The six small letters "shanks" make any golfer feel afraid. They are like a disease and it may take months for you to get rid of them.
Being 100 yards out of the tee in the middle of the fairway and then having a triple on your card may be devastating. To get rid of them, it may take months.
The good news is that shanks won't bother you too much. You'll dig deep into the reasons behind the shanks and learn how to permanently remove them from your game in this blog.
What is a Shank?
A shank is when the golf ball impacts the hosel rather than the clubface. This causes the ball to shoot off to the right at a 45-degree angle.
What Causes Shanks?
As mentioned before, a shank is produced when the hosel makes contact with the golf ball. Fixing the problem, however, requires knowing what produces this interaction. If you want to see what happens at impact and figure out why you shank, you should video your swing in slow motion.
Know what kind of shank you have. The most common reasons are:
Poor Address Position: Standing too close or too far from the ball can affect your swing path. This misalignment can cause the hosel to strike the ball, leading to a shank. Also make note of where your weight is in your feet at address, too often do players have their weight set too much in their heels which leads to the body wanting to counter balance during the swing towards the toes getting the player closer to the ball.
Insecure or Improper Grip: A weak or inconsistent grip can cause the club to twist in your hands during the swing. If this happens, the clubface won’t be properly aligned at impact, and you may hit the hosel instead of the clubface, leading to a shank.
Incorrect Swing Path: An overly aggressive downswing or swinging too much from the inside or swinging too much from the outside on the way down can cause the hosel to come in contact with the ball.
You can determine your swing path and spot any issues with the aid of a golf analysis app on your phone or tablet. Pay attention to making sure your clubhead on the backswing does not move excessively to the inside or outside on your backswing.
How to Fix Shanks?
POOR ADDRESS POSITION
Firstly, you need to understand how far to stand from the ball, as this could be the cause of your problem. If you stand too close, you'll lose your spine angle in the downswing. This will cause you to lift out of the shot and hit an open-faced shank.
Conversely, if you stand too far away from the ball, the momentum of the swing will likely cause you to lean into the ball through impact, with the shank a common result.
Your weight being too much in the heels will cause you to rebalance towards the toes on the downswing and momentum will continue to pull you towards the ball as your swing.
DRILL: Take your address position and let go of the club with your lead hand (target side), let your arm hang loose like a wet noodle from your shoulder, does your hand hang between the grip and your body, does it hang too far out in front of the club or does your hand hang just right where you can grip the club with a little bit of space at the end of the club? Do this little test to see if you’re standing at the right distance away from the ball.
UNSTABLE GRIP
The next checkpoint relates to your grip, and more importantly, your grip pressure.
Having a neutral, or 'perfect' golf grip, will help you to stop shanking the golf ball. Some players have such a light grip pressure that the club moves in their hands during the swing.
To check your grip pressure, place some grass firstly on top of your lead thumb and then between the butt of the club and the pad of your lead hand. This grass should remain in place during the swing. If your grip pressure is too light it is likely to fall out.
SWING PATH
Understanding your swing path will help you to assess your strike patterns, including those that you are unhappy with. Most golfers hope to have a path that is a little more from in to out, but this belief can make players whip the club away on the inside during the takeaway.
From this position on the backswing, the only way to get the club back to the ball is with an over-the-top swing motion. This causes an out-to-in path, the opposite of what the player wanted, with the hosel of the club being presented to the ball.
DRILL: Set-up with an alignment rod in the ground matching the angle of the club shaft at address. Place the alignment rod in the ground just far away enough to where you can tap it with the club in the takeaway. Trace the clubhead up the top side on the backswing and the bottom side on the downswing.
EARLY EXTENSION
The final of the common golf shank cause to consider is an early extension. This refers to when your hips move towards the ball in the downswing. It has the effect of cramping you through impact and forcing the hosel to lead into the ball.
Part of the issue here may well relate to core and glute strength. You need the strength in your midriff to be able to maintain your posture throughout the swing. Performing some simple golf core and glute exercises should help.
There is also a good drill you can use for this on the range with an alignment stick or at home, without a golf club. DRILL: Stand upright against a wall and then take your normal golf posture so your backside is in contact with the wall at the address (if you are doing this at the range, place an alignment stick behind you). Now take a practice swing but, crucially, ensure your backside remains in contact with the wall through the would-be impact area. You may even feel like you are pushing your backswing further into the wall or alignment stick by using your lead leg and pushing from the lead ball of the foot. On these practice swings use a tee in the ground to replace the ball, as you swing down push from your lead foot/leg so your backside pushes into the wall or alignment stick and that your club moves to the inside (between you and the tee) on the downswing. I call this the “swing and miss” drill, you are currently “shanking” it off the hosel, so we want to feel the opposite on the way down and miss to the inside towards the toe of the club.
If you tend to move your hips excessively towards the ball, this drill will highlight it. You'll also quickly get a sense of what it feels like to retain your posture. Performing this move regularly will help.
In addition to the drill above you can also do this on any slope where the ball/tee will feel below your feet. Imagine pushing yourself up the slope behind you vs. early extending and falling down the slope towards the ball.
Also Read: 3 Simple Steps to Cure Your Slice
Conclusion
Shanks are the bane of any golfer's game, often caused by improper address positions, weak grip pressure, or an inconsistent swing path. The good news? With targeted drills and adjustments, you can eliminate them for good.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What precisely is a shank in golf?
A shank happens when the golf ball contacts the hosel of the club rather than the clubface, forcing the ball to swerve sharply to the right at a 45-degree angle.
Which factors frequently lead to a shank?
An erroneous swing path, an insecure grip, an inaccurate address position, or early extension during the downswing are some of the common causes of shanks.
How can I improve my golf game and avoid shanks?
Golfers should optimize their swing path, keep a steady grip, maintain the right distance from the ball, and strengthen their core to maintain posture during the swing to avoid shanks. Effective drills include practicing against a wall or with alignment sticks.
Also Read: How to Get Your Junior Golfer Started?
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