The shanks strike fear into the hearts of golfers. Most don’t dare even speak the word. I’m not afraid. Shanks. Shanks-shanks-shanks. SHANKS!

I’m not afraid because I know the cause, and I know the cure. I had a serious bout five or six years ago, so my immune system keeps me from becoming infected again.

For those unaware, the shanks are the result of a swing flaw that causes the ball to be struck on or near the hosel of the club (where the shaft meets the club head), causing the ball to shoot low and right (for a right hander). There’s a common misconception that the shanks are caused by the club face being extremely open at impact. This is not the case.

So what’s the cause? The basic problem is that the path that the club takes toward the ball at impact is further out from the player than it was at address. Many times, this comes from the player’s weight getting out on the toes during the downswing. At address every thing is fine, then on the downswing the player’s weight gets on the toes, the swing plane gets out further from the ball and then: clunk. Shank.

The best way to cure it is to make sure your weight stays further back toward your heels. One drill to help get the feel of this is to put a ball under the toes of each foot at address and hit a shot. This will give you the feel of keeping the weight off your toes. Another good drill is to put a second ball an inch or two on the other side of the one you intend to hit (just beyond the toe of your club at address). Try to hit the first ball without disturbing the second. You can do those two drills together. Finally, a good swing thought to have when you’re trying to work out the shanks is: try to intentionally hit the ball on the toe of the club. Get some impact tape for when you practice so you can check on your improvement as time goes on.

Keep in mind that, depending on the severity of your shanks and how ingrained the flaws that cause them have become, it could take some significant time practicing to overcome them. Stay with it and in no time at all you’ll be over the shanks and back to hitting solid shots again.

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