The dreaded shank can be alleviated

OPINION: You can probably guess what kind of shot I am talking about here, writes Anthony Barkley in this week's Golf Pro.

Yes, that dreaded S word, the shank. It's such a horrible word and is usually taboo to say in front of anyone who has had a bout of these recently.

I can relate to anyone who has had or has these, because I have been prone to have the odd shank and actually had a few building up to the 2000 Australasian Tour Qualifying School. Not a great confidence builder.

So I can totally understand the frustration that people face because it's a horrible feeling and, to be honest, it becomes contagious. Usually it creates doubt in the mind, making the swing fault even worse as you become tense and panic.

I just said it's a swing fault, so that's good news, because you can fix it with some practice and good advice.

There are some Band-Aid things you can do but it will never rid the true cause of the shots so you will probably get them back again. I am not a fan of Band-Aid fixes so let's discuss the main causes of the dreaded shank.

If we think about the shank, we know that the ball has come off the hosel so it's moved a couple of centimetres from setup to impact. That is all. So you have to understand why this move has occurred. This can be slightly different from pitching to long shots.

Now, I am going to use "likely causes" because everyone is different, but there are general causes.

Pitching/chipping: If you are having some shanks in pitching or chipping, a likely cause is an inside takeaway. This makes it difficult to get the club back to impact and a person can get trapped, meaning the hosel is exposed. Hand/arm tightness can also help to cause these shots.

Full shots: The main cause of the shank in the full swing is a closed clubface. Things that make it worse are an over-the-top swing, tension and again the inside takeaway. A sound posture is very important along with alignment and grip because these themselves can fix some of the swing faults.

My advice is to avoid trying to find a quick fix or they will probably come back to haunt you. See a PGA professional for the best advice and avoid trying every cure you find on the internet.

» Anthony Barkley is a New Zealand PGA qualified golf coach based at the Invercargill Golf Club at Otatara.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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