There is Beauty in Shanking the Ball

In tennis and in golf, shanking is not usually seen as a good thing. A shank is a mis-hit that flies off court or off course. Depending on how we look at it, the shank can be funny, embarrassing, entertaining, or irritating. It’s a surprise to both the player and the observer. Tennis players and golfers often miss their targets, but the shank it a miss with an exclamation point. And it’s actually beautiful.

There is a Beauty in the Near-Hit

Wait, what?! Beauty? That’s odd to think that a ball flying completely off target as a thing of beauty, but really it is. It is a near-hit. Usually when a ball is shanked, the actual swing of the racket or the club is nearly perfect. The contact point is nearly perfect. The timing is nearly perfect. There is very little difference between a stroke for a perfect shot and the stroke for a shank. Those two strokes are practically identical. In fact, we typically have to video the strokes and slow them down to see what went wrong. That’s how “near” the two strokes are in their execution. And that is beautiful.

There is Beauty in the Mindset

A shanked ball does not typically come from a tentative swing. A shanked ball comes from a swing with confidence. Confidence in a stroke that has been practiced and refined and has become reliable and trusted. There is a fearlessness that comes from practice and experience. The player has reached a level of automaticity that allows them to swing, trusting their subconscious and reacting quickly. And nearly perfectly. That mindset and that confidence is beautiful.

There is Beauty in the Lesson

There are great lessons that the shanked tennis ball or golf ball can teach us. One of the best lessons we can learn is to not take small mistakes seriously or personally. These mistakes don’t define us. In fact, mistakes are the proof that we are trying and that we still need to improve. We learn that we cannot take ourselves too seriously. It's comforting to know that even the best players in the world will occasionally mis-hit a ball. So who are we to be embarrassed when it happens to us. Every shanked ball is a reminder that we’re human beings. We’re imperfect. But we can learn from our imperfections. And when we learn, that is beautiful.

We Find What We Seek

I was thinking about the statement, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” And I think that is quite relevant in the case of the shanked ball. Or in the case of any mistake. Or any “near-hit.” We have to ask ourselves, what are we looking for. Whatever we look for, positive or negative, we will find it. As for the shanked ball, I’m looking for the positive. And there is plenty of positive to find. Growth, potential, reflection, possibility, improvement, perspective, wisdom. And it can be a little funny and entertaining as well. What great lessons from such a great teacher. A shanked ball. And that is beautiful.

Find the beauty.

And enjoy the day!