I feel the most devastating and embarrassing shot in golf is the shank. The shank happens when you contact the ball on the hosel of the clubface. The hosel is on the inside portion of the clubhead that connects the shaft to the clubhead.

Most players that shank usually shank the short pitch shots close to the green or their short irons in general.

The big questions are what causes the shank and how do you cure it?

The most common cause is letting your weight shift toward your toes either on the backswing or on the downswing. When your weight shifts toward your toes during your swing, you are simply making the club longer and you are automatically going to contact the ball on the inside of the clubface.

Another cause is getting the clubhead behind your hands on the backswing, which may force your hands out toward the ball on the downswing.

Starting your downswing with your shoulders and hips at the same time will put you over the top of the ball with an out-to-in swing path, giving you a good chance of striking the ball on the hosel.

Here are some simple drills to cure the shanks:

• Make sure you keep your balance throughout your swing.
• Eliminate any tension in your grip.
• Intentionally try to strike the ball on the toe of the club which will promote bringing your hands and arms back through the address position. 
• On short pitch shots, open your stance and hips with about 75 percent of your weight on your forward foot. Make sure your shoulders and chest are square to your line.

Don't let the shanks ruin your time on the golf course.