2-MINUTE CLINICS

How to stop shanking it

If you clicked on the link to this page, congratulations. Admitting you need help with the shanks—hitting it off the hosel of your irons—is the first step in correcting one of the most feared ball-striking faults. The good news is, they aren't that hard to cure. Here are some strategies I employ with my students. I think they will do you some good, too. —Steve Buzza, one of Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers in America

  • Set up with your iron's hosel near the ball (that's right, near it)
  • Do that, and you'll subconsciously avoid the hosel when you hit
  • Trust me
  • Set up like you're going to shank it (stay with me on this)
  • Stand closer than normal to the ball
  • Feel your weight more toward the base of your toes
  • When you swing down, this shank setup will make you want to move away from the ball
  • Set your hands more on top of the handle
  • Feel the grip more in your fingers than palms (above)
  • Check that the shaft is underneath your forearms
  • When you swing, this grip and setup prevents you from accessing the hosel
  • On the range, make swings with 50-percent effort
  • Keep doing it until your confidence grows
  • Then ramp up your effort
  • On the course, hit three-quarter shots
  • Just advance the ball (until the shanks are gone)