Weekly lessons sound like hell to me. Takes me a good 4 or 5 weeks to implement any of the changes made from a lesson. Sounds like the shanks are just in your brain, the more you think about them the worse they get. Try playing with no expectations. Maybe drop the lessons for a couple of weeks.
If you are shanking during your lessons, maybe ask the pro? Or find a new one.
I start shanking when I take the club back around my body, instead of straight back and up.
Exactly. So you are shanking 75% of the time during your lessons and instead of fixing it it’s spread to the course. I wouldn’t ask this pro. Get a new pro.
Sounds like myself. Broke my 9-hole PR of 38 this summer and simultaneously shot my highest 9-hole score of 62 with a round of complete shanks in the same season. If you can avoid the golf itch, usually a two week hiatus to get rid of bad swing habits is what helps me.
(I’m playing off a 15 these days)
Something is likely inconsistent in your:
-grip
-stance
-posture
-alignment
You’re shanking at lessons. I assume you’re shanking at the range? Make sure the above 4 are consistent each time. With those 4 consistent, try to vary where on the face you’re hitting the ball. Try and hit 2 perfect, 2 off the toe, 2 off the heel. If you shank it, try and replicate it.
What does your teaching pro suggest is happening? What does the pro suggest you do to fix it? It worries me you’re coming here for advice if you’re taking lessons that frequently.
I also listened as I just came off a soul crushing week of shanks and slices and it cheered me up.
I hit 2 shanks today but better than 4 the round before.
I play off a 7 and still “shank” the ball at least once per 9 holes. If shank is defined as very poor contact. The key to being a better golfer is to react more neutrally to it when it happens and move on. Don’t compound mistakes.
Better golf is less doubles and more pars.
Always going to be around but finding the cause is important. Mine was my body was shifting towards the ball thus my swing path was off and I hit the heel. Took advice from my coach and two hours in a sim watching my shank over and over each time I did it. When body shifts forward leaves no room for your hands to come thru. I had to put my club four inches short of the ball and swing and I was shifting so much I would hit the ball swinging to the spot four inches in front of the ball. Crazy. Once I saw the root cause which my coach had guessed (I would never shank with him ). Then I was able to keep that in mind if I did shank one so I would come off the rails and go to dark thought Ville.
Yes. Caught them at the end of the year last year and it fucked up the last few nines of my league season. I work with a former golf coach and his five second tip was to just back a half ball or a ball more away from the ball and line it up toward the toe a little more. After taking the winter off here in th Midwest and a couple half hr range trips and just focusing on alignment and standing a little more upright and I'm actually shooting better this year. The main cause is hitting the ball on your rounded hosel or heel of the ball. The rounded edge makes it come out sideways.
I had a dose of them, and whilst there are multiple reasons why it occurs, mine was specific and indentified and diagnosed by my 'coach'. He showed what I needed to do to0 remedy it, I put that in place and bingo, they were gone...
I just went through this. Had the shanks for about 4 months. I spent the whole time in the back yard hitting into the net trying to muscle memory the feeling of letting my hands drop in stead of casting. Took a while but I got over it. Just keep practicing the right things.
Stick a tee in the ground about 1½ inches on the inside of the ball ( between you and the ball).. Try to hit both the ball and the tee at the same time. Works for me...
Yes.
A year ago I was a 23. Finally committed to some lessons last summer, got down to an 18. Took more lessons in the late fall/early winter to get proper weight transition in my swing and to try banishing my baseball swing for good. Shanks started materializing then. Some range sessions involved zero balls going straight and rage quitting.
More lessons this spring solved the issue—I was getting off plane at takeaway and then too shallow with my swing, not getting my hands down/in enough. What had happened was in getting my weight back properly had started swinging my hands back and getting off plane, and then my swing muscle memory was coming back too far outside. I had to really rewire my muscle memory to stay on plane (front shoulder down at takeaway) and get my hands back in on the swing, and it felt really weird for awhile. I’d have shanks where I’d swear my arms couldn’t get any more in, had to force myself to swing even steeper. No joke for awhile my swing thought was “cut your dick off” bc that’s how far inside it felt like I had to swing. And lo and behold there was room down there [insert joke here]!
Now it feels normal again. It’s not 100% locked in muscle memory, especially takeaway, but I’m out of the darkness. There’s hope, just keep grinding!
I think the most common cause is too much weight toward your toes. Every issue in golf can have a ton of causes. It’s kind of impossible to tell you what’s happening without seeing a swing.
For what it's worth, I find they occur if I don't turn enough back and through the swing.
Especially true on shortish chips/pitches where I think the target's not far enough to warrant any body turn.
So my swing thought is to lock my elbows into my body on takeaway so that the club only moves if I turn, and turn back through.
But as others have said, many reasons and potential fixes.
Have you tried turning your hat backwards, putting all your spare change in your left pocket and putting a tee behind your ear?
Don’t forget to double knot your left shoe.
He will look like a fool.
at 13, are you just not counting the shanks?
As above, they’ve never actually appeared on the course, until this weekend… I expect that 13 to rise rapidly and quickly if nothing changes!
Weekly lessons sound like hell to me. Takes me a good 4 or 5 weeks to implement any of the changes made from a lesson. Sounds like the shanks are just in your brain, the more you think about them the worse they get. Try playing with no expectations. Maybe drop the lessons for a couple of weeks.
If you are shanking during your lessons, maybe ask the pro? Or find a new one. I start shanking when I take the club back around my body, instead of straight back and up.
Exactly. So you are shanking 75% of the time during your lessons and instead of fixing it it’s spread to the course. I wouldn’t ask this pro. Get a new pro.
Sounds like myself. Broke my 9-hole PR of 38 this summer and simultaneously shot my highest 9-hole score of 62 with a round of complete shanks in the same season. If you can avoid the golf itch, usually a two week hiatus to get rid of bad swing habits is what helps me. (I’m playing off a 15 these days)
Man I wish I could help. I will be having a good round, then BAM I hit one. Now it's in my head living rent free. If you find the cure let me know.
Something is likely inconsistent in your: -grip -stance -posture -alignment You’re shanking at lessons. I assume you’re shanking at the range? Make sure the above 4 are consistent each time. With those 4 consistent, try to vary where on the face you’re hitting the ball. Try and hit 2 perfect, 2 off the toe, 2 off the heel. If you shank it, try and replicate it. What does your teaching pro suggest is happening? What does the pro suggest you do to fix it? It worries me you’re coming here for advice if you’re taking lessons that frequently.
Just listened to a great podcast on the shanks by no laying up. 100% worth a listen.
I also listened as I just came off a soul crushing week of shanks and slices and it cheered me up. I hit 2 shanks today but better than 4 the round before.
For good? There is never for good with those things. They will unexpectedly pop in for a nice hello once in a while.
You can fix them temporarily, but you will never fully cure the shanks.
Shorten your golf clubs 1/2”
I play off a 7 and still “shank” the ball at least once per 9 holes. If shank is defined as very poor contact. The key to being a better golfer is to react more neutrally to it when it happens and move on. Don’t compound mistakes. Better golf is less doubles and more pars.
Shanks are hands moving out to the ball and an open face. That’s how you fix it. Close the face, work the hands away from the ball around yourself.
Always going to be around but finding the cause is important. Mine was my body was shifting towards the ball thus my swing path was off and I hit the heel. Took advice from my coach and two hours in a sim watching my shank over and over each time I did it. When body shifts forward leaves no room for your hands to come thru. I had to put my club four inches short of the ball and swing and I was shifting so much I would hit the ball swinging to the spot four inches in front of the ball. Crazy. Once I saw the root cause which my coach had guessed (I would never shank with him ). Then I was able to keep that in mind if I did shank one so I would come off the rails and go to dark thought Ville.
Yes. Caught them at the end of the year last year and it fucked up the last few nines of my league season. I work with a former golf coach and his five second tip was to just back a half ball or a ball more away from the ball and line it up toward the toe a little more. After taking the winter off here in th Midwest and a couple half hr range trips and just focusing on alignment and standing a little more upright and I'm actually shooting better this year. The main cause is hitting the ball on your rounded hosel or heel of the ball. The rounded edge makes it come out sideways.
I had a dose of them, and whilst there are multiple reasons why it occurs, mine was specific and indentified and diagnosed by my 'coach'. He showed what I needed to do to0 remedy it, I put that in place and bingo, they were gone...
Not shanks, but I went from a yippy short game player to having an asset around the greens. Requires systematic change and a new mindset
I just went through this. Had the shanks for about 4 months. I spent the whole time in the back yard hitting into the net trying to muscle memory the feeling of letting my hands drop in stead of casting. Took a while but I got over it. Just keep practicing the right things.
Stick a tee in the ground about 1½ inches on the inside of the ball ( between you and the ball).. Try to hit both the ball and the tee at the same time. Works for me...
Yes. A year ago I was a 23. Finally committed to some lessons last summer, got down to an 18. Took more lessons in the late fall/early winter to get proper weight transition in my swing and to try banishing my baseball swing for good. Shanks started materializing then. Some range sessions involved zero balls going straight and rage quitting. More lessons this spring solved the issue—I was getting off plane at takeaway and then too shallow with my swing, not getting my hands down/in enough. What had happened was in getting my weight back properly had started swinging my hands back and getting off plane, and then my swing muscle memory was coming back too far outside. I had to really rewire my muscle memory to stay on plane (front shoulder down at takeaway) and get my hands back in on the swing, and it felt really weird for awhile. I’d have shanks where I’d swear my arms couldn’t get any more in, had to force myself to swing even steeper. No joke for awhile my swing thought was “cut your dick off” bc that’s how far inside it felt like I had to swing. And lo and behold there was room down there [insert joke here]! Now it feels normal again. It’s not 100% locked in muscle memory, especially takeaway, but I’m out of the darkness. There’s hope, just keep grinding!
I think the most common cause is too much weight toward your toes. Every issue in golf can have a ton of causes. It’s kind of impossible to tell you what’s happening without seeing a swing.
The odd one sneaks into my game and it’s too much weight on the toes.
For what it's worth, I find they occur if I don't turn enough back and through the swing. Especially true on shortish chips/pitches where I think the target's not far enough to warrant any body turn. So my swing thought is to lock my elbows into my body on takeaway so that the club only moves if I turn, and turn back through. But as others have said, many reasons and potential fixes.
Head down