Irons · Lesson
What Actually Causes a Shank
Part of our irons programs for shanks, uneven lies. Build a program with it
A shank hits the hosel and shoots off to the right. Most people blame an open face. Usually the real cause is the club moving farther from your body on the way down. So keep the club closer to you. Stay balanced in the middle of your feet, not on your toes. Put a soft object just outside the ball. Swing so you miss it. Feel your hands stay near your thighs through impact.
Step by step
- Keep your weight centered, not on your toes.
- Set a headcover just outside the ball.
- Swing so the club misses it.
- Keep your hands close to your thighs.
- Hit easy half shots until it stays untouched.
Why it works
A shank happens when the hosel, not the face, meets the ball. If the club moves farther from your body on the downswing, the hosel arrives at the ball's position first. Staying centered over the middle of your feet and keeping your hands near your thighs holds the club on a path closer to you, so the face reaches the ball.
Common mistakes
- You let your weight drift onto your toes as you swing down.Feel your weight in the middle of your feet at setup and keep it there through impact.
- You push your hands away from your thighs as you start down.Feel your hands pass close to your thighs and keep that distance through impact.
- You set the headcover too close or too far from the ball and then swing around it.Place it just outside the ball, about where the hosel would pass, and swing so the club misses it.
How you'll know it's working
- The headcover stays untouched on every swing in a set.
- The ball starts on your target line or close to it, with no sudden shot to the right.
- You feel contact toward the middle of the face, not near the hosel.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Use a short iron and half swings, and set the headcover a little farther out so it is easy to miss.
Harder: Move to a longer club and a fuller swing, and set the headcover closer to the ball while keeping it untouched.
Common questions
Why do I shank the ball with my irons?
Usually the club moves away from your body on the way down, so the hosel meets the ball. Weight on your toes and hands drifting outward often cause this.
Is a shank caused by an open clubface?
Usually not. The main cause is the club path moving outward and the ball being struck near the hosel, so you fix it by keeping the club closer to you.
