The Real Reason You Shank It

PGA-certified instructor Mike Malaska explains that a shank is caused by contact with the hosel rather than an open clubface. He identifies the two root causes—hands pushing out toward the ball on the downswing and hips drifting closer to the target line—and provides a simple two-ball drill to fix swing path and clear the hips.

• Shanks happen when the ball hits the hosel; the clubface can be square or shut at impact.
• Attempting to fix a shank by twisting the face shut usually worsens the problem.
• The two true causes are hands moving outward toward the ball in transition and the lead hip drifting toward the target line.
• To fix hand path, allow hands to return down and in to where they started.
• Use the Two-Ball Drill to condition your hands and hips to stay on an inward path through impact.