noun / verb
shank
A badly misdirected strike of a ball off the wrong part of a club or foot.
He shanks the golf ball sideways into the tall grass.
Etymology
Shank names a narrow connecting part, including the part near a golf club’s head. The mis-hit takes its name from striking the ball with that wrong part.
More examples
- A shank off the club's heel sends her ball right.
- I shanked the soccer ball out of bounds.
- She keeps shanking her chips instead of landing them near the hole.
Forms
shank · shanks · shanked · shanking
Similar words
- mishit
- Covers any poorly struck ball, not just wrong-part contact.
- miscue
- Describes a broader execution error, not necessarily wrong-part contact.