I was watching the movie Tin Cup starring Kevin Costner today, sometimes when I running bad I have to get the heck away from this poker for a few hours, especially on weekends. So anyway, they get to the scene where he suddenly out of the blue develops a case of the "shanks" this is the scariest thing in golf and a word that is quite honestly rarely uttered out loud. For those who don't know it is a result that comes when hitting an iron, the ball goes dead sideways I mean you could hurt someone standing directly to your right lol. The ball never winds up anyplace good and you are in for a miserable day
So lets roll back to my sophmore year of High School and first year as a starter on golf team. We are playing Garden City High School at Garden City CC or maybe at Cherry Valley, both top clubs that I had never played yet. I am not much for an extensive warm up routine, I like to hit maybe 10-15 balls just to stretch out a little then hit a few chips and putts. Some guys leave there game on the range, stretch out grab a soda and a hot dog and lets play!!
So I pull out my 5 iron and bamm!! ball goes sideways (wtf) two more times it happens and I am in a panic. I put that club away and hit three or four drivers and all was fine there. I get out on course and after a perfect drive on 1st hole I almost kill the guy I am playing with my 2nd shot Okay this can't be cured on the fly, had to play the next 14 holes (15 hole match) and improvise, hit 3/4 swing fairway woods and choke down and punch irons. Well I didn't have to play 14 more holes, it was match play and I got pasted 4 and 2 (thats 4 down with 2 to play) I didn't touch clubs for two days, when I went back out shanks were gone
Had them one other time about 15 years later, lasted like a week or so. They should make a pill for that because it is frightning.
Actually almost killing guy on first hole reminded me that I once got hit by another players shot on consecutive holes First was on 7th hole and i had a 5 foot putt for birdie and with no warning some guy sliced his drive off another hole and hit me on the fly square in the nuts Damm I couldn't breathe for 5 minutes Next hole when I am finally getting my witts back some dimwit on next hole skull hooks a shot and hits me in the knee on the fly. If I had a football helmet I would have put it on Golf is a contact sport.