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The Ugly Golf Shot

11:27 am May 15, 2009

Eliminating the Ugliest Golf Shot

The ugliest shot in golf is the shank, or as the British politely refer to
it, the “socket.” This horror occurs when the ball is struck by the
hosel — the part of an iron that connects the head to the shaft —
rather than by the clubface. The ball flies low, short, and sharply to
the right, almost perpendicular to the target line. And you’re
embarrassed.

There are many possible sources of a shank, from your setup to your
swing. These adjustments will help you shake the shanks.

A) At Your Feet: If you set up with too much weight toward your
toes, you’re likely to fall forward during the downswing. This shifts
the swing plane forward as well so you hit the ball off the hosel.
Start with your weight distributed evenly between the heels and balls
of your feet and keep it there throughout the swing.

B) In Your Head: If your head drops forward during the swing, it
means your upper body wants to take over and lunge toward the ball.
This also shifts the swing plane forward, producing the shank. To
stop lunging, try to keep your head from moving down toward the
ball. Don’t tense up, which will restrict your swing, but think about
holding your head in place.

C) In Your Hands: At impact, the hands and wrists should lead the
club head into the ball. But if the wrists break early, the club head
flips toward the ball, causing a shank. Address the ball with the
hands and wrists slightly ahead of the ball, and keep your wrists firm
during the swing and impact. Don’t make them so stiff they can’t
cock naturally on the backswing and coming down, but firm enough
to maintain control. Shanking is especially common off short irons,
when you place the ball back in your stance. If so, position the ball
forward, off the left heel.

This gives the club extra time to square up before impact. Also try
rotating your arms toward the target coming down, further
encouraging a square clubface.

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