How to stop that shank

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  • October 10, 2006

There can’t be too many more embarrassing shots in golf than the hateful shank.

There can’t be too many more embarrassing shots in golf than the hateful shank.
It happens when the ball hits the hosel, or if you like, that point just above the clubface where the shaft joins it, and invariably the ball flies off at a crazy angle to the cry of ‘fore’ – and quite often to roars of laughter.
Most pros will tell you that an outside-to-in swing is the most common cause of a shank and that a good way to cure it is to go the your local practice range and try this:
Take out a seven iron, take up our normal stance and then move your back foot away from the target line so that you are set to hit the ball from a very closed stance.
Start hitting and keep hitting the ball until you find you are striking them solidly and with confidence that you won’t repeat your shank.
Now go back to your original stance and ‘Hey Presto!’ Nine times out of ten you’ll be cured. No more red faces.

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