A couple of days ago, when writing “Delusions of Video Review in Tennis,” I realized it was high time to explore the vernacular term “shank.” Felix Auger-Aliassime used that pejorative word to describe a shot hit by Jack Draper in their match at the Cincinnati Open. It highlighted that I may be working with a different definition than other people who weighed in on that drama. The distinction is important because the word significantly informed the public discourse of that match’s controversial ending.
Typically, a shank occurs when the ball is struck by the frame of the racket rather than the strings. That off-center contact causes the shot to careen anywhere other than the intended direction. It is almost always unintentional, though I have been known to pump my fist and shout, “Come on!” after hitting a shank winner. In that case, it is a gesture of intentionally ironic false bravado.
While shanking the ball can happen to any player at any level, it is typically the result of a poor swing path. For players at the top of the game, the minuscule margin of error in the swing path is amplified as racquet head speed increases. The better the player, the more dramatic the shanks. Tennis is an unforgiving sport, even for the best.
While shanks are unintentional mishits, they can occasionally result in winning shots. When the ball ricochets off the frame with an unexpected angle and spin, it can catch the receiving player entirely off guard. However, as is the case with net-cord winners, an apology is expected when a player is fortunate enough to hit a shank winner. A raised hand and nod of acknowledgment are obligatory gestures to acknowledge that luck played a decisive role in the point.
A couple of days ago, I shared the opinion that Draper’s controversial shot against Auger-Aliassime, which ultimately (and apparently incorrectly) won him the match, wasn’t an actual shank. A shank does not include every ball that strikes the racquet’s frame. For example, I exclude desperation lunges for a ball that is almost — but not quite – out of reach. It is not a shank if the player makes a play on the ball with the intent that any part of the racquet will do.
Draper’s shot that will live in infamy wasn’t a desperation lunge. Instead, it was a difficult low half-volley. Draper was attempting to play the ball off the short hop. There was no swing path because he was simply trying to bunt the ball with his racquet. In the absence of racquet head speed, it wasn’t a shank but rather a mishit.
I have been playing around with a Venn diagram that explains the unique combination of racquet head speed and contact point. I still have a lot of work to do before that model is ready for publication. However, that exercise has galvanized my commitment to the idea that all shanks are mishits, but not all mishits are shanks.
In the meantime, shanks are an inevitable part of tennis. Show me a player who doesn’t shank the ball occasionally, and I will show you a player who needs to play with more aggression.
