The Shank and MGS? They’re not related or even good friends!
Someone who has been very happy with MGS so far, sent an SOS email to say he was suddenly shanking the ball.
It is IMPOSSIBLE to be swinging MGS and making a fade, even, let alone a vicious slice or that dreaded shank.
So, what is a SHANK? It is a shot that results when the shank (just above the hosel) of the club connects with the ball, and this happens – always – because the right upper-body starts the downswing, out of sequence.
If a golfer has made the set-up twist of MGS, and then simply lifted the lead arm upwards (not ‘out’ and not ‘in’), then the arms drop and the hips rotate all at the appropriate time, so the right upper-body never comes into the picture.
If a golfer is trying to be MGS-like and has it almost down pat, the only thing which might make him/her shank the ball is if his lead arm goes ‘in’ instead of ‘up’ and takes, along with it, the entire body along in a rotatory movement.
Remember, MGS wants ‘no wrist, NO TWIST’ – the twist is over before the backswing begins.
Many are insecure lifting the lead arm straight up, because they fear that it will either be an all-arms move, or will move their lead arm outside the target line at the start of the backswing.
Well, as long as the right side remains lower than the left, the body IS harnessed at the appropriate time during the downswing, so MGS is prevented from being an all-arms move. As long as the trail shoulder remains twisted behind, the lead arm lifting vertically ‘up’ is always inside the target line, needing no further ‘inside’ movement. In other words, the MGS ‘up’ is always ‘in’ so avoid any more ‘in-ness’!
