new problem

Hi all,

hoping someone can help diagnose a problem I have been running into lately. First off I am about a 10 hcp and have always been a solid ballstriker with my irons. In the past few weeks I have experienced some issues with my irons that I cant figure out. I have consistently been hitting everything to the right, not with a slice but just pushed off target. When I look at the divots they are all pointing left of the target line but I dont think this is a simple outside in spin problem because the balls are not slicing to the right but straight right about 10 yds off target. Secondly out of the sand I have been experiencing the shanks like never before, I have never been a great sand player but have always been able to get it out to the middle of the green w/o too much trouble. now I have been hitting them out of the trap straight right as if they are coming off the hosel or toe of the club. I am wondering if these two issues are related. my theory is that I have somehow moved my stance too close to the ball and need to back off a bit, havent had a chance to try my theory yet. wondering if anyone else had any ideas, I understand that its not that easy to diagnose with a brief description but...

no idea how to fix it except slow down some, that is exactly what I do when I get to "agressive" with my irons, IE: hitting them well leads me to increase tempo - leads to everything going 10 - 20 yds left. I think it is that when I get fast I roll my hands over to fast...

Tin Cup addresses the ball and takes a swing. Everything looks normal in his swing, but...
Thwock! -- the BALL squirls off to the side and RATTLES against a fence. Ugly.

TIN CUP Hmmm... little chili dipper there...
ROMEO Be sure to do that in the Open.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

Unfazed, Tin Cup steps up to hit again, but... once more -- Thwock! -- Another horrible-looking squib to the right. Romeo stops washing balls and notices, watching Tin Cup. Thwock, thwock! -- Something's terribly wrong.<o:p></o:p>

CLOSE ON TIN CUP Concern crosses his face.
TIN CUP Romeo!
ROMEO I'm watching.
TIN CUP It ain't no chili dipper.
ROMEO Yeah, boss, you got the 'S' word.
TIN CUP What am I doing wrong?
ROMEO Shanks are like a virus -- they just show up. Nobody can figure 'em out. Thwock, thwock, thwock! -- Three more chili dippers. Our man definitely has the shanks. And he's panicking.
TIN CUP Romes! Something's terribly wrong. What's your guess?!
ROMEO It's the woman.
TIN CUP I thought you said it was a virus?
ROMEO A woman can have the same effect.
TIN CUP What do I do?
ROMEO Keep swinging...<o:p></o:p>




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good one, I've had the shanks a few times, and this time its a little different, the shots are not shanked right but just off target ~5-10 yards on an approach shot say 150 yds out. the sand problem though is very much like the shanks...

Fighting them myself now. I thought I had them cured, but yesterday and today I found myself in a few bad places. I just wish it wasn't so much of a coin toss. Decent shots most of the time, but a random shank here and there just to add excitement to the round!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tmo

good one, I've had the shanks a few times, and this time its a little different, the shots are not shanked right but just off target ~5-10 yards on an approach shot say 150 yds out. the sand problem though is very much like the shanks...

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That is a push (assuming you are right handed). As it is only 5-10 yards your path is fine (in-to-out). Your clubface is likely slightly open at impact. Perhaps you are fanning it open as you take the club away and not getting it closed at impact. Or you may be holding off your release. Usual checkpoints are halfway back, shaft parallel to the ground is the toe of your club pointing straight up or behind you? Swing through but stop when the shaft is again parallel to the ground, is the toe pointing straight up? or off to the right of your target?

If you are a decent player and start to have shank problems many times it has nothing to do with your upper body. Sometimes it's just that you moved you pivot point of your lower body from your tail bone to your left butt cheek. So it feels like your swinging correctly because your upper body is swinging correctly and your clearing your left side but that wrong pivot point throws your tail bone and right butt cheek further to the right while turning thru the shot and that's where the shank comes from. Just make sure that that left cheek turns back to the left and the right cheek turns to the right around the tail bone. You can check this by backing into a tall stool,table or a door jam and making swings with your hands, if your tail bone moves away from the table etc before impact your going to have some shank issues sometimes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dan Kilbank

Fighting them myself now. I thought I had them cured, but yesterday and today I found myself in a few bad places. I just wish it wasn't so much of a coin toss. Decent shots most of the time, but a random shank here and there just to add excitement to the round!

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Oh sure, play your personal best by far while taking my hard earned cash and a week later come up with the shanks.... :rolleyes :rolleyes :rolleyes :-)

Actually I have been fighting them for 2 months. They just didn't show up to play that day! They visited me yesterday though, resulting in a passing of said cash to a certain Mr Pare.

thanks for all the suggestions, will check some of the points mentioned above. these things generally work themselves out for me but would be nice to have more insight into how to identify what Im doing wrong and then fix it quicker on the course....

If you want to fix this problem without any technical thoughts, bring a two feet long 2x4 at the driving range. Place the 2x4 parallel to the target line. Place your ball inside so that when your club hit the ball on the sweet spot you will have a couple of inches of clearance from the toe of the club to the 2x4. When you get used to the feeling move in closer and closer. There is no way you will shank. This is a great drill with immediate feedback if your are too much in-out or out-in swing.

To my knowledge the best way to fix something is to fix it with a sting. You will feel a bad swing and I can guaranty you that your body will react accordingly.

Mike