A shank in golf is one of the most irritating occurrences in golf, and for some golfers the common fault can become a persistent pest that is difficult to shake.
It doesn't matter how far you hit your iron shots, or how much power you generate with your driver, if you have a tendency to occasionally throw in a shank here or there you will feel the pain when signing for your scorecard.
So, how can we cure the shanks? Well, there are plenty of great expert tips out there, but this one has to be my favourite. In this article, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Tom Motley shares a creative solution which harnesses the power of a great sporting icon... 'The Magic Sponge'.
The Magic Sponge Drill
The shank is a really destructive shot that can throw you off your game. If you’re suffering from the odd ‘hosel rocket’ – a shot that shoots off sideways – you have my sympathy.
Fear not, for there is a fix, although there can be a number of reasons for it, including poor set-up where you’re either too close or too far away from the ball. If you’re looking for a quick fix, the drill below might be worth trying.
Take your set-up as normal, making sure you have the correct ball position and your weight balanced evenly between your feet. Then, place a sponge (or a headcover) on the outside of the ball no more than a centimetre from the toe of the club.
You don’t want to make this too easy, so make sure the distance is no more than that. You want half the sponge behind the ball and half in front to ensure it’s only around the impact area. The drill is then simple – your only aim is to miss the sponge!
This drill is designed to stop you coming over the top, one of the most common causes of the shank. I see it regularly, where golfers get to the top of the swing and then the club gets further away from the body.
This results in the hosel being presented to the ball. It’s an effective drill because having the visual prop helps you to feel the arms coming more inside. Ideally we’d like to aim to hit it out of the toe a little bit here to over-exaggerate the feels, create better awareness of impact location and remove any extreme heel strikes and the dreaded shanks.
Give it a try, I am sure you'll be impressed by the powers of the magic sponge.
