They’re called the ‘unmentionables’ for a reason. No one wants to hear about a shot that shoots off at a 45-degree angle; one that has the potential to not only wreck your card, but your love of the game, and, without wishing to sound overly dramatic, your sanity. Yes, the shanks are that bad.
Last summer, just as I was busy filling my calendar with golf, I hit one of these 45-degree shots. A one off, I thought, a hiccup, a freak shot. Then it happened again. And again. And again. In a state of panic, I went to the range. I shanked a whole bucket of balls. A couple of people practising nearby looked away in horror. I remember laughing. I must have looked a little like Jack Nicholson in The Shining.
