This can be quite a problem that many people struggle when around the green. Put simply shanking is caused by the hand distance increasing at impact from where it was at address. The reason why it doesn't show up as much with the full swing is because the swing is longer and therefore have more time to compensate for a swing flaw before impact.
Now the most common reason why the shank occurs is that the path tends to come 'inside' on the backswing too early. When someone shanks often, it can also be due to the hands pushing away from the body along with the path going on the inside. The reason why the inside path causes the shank, is that the path turns into a very in-out action through the ball. This means that the direction of the swing tends to travel too far to the right through impact.
When the path starts to go too in-out, the hands start to naturally travel further away from the body through impact, hence catching the heel and causing the shank. If you don't shank the ball from this path, you usually get balls that tend to get pushed to the right or 'hook' chips as the clubface starts to rotate left. It can also make you 'dig' into the ground as the leading edge starts to get more utilised.
In order to fix this issue, start by placing a head cover or another ball around an inch away (preferably a different colour) to the ball you intend to hit. Next ensure you set-up with the club around a handspan from the body. Finally practice your takeaway trying to keep the same distance from the hands to the body whilst feeling as though the clubhead stays in front of the hands. This will ensure the path doesn't go inside too early. and hence will go through the ball in a more straight path. Also the goal will be not to hit the head cover or additional ball to guarantee you hit the centre of the club and hence fix your shank!
If you have any further questions on how to chip consistently, just book in with myself at David Waters Golf.
Comments