To stop shanking the golf ball, one must first understand what golf swing flaw is causing the shanked shots. In this golf lesson article and subsequent video by Herman Williams, PGA Professional in Raleigh, NC, we will discover both the causes and the cure for the shank.
First, a definition. A shanked golf shot is simply a shot in which the golf ball has struck against the inside corner of the heel of the club where the clubface joins the neck or hosel. This causes the golf ball to ricochet violently offline – to the right for right-handed golfers, left for the lefties.
Occasionally if you are really lucky the ball will make perfect contact with the front of the hosel where the shaft goes into the neck and the ball will go straight, but it will be a grounder as the blunt strike just beats the ball along the ground. If you’re not so lucky you may catch the golf ball toward the back of the hosel and have the ball fly right through your legs – kind of embarrassing when other golfers are behind you.
Lastly there is the rapid double-hit. Some shanked shots will ricochet off the hosel headed dead right only to be struck again by the toe of the clubface as it flies by – these shots exhibit a weird corkscrewing ball flight that still goes right but not straight out of bounds like the traditional shanked shot. The double-hit can be verified with impact decals on the face as you will see an impact mark on the heel and the toe from the same shot. However, it happens so fast you cannot hear or feel the double hit.
Most golfers think the shank and its violent, clanky offline flight are caused by an open clubface. However that is almost NEVER the case. In fact for most golfers the face is actually closed when the ball makes contact with the neck or hosel. The ball first contacts the rounded, angled portion of the inside of the neck and starts flying offline before any true contact with the flat clubface can be made.
So we know the face is not open and the ball flies dead right due to striking the neck. But why did it hit the neck? Well there are 3 primary causes. Two related to swing path, one related to hand and wrist action. [A 4th possibility is caused by losing balance with the body drifting toward the ball in the downswing, but we will stick to what the club is doing in this article. If your body is diving toward the ball, try to keep your weight centered over your feet - avoid extreme toe or heel weighting.]
What Causes a Shank?
Shank Cause #1
Severe in to out swing path. This is a path in which the clubhead sinks or falls behind the player on the downswing. As speed and momentum build up, the club literally flies from coming down behind the player to going outward through the impact zone. The club stretches away from the player in the hitting area and eventually reaches too far away and shanks the ball. A right handed player with this swing style will appear to swing to the right of the target, usually draws the ball naturally but pushes it often and has a high finish.
Shank cause #2
Severe out to in swing path. This swing path puts the club outside over-the-top of the swing plane during the downswing. As the downswing gets under way, the speed of the swing continues to build and centrifugal force sends the clubhead out past the golf ball well before it arrives in the hitting area. Even though the player attempts to pull the club back across the ball, it is rarely enough, and the hosel collides with the ball and shanks it. This player usually hits fades or slices along with pulls and has a finish that appears left of target and low with the arms down around the body.
Shank cause #3 is much more subtle.
The player with this 3rd category of shanks often appears to have a technically sound swing. The shank comes out of nowhere and is a mystery to everyone watching as the swing looks good to the naked eye of the casual observer. This 3rd category of shank involves casting and or incorrectly rolling/scooping with the hands and wrists prior to and thru impact.
During the downswing, ideally the wrists will be fully hinged 90 degrees or more and this hinge will be preserved well in to the downswing to or beyond waist-high. Assuming the player can get to a waist-high downswing position with full wrist cock intact, it’s what happens next that is so important.
The back of the left wrist must rotate down (supination) as the right palm also rotates down (pronation.) But this must happen without the shaft being kicked offline in an outward direction. In other words, for the right handed golfer the right palm must be looking down and driving the club shaft along the toe line. If the right wrist gets in a bind half way down and kicks outward to relieve the pressure, it will shove the clubhead out off the intended path and shank the ball.
To prevent this problem it is imperative to have a neutral to weak right hand position that will not tend to get underneath the grip & club shaft in the downswing and eventually scoop or shove the shaft outward. The weaker right hand will allow the palm to stay on top facing down while pressing the shaft down and keeping lag pressure along the back of the shaft all the way to impact.
Once you’ve learned to create a neutral to weak right hand grip, bend it with dorsiflexion in the takeaway and backswing to “support the tray of dishes” at the top. Then bring the club down with the right palm facing down for right handers. Keep that wrist bent back all the way to the hit. No scooping allowed.
For the shanks caused by swing path, simply put a box or headcover along the outer edge of the target line about one inch outside the ball and hit shots without hitting the obstacle. You can even create a gateway to hit through by placing a spare golf ball to the outside of the ball in play and then put another ball to the inside. This looks and feels like swinging thru a goal post and really sharpens the focus and the feeling of returning the clubhead on the proper path.
Herman Williams
Check out the following video to see the causes and cures for the shank first-hand. Be sure to comment.
{ 39 comments… read them below or add one }
I have always been an exagerated inside out player and was unable to stop despite numerous professional lessons. Obviously I’ve earned my PhD in how to shank a golf ball over the last several years. I was seriously considering giving up the game because of my increasing frustration of pushing my driver left (I’m a lefty) and the complete inability to hit a wedge without shanking it. Your video has been a game changer for me! I’ve weakened my grip to get my left hand more on top of the club and used your “box” method to help correct my swing path. Additionally, I’ve tried to feel my left elbow scraping my abdomen on my downswing. What a difference! Thanks so much!
Glad to hear it Rick.
Herman – Thanks for the website tips and especially the video. I have the shanks, but only with my wedges. I can hit 7-8 irons cleanly, but take out a PW and it’s shanksville. My “good” shots are mostly contacting toward the heel but not on the hosel. I’m doing something (stance, distance from the ball, swing path, etc) on those wedge shots that is unique, and causing the problem. I’m normally taking a 3/4 swing, with my goal being a controlled 80- or 100-yard shot. Guessing cause #3 is the issue–or at least a good place to start working on a fix. Appreciate any feedback–thanks!
Adam – very likely #3. One thing to watch our for though on 3/4 wedges is a tendency on abbreviated backswings for the arms to swing back a little more “outside” than normal since there is not much body turn. The hands often will stay outside for the rest of the swing. Be sure to let your chest turn away from the ball in backswing even on small shots and keep those hands close to the body as you come down. then it’s all about managing the unhinging in the hitting zone so you don’t flip the clubhead outward at the last moment. Good luck. – Herman
Hi Herman.
Thank you for this article. I think I may fall into a 4th cause. Ball placement. I’m 6′ 6″ and tend to, at times, address too close to the ball. Hence the dreaded shank. I have to force myself to stand a bit further away from the ball. It seams like I’m too far away from the ball but when I do, I hit the ball flush with just a bit of draw and straight. Is there anything you would suggest to make my setup more consistent? Or is it just practice?
Check my setup video for a consistent way to measure to the ball, but “yes” it takes work to get consistent.
Herman, I am so glad I found this article! I had been taking lessons for 2 years, fixing multiple flaws in my swing and it now looks really good. But I had been shanking the ball off an on, which was killing my confidence and my scores weren’t really getting any better. I have flaw #3 above, so I went to the range today and tried your fix. I hit balls for 75 minutes with multiple clubs and had ZERO shanks!! In fact, I have never struck the ball so consistently in my life. I’d say 90% of the shots were on the sweet spot! I put some impact tape on the driver and hit 10-15 balls and every one was on the same spot (just a little off center toward the heel).
Thanks again for the clear instruction! I can’t wait to play this weekend to see if I can take it to the course.
Excellent … glad to hear it. – Herman
1 out of 20 shots within 80 yards of the green will go straight right. What am I doing wrong? Now that this has happened, every time I’m in this situation I think in my head that I’m going to hit it straight right, so I move my stance back just to compansate for the thought of going straight right. Please help!
If you are only shanking shots from these shorter distances, I suspect you are swinging mostly with your arms and hands and don’t have enough core body turn involved. If this is the case the arms tend to get away from the body and move outward toward the ball during both takeaway and downswing. In other words if your chest does not turn much the arms have nowhere to go but outside away from the body. If the things in my shanking video have not helped, the first move in the takeaway may be where your problem starts. You are likely setting/hinging your wrists early and letting your left arm move away from your chest in the early stages of the takeaway. Then your hands are essentially too far away from your body and they stay out there for the rest of the swing. When you arrive at impact your hands and arms are farther from your body and you shank the shot. Continue standing farther from ball until your confidence improves, but also work on more of a one-piece takeaway with no wrist action (no hinge or rolling early on) and be sure your chest is turning early to get your right shoulder out of the way. If you get your right shoulder back out of the way it’s harder for the arms to fly out and shank the ball. Otherwise go back over the 3 issues in my shanking video. Good luck.
Hi Mr. Williams (if you help my shanking you’ll always be Mr. Williams),
A neigbour who’s a golf pro wanted me to cock my wrists more in my backswing and to have more lag in my downswing along with taking more of a divot; result, shanks became quite common in my game. So much so, that I’ve taken a break from playing after 20 years. I’ve tried cures for the type #1 and #2 shanks that you list above, but you are the first that I have seen that lists type #3; the type that I think I have. With my previous “swing” I had a forward press that preset my wrists to be in the impact position you list as being a cure for type #3. I then turned my shoulders while raising my arms a little. I then would rotate my body quickly while keeping my wrists still “preset” in their address position/bend. I think turning my body fast would also pull the wrists towards me in the downswing. I would only shank when I was really tired. After watching you amazing video, I came to fully realize that by following my neighbour’s advice to cock my wrists more in my backswing I was then extending them out towards the ball in the downswing. I noticed too that this extending also caused me to straighten my right elbow. Thank you so much-I learned all this from your video and the replies you made to others. I’m guessing you might suggest I go back to my old “preset wrists” method or stick with my neighbour’s advice to cock my wrists more, but to then set them properly before impact as you demonstrate in your video. You realize you’ve earned a spot in heaven by helping us shankers!
It sounds like you are now a lot more self aware about what’s been happening in your swing. Your final couple of sentences are spot on. The wrist hinge may be safe as long as it does not cause your arms to run away from you. If so go back to old technique. We tend to see that run away happen even in the takeaway as players start hinging more than they are accustomed to in the backswing. The left arm drifts away from body on the way back and then tends to remain out there for the rest of the swing. Good luck and thanks for the compliments.
Herman
Thanks again-it’s been a year long break right after I got my second hole in one. Shanking is frustrating because one minute you are playing great and the next minute not so much-lol; just ask Web Simpson. Herman I’m also impressed that you focus not just on the back swing, but the entire swing. Many coaches get you to do all sorts of things in the backswing and then don’t really understand issues these things cause in the follow through. I hope to see you on the Golf Channel soon; I’m up in Canada so I’m a bit too far away for lessons. cheers and Merry Christmas!
Hello Herman,
I have never established an official handicap but I shoot in the mid to low 70′s. I have a tendency to shank balls but for some reason it comes and goes. Usually it shows up and I’ll have to fight through it for a month or so and then it will disappear for several months. I have battled this for years largely because I’ve never been able to determine the cause. After reading this article, I am confident I fall into your third reason category.
The question I have for you is what can I do to work on the release you speak of? Is there a specific drill or will it come naturally from the grip change (I am assuming I will have to make a grip change to perform this release).
Thank you for taking my questions and thank you for this terrific site.
Thanks, Eugene. I’m not sure I have a magic drill but you should definitely check my article and video on right wrist action in the golf swing. You basically want to improve your downswing lag, but do it in a way that keeps the back of your left hand facing down toward the ground with a slightly closed clubface before impact. This will help you prevent scooping and throwing your wrists outward toward the ball. If you just lift your left arm into a backswing by itself and then visualize brushing your right thigh while the back of your hand falls toward the ground you’ll be making the right move. If you pull real hard with left side it will fly out with the back of your hand facing up. Then you will scoop at the ball to try and rescue the shot. Good luck. I hope this helps.
Herman
I am still shanking Herman, despite trying your advice. I think I may
have a weight transfer problem, because I find that when I take my
my normal stance and then lift my right heel off the ground, I do not
shank but instead hit the ball really solid. To me this indicates a
weight shift problem as the raised right heel eliminates the weight
shift. I am going to try to get a video to you for analysis, once I work
out how to do it. Regards Alan.
Herman,
I have been playing for about 6 months. I am breaking driver heads off at the hosel at a high rate. 3 within 4 months. I have a slice and I try to kill the ball even when I know I shouldnt. Do you think I am hitting the ball at the hosel or at the shaft? I must correct this issue quickly because I am trying to get serious about my game. But at this rate who can afford it.
Thanks,
You probably have some of both going on. With high swing speed, constant heel strikes can still cause the clubhead to basically wring the shaft off at the neck. You probably do have a few that struck directly on the shaft as well. Sounds like your swing path is outside the proper plane and too steep. I doubt you want to hear this, but I would try to groove a better motion with irons before even attempting a driver.
Hey Herman,
Thanks for the great videos! I’m a 14 handicap and I’m usually pretty solid, but lately I’ve been shankapotimous. A local college player noticed today at the range that I am forward pressing way way too much at address with my shaft leaning really far forward and my wrists hinged back pretty good. Could this be a cause of all my shanks lately? Your golf thoughts please.
Thank you kindly,
-JJ
Definitely. With a big forward press you have created angles that may throw your backswing offline and also will throw off your actual measurement to the ball. If you look at what happens when the hands are very far forward, the angle shortens the distance from your shoulder to the ball. In other words, with the shaft centered at setup and arms straight you should be standing farther from the ball than you would with a hinged angle at the wrists. It’s pretty likely when you return to impact you are throwing all that setup angle away and the club is returning to its naturally straight impact position and the new extended length creates the shank. BUT also be very aware that the forward press can create serious swing path problems too that could be just as big a deal for you. Watch my setup videos and even my beginner golf video on YouTube to get a good look at best possible setup and simple swing path that goes straight back and straight thru. Good luck.
Herman
I sometimes shank so your article was very interesting. I have started to consciously lead with my left elbow on the down swing and turn the left wrist to square the club. I think I may not be squaring early enough and also letting the right hand dominate too much an pushing the club head out. In ever thought about putting the right hand palm down on the shaft. Mine is more vertical than that. I am worried that rolling the right hand on top of the shaft might lead to flipping (an old old problem).
Comment?
Thanks, William. I wouldn’t expect you to start flipping unless you get the face open and start slicing. If you have the left wrist bowed and right wrist bent back and on top of the shaft, you will have the face squared up well in advance of impact with lag going down the line. This should take care of shanking and flipping since they are really tied together anyway. Good luck.
Hi Herman,
This past Saturday I had one of the better round of the year, shooting an 81. I then went to my usual Wednesday range session yesterday and shanked my way through an entire jumbo sized bucket (175 balls)…infuriating! Needless to say any confidence I had been feeling from Saturday is now gone in advance of my tee time this Saturday morning.
I believe that my problem may be a severe case of the 3rd reason for shanking that you describe, an incorrect rolling/scooping of the hands. I think that I have always done this, except when I am on the course, I compensate with a somewhat over-the-top action near the ball that allows me to square the club face and strike the ball somewhat decently (though not with great distance). When I am on the range, I tend to focus more on what I feel should be the correct swing path (i.e., club attacking the ball from just slight inside the plane), which leads to shank after shank. Does this sound like it could be an accurate diagnosis? Do you have ideas for a few drills that could help me rid of this habit? It’s honestly all I think about at the range, and I am screaming at myself to keep the right hand facing downward and tracking along the toes, but physically I just can’t seem to get there. Thanks for any help, I really appreciate it.
I think you nailed it on the self-diagnosis. Slicers and over-the-top players usually toe the ball because the path causes the club to be pulled toward the body through impact. Conversely an inside out player with the scoop runs the risk of having the clubhead shoved outward into the hosel at the last moment before impact. The palm facing down may only be part of the equation for you. I find most guys with this problem get the right elbow to fall near the hip but then let the arm straighten as the elbow moves outward thrusting the arm toward 1st base and the hosel. Try to feel your right elbow scrape along your stomach thru impact and finish left. The swing ultimately needs to be on a path that is “in to in.” Good luck with it and thanks for following my work. – Herman
Thanks for the quick reply Herman. I think I need to seriously re-think my entire swing plane approach. I just got done at the range, and I focused the whole time on swing plane. Essentially I envisioned that to start the downswing, I was staying behind the ball and pulling the handle straight down toward the ball, almost as if the motion of my swing was going out toward first base. From there, my next thought was firing and clearing my hips and pulling my arms through. At first this felt weird to me, because it almost felt as if I was trying to hit the ball right. However, I actually ended up hitting a nice subtle draw. Do you think this is an OK thought process?
That should work fine … firing, clearing and pulling through is the perfect description after getting the club “slotted” coming down.
Excellent explanation n the rotation of the hands before impact! My right hand kicked forward causing me to shank ( own video) , but I was lost on how to fix it. ( 7 handicap gone wrong, now a 12 going out !)
The “right hand on top of the shaft” is not easy to get used to, should I first hit half shots only? I still tend to shank occasionally when hitting a full shot.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Half shots only is strongly recommended to get more deliberate control of the moves before adding more speed. Just keep that palm down and tracking in a fairly straight line over your toes on forward swing. Good luck.
Herman – I am a inside out shankar I believe. I typically hit a high right to left draw but these past two weeks I have began shanking the ball. The problem has moved from my wedges into my longer irons (6 iron).
My swing feels and looks fine to all who have seen it. I’ve never been so frustrated with my golf swing. Any advice on how I can stop coming so far inside out? It just seems I am in the minority here as most people are outside in shankers.
Visualize the opposite swing shape and try to pull the handle into your left hip creating a finish that is “low and left.” Inside out with a scooping motion will hit that high push draw followed by shanking you are seeing. So now you want to create a feeling of being over the top with lag to re-center your swing.
Herman,
I am a big fan of your teachings and website. Quick w
Question; I am a low handicapper that will usually shoot anywhere from 69 to 75 during most 18 hole rounds. During the last year or so, when I am under pressure in a big tournament I have started to hit some shanks. It can be with any iron. I know you haven’t seen my swing but can you offer any thoughts?
Thanks a million. Bobby Wooten
Thanks Bobby. This will really be a guess, but if you are getting “tight” under pressure, you will likely make a shorter backswing and then come over the top just a little bit on downswing. Maybe enough to shank it. Wouldn’t know for sure though without seeing your swing. – Herman
I like your instruction and videos, very well presented. I am in
New Zealand and took up golf late at 50. I have been able to maintain
a single figure handicap since then. I don’t often shank on the course but
when I start practising I frequently do. I have been to a couple of
professional instructors, but they have been unable to pin point the problem, since I rarely do it when I visit the professional. I have been
told that I fall towards the ball in my downswing and find if I keep my
weight on my heels it helps. Another professional, a Canadian who was
working here temporarily with professional golfers told me that my
arms tend to outrace my body on the downswing. I have never had
a lot of lag in my swing which I have wondered might have something
to do with it. I would really appreciate any comment.
Regards Alan.
Alan,
First I might not recommend getting too far back on your heels. The only direction you are likely to go after that is toward the ball to catch your balance and keep from going over backwards in a downswing. You won’t likely go farther back on your heels in a swing like that. So if you are neutral on your feet or toward balls of feet, you may actually be less inclined to “fall” or move toward the ball.
Next, you need to look at casting. It is very common for casters to shank the ball as the throwing move shoves the clubhead not just downward but also outward. The information in this post and video talks about how getting the clubface too open or the right hand underneath the shaft in the downswing will lead to this mid downswing scoop that throws the hosel out into the ball. Work on getting your right hand/right palm facing more downward during the downswing so your right palm is facing the ground earlier with right wrist bent back. This will require less last-second rolling or flipping to hit square shots. Watch the video and article again closely for this info and check out my article and video on right wrist action in the golf swing. Good luck. – Herman
Thanks for the information Herman, I will certanily include it in
my practise sessions. My brother and I are going to get your
video analysis as soon as we can organise a proper camera.
Regards Alan
Hi Herman,
Love all your videos, I’m in Oregon, wish I was closer so I could get lessons from you. I’m 65 and a 13 handicap. Took up golf at age 50 and had lessons from the beginning. Was taught to come from the inside and hit a draw. The last 5 years I’ve been plagued by shanks that show up late in the round, usually when I’m playing fantastic. Could be 6 months between shanking periods which can last a few weeks.After the round, when I try to get with my instructor to solve the problem, I can’t hit a shank if my life depended on it. Frustrating!
Using liquid chalk to mark the ball and therefore the clubface when I start hitting these shanks, I’ve determined that the clubface is moving further out when these shanks occur. Addressing the ball with a 1 to 2 inch gap solves the problem for the rest of the round. To summarize, prior to the round, addressing the ball on the center of the clubface results in a center hit. As the round progresses, the club face seems to move further from my body to the point where I might start hitting the ball consistently in the heel/hosel. Can you make a recommendation or point me to one of your videos?
Thanks for watching and commenting. I do have an article and video here: stop shanking.
Several possibilities exist. You may be losing your posture thru impact with your core and right hip moving toward the ball which takes away space for the right elbow. You likely have an over-pronounced in-to-out path with the club running away from you toward right field based on your background description of learning to draw it. Good players usually shank the ball on an inside/out path with a closing face. Also the face can simply be closing too fast which rolls the neck outward toward the ball. But be practical … if setting up with the ball on the toe helps, do it ’til you get things figured out. – Herman
Herman, i was hoping you could help me? I was once a good golfer, but i have had neck and my 2nd back surgery about a year ago. now the problem i was having b4 i went down was during my backswing my right hand would separate from my left. ( i am a rh player i hope u can visualize this where my right hand thumb pad starts separating from on top of my left thumb.) hope u can give me some insight!
Thanks for comment. Definitely check my grip article here on the blog and flat wrist article and corresponding photos and videos. You want to consider that possibly your right hand/wrist is not bending back (dorsiflexion) in the backswing. The right wrist not only hinges but it also bends back similar to the position of a waiter supporting a tray of dishes on right palm. If the back of the right wrist stays “flat” in backswing, it won’t hinge very far and tends to make the hand separate from the club. Also when we lose range of movement in the pivot (back and neck surgery?), we often make up for it somehow with the armswing trying to recover the lost arc. You may be lifting your right elbow into an odd position (usually right elbow too high & behind the body) that also makes it very hard to keep your right hand attached. Good luck. Hope this helps. – Herman