The dreaded
“S” word. It happens to all of us. What is a shank? Many golfers
believe it’s a shot that’s struck off the toe of the club, when
it’s actually hit off the inside area of the clubhead, the
hosel.
The dreaded “S” word. It happens to all of us. What is a shank? Many golfers believe it’s a shot that’s struck off the toe of the club, when it’s actually hit off the inside area of the clubhead, the hosel. The hosel is the rounded part of the club where the shaft meets the clubhead. When the ball strikes that part of the club, it ricochets off to the right. We see this occur most common on short shots with the wedge. Because you are standing closer to the ball, you are more likely to hit it off the hosel. This causes a severe outside to in swing path on the downswing, which brings the hosel into the ball instead of the clubface. To fix a shank, first address the ball with your weight in the middle of the arches of your feet. This will prevent you from rocking back and forth throughout the swing. Take a head cover and place it one inch outside the toe of the clubhead, parallel to the target line. Making a few practice swings, your objective is not to hit the cover. This will produce a more inside swing path preventing the club from moving to the outside. If you hit the cover the, you’ll know where the club is traveling. After a little practice, tee a ball up, soon the shanks will be gone.
Don Leone is the PGA Director of Instruction at Coyote Creek Golf Course. For more information about classes email dl****@**********ke.com or call 463-8024.
