Short Game

Question
Hi
I have been trying for two years now to stop my wedge shots (from 50 yards in) flying straight right!  This only happens to, say, 1 in every 20 shots but when it happens I seem to get a run of them.  It is also worse and more common during a round than at the range and gets more pronounced the nearer I get to the green!  I have tried keeping my elbows in, head over the ball, turning the left hip out of the way and hundreds of other ways but it still creeps in!  Any suggestions of cause and remedy would be great?  Thanks in anticipation.  Matt

Answer
Hi Matthew:

The dreaded shank.  Just to clear things up, you are hitting the ball on the hosel of the club (the neck).  Once the ball strikes the neck of the shaft, the ball squirts straight right at a 45 degree angle.  YUK!  Let's get to the heart of the matter.  Why is the clubhead about an inch outside of the ball at impact?  All the things you mentioned have nothing to do with this issue.  Logical, but not practical.  Usually the culprit is balance.  So check your balance.  First step, take your set up and back up about 2 inches.  You just might be too close to the ball.  Second, if your balance is bad, as you make your forward swing towards the ball, you are transferring weight into your left toe instead of to the outside of the left shoe towards your heel.  If your weight is moving out towards your toe, you would have the club approach the ball just enough from the outside to shank it.  So make sure you check your balance.  Learn to feel your footwork and your balance moving from the middle of your right foot to the middle outside of your left foot.  When you finish the swing, we should be able to see a couple spikes under your left toe.  And third thing to check is too much hand or wrist action.  If your hands are too flippy, it's hard to control down at impact.  So no need to flip your hands at it or try to get wristy down at the ball.  Quite your hands through impact.  So, back up about an inch or two, check your balance on your feet and quite your hand action.  You'll start hitting the ball in the center of the face again in no time.  

Eddie Kilthau
PGA Member