Shanking Pitch Shots

[Dennis]

Help! I’m shanking pitch shots. I’m not shanking any other shots, just pitches. Of course, it’s absolutely devastating to my game. Any thoughts on what might cause this would be greatly appreciated.

[Les]

Check your movement through the ball. I find it easy to get too handsy and out of sequence with my wedges and thus introduce all kinds of problems. I like to feel that my knees are moving the club through impact – quiet hands.

[Stephen]

Hi Dennis, Her s a reply I sent to somebody pulling his pitches. The two issues are strongly related so the the answer is the same.

I went thru this for a while. The simple cure for me was to make sure the motion of the pitch is driven in the same way as the full swing but obviously a mini version. The set up is slightly different in that feet can be square and weight slightly left (important to remember that the weight left is as a result of feeling like your at the end of a mini surf to level rather than just leaning left).

Once your set up properly execute your mini swing as fast or slow as you like and as the shot dictates. Increasing pressure appropriately is crucial, as is MAKING SURE THE GLUTES GO BACK as you surf to level. If your glutes don’t go back your right knee and hip will come forward and the club (even in this mini swing) will be thrown out over the top.

The only result of that will be a pull all day long. (And maybe the odd shank! Ouch!)

If you hit it solid and straight with your full swing I’d practice full wedge shots and alternate mini wedge shots ensuring that (once you’ve made the slight set up changes) the feelings are the same. Max focus on surf to level and glutes back with appropriate pressure.

[Tathata Staff]

Hello Team Tathata! Thanks for all the activity on this thread! As it relates to shanking chip / pitch shots, let’s go back to pressure and movement. When players are shanking it, it usually is a combination of the back knee independently moving towards the golf ball (right knee for RH player) and the lack of pressure in the front arm / front arm tricep and lat. As you train your snap to level movement, even for these small motions, perform a few reps engaging the left arm tricep and left lat (large muscle on both sides of your mid / upper back). Notice as you pressurize this area how the left arm (RH player) cannot move away from the body i.e. lift the handle and push the club head hosel into the ball. As the tricep and back left lat engage together, the front arm moves in and on the body shooting the hands in and the club face out with strength and safety. As we do this also put intention to the back knee / right knee. Is the right knee firing towards the golf ball at all? If we are firing that back knee towards the golf ball at all than proper leverage and strength is destroyed in these small motions. Have fun with this Team!

[Dennis]

Thanks to all for the great input. Now I know what to look for and work on. The energy of greatness never stops!