| Have you ever had a shank? Most golfers have, and | | | | - keep your eye on the ball through your swing. |
| for many it can be the costliest and most | | | | - before you play your shot, visualise your swing. |
| embarrassing part of their game. Shanks often | | | | Picture yourself swinging smoothly, with your head |
| happen when you are pitching or playing your short | | | | down over the ball through impact. |
| approach shot to the green, and even though you | | | | - relax your grip. Don't strangle the club. |
| may have played a couple of great shots to get | | | | - take a nice low, slow backswing. |
| there, the shank rears it's ugly head and destroys | | | | - stand a little further from the ball and try and bend |
| your score. | | | | from the hips rather than from the knees. |
| So what is a shank? | | | | - make sure your weight is evenly distributed. Too |
| A shank is when the ball hits the join between the | | | | much weight on either your toes or heels can cause |
| club head and the hosel, at the base of the shaft. | | | | you to shank. Take a nice comfortable stance, and |
| When this happens the ball often flys off at almost | | | | have a few practice swings. |
| 90 degrees to your intended ball path. | | | | Now print off this page, head out to your local driving |
| How do you fix your shank? | | | | range, buy a bucket or two of balls, and practice |
| There are several ways to fix your shank, and you | | | | these tips. I'm sure they will help and soon you will |
| may need to experiment with a few of these: | | | | eliminate the dreaded shank from your golf game. |
| - keep your head down throughout your swing. | | | | |