Stupid Golf Question
What is a shank?
The ball shoots sideways and someone quietly says you found the hosel
Plain answer first
The plain answer
A shank happens when the ball is struck on or very near the hosel instead of the clubface. It usually shoots abruptly right for a right-handed golfer and left for a left-handed golfer. A hook or slice curves during flight: for a right-handed golfer, a hook curves hard left and a slice curves hard right; those directions reverse for a left-handed golfer. A shank starts sharply sideways because of the strike location.
The NPG answer
A hook takes a turn. A shank uses the emergency exit.
When it matters
It matters when a ball misses sideways because naming the miss correctly keeps you from treating every rightward or leftward shot as the same problem.
What to do next
Watch the first part of the flight and check the impact location: an abrupt sideways launch near the hosel points to a shank, while a ball that curves during flight is more likely a hook or slice.
Do this next
What is a hook?
A hook is an uncontrolled shot that curves sharply toward the golfer.
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