Why You’re Shanking the Ball and How to Fix It?
Updated: 4 days ago
A shank happens when the ball contacts the hosel of the club instead of the clubface, and it usually comes down to one of four causes: a poor address position, an unstable grip, an incorrect swing path, or early extension in the downswing. If you're asking why am I shanking the golf ball, checking your setup, grip, path, and hip movement against those four will usually point to the answer.
The six small letters in "shanks" make any golfer feel afraid. They can feel like a disease, sticking around in your game for weeks or months at a time.
Being 100 yards off the tee in the middle of the fairway and then having a triple on your card can be devastating. Getting rid of a shanking habit for good can take real, focused work.
The good news is that shanks don't have to keep bothering you. This blog digs into the reasons behind the shanks and how to work them out of your game.
What Is a Shank?
So what does it mean to shank a golf ball? A shank is when the golf ball impacts the hosel rather than the clubface. For a right-handed golfer, this causes the ball to shoot off sharply to the right, often close to a 45-degree angle off the target line (left-handed golfers see the mirror version, sharply left).
What Causes Shanks?
Understanding what causes shanks in golf starts with knowing that a shank is produced when the hosel makes contact with the golf ball. Fixing the problem, however, requires knowing what produces this interaction. If you want to see what happens at impact and figure out why you shank, you should video your swing in slow motion.
Know what kind of shank you have. The most common reasons are:
Poor Address Position: Standing too close or too far from the ball can affect your swing path. This misalignment can cause the hosel to strike the ball, leading to a shank. Also make note of where your weight is in your feet at address, too often do players have their weight set too much in their heels which leads to the body wanting to counter balance during the swing towards the toes, getting the player closer to the ball.
Insecure or Improper Grip: A weak or inconsistent grip can cause the club to twist in your hands during the swing. If this happens, the clubface won't be properly aligned at impact, and you may hit the hosel instead of the clubface, leading to a shank.
Incorrect Swing Path: An overly aggressive downswing, or swinging too much from the inside or outside on the way down, can cause the hosel to come in contact with the ball.
Early Extension: Your hips moving toward the ball during the downswing cramps your posture through impact and can push the hosel into the ball instead of the clubface.
You can determine your swing path and spot any issues with the aid of a golf analysis app on your phone or tablet. Pay attention to making sure your clubhead on the backswing does not move excessively to the inside or outside.
How to Fix Shanks
Each of the four causes above has its own checkpoint and its own drill. Work through the one that matches your miss first, rather than trying every fix at once.
Poor Address Position
Firstly, you need to understand how far to stand from the ball, as this could be the cause of your problem. If you stand too close, you'll lose your spine angle in the downswing. This will cause you to lift out of the shot and hit an open-faced shank.
Conversely, if you stand too far away from the ball, the momentum of the swing will likely cause you to lean into the ball through impact, with the shank a common result.
Having too much weight in the heels will cause you to rebalance towards the toes on the downswing, and momentum will continue to pull you towards the ball as you swing.
Drill: Take your address position and let go of the club with your lead hand (target side). Let your arm hang loose like a wet noodle from your shoulder. Does your hand hang between the grip and your body, does it hang too far out in front of the club, or does it hang just right, where you can grip the club with a little bit of space at the end? Use this little test to see if you're standing at the right distance from the ball.
Unstable Grip
The next checkpoint relates to your grip, and more importantly, your grip pressure. Having a neutral, or "perfect," golf grip will help you stop shanking the golf ball. Some players have such light grip pressure that the club moves in their hands during the swing.
Drill: Place a piece of grass on top of your lead thumb, and another between the butt of the club and the pad of your lead hand. Make a normal swing. The grass should stay in place if your grip pressure is solid; if it's too light, it's likely to fall out.
Swing Path
Understanding your swing path will help you assess your strike patterns, including the ones you're unhappy with. Most golfers hope to have a path that's a little more from in to out, but this belief can make players whip the club away on the inside during the takeaway.
From this position on the backswing, the only way to get the club back to the ball is with an over-the-top swing motion. This causes an out-to-in path, the opposite of what the player wanted, presenting the hosel of the club to the ball.
Drill: Set up with an alignment rod in the ground, matching the angle of the club shaft at address. Place the rod just far enough away that you can tap it with the club in the takeaway. Trace the clubhead up the top side of the rod on the backswing, and the bottom side on the downswing.
Early Extension
The final common cause of a shank to consider is early extension. This refers to when your hips move towards the ball in the downswing. It has the effect of cramping you through impact and forcing the hosel to lead into the ball.
Part of the issue here may relate to core and glute strength. You need strength in your midsection to maintain your posture throughout the swing. Simple golf-specific core and glute exercises can help.
There's also a good drill for this, on the range with an alignment stick, or at home without a golf club.
Drill: The wall drill: Stand with your back against a wall, or with an alignment stick behind you at the range, in your normal golf posture. Place a tee in the ground in place of the ball. Take a practice swing, keeping your backside in contact with the wall or stick through the impact area.
As you swing down, push from the ball of your lead foot so your weight moves away from the tee rather than into it, letting the club move to the inside, between you and the tee.
I call this the "swing and miss" drill: you're used to missing off the hosel, so here you want to feel the opposite, missing toward the toe of the club.
If you tend to move your hips excessively toward the ball, this drill will highlight it, and you'll quickly get a sense of what it feels like to hold your posture instead. Doing this regularly will help.
The same idea works on a slope, with the ball or tee sitting below your feet: push up the slope behind you, rather than early extending and falling it toward the ball.
Also Read: 3 Simple Steps to Cure Your Slice
Conclusion
Shanks are the bane of any golfer's game, often caused by a poor address position, weak grip pressure, an inconsistent swing path, or early extension. The good news? With targeted drills and consistent practice, you can work them out of your game.
At MLaB Golf, we're focused on helping golfers refine their technique and improve their performance, from practical tips to hands-on coaching. Explore our resources and take your swing to the next level.
Frequently Asked Questions
What precisely is a shank in golf?
A shank happens when the golf ball contacts the hosel of the club rather than the clubface, sending the ball sharply off line, often close to a 45-degree angle for a right-handed golfer.
Which factors frequently lead to a shank?
An incorrect swing path, an unstable grip, a poor address position, or early extension during the downswing are the most common causes of shanks.
How can I improve my golf game and avoid shanks?
Work on your swing path, keep a steady grip, maintain the right distance from the ball, and strengthen your core to help hold your posture through the swing. Drills using a wall or alignment sticks are effective ways to practice these fixes.
What causes a shank in golf?
A shank is caused by the hosel of the club meeting the ball instead of the clubface. That usually traces back to one of four things: a poor address position, an unstable grip, an incorrect swing path, or early extension in the downswing.
What causes you to shank a golf ball?
It depends on the golfer. Recording your swing in slow motion, or working through the address, grip, swing path, and hip-movement checkpoints in this article, will usually show you which cause applies to your own swing.
Why do you shank a golf ball?
The clubface arrives at the ball in the wrong position, so the hosel makes contact instead. Address position, grip pressure, swing path, and early extension are the four most common reasons this happens.
Why am I shanking the golf ball?
Check your setup first: standing too close, too far, or with your weight too far back in your heels are common triggers. If your address position checks out, look next at grip pressure, swing path, and whether your hips are drifting toward the ball on the downswing.
How do I avoid shanking the golf ball?
Keep a consistent distance and weight distribution at address, hold steady grip pressure through the swing, groove a swing path that doesn't loop too far inside or outside, and keep your hips from drifting toward the ball on the downswing. Video or a swing analysis app can help you see which of these applies to you.
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