Shank
The ball contacts the hosel instead of the clubface and shoots hard sideways.
The word traces back to the Old English "scanc," meaning the lower leg, the same root behind a shoe's shank or a drill bit's shank, any narrow connecting piece. Golf borrowed the term by 1927 for the hosel, the narrow piece connecting the clubhead to the shaft, exactly where a shank makes contact instead of the face.
See the full breakdown: Shank
Every common cause and fix for this exact issue.
See the full breakdown: Shank Around the Green
Every common cause and fix for this exact issue.
More contact & strike terms
Fat Shot (Chunk)
The club strikes the ground before the ball, losing speed and distance.
Thin Shot (Skulled)
Contact happens too high on the ball, sending it low and hot with no height.
Toe Strike
Contact made toward the far end of the clubface (away from the shaft) instead of the center.
Heel Strike
Contact made near the shaft end of the clubface instead of the center, a milder cousin of a shank.
Sweet Spot
The small area on the clubface (roughly the center) that produces the most efficient, powerful contact.
Pured (Flush)
Slang for a shot struck perfectly out of the center of the clubface, it usually feels like almost nothing in the hands.