Shankers Anonymous

[powerdraw]

so how do you teach someone how to stop shanking?

[KevCarter]

Thanks Kev


Wondering if there would be any benefit to it anyways.

OB

It would make us teachers more $$$ as we would be able to spend all day fixing shanks!

Kevin

[powerdraw]

so i ask again, why do golfers shank and how do you stop them from doing so.

[golfgnome]

so i ask again, why do golfers shank and how do you stop them from doing so.

There are a multitude of reasons why golfers shank. Giving one reason is not possible. However, there are a few things I do with students that has given some positive results:

1. Get them to set up at impact fix - most golfers do not know how "far" they need to be from the ball. The weight of the club and the speed it is swung will "stretch the club" away from the player. Most of the time the player is simply standing to close.

2. Ball Position - many times a player has the ball to far back in their stance so there is not enough time for the clubface to square up.

3. Open clubface - players who shank tend to have "weak" grips or tend to open the clubface to much on the backswing. A good anti-shank drill I have used is to get the clubface very shut. It is virtually impossible to shank the ball with a closed clubface.

I hope this helps.

[YodasLuke]

so i ask again, why do golfers shank and how do you stop them from doing so.

Most of the shanks that I see are Off Plane motions. It's seldom that I see shanks from those that are under Plane. Most are from those that are experts at Roundhousing. I've seen a few that had the ability to shank the ball as a result of a faulty Release motion, causing a bending of the Plane Line.

[Dariusz J.]

In view of the former discussion in Jeff's thread concerning where the axis of club's rotation is placed, and assuming that the axis goes through the invisible point that constitutes the center of MOI of the whole club (that can often go through the so-called sweetspot of the clubhead):

a. people shank because there is no space enough to allow the rotation around this axis occur in a right place - the scenario when a golfer stands too close to the ball;

b. people shank because there is no time enough to allow the rotation around this axis occur in the right time - the scenario when a golfer delivers the clubface parallelly to the swing arc too long (the axis of rotation is behind the hosel).

Additionally, from my experience ad. point b. --> it can usually happen when a golfer is afraid of a too closed clubhead at impact; it happened to me often when I tried to fade the ball despite my serious inside path of approach to the ball.

Does this post make sense from a TGM perspective ?

Cheers

[Yoda]

Most of the shanks that I see are Off Plane motions. It's seldom that I see shanks from those that are under Plane. Most are from those that are experts at Roundhousing.

Agreed, Ted. That right shoulder rotates viciously Above Plane and pulls the Hands with it. Typically, Lag Pressure is non-existent, and the Clubhead approaches the ball steeply and from well outside the Line. So, the question becomes . . .

How do you restore order to this catastrophic mishmash of Plane and Sequencing?

Emphatically, there is no one way. In fact, it most often takes a combination of remedies before the cure is in place. I will usually begin by having the afflicted patient hit short chip shots with his right arm only. Note that I said short chip shots, not full half swings.

Actually, I start with the student just brushing the ground -- no ball -- with the Right Forearm, Bent Right Wrist and Lag Pressure Point leading the way. Let a little Hip Action help the Right Forearm, but keep the Shoulders square through Impact and brush a straight line. Brush a straight line.

Brush.

Brush.

Then, do the same thing, but with a ball.

Brush.

Brush.

I have never seen a person shank a ball making this motion. They often do immediately when the left hand goes back on, but never when the Stroke is made with only the Right Forearm. Sometimes, this drill is all it takes to set things right. More often, it opens the door to isolating and correcting other causal factors, e.g., that pesky Off Plane Right Shoulder.

Here, carefully controlled Start Down Waggles are invaluable. I'll have the student stop at the Top of his Stroke -- more often than not, some adjustment is necessary here -- then I go 'hands on' and have him pull the butt end of the club directly toward the Line until the Hands are approximately chest-high. Then, return to the Top. In other words, we're executing a 'pumping' action that gets the Power Package started down in the 'slot'. This drill emphasizes the start of the Downstroke and should be repeated many times.

Summing up, I start by emphasizing the desired end result; namely, the On Plane 'tracing' of the Right Forearm and Club through Impact. Then, establishing an On Plane Top of the Right Shoulder, Hands and Club. Finally, ingraining a Start Down Motion that maintains these alignments during the Downstroke.

To eliminate Shanking, you need to build a sound Golf Stroke. These ideas will help you do it.

[YodasLuke]

Agreed, Ted. That right shoulder rotates viciously Above Plane and pulls the Hands with it. Typically, Lag Pressure is non-existent, and the Clubhead approaches the ball steeply and from well outside the Line. So, the question becomes . . .

How do you restore order to this catastrophic mishmash of Plane and Sequencing?

Emphatically, there is no one way. In fact, it most often takes a combination of remedies before the cure is in place. I will usually begin by having the afflicted patient hit short chip shots with his right arm only. Note that I said short chip shots, not full half swings.

Actually, I start with the student just brushing the ground -- no ball -- with the Right Forearm, Bent Right Wrist and Lag Pressure Point leading the way. Let a little Hip Action help the Right Forearm, but keep the Shoulders square through Impact and brush a straight line. Brush a straight line.

Brush.

Brush.

Then, do the same thing, but with a ball.

Brush.

Brush.

I have never seen a person shank a ball making this motion. They often do immediately when the left hand goes back on, but never when the Stroke is made with only the Right Forearm. Sometimes, this drill is all it takes to set things right. More often, it opens the door to isolating and correcting other causal factors, e.g., that pesky Off Plane Right Shoulder.

Here, carefully controlled Start Down Waggles are invaluable. I'll have the student stop at the Top of his Stroke -- more often than not, some adjustment is necessary here -- then I go 'hands on' and have him pull the butt end of the club directly toward the Line until the Hands are approximately chest-high. Then, return to the Top. In other words, we're executing a 'pumping' action that gets the Power Package started down in the 'slot'. This drill emphasizes the start of the Downstroke and should be repeated many times.

Summing up, I start by emphasizing the desired end result; namely, the On Plane 'tracing' of the Right Forearm and Club through Impact. Then, establishing an On Plane Top of the Right Shoulder, Hands and Club. Finally, ingraining a Start Down Motion that maintains these alignments during the Downstroke.

To eliminate Shanking, you need to build a sound Golf Stroke. These ideas will help you do it.

I'm sure you remember my student Kris, who played professional baseball. He'll be 62 in March, and he's only getting better. He's a great athlete, and he can hit it ridiculously far. I was playing with him at his club when he hit it within 80 yards of the green, on a 437 yard hole. You could have built a Super Wal-Mart between our drives. I think I had 145 to the flag, so the difference was amazing.

There are times that he gets into the shanks. Baseball players are their own breed. So, he’s one that won’t mention the word SHANK, as if merely mentioning the word will cause it to happen again. I always tell him that the problem is geometrically and physically based and that it has nothing to do with magic or demonic possession.

It’s tough to change his motion, because he’s had such success with his old stroke. We’ve worked hard on his stroke, so he’s become a very low handicap. And, distance has never been a problem for him. But, his shanks stem from a combination of motions that allows him to play well. He plays with a compensated stroke pattern.

Everyone knows that professional baseball players are able to Pivot well. But, the baseball pivot is more horizontal in nature, so the ball can be hit in the strike zone. In golf, the movement of the right shoulder works much more on an inclined Plane. So, he has two things that work very well together, but they don’t work well when they are apart:

1. He crosses the line at End, in preparation for an under Plane stroke.
2. His Right Shoulder moves over Plane in the Downstroke.

When the over Plane and the under Plane average out, he plays well. When the over is more than the under, he shanks it. When the under is more than the over, he can hit some of his shorter shots fat. I’m sure not many will cry a river when he’s able to shoot in the low 70's with an occasional 69, but he has the ability to go very low.

[alex_chung]

Agreed, Ted. That right shoulder rotates viciously Above Plane and pulls the Hands with it. Typically, Lag Pressure is non-existent, and the Clubhead approaches the ball steeply and from well outside the Line. So, the question becomes . . .

How do you restore order to this catastrophic mishmash of Plane and Sequencing?

Emphatically, there is no one way. In fact, it most often takes a combination of remedies before the cure is in place. I will usually begin by having the afflicted patient hit short chip shots with his right arm only. Note that I said short chip shots, not full half swings.

Actually, I start with the student just brushing the ground -- no ball -- with the Right Forearm, Bent Right Wrist and Lag Pressure Point leading the way. Let a little Hip Action help the Right Forearm, but keep the Shoulders square through Impact and brush a straight line. Brush a straight line.

Brush.

Brush.

Then, do the same thing, but with a ball.

Brush.

Brush.

I have never seen a person shank a ball making this motion. They often do immediately when the left hand goes back on, but never when the Stroke is made with only the Right Forearm. Sometimes, this drill is all it takes to set things right. More often, it opens the door to isolating and correcting other causal factors, e.g., that pesky Off Plane Right Shoulder.

Here, carefully controlled Start Down Waggles are invaluable. I'll have the student stop at the Top of his Stroke -- more often than not, some adjustment is necessary here -- then I go 'hands on' and have him pull the butt end of the club directly toward the Line until the Hands are approximately chest-high. Then, return to the Top. In other words, we're executing a 'pumping' action that gets the Power Package started down in the 'slot'. This drill emphasizes the start of the Downstroke and should be repeated many times.

Summing up, I start by emphasizing the desired end result; namely, the On Plane 'tracing' of the Right Forearm and Club through Impact. Then, establishing an On Plane Top of the Right Shoulder, Hands and Club. Finally, ingraining a Start Down Motion that maintains these alignments during the Downstroke.

To eliminate Shanking, you need to build a sound Golf Stroke. These ideas will help you do it.

That sounds familiar my friend. I seem to remember doing a lot of these when we first worked together. Another nugget that I need to write down and remember.
Alex

[KevCarter]

Yoda,

You and your web Professionals are unbelievable. The posts in the shank thread are going to be INVALUABLE to my progress as a teacher. Unbelievably wonderful information from all of you.

Thanks for taking the time!

Kevin