Todd Casabella on Stopping the Shanks (Video)

I know I post a lot of videos and tips about shanking, but that's because I know lots of you have this problem from time to time... and let's face it, one fix does not fit all. So here is instructor Todd Casabella's tip on how to stop shanking.



Now, let's get one thing straight. While shanks are often caused by standing too far from the ball, standing too close can cause them too. You need to identify which it is with you but, once you learn what to look for, it's not too hard to track down the cause. Todd's tip is for those standing too far away from the ball.

Todd says that standing too far from the ball causes you to lean forward and put your weight over your toes, basically falling toward the ball when you swing. To prevent this, he wants you to move the ball a bit closer, set up with your weight already over your toes, and "rock back" onto your heels as you make your downswing. It's not a dramatic move, but most problems in golf usually aren't. Anyway, if you're reaching for the ball at setup, this is a good thing to try.

This is only one of the things you can try if you have problems with the dreaded shank. But this is a simple fix and, if it works, it shouldn't take you long to integrate it into your swing -- this fix should be compatible with almost any instructor's swing method.

Brian Manzella on Poulter's Shank

Golf Digest posted a short article about Ian Poulter's shank last week at the Honda that I thought was very informative. It includes some instruction from instructor Brian Manzella (whose tips have graced this blog many times) that may help many of you who struggle with yips from time to time.



Manzella agrees with Poulter that shots like this often happen when a player tries to "take something off" a shot, to hit it a little easier than normal. But for the average player, he says that shanks often result from opening the club face, which changes the way the shot feels. The comment I found most interesting was WHY if feels different.

The most common shank for the average player comes on a shorter shot, or one where the player consciously opens the clubface a bit more in an effort to produce some height. "Take a wedge shot," says Manzella. "If you open the face, it can make it so that it feels like the shaft itself--and the hosel--is the sweet spot. Then you swing down feeling like the point for center contact is at the end of the shaft, when really it's offset from that."

"If you open the face, it can make it so that it feels like the shaft itself--and the hosel--is the sweet spot." He means that when you open the club face, the weight in the club head -- you know, all that extra metal in the bounce area -- shifts closer to the shaft and makes it feel as if the sweet spot has moved closer to the shaft.

Manzella's solution is to "focus on turning your lead arm down, toward the ball." In other words, feel as if you're trying to square the club face. Think about trying to get the back of your lead hand pointed toward the ball during your downswing. Then you'll feel as if the weight in the club head -- and consequently, the sweet spot -- is trying to move back out toward its normal position and you're less likely to shank.

If you're shanking your pitches, it's definitely worth a try.

An Anti-Shanking Tip

I had a very busy day today and didn't have time to do the post I intended. Therefore, I decided to pass on another tip I found. This one is about that nasty fault that nobody wants to talk about:

Shanking.

I don't think I've ever posted anything about this problem, so those of you struggling with the problem will probably find this useful. I like it because it's simple.

Simple is always good!

This short article is simply called Stop Shanking and it was written by Steve Atherton, who was VP of Instruction at GolfTec when he wrote this. (Maybe he still is. Life holds so many secrets...) It has several different things you can try if this inconvenient little problem pops up. (Or sideways, for that matter.) Again, I like variety.

Especially when it's simple variety. Hope it helps!