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
The Flop Shot
Since I mentioned the flop shot yesterday, this seems like a good time for a how-to. The purpose of the flop shot is to get the ball in the air very quickly, have it carry a minimum distance, and stop very close to where it lands. This is a perfect shot when you’re close to the green hitting to a pin that’s close to the edge and you have to fly the ball over a bunker or keep it from running away. It’s not a tough shot to learn, but it requires practice, so you won’t want to unveil this on the course for the first time without getting the hang of it on the range. I like to follow Tiger Woods’ basic flop shot technique. At address, the stance is relatively wide, promoting a quiet lower body and is aligned well left of the target. The ball is played somewhat forward, off the left heel. You definitely want to use a high-lofted club, 60 degrees or more. the face is laid open at address.
The Range Is Your Laboratory
A while back, I referenced one of my favorite golf quotes, a gem by Sam Snead. “Ya gotta dance with who ya brung.” What Sam was telling us is, keep the experiments in the laboratory, and keep your laboratory on the range (or practice green). If you’re playing a round and making an attempt to score well, then the last thing you want to do is be experimenting with new techniques or trying to fix big problems on the course. The only result you’ll have is a higher score. In the off chance that you actually make headway with a problem, you’re likely to lose it quickly because you won’t have the benefit of the repetition that practice on the range or putting green gives you. When you hit that first tee, you should have evaluated your current state of affairs and have a plan of attack for the course that minimizes your weaknesses. If your problems are so bad, as in the case of the shanks, then skip the round and get right to
Three In A Row
As we all know, practice gets somewhat tedious and boring. Sometimes it’s nice to turn it into a game with a purpose to help keep you mentally engaged. I like to do the three in a row game to help keep me interested. The premise is simple. Choose a shot to hit, any shot at all. Depending on your skill level, you might choose to hit a draw or fade, high or low. Make it as difficult or as easy as you like. Then, execute the shot. If you pull it off, great. Devise another shot to hit. But if you don’t, then continue to hit the shot until you achieve an acceptable outcome three times in a row. What is an “acceptable outcome” is totally up to you. For example, you might pick two spots on the driving range that make a sort of lane for you to hit to. You might decide that your shot is going to be a well-struck draw starting at the target on the right (for a right hander)
Getting To A Full Finish
Some of my swing problems come from the fact that I don’t get to a full finish in in the follow through, like you might see players on TV doing. Intuitively, you might be wondering why the finish is important. After all, once the ball is struck nothing else you do matters, right? Wrong. The golf swing is a complex system that involves your body, a golf club, and a golf ball. How you perform is directly related to your flexibility, stability, strength, and technique. If any of these areas is deficient, your swing will be deficient. Mistakes trickle down into subsequent segments of the swing. Problems in the finish indicate that something probably went wrong prior to that. To achieve maximum power, the club head needs to be accelerating when it meets the ball. If you’re not achieving a full finish, then chances are that you haven’t built up as much club head speed as you might have otherwise. That or you’re bleeding off stored power as your body resists that speed, knowing that
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