate with your shoulders.  This is how I got rid of my shanks, hope this helps.

[SunkTheBirdie]

Here are some videos about types of shanks and how to fix them.

[SunkTheBirdie]

[joekelli]

<p>sorry but I have to do this....  LOL<br />
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</p>

Edited by joekelli, 21 November 2012 - 02:35 PM.

[Optima Golf]

Hahah... that is all i can think of when i shank is that movie.

Turns out i was cupping my wrist soooooo bad out of no where it was shanking the hell out of the ball.  Not sure how it started or why I couldn't stop it but we worked on it today along with my transition and had a shank free day.

for some reason my right wrist was taking over and it was bending my left wrist soo far forward where it would lock my arms up not allowing me to release.  so now im working on getting my right palm under the golf club more on the top of my backswing.  not out of the woods just yet but was striking the ball good today.

[Shane1]

My 2cents... Goat humping....  your pelvis is thrusting and your coming out of the shot and losing spine angle before impact. Concentrate on FEELING your first move from the top of the swing being that your left butt cheeck moves back and level with your right cheeck so the they align themselves parallel to the target line. This will help ensure that your pelvis does not lunge towards the target line before you make contact. Good luck with your other corrections as well.