THE SHANK

 The Shank crops up when the ball is hit right out of the hosel or neck of the golf club and ends up going sideways, almost at right angles to the intended line of flight.

THE PROBLEM

The shank can often be traced back to a faulty set up. Usually the posture is too stooped with the hands too low at the address. It all goes hand-in-hand with standing too close to the ball.

This tends to encourage the golfer to drift out towards the ball during either the backswing or the downswing. That moves the centre of the clubface out towards the outer edge of the golf ball, leaving the hosel of the golf club to strike the middle of the ball. You will normally lose your balance towards your toes, and fell unstable during the follow- through.

THE CURE

It is vital you work on your set up. Pay special attention to your posture and your distance from the ball. This drill will help:

1 Stand upright, with a clubshaft pressed up against your front running from your chin to your knees.

2 Keeping the shaft pressed against your front, bend forwards from the hips until you feel the weight move into your     toes.

3 Flex your knees to counterbalance yourself. You should now feel your weight under the middle of your feet.

4 Lower the club and address the ball with it. The ball should feel a lot further away from you.

DRILLS

Once you have settled into your good posture and set up position, it is very important to keep those angles throughout your swing to avoid that drift into the ball. Here are two ways to help you:

1 TOE CURLER