HELP !!!!!!!!!!

[freddyboyhouse]

hi guys

to keep it short and sweet, i've been playing golf for many years and am pretty bad, in fact very bad but my worst problem is one of what i can only describer as muscle memory. When i've not played for a long time i play ok and hit the ball ok and SUDDENLY......the ball inexplicable shoots out to the right and i don't just mean a slice, this however only occurs with irons and not woods. I've never had lessons and don't really intend to start due to time but what appears to be happening is right hands seems to be rotating to open the face right up. Once this error returns it stays with me probably for every other iron shot until i give them game a rest for a while, then the cycle starts over.


Anway, if anybody has ant advice or drills or magic potions that can help me to enjoy again a game a love and not avoid decent golf courses in fear of making an idiot of myself i'd vey much appreciate it.

FBH

 

[DaveE]

I don't know how to break this to you, but what you are experiencing is the dreaded shanks, aka hosel rockets.

They're infectious and just by typing the word here I may have started an epidemic. I've seen many suggestions on fixing them but if it only happens once in a while then welcome to the club. Sometimes they can start simply because you're tired.

Anyway, when the ball goes pretty much straight right you've hit off the hosel even though it feels like you're hitting it off an open face. Everytime I do it I react with the same, wtf just happened.

You can try moving the ball a little further away and also make sure you're not taking the club away too much on the inside. Some of our more knowedgable members will have better suggestions but don't let it bother you too much, it's just part of the game.

Oh yeah, welcome to shottalk.

 

[freddyboyhouse]

thanks for the reply, so do you think it's more mechanical than psychological

 

[DaveE]

thanks for the reply, so do you think it's more mechanical than psychological

I think it starts from something mechanical but can become psychological very quickly. I hit one shank a few months ago on a 30 yd. wedge shot and it turned into a 5 month ordeal getting it out of my head.

In my case I was taking club back too far inside and had to really concentrate on not doing that. I guess there's always a silver lining because my short game is better know.

 

[freddyboyhouse]

anybody else got any views on this ?

 

[Slingblade61]

It is impossible to diagnose your problem on the internet. The real answer is the one you don't want to hear.......get a lesson and start with swing mechanics......it works.

That said, it sounds like hosel rockets to me as well. try lining up with the toe and see what happens. If your hitting off the hosel something is way wrong with you're swing. At least get to the range and see if you can work it out.

 

[Dave Ireland]

Could also be a problem with wrist cock on takeaway and not realigning them on the downswing - or swinging from the elbow break and not the body rotation. A bucket of range balls wouldn't go amiss, or as a first stop ask 1 of your golfing buddies if they can spot anything apparently wrong - this has it's own disadvantages, but if lessons aren't your thing it wont hurt to ask , best of luck anyways and welcome onboard the unsteady ship ...

 

[SilverUberXeno]

Go to the range and swing a 6 iron at 3 balls very slowly. Next three balls, swing a little faster, then the next 3 even faster until you get up to your normal swing speed. This will give you a good idea on how you need to control the club as you're swinging faster, and by starting slow, you'll see anything that is obviously wrong (not re-aligning the face.)
I don't mean swing it like it's a putter, just do a backswing and come in nice and easy. As you swing faster you'll notice your distance improve as well. Also, there's something my mom (not a golfer AT ALL) noticed about my swing and I assume it's true for many. When you're at address, what appears to me the middle of your iron is not actually what's hitting the ball. Address the ball, then hold the club and take a look from directly over the ball. Your club will probably not be aligned as it seemed from address. Move back a little bit, and get a feel for how to defeat the illusion. Not lining up could cause the problems these other gentlemen have suggested.
Good luck!

 

[Augster]

Are they shanks or straight blocks? If it's shanks, try "pushing" with your right shoulder on the downswing. Focus on that.

If it's a hand opening up thing, try the AJ buttons, buttons, buttons drill.

Take a remote control and hold it like you would a club with the buttons facing away from your palm and down the target line. Now slowly take your backswing, and notice if you can see the buttons. Roll your wrist "open" so you can see the buttons in every point of your backswing including the top. Then on your downswing, roll your wrists so that you can see the buttons all the way to the starting position, then roll them over. The only time you don't see buttons is when you are at "impact".

This should help cure you if you are actually doing like you said it feels like. A reverse roll at impact. Opening up.

I hope that helps.

 

[Kilted Arab]

I don't know how to break this to you, but what you are experiencing is the dreaded shanks, aka hosel rockets.

They're infectious and just by typing the word here I may have started an epidemic. I've seen many suggestions on fixing them but if it only happens once in a while then welcome to the club. Sometimes they can start simply because you're tired.

Anyway, when the ball goes pretty much straight right you've hit off the hosel even though it feels like you're hitting it off an open face. Everytime I do it I react with the same, wtf just happened.

You can try moving the ball a little further away and also make sure you're not taking the club away too much on the inside. Some of our more knowedgable members will have better suggestions but don't let it bother you too much, it's just part of the game.

Oh yeah, welcome to shottalk.

Is this bit right?? I had a problem with the shanks and tried to remedy it by standing further away...but all that did was make me reach more...and made the problem worse..

remedy: got advice, stood closer, no more stretching for the ball, shanks gone.

 

[BentGrass]

I had the shanks this spring. Went to the range and started hitting balls until I figured it out. I cleaned my club after every hit so I could see where I was striking the ball on the club face. It felt like the toe, but sure enough it was the hosel.

So I started my address with the ball more on the toe and really took my time and worked on each shot. I got the shanks pretty much out of my system that day.

Another idea is to read The Little Red Book and see what Harvey has to say.

 

[SilverUberXeno]

Kilted has a good point. Not only would standing closer help to solve your problem, but it might improve your golf game as a whole. I started doing this two weeks ago, standing to where my hands on the grip are a lot closer to my body, and it's made a significant difference. Especially noticeable on my driver, oddly enough ( I missed maybe 2 fairways in the last 27 holes I played ) but my irons are playing far more consistently as well.

Except for that skulled LW shot that went alllll the way down the hill on the other side of the green.

God: Well Zach, you're just playing far too well today! -CRRAAAASH!!!-

Couldn't think of a worse place to have that happen, I tell ya...

Take all of this into account, and realise which remedies you're trying as you test them, and note which ones work. Good luck!

 

[Silver]

Do they look like this?

http://www.mlebeau.ca/movies/shanks.wmv

Yes, that was me.

 

[BentGrass]

Do they look like this?

http://www.mlebeau.ca/movies/shanks.wmv

Yes, that was me.

Nice shanking!

 

[freddyboyhouse]

I had the shanks this spring. Went to the range and started hitting balls until I figured it out. I cleaned my club after every hit so I could see where I was striking the ball on the club face. It felt like the toe, but sure enough it was the hosel.

So I started my address with the ball more on the toe and really took my time and worked on each shot. I got the shanks pretty much out of my system that day.

Another idea is to read The Little Red Book and see what Harvey has to say.

sorry to be dim but what is "off the toe"