What's a shank and how to avoid hitting sideways

FRIDAY, JUNE 29: Golfers consider the sideways shot the worst in golf. In a shank the ball squirts almost straight right from the moment you hit it.

The first time it happens, it comes as a complete shock. A sense of complete loss of confidence is generally accompanied.

So what is a shank?

Well, technically, it is not a “golf shot.” A golf shot is something a player tries to hit. As far as I know, nobody has ever tried intentionally to hit a shank.

The shank is the portion or part of an iron where the club face and hosel meet.

When a golfer hits the ball in that area of the club head it produces an unwanted ball reaction which is called and widely accepted as a “shank.”

I have been the victim of a shank in situations when I really did not want one.

The shank can be caused by a multitude of reasons, but there are really only two main reasons for shanking.

The most common is swing path — attacking the ball too much from the inside, which is either swing plane on the backswing or lack of turn through on the downswing.

Secondly, the angle of attack maybe too steep, causing the clubface to be open making the heel of the club to be more prominent. Which can be caused by ball position or plane again.

Now for the second important part, “What do I have to do to get rid of them?”

Well, we have to see what is going wrong, so this is where video is key so that the cause of the problem can be assessed. Just book a lesson with your local PGA professional, and make sure to ask for video analysis. Seeing is truly believing!

Paul Adams is the PGA director of Golf at Rosewood Tucker’s Point.