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Shank (shank) Irons Beginner / Intermediate ⏱ 1 min 🇬🇧 Video in English, summarized

Toes pointed toward the shank: light grip, chest up

After a shank, fear makes everything tense up. David Leadbetter suggests four simple tips to apply starting with your next shot: loosen your grip, lift your toes, keep your hands close to your body, and keep your chest up.

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David Leadbetter
David Leadbetter · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

To be continued

8 minSame problemSpace Between the Body and the Ball: How to Prevent a ShankGiles Gill Golf · Beginner / Intermediate7 minSame problemTwo-Ball Drill to Prevent Shanks and SpraysRick Shiels · Beginner / Intermediate2 minFrom the same proThe Low Punch Under the Branches: David LeadbetterDavid Leadbetter · Beginner / Intermediate

What the lesson shows

David Leadbetter starts with an observation: when you're afraid, the Tension builds. The first instinct is to deliberately ease up on the grip pressure, toward 3 or 4 on a scale of 10. Second instinct, to curl your toes up in your shoes at address: during a shank, the weight shifts from the heels to the toes, and this reference point helps maintain balance.

Third tip: During the shank, your hands are farther from your body at impact than at address. So you need to feel the hands closer to the body, almost as if you were striking it with the toe. Finally, someone who shanks the ball lunges toward it. Rather than focusing on the clubhead, Leadbetter prefers to keep the upper sternum: The angle of the back remains constant, and the hands can stay close to the body.

The Exercise, Step by Step

  1. Hold the club with a grip pressure of 3 or 4 out of 10, keeping your hands relaxed.
  2. At the address, make sure your toes are positioned inside your shoes.
  3. Maintain that feeling of weight on your heels throughout the entire swing.
  4. Remember to bring your hands close to your body at impact, as if you were hitting with the toe of the club.
  5. Keep your chest up from start to finish, without leaning toward the ball.

Key Takeaways

Fear makes you tense up: ease up on the grip, to about a 3 or 4 out of 10.
Keep your toes pointed upward in your shoes to keep your weight on your heels.
During the shank, the hands move away from the body at impact.
Feeling: hitting the ball with the tip of the club.
Keep your sternum up so you don't lunge toward the ball.

Mistakes to Avoid

  • Grip the club tighter after your first shank.
  • Shift your weight from your heels to your toes.
  • Keep your hands away from your body in the downswing.
  • Dive toward the ball with your upper body.

Driving Range Mode

Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.

  1. Grip pressure rated on a scale of 10 before each shot
  2. Toes pointed at the address
  3. Hands close to the body, a sense of balance
  4. Chest out all the way to the finish

Your Questions

What grip pressure should you use after a shank?

David Leadbetter recommends intentionally lightening it: if 10 is too tight, aim for 3 or 4.

Why lift your toes?

Because when you shank the ball, your weight shifts from your heels to your toes. Lifting your toes inside your shoes helps you maintain your balance on your heels.

Is keeping your head still enough?

He prefers the feeling of keeping his sternum up. The angle of his back remains constant; you don't dive forward, and your hands stay close to your body.

Learn More

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