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**Martin Levac** · 10-14-2007, 08:07 AM

Re: After playing for 20 years I've played my last round today.

Originally posted by blugolfer View Post

I've been as low as 8 handicap and mainly played around 10 for the last 10 years but now I fear I have to give up the game.

The reason? The shanks.

I've had them for two years. I've not had more than a couple of weeks respite in all that time. Until recently the best I could hope for is only a couple in a round but now it's got so bad that every single shot is a shank! Sounds impossible doesn't it? I wish it was. I've tried every cure. None has worked on the course.

I'm really gutted to be giving up the game because I have had some great times but I cannot continue any longer. I feel a bit like someone whose partner has left him and who decides to 'end it all'.

Cheerio.

Golf is a game. Games are meant to be fun. When it's no more fun, perhaps it's time to quit. Don't worry about feeling like you must stick around, we all feel like that about golf. It's the hype. But don't believe it, golf is just a game.

It's been fun while it lasted. Hasn't it?

**Robert O' Keeffe** · 10-14-2007, 12:03 PM

Re: After playing for 20 years I've played my last round today.

I can fully understand your frustration. Like you, I have a dedication to this game and practice lots. I would consider my ability to be as good as any 11/12 h/capper and when I play well, I really play well. When we play well, our mind is in a positive state and we find the zone. Our confidence gets sky high and we dont accept if we hit a bad stroke. Now, if we have issues going on in our life, or are distracted by pressures of everyday living, we give priority to these issues and golf gets the backdoor. What I am trying to say is that our minds have to be in a relaxed and positive state to allow us get the best out of our ability and golf swing. I am saying this because I have often had times where my swing goes from serious to rubbish and I know what the problem is when this happens. Other matters take over and I just put the clubs away. When I apply and tell myself that I have the ability, I go to the range or the course and shut everything else out. I am sure that your shank problem is in here somewhere. Mind over matter is a big issue when it comes to golf. Maybe this statement is rubbish, but I know from my own suffering that it has to have some level of truth

**GreeBoman** · 10-15-2007, 02:30 PM

Re: After playing for 20 years I've played my last round today.

Originally posted by cmays View Post

If you are not swinging too far to the inside are you rolling your front forearm in the backswing?

This often shows up on wedge shots.

Strange, but I actually agree with something you are saying

Whenever I have the shanks, its with wedges and its always because I am fanning the clubface open. Lord knows why but thats always it.

**ogallalabob** · 10-15-2007, 03:57 PM

Re: After playing for 20 years I've played my last round today.

I would agree with Robert, If you think to much on each little part of your swing or focuse too much on what you do not want to do it causes problems or paralysis of your muscles. I think a lot of problems can be solved by having maybe a couple positive swing thoughts and focuse on where you want the shot to go.

**Yggdrasil** · 10-16-2007, 08:43 AM

Re: After playing for 20 years I've played my last round today.

Hei shanker -

Many sympathies. I'm not shanking right now, so I have advice.

Here's my list of mistakes, and maybe fixes.

1) Bobbing up and down with head (lunging). Easy fix, just stop it, see if you shanks go away.

2) Outside-In swing: on pitches, make sure your shoulders "go through" the ball on plan back, then on plane forward. It's easy to take your left shoulder "over" the ball on the backswing, (plane Way over ball, not under chin), then over the top on the downswing, even if you don't slice on full swings. On pitches, this has caused a lot of my shanks. Weird.

3) I got a quick fix by conciously leading with my hands on my pitching. (but I believe this was indirectly fixing the should thing)

FIGHT THROUGH THE PAINT !!!! ;-)

Regards,
charles

**takinitdeep** · 10-17-2007, 12:57 AM

Re: After playing for 20 years I've played my last round today.

a few years ago I posted to let the hands lead the downswing with the clubhead lagging behind. At that time, I was ridiculed. I only say this, not in self agrandizement but to make the point that although some of us are not charging $2,500 per lesson like some others, we too have something to add to the threads.
It is sometimes from the humblist(sp) of hearts that wisdom springs.
Good to hear you have now become the conqueror instead of the conquered.
God bless.

Originally posted by Yggdrasil View Post

Hei shanker -

Many sympathies. I'm not shanking right now, so I have advice.

Here's my list of mistakes, and maybe fixes.

1) Bobbing up and down with head (lunging). Easy fix, just stop it, see if you shanks go away.

2) Outside-In swing: on pitches, make sure your shoulders "go through" the ball on plan back, then on plane forward. It's easy to take your left shoulder "over" the ball on the backswing, (plane Way over ball, not under chin), then over the top on the downswing, even if you don't slice on full swings. On pitches, this has caused a lot of my shanks. Weird.

3) I got a quick fix by conciously leading with my hands on my pitching. (but I believe this was indirectly fixing the should thing)

FIGHT THROUGH THE PAINT !!!! ;-)

Regards,
charles

**Yggdrasil** · 10-17-2007, 06:42 AM

Re: After playing for 20 years I've played my last round today.

Sorry about the spelling.... I was in a big hurry, looks kind of stupid today...

Should have been "consciously", "shoulder thing" and "PAIN !!!!", of course....

BR
Charles

============================================

3) I got a quick fix by consciously leading with my hands on my pitching. (but I believe this was indirectly fixing the should thing)

FIGHT THROUGH THE PAINT !!!! ;-)

**blugolfer** · 10-17-2007, 08:14 AM

... 5 days later

An update...

On Sunday I went to hit some balls on our practice ground. I started by hitting full shots and I hit them really well but I shanked nearly all my half shots.

The weird thing is that I always (yes, always) hit the first few half shots ok. It's only after I've hit at least 3 or 4 that I shank but once I've shanked one I shank them all. On the course, it usually takes me until the 7th to hit a shank. So regular is this that I can actually remember the two rounds this year when I didn't shank my second shot on this hole.

Anyway, I then got fed up with picking balls out of the bushes that line our practice ground and went to the net to hit those half shots. I hit every one perfectly. I tried every bad swing to hit a shank but everything flew out of the middle of the club.

My conclusion is that for me it's a purely mental problem and I think that's the hardest one to deal with. Any advice on this one from any psychologists in our ranks?

**BrianW** · 10-17-2007, 08:34 AM

Re: ... 5 days later

Originally posted by blugolfer View Post

An update...

On Sunday I went to hit some balls on our practice ground. I started by hitting full shots and I hit them really well but I shanked nearly all my half shots.

The weird thing is that I always (yes, always) hit the first few half shots ok. It's only after I've hit at least 3 or 4 that I shank but once I've shanked one I shank them all. On the course, it usually takes me until the 7th to hit a shank. So regular is this that I can actually remember the two rounds this year when I didn't shank my second shot on this hole.

Anyway, I then got fed up with picking balls out of the bushes that line our practice ground and went to the net to hit those half shots. I hit every one perfectly. I tried every bad swing to hit a shank but everything flew out of the middle of the club.

My conclusion is that for me it's a purely mental problem and I think that's the hardest one to deal with. Any advice on this one from any psychologists in our ranks?

I really do understand what you are saying. At my driving range there is a par 3 pitch and putt course and I used to like having a round after range practice, I would only take a pitching wedge and putter with me. One day I started shanking every shot off the tee, after that it started happening every time I went there, I never shanked any where else, only on this par 3 course. I know the range PGA pro well and asked him to come round a few holes with me one day to see if he could see what I was doing, he saw it right away, I was pitching with a slight out to in swing that cut the hozel across the ball, silly thing was I didn't do it anywhere else. It seemed that because I was nervous of shanking, my subconscious was making me swing left to stop the ball going right, this was causing the problem.

Here is a good video that addresses the problem I had, maybe it will help you?

Golf Schools » Ritson-Sole Golf School » August 2006: Shank no more! » Top 25 golf instruction

**Yggdrasil** · 10-17-2007, 08:46 AM

Re: ... 5 days later

Only a "maybe", because I have exactly the same problem: I never push/slice or duck-hook on the driving range, but hole 1: push-slice to next fairway, or duck-hook out of bounds. over and over. After a few holes, it never happens for the rest of the round.

What has worked for me is this: Ben Hogan's training swing, where you keep your left elbow attached to your side, and hit the ball. (driving range, or practice swing before shot). You HAVE to move your body out of the way, dramatically, in order to hit the ball. (they say Ben did this for hours on end on the driving range!). This "reminds" your body to "get out of the way" before your actual shot. It has worked several times for me now.

Point is, I believe I "tighten up" my core muscles on tee 1 (or other stress shots), and don't get my body out of the way. This can lead directly to all sorts of problems, including shanks. So it "seems" entirely mental...

Just a thought... you might just try it, and see if you also get an instant cure...

Originally posted by blugolfer View Post

An update...

On Sunday I went to hit some balls on our practice ground. I started by hitting full shots and I hit them really well but I shanked nearly all my half shots.

The weird thing is that I always (yes, always) hit the first few half shots ok. It's only after I've hit at least 3 or 4 that I shank but once I've shanked one I shank them all. On the course, it usually takes me until the 7th to hit a shank. So regular is this that I can actually remember the two rounds this year when I didn't shank my second shot on this hole.

Anyway, I then got fed up with picking balls out of the bushes that line our practice ground and went to the net to hit those half shots. I hit every one perfectly. I tried every bad swing to hit a shank but everything flew out of the middle of the club.

My conclusion is that for me it's a purely mental problem and I think that's the hardest one to deal with. Any advice on this one from any psychologists in our ranks?

**golfndawg** · 10-17-2007, 08:59 PM

Re: After playing for 20 years I've played my last round today.

Since I have not hit any balls since saturday, I decided it was time try this again and of course the shanks come along with it....I hit 20-25 balls and decided to take them back and perhaps get a partial refund (since I know the guy pretty good that works there......Well his brother (1-2 handi) was in the clubhouse hanging out and wondered why I brought the balls back. I told him about the shanks and how there coming in bunches.He had me grab a club from a rental bag and swing it...He goes there's you're problem right there, I said WHAT? He goes you're lunging at it on the downswing and it's throwing the club out....Pretty much explains my swing as I feel it and see it on video, but what I can't figure out is, this is not an all of a sudden move(lunging)but why is it playing such a big part now?

P.S. The shank is one of the ugliest shots if not the most scariest but is also so close to the perfect shot.

**takinitdeep** · 10-17-2007, 10:00 PM

Re: After playing for 20 years I've played my last round today.

re: lunging:
my 2 cents worth: check your distance from the ball, make sure you are finishing the backswing, and check your grip-make it a little stronger at a time until you are hitting hooks then back off some.
The transition is not power but a natural handsfree result of the backswing.

Originally posted by golfndawg View Post

Since I have not hit any balls since saturday, I decided it was time try this again and of course the shanks come along with it....I hit 20-25 balls and decided to take them back and perhaps get a partial refund (since I know the guy pretty good that works there......Well his brother (1-2 handi) was in the clubhouse hanging out and wondered why I brought the balls back. I told him about the shanks and how there coming in bunches.He had me grab a club from a rental bag and swing it...He goes there's you're problem right there, I said WHAT? He goes you're lunging at it on the downswing and it's throwing the club out....Pretty much explains my swing as I feel it and see it on video, but what I can't figure out is, this is not an all of a sudden move(lunging)but why is it playing such a big part now?

P.S. The shank is one of the ugliest shots if not the most scariest but is also so close to the perfect shot.

**arny660** · 10-19-2007, 08:13 PM

Re: After playing for 20 years I've played my last round today.

First of all, may I apologise to everyone who read the replies "from me". Unfortunately my teenage son and his mates thought that it would be a great idea to post some trash under my name last weekend. This has happened once before on another forum and I thought I had dealt with it but obviously not. I have had some serious words with him and he assures me that he will not do it again. Once again apologies to everyone. This is the best forum that i have found and I find it very helpful.

**takinitdeep** · 10-19-2007, 09:19 PM

Re: After playing for 20 years I've played my last round today.

A very similar thing happened to me awhile ago while I was in Europe. Some folks who were housesitting decided my golf forums were fair game for them. Since I was away for a long time, they had lots of fun at my expense.

Originally posted by arny660 View Post

First of all, may I apologise to everyone who read the replies "from me". Unfortunately my teenage son and his mates thought that it would be a great idea to post some trash under my name last weekend. This has happened once before on another forum and I thought I had dealt with it but obviously not. I have had some serious words with him and he assures me that he will not do it again. Once again apologies to everyone. This is the best forum that i have found and I find it very helpful.

**ilang** · 10-20-2007, 06:28 AM

Re: After playing for 20 years I've played my last round today.

Arnie

I posted on my earlier thread that it was very unusual on here to see bad remarks made between posters.
I do hope you explained the implications of his action.There was a test case in the UK,where a poster on a discussion board successfully sued another poster,for slander/libel.

The British law is,any statements that may cause damage to a person's reputation can be defamatory regardless of whether that was the intention of the person who made them.

In some US states,I believe it is the same.

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