I think the truth for a high handicap golfer that is dealing with the shanks is that they don’t strike the ball. Then simply ask why? A high handicap golfer doesn’t have a feel for where the ball is at the bottom of the swing. I didn’t mean to imply being robotic and staying in one position the whole swing (and through it). I always rotate through the swing and flow with the swing. But now that I know where the ball is at the bottom of my swing (a skill gained thru repetition), I look back and realize that I never felt the ball or remember “seeing” the ball at impact. I eliminated those shots from my game when I took the extra time to remember to focus on the ball. That split second of focus on the ball at impact, even though you follow thru, was a massive step for me in making more consistent impact on the ball, eliminating shanks and hosel rockets from my game. I’d also equate it to a practice swing on the range when you’re trying to groove a new aspect of the swing. Over-exaggerating swing moves during practice makes you “feel” how the move should be made more clearly. So if you can’t even make contact with the ball why not exaggerate your focus on the ball to better understand it’s position in your swing path?
Obviously this isn’t advice for a 4 index who has been playing golf forever. It’s a swing thought for people who can’t hit 2-3 shots in a row without a shank, chilly dip, or bladed 190 yard pitching wedge sneaking into their game. If you don’t have an ACCURATE feel for where the ball is then you probably need to focus on the ball to learn where it is until that feel is developed. That was how I eliminated the mentioned problem from my game and it took a while to get it done. Now when I have that issue I can call it being lazy with my swing and I can correct it mid-round be refocusing.