The Most Dreaded Shot in Golf and How to Fix It

The 2019 British Open served up a lot of emotions, from Shane Lowry admitting to being 'nervous and scared' to Henrik Stenson breaking a golf club over his knee after shanking his approach shot on the 17th hole.

It was Stenson's shank that received the most attention through video clips across the internet and one which can be the most frustrating shot in golf. There is also a plethora of conversation about it because it is so widespread. In this Golf for Beginners blog, we discuss what a shank is and how to fix it.

A shank from Henrik Stenson and a broken iron over the leg. pic.twitter.com/qEQd7PXYmw

— By The Flagstick (@ByTheFlagstick) July 21, 2019

What is a shank? It's, quite possibly the most dreaded shot in golf - once you "catch" the shanks, it's hard to get rid of them!

Basically, a shank is when the golf ball hits the hosel or heel of your golf club. The ball veers sharply to the right for the right-handed golfer. This differs greatly from a slice as the ball comes off the clubface with a slice as opposed to the hosel of the club.

The great instructor Butch Harmon states, "With the clubhead swinging out to in and the face closing, you risk hitting off the hosel."

Why do golfers shank? Neil Tappin from Golf Monthly states that golfers shank due to three issues, ball position, grip pressure, and swing path.

How do you get rid of the shanks? David Leadbetter says that you should take a break from the golf course but, just in case you are in the middle of your round, he also says to "make sure you’re standing tall with your chest up during the swing, don’t hold the club too tightly, and make sure your weight isn’t sneaking up towards your toes."

READ Drills for getting rid of the shanks

Swing easy, have fun and don't worry when you are playing golf. "Relax, Review, Refocus"!

2016 Olympics - Scoring a Perfect Ten? #golf

To me, The Olympics are "must-see" TV; whether it's Michael Phelps swimming or Rickie Fowler swinging a golf club, I'm hooked. I give the production value and the action a perfect ten!

Jack Nicklaus recently stated that it was a "shame for the game of golf" that certain players were going to skip the Olympics due to scheduling issues (or even the Zika virus?...which was not mentioned).

"The game needs stimulation in countries where we don't have golf," said Nicklaus about the long list of golfers that are basically "hurting the game of golf."

So, to Adam Scott, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and the rest of the golfers who have officially backed out of the 2016 Olympics for whatever reason, it's not about you, says Jack, "it's about the game".

Editor: Nicklaus must have taken some heat for his Olympic-sized golf comments because on came the retraction..."I'm into growing golf because I'm past my time. I look to the future of what happens to it. These guys are thinking, 'How do I make a living, how do I perform?"

Brazil's Olympic Committee President, Carlos Nuzman claimed that the pullout is not all about scheduling or the Zika Virus; there are other reasons why top male golfers have decided to turn their backs on the Summer Games, namely the almighty dollar.

"They tried to blame Zika, but the media have shown that they are not coming because there's no prize money. Zika is much worse in Florida than in Brazil, and golfers are playing in Florida,"

Is Mr. Nuzman justified in his comment or is this just a case of sour apples?

Now that we have briefly opined on Nicklaus' and Nuzman's take on golfers who are out of the Olympics, let's discuss the awesome Summer Games and who will represent both the U.S.A. and the rest of the world.

Click the link to read my complete article: "Who is Golfing for Gold at The Olympics?"

Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Henrik Stenson are a few of the male participants to represent their country at the 2016 Olympics.

None of the ladies have pulled out of competition, so the list of LPGA and LET players is extraordinary, from the South Korean contingency to newlywed Stacy Lewis. They're out on the Rio fairways to grow the game and get an Olympic-sized boost in the process and, as true fans of the sport should realize...when watching the women play golf, it is closer to watching your own game.

So, now that I've whet your whistle, are you going to give golf in The Olympics a chance? Still not convinced? Here is an interesting video preview:



Men's Olympic golf action runs from August 11-14 and women's action starts on August 17th and runs to August 20th.

Let us know in the comments section of this golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

pic: Wikipedia

Strong Odds that Henrik Stenson Will Win Gold at The 2016 Olympics #golf

Who are your golf favorites to take home gold at the 2016 Olympics? Are you willing to bet on it? Golf is a gambling game and the odds-makers are taking advantage of this opportunity for a "sports gambling fix" as mentioned by fansided.com.

Golf.com has listed Henrik Stenson and Sergio Garcia as favorites in men's golf Olympic competition by way of the site golfodds.com.

"Stenson, who will represent Sweden at the Olympics Aug. 11-14, is a 9/2 favorite to win the men's golf competition. Spain’s Sergio Garcia has the second-best odds at 7/1, and Great Britain’s Justin Rose is 12/1."

Do you agree that Henrik Stenson is the golfer to beat in The Olympics...or, should you consider long shots Rudolfo Cazaubon and Danny Chia who come in at 300/1 odds as possibilities?

Let's not forget that the ladies are also seeking to become medalists - Olympic Women's Golf Competition will be televised on August 17th.

It is no surprise that the number one female golfer in the world right now, Lydia Ko, is a favorite in Olympic Women's Golf at +300 odds, according to TheSpread.com. Keep an eye out for teen Brooke Henderson and Lexi Thompson when considering whom to lay your hopes on during stroke play - these two ladies are currently third and fourth, respectively, in the world rankings.

I wonder if there are odds for hitting a hole-in-one?


Golf for Beginners does not endorse gambling of any kind. Sporting events such as The Olympics and the Majors are massive opportunities for gambling as these are games of chance.

Text whom you see as gold medalists for the men's and women's Olympic Golf Competitions in our comments section and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

WATCH THE OLYMPIC GAMES - Cheer on the WORLD!

What Can Golfers Learn from Stenson and Mickelson at The Open?

The third major of 2016, The Open, is in the record books with an inspiring win from Henrik Stenson.

Phil Mickelson, pushing with every fiber of his being to have his first win in three years, could not close the deal but certainly helped to make this tournament compelling for fans around the globe.

There are lessons to be learned from every thing we do in life - some times we are watching and other times we are in the mix. Through four days at The Open we have not only seen incredible golf but, if we look even further, we can take away ideas which can help us during our own round of golf.

Here are several lessons which we can all learn from watching the Masters play golf at The Open:

1. The importance of not giving up and believing that you can win. Henrik Stenson said, in his Sunday post-round interview, "I've been so focused this week and on this day in particular. "I felt it was my time. I believed it was my time."

2. You may not win but you can still play "pretty good golf". Phil Mickelson shot a 6-under 65 in his best final round performance ever in a major championship but it still wasn't enough to take the Claret Jug away from Henrik Stenson. You can play a great round (or several as is in this case) and still get beaten...remember, it's not if you win or lose but how you play the game.

3. Age doesn't matter if you're a regular on the golf course. The top two contenders on Sunday were both over forty and left the rest of the field in the dust. The number one and two golfers in the world, Jason Day and Dustin Johnson, could not touch the games of Stenson and Mickelson this week, hovering at +1 and -2 respectively. View The Open Final Round Leaderboard.

4. Be gracious in defeat. Consider the good shots you hit during your round and make sure to congratulate and shake hands with your mates, no matter what the outcome! Golf is a game of etiquette; let's not lose that spirit.

What did you learn from watching The Open? Comments welcome below in our Golf for Beginners blog and tag us on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.


photo: solonews.net

Check Out Our Latest Article: 2016 Olympics in Golf - For Whom Does Patriotism Trump Zika?

2011 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, Holes 7-12 with Graeme McDowell, Martin Kaymer, Quiros, Stenson

Abu Dhabi Golf Club

Q: How do you make one of the best tournaments on the European Tour schedule even better?

A: Lengthen the course, toughen up the bunkering and bring in one of most innovative sponsors in golf.

Tim Maitland sat down with some of the world’s top players to work out how to plot your way to success at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

A great event is just about to get better. The Abu Dhabi Golf Championship and the Abu Dhabi Golf Club have produced some great championships and some great champions: Martin Kaymer and Paul Casey, who seem to have taken out a time-share on the trophy, would feature on anyone’s list of Europe’s elite golfers.


In today's golf blog, Tim speaks with a select group of European Tour golfers including Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer about how best to navigate through holes 7-12 of the Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

Hole 7 Par 3 200 yards 182 metres

Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland)

Winner of 2010 US Open Championship at Pebble Beach, California; 2010 Celtic Manor Wales Open and 2010 Andalucia Masters at Valderrama, Spain. Claimed the decisive point to seal Europe’s 2010 Ryder Cup win.  

This is an intimidating-looking par three. It’s a 200-yard slightly-downhill shot and you’ve got some rocks at the front of the green sitting up and looking at you. 

It’s an interesting green because the front of it is elevated and the rear of the green is elevated as well. So, it requires a very accurate three to a six iron depending on the wind direction – generally a four or five iron in the prevailing wind – into a bowl shaped green. You’ve really got to just try and beat the front edge. It’s really the hump at the front that you’ve got to be aware of. 

It’s a good hole: a bowl-shaped green and you’ve got to be on the correct side of the pin: you want to be beyond the front pins and short of the back pins. 

The mistake you don’t want to make: It’s a difficult green and you don’t want to go missing this one. You certainly don’t want to short-side yourself. To back flags, over the back is not good and to front flags, short’s not good.

Hole 8 Par 5 597 yards 546 metres

Alvaro Quiros (Spain)

 Winner of the 2010 Open de Espana in Seville, Spain and the 2009 Commercialbank Qatar Masters. One of the longest hitters in the game, in 2008 Alvaro eagled the eighth hole when it was playing into the wind, hitting driver and two iron to 10 feet.

This is a very tight fairway at the end. It’s wide, but it turns left. Most of the time you are hitting it to a very small area. They’ve made it 23 metres longer this year, but before I could hit it straight – I didn’t need to hit it with draw. I just focused on two palm trees on my line, so I would finish just to the left of the bunkers that are at the end of the fairway on the right hand side where it turns. 

It depends how the wind is and the conditions, but if I catch the fairway normally I can hit it in two. If I have a little bit of wind helping I could use a five, four or three iron. Without wind I would say three wood or five wood.

For normal human beings? It’s not that bad a situation for the rest of them, because if you can’t reach the green in two the lay-up is not that tight. They have a simple, comfortable third shot with a 58 degree wedge. These guys are really good with a 58 degree wedge.

Obviously if I can reach the fairway I have an advantage. I definitely have an advantage. 

The green receives the ball on an upslope – this is the good thing – this is why I can hit a long club and stop it easily. It’s not one of those typical holes where you really have to stop the ball quickly. The great thing about the golf course is that normally it is in a perfect condition. Everything on the green can finish in the hole if you hit a good putt. It makes a difference!

The mistake you don’t want to make: No, the eighth is a good hole for me, but the 10^th I have no advantage over there because the fairway becomes very tight at my distance and not for the others.

Hole 9 Par 4 456 yards 417 metres

Rhys Davies (Wales)

Winner of the 2010 Hassan II Golf Trophy Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Morocco.

You know exactly where you are in the world standing on the tee. I think that clubhouse is fantastic! The falcon is a great starting point for this hole: depending a little bit on the wind you’re looking at picking out a point of the wing as an aiming point. The bend in the wing is a good point if you want to take an aggressive line down the right-hand side; otherwise you might favour somewhere slightly further left. 

You try to get a good solid tee shot away, preferably a strong fade, but it’s a hole you could do with a good drive on.

It’s a long par four that often plays into the wind, so you’ve often got a long second shot. It can be a five, four or even a three iron and you’re looking at a slightly angled green. The bunker comes into play on the right hand side of it, particularly when the pin is tucked away in the back, right corner, which it often is on a Sunday of the tournament. You might look to hit a gentle fade and try and run the ball up the length of the green.

The mistake you don’t want to make: Mistake? If you can put the ball into the middle of the green and pin high you’re always going to be happy on this hole. It is a demanding hole; I think it’s one of the tougher ones on the golf course and if you could find the middle of the green four days out of four you’d be very pleased.

Hole 10 Par 5 582 yards 532 metres

Martin Kaymer (Germany)

Defending champions and two-time winner of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. Winner of the 2010 Race to Dubai and the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. Added two more wins in consecutive tournaments at the 2010 Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, Scotland and the 2010 KLM Open in the Netherlands. Also claimed the 2010 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.  Member of Europe’s 2010 Ryder Cup-winning team.

I usually hit driver over the left side of the bunkers at the front of the fairway. They’ve added length to the hole with the new tee, but before if I was on the fairway I would have a chance to go for the green in two, probably with a five wood or three wood. If it’s in the rough, I lay it up, but I’m still going for birdie with the wedge approach.

If I go for the green I find it’s always better to be left of the flag. The bunker to the left of the green is never bad, although they’ve made all the greenside bunkers deeper this year, so we’ll have to see. From there you always used to have a realistic birdie chance. 

The pin positions are normally two in the back and one on the right, so three times it was a realistic birdie chance out of that bunker. If the pin is short left it’s a tough one, so then you’re miss should be the bunker on the right in front of the green.

The priority is to hit the fairway in order to get home in two. Otherwise you lay it up to a comfortable number – for me it would be 95 metres or 100 yards. 

The second year I played here, this was my first hole and I started off with an eagle, so obviously it is possible to make putts here.

The mistake you don’t want to make: On the right side of the green there are some trees and that is obviously the worst place you can be.

Hole 11 Par 4 417 yards 381 metres

Ross Fisher (England)

Winner of the 2010 3 Irish Open at Killarney, Republic of Ireland. Member of Europe’s 2010 Ryder Cup-winning team.

Eleven is quite a tough par four. It’s not a long hole and you can either hit driver and take on the traps, or you hit something down towards the left-hand trap, probably with a three wood. If you lay-back you’re going at it with anything from a nine iron to a wedge. If you’re a bit more aggressive off the tee, you’re going in with a sand wedge or a lob wedge. 

 I can’t really remember the green that well. From memory there’s a little bit of a tier to the green, but it’s pretty simple, although it’s not the biggest green.

The mistake you don’t want to make: Off the tee you’ve got to put it on the fairway.

Hole 12 Par 3 186 yards 170 metres

Henrik Stenson (Sweden)

Winner of the 2009 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, Florida, the 2007 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, the 2007 Dubai Desert Classic and the 2006 Commercialbank Qatar Masters. Member of European Ryder Cup teams in 2006 and 2008.

It’s a cute little par three. I like the shorter par threes and I think most of the really good par threes around the world are a seven-to-nine iron. I’m not too keen on these three iron par threes. This is one of them. The tough thing is to get close to the back pins. There’s always a pin placed back-right. Other than that you’ve just got your wind direction right and hit a good shot. There’s nothing more to it really.

It would take quite a big miss for any of us to hit it in the water; obviously the bunkers are in play, especially for the back pins. Just as they always put some pins at the back, for sure they will put some pins close to the hump at the front of the green. Especially if it’s playing downhill, that makes it a bit harder to stop the ball. You’ve got to land it just precisely at the front and that little hump can make it tricky as well. 

The mistake you don’t want to make: You would leave yourself a tricky up and down if you go over the back. So get your yardage control, hit a good shot and you should be fine. The worst mistake would be the chunk in the water though. I’ll leave that one for you to make (laughs). 

Ian Poulter in the fairway at Abu Dhabi Golf Club

Thanks again to Tim Maitland for this great interview with European Tour Golfers for the 2011 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship!

2011 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, Holes 1-6
2011 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, Holes 13-18


photo credits: Getty Images/Tim Maitland


How to negotiate holes 13-18 of the Abu Dhabi Golf Club will be seen on Golf for Beginners blog later this week.

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Wie joins Woods in media circus, Tiger hated by Esquire writer, golf ball trivia, Taylor Made Adidas golf shoes

Click here to listen.

Step right up! The circus is in town and is performing at a golf course near you! Watch as Henrik Stenson performs his schluoss to the delight of sighing maidens. Be mystified as IMG jumps through hoops to insure maximum visibility for Michelle Wie! Delight as unimaginable trick shots made by Phil Mickelson inspire awe!

For the piece de resistance, you might even catch Tiger Woods juggling golf balls just before the Masters Tournament!

Ringling Brothers Circus claims to be "The Greatest Show on Earth" but both the PGA and LPGA Tour players are stepping up efforts to entertain in addition to playing golf just for the "sport" of it.

"Golfers" are now being renamed "stars", NBC News sent a reporter to cover Woods' return and, according to Bob Verdi, "the gathering of writers, broadcasters, and photographers around Tiger was substantial." Even sponsors such as Northern Trust are jumping on the bandwagon, creating a more carnival gala within their sponsorships by integrating the world of entertainment with golf.

Certain LPGA golfers have struck out on their own, searching for popularity through alternative means. Natalie Gulbis is a headliner on Celebrity Apprentice, Michelle Wie is now the new media darling of IMG, whose clients include Woods, Sorenstam, Creamer and Pressel and let's not forget the introduction of the Wilhelmina 7!

The Golf Channel and J Golf (Korea) have also joined forces with the LPGA, envisioning a merge of talent and sport. Carolyn Bivens mentioned, "JBC provides the LPGA with a progressive, creative partner prepared to showcase our golfers and tournaments across an array of platforms."

But are the Tours drawing the attention or are professional golfers yearning to step out of anonymity to become more relevant?

Golf for Beginners offers up some golf ball trivia this week with the help of David Feherty and talks about new golf shoes available from Taylor-Made Adidas which can actually help improve the distance of your shots!

We also wonder if Chris Jones from Esquire magazine has any validity in his hatred toward Tiger Woods.


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"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

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Photo Credit: © Inside the Mind of a GeeC

Henrik Stenson strips at Doral. Was the bogey really worth it?

Swedish statesman and UN official Dag Hammarskjold once said, "There is a point at which everything becomes simple and there is no longer any question of choice, because all you have staked will be lost if you look back."

One could maintain that the choice to strip to his "Bjorn Borg's" was a no-brainer for Henrik Stenson after his golf ball got stuck in the mud at Doral during the WGC-CA Championship. Earlier in the season, at the Dubai Desert Classic, Stenson was in a similar predicament but remained clothed and wound up covered in mud for the rest of the round.

Aside from his "jocks", the only other bit of "clothing" Stenson kept on was his golf glove. "Shirt, trousers, socks, shoes, hat, the lot was off." After making his shot, Henrik cleaned up with the help of his caddie, grabbed his gear and hastily redressed.

"If you are saving a shot, that has to be worth taking your shirt and trousers," the Swede mentioned after his very entertaining bogey was salvaged. With Tiger Woods in the field this week, each stroke on the card could mean the difference between second place and a win.

Come to think of it, do you think we would ever see Woods stripping for the sake of a mud ball or does Tiger's bag come equipped with an extra shirt and pants for such an emergency?

I don't think the girls minded much either except for the fact that Stenson could use a little more time in the sun!

Anything in the Book of Rules about this wardrobe breakdown?




Photo Credit: Kyle Auclair/Getty Images



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Golf Podcast: Tiger Woods blows pre-putt routine, Club Glove Aficionado III Stand Bag review and USGA Rules of Repair on the Green

Click here to listen.

A single uncharacteristic putt for Tiger Woods has given Nick O'Hern the title of "The Man who broke Tiger Woods' win streak". David took down Goliath for the second time in match play!

Yes, this was a day of mental errors for Woods, from a shot that landed in the drink right down to that four-foot putt on the nineteenth hole which, as Woods claimed, left a "totally" repairable ball mark.

We at Golf for Beginners, discuss the USGA Rules of Repair on the Putting Green as well as how you can avoid Tiger's costly mistake.

Barry and I also review the Club Glove Aficionado III stand bag. It's extra-light (only 5.6 lbs. fully loaded) as well as amazingly strong. The Izzo dual-strap design coupled with a thick, large lumbar support makes it comfortable and easy to carry.

A super-nice feature of the Club Glove Aficionado III is that all pockets are easily removable for lighter practice rounds although don't be fooled by this golf bag! It's large enough to comfortably fit a full set of clubs. Check out our review!

Finally, congratulations to Henrik Stenson on his win at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship! I knew he was going to win all along...right RonMon? Too bad I'm not a gambler!

Continue sending your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

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You can also download our previous Golf for Beginners episodes by clicking here.

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by Pioneer Golf and Florida Golf Travel.