the Pro
Golf tips from
What is it about the shank that makes
golfers panic? Three things: Firstly, it
looks such an awful shot! Second, they
don’t know what causes it; lastly, where
there’s one shank there tends to be
another
This is why
Because the ball darts right, most
golfers think an open clubface causes
the shank. But shanks usually come
from an excessively closed face. The
player swings out to in with the face
closing hard -- both actions push the
hosel closer to the ball (top). If the hosel
catches the ball, it’s shank shank, shank.
Solution: Put a tee peg just outside and
behind the ball (Approx 2x2 inches) to
learn to swing down from the inside.
What do most golfers do to prevent
the shank? They try to close the face
with the right hand through impact and
swing on an even more left path. This
only makes the path more out to in and
the face more closed -- increasing the
chances of another shank.
Try this drill. Place a tee peg just outside
the ball, and practice hitting wedges. If
you’re making a shank swing (out to in,
face closed), you’ll hit the tee peg. To
miss it, you’ll swing from the inside with
the face more square to the target line.
That’s the main way to beat the shanks.
It is worth noting that Shanks can also
happen from an excessive inside angle
of attack with the face open or by being
ahead of the ball with your body before
impact.
Therefore my main suggestion would be
to see a PGA professional and ask your
swing to go on camera and then you
can see for yourself the area you need to
work on.
By Lee Andrews
midsussexgolfclub.co.uk
107