A shank is a type of mishit in golf where the ball is hit with the hosel (the intersection of the clubhead and the shaft) of the club. This causes the ball to exit almost directly to the right (left if you’re left-handed) with no height and no distance. There are two ways to hit a shank, and they are generally separated by handicaps. Low handicappers get a case of the shanks when they are coming from too far inside, while high handicappers hit a shank when theyre coming from too far outside.

There are two types of shanks, each with their own causes and solutions. The first type is the in-to-out shank, also known as the "better player" shank or the "heel" shank. This happens when the clubhead is swinging on a path that is too shallow, on a severe inside-to-out, which means the hosel is moving directly towards the ball. To solve this, golfers need to steepen their downswing, move their path so it’s less in-to-out, and tilt their spine more towards the ground at address. This should help make a steeper shoulder turn and allow the arms to lift higher, which will help steepen the downswing, move the path more to the left, and keep the hosel further away from the ball.

The second type of shank is the over-the-top shank, also known as the "outside-in" shank. This is where the heel of the club is moving across the target line, often due to the hands tossing and flipping the clubhead through impact. This severe outside-to-in clubhead path is the opposite of the first shank and is caused by a swing that’s too steep. To fix this kind of shank, golfers need to shallow their downswing and move their path more to the right.