You're feeling desperate...

We've been there.

The annual golf trip with your college friends. The coveted tee time at the dream course. Eighteen with the boss. Your wedding weekend, for chrissakes.

These are the golf rituals that we all look forward to in our lives, and the unwelcome appearance of the dreaded shank can ruin these great moments. You've got no time to beat a bucket at the range, no patience to dig it out of the dirt, and no one can give you a lesson at ten minutes before you tee it up.. 

You need the Emergency Shank Fix. The Toe-n-Go.

Do not analyze this, do not ponder, do not question. Just do.

The Toe-n-Go

Setup for a normal shot with your 7 iron. Everything is the way it always is at address. Using the toe of the club, nudge the ball away from you until it is just inside the toe of the club:

Now, just swing normally. Don’t adjust anything, don’t lunge out, don’t adjust your swing path. Just turn and fire.

I know, it seems crazy but it works well enough to get you through a loop. Assuming this is truly a special round with a bit more formality and the Rules are being observed, then ideally you’ll set up one balls-width back from your usual spot, so you aren’t adjusting the position of the ball and incurring a penalty and the wrath of your soon-to-be in law. But if it’s a casual round, then just nudge it away to the toe and go.

Come back after the round with your newly acquired sense of relief and take the next step to cure your golf shank for good.