What Causes A Shank? The Swing Reasons And Equipment Ones Nobody Mentions

Sometimes the best way to get rid of a shank is to walk away and come back tomorrow. I've seen it work many times. A shank can be a one-day glitch, bad reps or tension that clears with a night's sleep.

But if the shank keeps coming back and you can't shake it, it's time to break it down and find the cause. Here are the swing and equipment reasons you should know.

What is a shank?

A shank is a shot struck on the hosel or very close to the heel of the club. When the ball meets the heel, it shoots off sideways, usually to the right for a right-handed golfer. It often comes with a distinctive sound, a twisting feel in the hands and a flight you can't forget.

Shanks are most common with irons and wedges because of the hosel. You can hit toward the heel with a driver or fairway wood but you'll usually get a weak, low-distance miss rather than that traditional shank shot.

The swing causes

Almost every swing cause comes down to one thing: at some point, the club or your hands get too close to the ball. That can happen in a few ways.

1. You set up too close. If you're crowding the ball at address; the heel is already nearer the ball than it should be. You leave yourself no room on the rest of the swing.

2. You set up too far away. This one surprises people. If you're reaching for the ball, you'll be off balance and as you swing, you'll fall toward the ball. Your body and hands move closer to the ball at impact and you hit the ball too close to the heel.

3. Coming over the top. An out-to-in move can push your hands away from your body and the club toward the ball which exposes the heel.

4. Swinging too flat from the inside. The opposite problem. The club approaches from too far inside and your hands drift outward (away from your body) through impact, pushing the heel into the ball.

5. Balance and posture. Falling forward onto your toes through the swing moves the club toward the ball at the last moment. If your shanks come with a lunge, this is likely the culprit.

The equipment causes nobody mentions

Most shank causes stop at technique because it's the most likely issue. But equipment can create the conditions for a shank or make it worse.

Shaft length. A shaft that's too long can make you to stand too far from the ball and reach or to stand too upright. A shaft that's too short can make you crowd the ball. Both bring the setup problems above into play.

Club design and offset. Some players feel they shank more with certain irons, especially ones with a lot of offset or a hosel that looks closer to the ball at address. Offset doesn't cause shanks on its own but a head shape that makes you uneasy can change your setup and swing.

Grip size. A grip that's too thin or too thick changes how your hands release through impact and can pull the club path off line.

Swing weight and shaft flex. A head that's too heavy or a shaft that's too soft can make the club feel hard to control leading to tempo issues and poor hand positioning at the bottom of the swing.

How to figure out your cause

Now that you have the causes down, I'd take a day off. If you come back and are still shanking it, go through this list of what could be causing it.

1. Find where you actually hit it. Use impact tape on the clubface and hit some shots. If every strike is on the heel, you have a serious pattern. If strikes are scattered, your issue is inconsistency. If you hit five in the center and one on the heel, it's probably a setup error that sneaks up now and then.
2. Check your distance from the ball. Golfers play around with stance width more than distance from the golf ball. Make sure you are not too far or too close.
3. Check your balance. If you're falling forward after impact, fix the balance before anything else. Balance issues make you lose power and consistency it's not just a shank problem.
4. Get your equipment checked. If you've fixed setup and balance and the heel strikes persist, have your clubs looked at to make sure they are a fit for your game.