Got The Shanks? 

Whether you are an experienced golfer or a novice the shank is something that can occur at just about any time.

While novice players have more of a tendency of hitting a golf swing shank than those who are more experienced and have a better technique, even someone as well versed as Tiger Woods has been known for occasional shank.

The better you are, the more experienced you are, the more embarrassing it is.

It can be almost comical watching the ball shoot out to the right at an absurd angle that is nowhere near the intended target when you hit a shank golf shot.

Some Practical Advice

The origin of the shank comes from the club and the body going around to early behind the body creating a flat backswing and open clubface. (Picture 1)

On the downswing the club starts down on an outside path with the arms getting too far away from the body. (Picture 2)

Through the ball the player try's to get the club back on the inside which leads to a high hand impact position and moves the club out onto the hosel. Resulting in a shank.( Picture 3)

The correct way to cure the shank is to fix the takeaway, in the early stages be sure to keep the club outside the hands. (Use a mirror to check this)

Then as you lift the club up the right arm needs to fold in the correct direction down, allowing the arms to drop on the same path as they went up on.

This keeps the shaft plane in the downswing flatter allowing the club to come around into the ball making contact on the center of the clubface.

Also players who begin to exhibit a shank usually have one thing in common: altered stances that focus on a leaning toward the toes. Instead of a properly balanced stance that seems stable and is solid through the back of the heels, the player rolls forward slightly on the balls of the feet or on the toes. This will throw off the swing just enough to where the ball hits the hosel.

The key to preventing a shank in is to concentrate on leaning back on the heels and lining up the shoulders and hips prior to swinging the club.

With the proper technique and the proper stance, the shank should disappear.