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How to Stop Shanking Your Golf Shots

ByMichael Reeves

← Golf Instruction & Improvement | Common Faults & Fixes


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Quick Answer

  • Dial in your setup: A square clubface and correct ball position are non-negotiable.
  • Swing from the inside: This promotes a consistent path and keeps the clubface from going awry.
  • Practice smart: Drills that focus on impact feel and clubface control are your best friends.

Who This is For

  • Golfers who are tired of those dreaded hosel rockets flying into the trees or out of bounds. It happens to the best of us, but it doesn’t have to keep happening.
  • Players ready to commit to a few key adjustments and practice them consistently. You’ve got this.

What to Check First: Shank Prevention

  • Clubface Aim: At address, is your clubface aimed slightly left of your target? If it’s open, you’re setting yourself up for a shank.
  • Grip Strength: Are you squeezing the life out of the club? An overly strong grip often forces the clubface open through impact.
  • Ball Position: Is the ball too far forward in your stance? This is a classic culprit, pushing the club out towards the hosel.
  • Swing Path Feel: Do you feel like you’re swinging over the top of the ball? We need to feel like we’re swinging from the inside.
  • Club Length: While less common, if your clubs are significantly too short, it can contribute. Check the manual or verify with manufacturer.

Step-by-Step Plan to Avoid Shanking a Golf Ball

1. Action: Adjust your grip.

What to look for: Aim for a neutral to slightly weak grip. For right-handers, this means your left hand should be positioned so you can see two to three knuckles. Avoid rotating your hands too far to the right, which makes the grip strong.
Mistake: Gripping the club too tightly or with an excessively strong grip. This tends to open the clubface through impact, leading straight to the hosel.

2. Action: Set up with the clubface slightly closed.

What to look for: Before you even take your stance, set the clubface so it’s aimed slightly left of your intended target. This gives you a buffer and helps the face square up naturally through impact.
Mistake: Aiming the clubface directly at the target. This forces you to manipulate the clubface through the swing, which is a recipe for disaster.

3. Action: Position the ball slightly back in your stance.

What to look for: For most clubs, especially irons, the ball should be positioned opposite your back heel or just slightly forward of that. This encourages you to hit down and through the ball, making solid contact.
Mistake: Ball too far forward. This is a huge one. When the ball is too far forward, you’re forced to swing at it from the outside, almost like chopping down on it, which brings the hosel into play.

4. Action: Feel the club swing from the inside.

What to look for: On your backswing, try to feel like the club is moving on a slightly more inside path. As you swing through, imagine swinging out towards the target, not just straight at it. This inside-out path is crucial.
Mistake: Coming “over the top.” This is a common flaw where the club comes down outside the target line. It makes it incredibly difficult to hit the sweet spot and often results in shanks or pulls.

5. Action: Maintain a stable lower body.

What to look for: Keep your hips and legs relatively stable through the hitting zone. Allow your arms to swing freely, but avoid excessive swaying or spinning of your lower body before impact.
Mistake: Early hip rotation or swaying. This destabilizes your swing arc and makes it very hard to control the clubface and path through impact.

6. Action: Practice impact drills.

What to look for: Use alignment sticks on the ground to ensure your club path is correct. You can also place a tee or an old ball just outside the ball you’re hitting; if you hit it, you know you’re coming over the top. Focus on feeling the club strike the center of the clubface.
Mistake: Mindlessly hitting balls without a specific focus. You need feedback to know what feels right. Try using impact tape on your clubface to see where you’re actually hitting the ball.

7. Action: Shallow out your downswing.

What to look for: Think about the club dropping into a shallower plane on its way down. This helps you swing from the inside and strike the ball on the upswing or at the bottom of your arc.
Mistake: Steep downswing. A steep downswing often leads to coming over the top and hitting the hosel.

8. Action: Check your posture.

What to look for: Ensure you have a good athletic posture with a slight bend in your knees and a straight spine. Your arms should hang naturally from your shoulders.
Mistake: Too much knee flex, not enough spine angle, or arms hanging too far away from your body. This can throw off your entire swing plane.

Common Mistakes in Shank Prevention

  • Gripping the club too strongly — Why it matters: Forces the clubface open at impact, making it easy to catch the hosel. This is a major culprit for shanks. — Fix: Adjust to a neutral or slightly weak grip. You should be able to see two to three knuckles on your lead hand.
  • Ball too far forward in stance — Why it matters: This forces the club to approach the ball from the outside, leading to contact on the hosel rather than the sweet spot. — Fix: Move the ball back in your stance, generally to be in line with your back heel or slightly forward of that.
  • Open clubface at address — Why it matters: If the clubface is open when you set up, you have to make a significant effort to square it through impact. This often leads to manipulation and a shank. — Fix: Deliberately aim the clubface slightly left of your target at address.
  • Coming “over the top” — Why it matters: This swing path means the club is descending steeply outside the target line, making it very difficult to hit the sweet spot. It’s a primary cause of shanks. — Fix: Focus intently on swinging the club on an inside-out path. Drills like the “pump drill” can help.
  • Trying to “help” the clubface square — Why it matters: When you consciously try to manipulate the clubface to square it up, you often flip your wrists or make other compensations that result in a shank. — Fix: Trust your setup and allow the natural motion of the swing to square the clubface. Focus on the path.
  • Poor posture or setup — Why it matters: An incorrect setup can lead to a chain reaction of swing flaws, including an incorrect swing plane and an open clubface. — Fix: Ensure you have an athletic stance with a slight knee flex and a straight spine. Your arms should hang naturally.
  • Insufficient practice of correct mechanics — Why it matters: Simply hitting balls without focusing on the specific adjustments needed won’t fix the problem. You need repetition with intent. — Fix: Dedicate practice sessions to specific drills that reinforce the correct grip, ball position, and swing path.

FAQ

  • What is a shank in golf?

A shank, often called a “hosel rocket,” occurs when the golf ball is struck on the hosel of the club – the part where the shaft connects to the clubhead. This contact point sends the ball flying wildly off to the right (for a right-handed golfer) at a sharp, unpredictable angle, usually resulting in a lost ball and a lot of frustration. It’s one of the most dreaded shots in golf.

  • How can I tell if I’m shanking?

Beyond the obvious result of the ball careening off in the wrong direction, you’ll feel a shank differently. The impact will feel very close to your hands, often jarring. The sound will be distinctively “thinner” or “hollow” compared to a solid strike on the sweet spot. The ball’s trajectory will be low and hook sharply.

  • Is a shank always caused by the club?

While a club that is too short can exacerbate the issue, shanks are almost always a result of swing mechanics and setup errors. The club itself is rarely the primary cause. Your body’s motion and how you position yourself at address are far more likely culprits.

  • How can I practice Avoiding the Shank in Golf without pressure?

The best way to practice is on the driving range or even in your backyard with practice balls. Start with half swings, focusing solely on your setup and the feeling of an inside-out swing path. Gradually increase the power as you feel more consistent contact. Using alignment sticks can be incredibly helpful for visualizing your swing path.

  • What’s the best way to fix a shank?

The most effective way to fix a shank is to address the root causes, which are typically a combination of setup issues and swing path problems. This means focusing on getting your grip right (neutral to slightly weak), ensuring the ball is positioned correctly (not too far forward), and consciously swinging from the inside. Consistent practice of these adjustments is key to How to Stop Shanking a Golf Ball.

  • Can a bad grip cause a shank?

Absolutely. A grip that is too strong (meaning your hands are rotated too far to the right for a right-handed golfer, showing too many knuckles) can make it incredibly difficult to keep the clubface square through impact. This often leads to the clubface opening as you swing, resulting in a shank. Adjusting to a more neutral or even slightly weak grip can significantly help.

  • What are the most common setup mistakes that lead to shanks?

The two biggest setup mistakes are having the ball too far forward in your stance and having the clubface aimed open at address. If the ball is too far forward, your swing arc will naturally tend to come from the outside, hitting the hosel. If the clubface is open, you’ll have to fight to square it up, which often leads to compensations that cause a shank.

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