Golfers have many different types of swings, and they all have their own flaws. One common flaw in the swing is called a golf shank; this means that the golfer’s club starts out on the inside path but then moves to an outside path at the point of impact, hitting the ball off-center. In this article, I will teach you how to cure golf shanks.
Changing your grip might help you get rid of your golf shanks for good!
What are Golf Shanks?
Golfers commonly develop a swing flaw called a “shank.”
A shank is an abnormally high, outside-to-in swing path at the point of impact with the golf ball. It is characterized by a loss of power and control, and it usually results in shots that become wild slices or hooks.
This type of error occurs in nearly every golfer’s game from time to time, even the best players in the world.
Golfers can experience several problems with their grips, including:
1) Gripping too tightly or too Loosely
A firm grip is necessary otherwise, it will be difficult to control the club during contact with the ball. If you are gripping too tightly, you may not allow for enough wrist flexibility and risk injury such as the yips.
When gripping too loosely, the club will twist your hands which may throw you off balance during contact with the ball.
Moreover, gripping the club too tightly, promoting tension in your arms and hands as you prepare to hit the ball.
This will not only make your hands stiff but also prevent them from simply repeating a smooth backswing movement so that you can follow through without thought toward where your next shot will go.
Another way to help cure shanks is to concentrate on a smoother swing. Make sure you play on a level or downhill area and pick easy targets to hit when practicing.
2) Gripping the club too far back
Striking the ball with your hands open or closed while gripping the club too far back will result in a shank because of an outside-to-in swing path.
The correct position for your hands on the golf club handle is just behind or even slightly ahead of the golf ball at the address.
Keeping this simple thought in mind will make it more likely that you’ll have a good feel for whether or not your hand position has changed during the swing.
You can also develop a better feel and consistency by practicing with lighter clubs such as two or three woods instead of using heavy irons.
3) Playing with too much wrist action
This type of shank is caused by the clubface twisting between the time you begin your backswing and the moment of impact. This may happen because you fail to keep your wrists firm during a swing.
It’s natural for them to loosen a bit as the hands transfer weight forward during the backswing, but excessive and uncontrolled wrist movement on release can cause a huge loss in power.
So try playing around with different grips and see whether or not that helps cure your shanks.
4) Changing direction at all through impact
The change in direction from inside to out at impact is one of the most common causes of shanks.
The “inside-to-out” swing path happens when the club gets stuck on the inside at impact, reflecting a loss of power and control and usually resulting in shots that are wild slices or hooks.
The problem is caused by failing to maintain contact with the ball during your swing.
Therefore, you should pay special attention to your grip while practicing, concentrating on keeping your distance from the golf ball consistent throughout your backswing.
5) An improperly executed takeaway
It is at the beginning part of your swing. Proper footwork in this phase of the game is important as it provides a consistent shift from one technique to another and allows you to keep your balance throughout each stage of your swing down toward impact.
Additionally, moving too quickly or slowly at this point will cause problems for your next shot because you’ll be out of sync with good timing and rhythm when it’s time to hit the ball fully.
The takeaway starts by shifting your weight away from the anchor position while simultaneously swinging all three key parts (hands, arms, and shoulders) away from each other smoothly into a proper setup position for hitting the ball.
How to Cure Golf Shanks
A.) Choose the right glove
Look at professional players playing on TV…what kind of gloves do they wear? They all have gloves suited for their style of play, such as baseball catcher’s mitts instead of just an open-palmed glove.
Their gloves give them a better feel of the club. And that’s what you want – a non-slipping, tacky grip that gives you more control and confidence with your swing.
- What if this didn’t happen?
- What if, instead, you twisted your wrists too much or failed to apply power correctly?
You would probably hit shots off-center or worse…shanks! So it is important to choose the right glove based on how you play, such as negative cut-grip for those who slice the ball.
B.) Practice the right way
Since most people hold the club incorrectly and take too much of their muscle memory from these habits, they continue to get bad results even after practicing correctly for some time.
That’s why you need to make sure you practice correctly by using proper footwork instead of just swinging at random or hitting balls with poor tempo.
What you need to practice is having a smooth transition in your swing and good rhythm throughout it as well as working on proper timing.
These are only some of the elements that go into a professional-quality golf swing, but with practice, they will develop over time and help make each shot more consistent and accurate than before.
Also, keep in mind that even pro-golfers have their own way of doing things. Therefore don’t copy someone else’s style of play 100% because all golfers are different so there isn’t just one set way for everyone to do everything.
Try various styles until you find something comfortable enough for you that works best when hitting balls or playing rounds out on the course!
c.) Correct grip
Getting your grip right is one of the most important things you need to do in order to eliminate shanks.
So many golfers make this mistake because they place their hands too far up on the grip and point their thumbs upward, which causes them to slice the ball from the outside path of impact.
This may also come from spending too much time on short game practice, but again, what works for one person does not necessarily work for another!
So focus on correcting your grip as soon as possible by making sure your hands and wrists are aligned correctly with your forearm while you hold the club in a neutral position.
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How to Cure Golf Shanks – Conclusion
Now that you understand how to cure golf shanks, you have the tools necessary to correct this flaw in your swing. Only practice is going to make perfect, so be sure to go out on the course regularly and try all of these tips while working on your game!
Download this ebook to improve your golf game today..