Hitting a shank on the golf course is an issue that many amateurs tend to experience. While there are a lot of factors as to why someone might do it, on big reason is the clubface is closed, causing the club to hit the ground prior to impact. So it’s important to open up the face and rotate your hips all the way through the swing.
To help eliminate shanks, GOLF Teacher to Watch Mike Bury has a heel drill to try out. All you need is a high iron (he uses a 7-iron) and a wedge to stand on.
In the video above, Bury demonstrates a heel drill that will help players keep their back foot from rising up, providing the base to properly rotate through the swing until impact. This will help shankers from firing their right knee towards the golf ball, getting up on your back toe.
To try the drill yourself, Bury walks through what you need and what to do.
“You’re going to need a 7-iron and a wedge,” he says. “Let’s start with some practice swings, raising that trail heel, and placing that wedge underneath to keep enough pressure on there so it [the wedge] doesn’t fall down.
“Now we’ll do a couple little waist high, wayside practice swings. And what you’ll notice here is I’m rolling this right foot so that the right foot comes over to the left knee, and I’m not firing up onto the toe dropping the wedge.”
Next, Bury puts the heel drill to the test, going through the proper set up, placing the wedge beneath his back foot and providing pressure, and striking the ball. He also reminds viewers not to expect instant changes, as it’s going to take practice to adjust your swing.
“Whether you hit them all perfect or not, at least you’ll stop shanking them.”
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