Shank Shot The Most Embarrassing Shot Made On The Golf Course

Shank Shot - The Most Embarrassing Shot Made On The Golf Course

Golf takes time and practice, especially when you are just starting out with the sport and are frustrated by common flawed shots, like the annoying slice or the dreaded hook, which essentially causes the ball to veer off severely left or right, instead of straight towards the intended target.

Then there is the "shank". The shank has got to be one of the most embarrassing shots a golf player can make. Look at it this way, hitting a shank is worse than missing a one or two-foot putt. This is one experience that you want to avoid at all costs!

What Causes The Shank?

You create a shank whenever you hit the golf ball with the "hosel" portion of the club, instead of the actual club face. When the ball hits the hosel, which is a thin and round surface, it is sent sharply to the left, or right, and hardly becomes airborne, traveling at the most 25 to 35 yards.

If you are shanking the ball too often on the golf course, the odds are very good that you are probably extending (pushing) the club out and away from the body on the downswing portion. Or you may be coming into the ball with a severe outside-in movement, which causes the hosel to come forward and hit the ball before the clubface can reach it.

In order to fix this problem, the first thing to do is be sure that your swing path is coming from the inside. By practicing this adjustment in your swing, the toe of the club will lead the hosel and your swing will come inside and out, producing a properly released clubhead, and the end result is a shankless shot.

Try This Practice Drill

You can easily train yourself to avoid hitting a shank with this simple, two-step drill:

1. Using 2 tees, place one into the ground where your ball would be placed. Take the second one and place it approximately 2 inches outside of the first tee.

2. Now you simply swing and aim for the first tee. Keep your swing easy and try to hit the first tee on target while completely missing the outside tee. If you are hitting both tees then you are pushing the club out and away from you. Keep on practicing until you are only hitting the first tee at each shot, thereby eliminating the shank with consecutive in-to-out swing paths.

 

 
Translate Page Into German Translate Page Into French Translate Page Into Italian Translate Page Into Portuguese Translate Page Into Spanish Translate Page Into Japanese Translate Page Into Korean

Golf Tips Videos

Free Weekly
Golf Tips!

More Articles

 

 

Search This Site

 

Related Products And FREE Videos





 

More Articles


How Important Is Swing Speed

... 90 mph when using his driver. A child golf player may only measure 40 to 50 mph when swinging his or her club. They are all perfectly suitable swing speeds for these individuals. Should Beginner Golfers Pay Any Attention To Swing Speed? As mentioned above, swing speed can vary tremendously between each ... 

Read Full Article  


Short Game Secrets For Bunker Shots Pitching & Putting

... take notice of the number of putts that are taken during the first nine holes as compared to the last nine. You will notice that they are far less. This is because by the time they reached the second half of the golf course, the players developed a feel for the green. In doing so, their minds are clear. ... 

Read Full Article  


Take Golf Lessons In The Comfort Of Your Own Home

... instruction material is becoming more and more popular these days. With almost everyone having a computer, you can get a lot of information about golf downloaded onto a CD or a DVD. The simplicity of reading and learning golf tips from a computer program with one click of the mouse is appealing to many ... 

Read Full Article  


How Two Simple Changes In Your Swing Technique Can End Your Slice Forever

... tremendously. To help you with a simple tip on ending your slicing problems forever, follow the easy and practical set of instructions as outlined below. But first, as a quick disclaimer, while the following technique will work for most of you, I cannot guarantee that every single player will follow these ... 

Read Full Article  


The Difference Between The Chip & Pitch Shot

... fact, beginner golfers will spend 90% of their time making off-target shots which then lead to recovery shots. In order to score well you must learn to recover from these off-target shots. In other words, great recovery shots are the result of well-made chip and pitch hits. No matter how accurate and ... 

Read Full Article