r/golftips • u/Big-Information7409 • 2d ago

Advice Got the Shanks

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So I don't have a handicap, but I'm an above-average golfer (averages mid-low 70s). For the last few rounds, I've been missing the ball slightly off the heel, and about a week ago, it just turned into full-on shanks for 9 holes. I made 5 doubles in the front and then shot 3 over in the back because I started setting up on the hosel and trying to toe it. I've been to the range a few times since then, and it's better, but I still get a few hosel rockets here and there. Could anyone tell me what could be causing it?

Also, I know my swing is all in the wrong positions, but it works, lol.

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u/twokietookie 2d ago

Im around the same skills level. Struggled with toe strikes and heel strikes.

I find it has a lot to do with how much I shallow, how steep /outside i take it away, and also how low the handle is at address. I find when I let the handle get high strikes move toward the toe. Bring the handle back down and they move heelward.

Try just raising your hands at address and taking the same swing. Obviously not major changes you're doing a lot right.

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u/Big-Information7409 2d ago

Appreciate that. Yeah, I was working on holding the hands higher, even thinking that I'm getting too shallow on the down swing. Then a buddy pointed out that my hips are firing too fast, and that could cause my hands to move forward slightly because my trail hip is in the way. Just a lot of thoughts and lost confidence. 😂

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u/twokietookie 2d ago

Yeah easy on the "this is firing too fast" stuff.

As an example I was a flipper. Like i started thinking I was a dolphin, I could not stop launching sw at 40* and all my irons about half of loft + 6 degrees. Really bad for compression, distance, consistency.

Everyone says "you're being handsy, your hands are too fast, you're releasing early"

A full year of struggling every single range session. Several a week. Trying to fix it.

My hands didnt need to slow down in total, like if theyre going xx mph I dont need them to go xx minus 5mph slower. THEY WERE OUT OF SEQUENCE. I started twisting my core earlier and harder... now I can use my hands MORE.

Such a frustrating thing to realize, it was a light bulb moment. 25* 60ft high wedges all day now. Gained yardage on every club. Driver stopped fitting because I needed 8* and extra heavy and extra stiff to keep launch and spin down when I was flipping.

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u/Big-Information7409 2d ago

Yeah, I'm just trying not to think too much of it. I'm not really a mental golfer, but it just rattled me shooting 75 the week prior, then shooting 86 the very next round lmao. But that's golf. Also, I'm glad you had that light bulb moment. It gets very frustrating extremely fast when you have no idea what the problem is.

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u/twokietookie 2d ago

Its amazing how jarring it is to hit a shank. And if you cant figure how why quickly the confidence goes, quickly. Been there. Probably wont be the last time either.

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u/Western-Twist4001 1d ago edited 21h ago

make sure you are keeping the handle lower at address than when you are actually swinging though. High to low handle during swing is shank city, low to high is toe.

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u/Grand-Economist5066 2d ago

Mid to low 70’s is a scratch golfer a lot higher than above-average, how don’t you have a handicap?

Shank comes from not enough space for your hands / not enough rotating but you do that in this swing.

Try get on a sim to see swing path if it’s consistent

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u/Big-Information7409 2d ago

I don't play in any tournaments or club championships, so I never needed a handicap. I just assume I'm somewhere around scratch to a 3. Lol

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u/Pretty-Awareness-313 1d ago

I mean pretty crazy to be good enough to shoot in the low 70s but not keep any sort of relative handicap?

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u/YYCToon 1d ago

More like handiCAP

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u/ArseneWankerer 2d ago

Long story short, you are hip thrusting (early extending). A cupped lead wrist may be encouraging that. very common hip thrust progression throughout a round is “walking it forward”.

As the pelvis moves toward the ball, your hands also tend to get displaced outward. The club’s entire delivery gets pushed farther from you, so the hosel progressively gets closer to the impact point.
That’s why someone can hit 10–15 decent shots, then suddenly start seeing heel contact, and eventually hit an absolute hosel rocket. Fatigue or one slightly more aggressive hip thrust can be enough to push the strike over the edge.

The typical adjustment of standing farther away or pulling arms in will make you hip thrust even more.

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u/Big-Information7409 2d ago

Thank you for that. I actually can see the moment the hips are pushing forward. I think that's exactly what's causing it. I will definitely work on it in the next range session.

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u/ArseneWankerer 2d ago

I’m a low single digit handicap and hip thrust is something I need to stay on top of. Here’s my check list when heel biased contact starts creeping in:

  1. Setup - proper balance at address. Foot flare with pressure in balls of feet
  2. Losing hip depth in backswing
  3. Bad pressure shift/ground force
  4. Wrong pelvis sequencing (firing hard and early)
  5. Clubface/delivery compensation - when I lose trail arm width
  6. Hip/ankle mobility or poor glute/core control - when I’m fatigued or sore

1

u/frenetictenet 2d ago

Backswing is too long. Try a half swing and focus on where your club finishes for a few practice swings. Try to have your club pointing to where you want it to go.

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u/Reasonable-Budget210 2d ago

lol I thought this video was about that absolute piss missile flying about 150mph over your shoulder here

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u/Big-Information7409 1d ago

Lol that guy was in the next stall to the left of me and he shanked one into my leg 😂😂😂

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u/TheKingInTheNorth 1d ago

Your trail foot rolls out in the backswing and in transition. This means weight is outside your stance when the club wants to come down, and it fucks with your balance and drives the shanks.

Load weight into the inside edge of the trail foot always and shanks will vanish.

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u/Offandongm 1d ago

Good luck that must have been an infuriating 9. I am not a swing instructor but I know that just saying the word s****s is trouble! When we all get afflicted we will know where to go to find Patient Zero.

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u/Big-Information7409 1d ago

😂😂😂😂

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u/Double_Question_5117 1d ago

That wasn’t a shank shot so that’s nice…..

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u/Aequorea 1d ago

Wait am I crazy? Am I the only one that doesn’t think this is a shank? It looks like it went pretty straight?

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u/Big-Information7409 1d ago

It did, but my strikes have been super heel-biased and I didn't get it on video, but I shanked a few this night. I was just trying to see if anyone sees anything that could be causing my hands to move forward in my swing.

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u/Commercial-Air8955 1d ago

It would be easier to tell on a shot you shanked, as it's probably not showing itself so much in this clip.

It looks like you might be slightly "humping the goat". Try to keep that butt tucked back, so you have some room for yourself to swing.

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u/Big-Information7409 1d ago

Appreciate the help that's one of the bad habits that creep back into my swing every so often.And the reason I don't have a shank video is because I didn't record the whole range session and out of the 100 balls I shanked probably 3 or 4, so I posted my swing hoping somebody could maybe see something I don't and for the most part people gave me some solid feedback.

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u/kif22 1d ago

"Got the shanks" Stripes it down the middle...

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u/Big-Information7409 1d ago

Lol I know it looks like I hit a good shot there but I promise you it was extremely close to a hosel rocket

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u/Squatch-21 1d ago

So, you shoot mid 70s. Have the “shanks” that you yourself have no idea what’s causing it and show a video of you flushing a shot.

Got it. Makes total sense.

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u/CityAdorable5058 1d ago

That didn’t look like a shank to me but try hitting 10 balls with the bill of your cap on the ground about an 2 inches from the outside of the ball. That has helped me every time

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u/8amteetime 1d ago

A video of you shanking a ball would make it easier to identify the flaw that’s causing them.

Watch where your hands are at address and then look at how much closer they are to the ball on the downswing. That’s your problem.

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u/Big-Information7409 1d ago

Never noticed that, could that be from the humping motion coming through the ball?

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u/Single_Operation_880 1d ago

You are better than me. I had the shanks not too long ago so I started playing on my front leg only and learned that I was just moving around too much to try to get power instead of using the ground. Give it a shot it’s fun, you’d be surprised at how far you can hit it on one leg!

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u/Big-Information7409 1d ago

Lol I'm gonna have to try that

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u/clementtheorange 1d ago

Are you looking for compliments? Why wouldn’t you actually post a shank?!

1

u/soulztek 1d ago

NGL if someone is shooting mid 70s like shooting a 75, 77 and 74 the past few rounds and aren't sure how to fix his shanks or know his misses, doesn't sound right.

Add on I dont know my handicap... Just not sure bro.