From Brent Kelley,
Your Guide to Golf.
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The ball takes off obliquely to the right, and often along the ground. There will usually be a mark from the ball on the hosel of the club.

Note: This text is written from the perspective of a right-hander; lefties should reverse the directional elements.

Diagnosing Shanking
Golf instructor Roger Gunn (www.golflevels.com) offers these quick tips for diagnosing the cause of shanks:

Grip
Not a contributing factor.

Set-up
You might be set up too close to the ball, or be too tall in your setup, or you might have too much weight on your heels.

Ball Position
Having the ball too far forward or back in your stance should not be a factor. But as mentioned, standing too close can be.

Backswing
Watch out for pushing the arms and club away from you in the backswing. The arms should just go with the turn of the shoulders. Also, leaning toward the ball or toward the target with your head can cause a shank.

Downswing
Watch out for pushing your arms away from you in the downswing. Leaning toward the ball (dropping down) or toward the target with your head can also cause a shank.