Full Answer
Are you standing too far away from the golf ball?
As Bova illustrates: Set up to the golf ball and once you’re comfortable, let go of the club with your trail hand. If your hand swings closer to your body, that’s an indication that you’re standing too far away from the ball. 2. Too close The opposite will happen if you’re standing too close to the golf ball.
How far away is too far away on a golf club?
Lower than two inches and you're too far away. If you've been missing shots left or right, making contact on the club's heel or toe, or hitting the ball fat or thin, merely adjusting your address position could be all the fix you need.
How to stop hitting fat golf shots?
If you want to stop hitting fat golf shots you need to learn how to compress the golf ball through impact. With your irons, you want to have the feeling that you are hitting down and through the ball - this will help you find the ideal angle of attack. The top players in the world tend to hit down with a 7-iron by about 4˚.
How to determine your distance from the golf ball?
The length of the golf club is also an important factor to determine your distance from the golf ball. The longer the club, the further you will be away from the golf ball. Of all the clubs, the driver has the longest shaft which helps the golfer in his flexibility.
How do I stop hitting the golf ball fat?
7:1515:34GOLF: How To Stop Hitting Fat Shots - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe more you open your body from the top the odds of you hitting fat shots decrease.MoreThe more you open your body from the top the odds of you hitting fat shots decrease.
How far should you stand from the golf ball when hitting it?
The ideal distance you should stand from the golf ball is one where the butt of the club is pointing at your belt buckle and is about 6 inches away from your thighs. This should be the same for all clubs in the bag. It doesn't matter what club you're using, your arm position should be the same.
Why am I hitting my golf shots fat?
A very common reason we hit a fat shot is because we stay on our back foot. This limited weight transfer will deliver the club behind where we setup. By placing the ball slightly more forward in our stance, we may be able to encourage ourselves to transfer our weight in our golf swing.
Why am I hitting the ball fat with my irons?
0:353:36How to stop hitting your irons fat - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipGame. So here are the beautiful Sade upbeat and we are talking about how to stop fighting your ironMoreGame. So here are the beautiful Sade upbeat and we are talking about how to stop fighting your iron shots. Now there's a couple of key principles of why you frat it to begin with either. You are
How do I know if I'm standing too close to the golf ball?
1. Too Far. As Bova illustrates: Set up to the golf ball and once you're comfortable, let go of the club with your trail hand. If your hand swings closer to your body, that's an indication that you're standing too far away from the ball.
What happens if you stand too far away from the golf ball?
Standing too far away from the ball can also force the club too far inside the ideal swing plane on the backswing. An under-plane backswing can cause you to lift and deliver the club over the top of the swing plane on the downswing, creating a path that is outside to inside and resulting in the dreaded slice.
Can a strong grip cause fat shots?
Fat shots. One of the other signs of an overly strong grip is the tendency to hit the ball fat, especially on short iron shots. As mentioned above, a strong grip makes it easy to release the club on the way down, and an early release could cause you to stick the club in the ground behind the ball.
Why am I hitting the ball fat and thin?
Generally speaking, a thin or fat shot is caused by having your swing center too far behind the ball at impact. This error causes your club to bottom out too far behind the ball and will cause you to hit the ground first (a fat shot) or hit the top of the ball (a thin shot).
How do you hit out thick grass?
0:424:36HOW TO HIT A GOLF BALL OUT OF THICK ROUGH: 3 EASY TIPS!YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipForward hitting more of a punch. Shot holding the handle forward that squeezes down on it it firmsMoreForward hitting more of a punch. Shot holding the handle forward that squeezes down on it it firms up the arms as well helps you get solid shots.
How do you avoid fat iron shots?
Hitting the ball fat is often a consequence of having an angle of attack that is too steep. To prevent this, feel like you take the club back with your arms whilst rotating your shoulders around your spine.
Should you hover your irons?
Soling the club in such a lie can set off a chain reaction which could move the ball, incurring a penalty. By hovering the club, you not only eliminate that risk, you reduce the tendency to snag the clubface in the grass, both on the takeaway and on the way down to the ball.
How do I stop hitting hybrid fat?
1:1911:07Stop Hitting Fat or Thin Hybrids & Fairway Woods - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBack behind the ball and then you hit the ball afterwards. Let's call it chunky. So what's happeningMoreBack behind the ball and then you hit the ball afterwards. Let's call it chunky. So what's happening is the lowest point of the swing. Takes. Place. Back behind the ball.
Why is it important to shift weight in golf swing?
It is important in any good golf swing to shift your weight when transitioning from the backswing into the downswing. This will encourage a swing arc that is more forward relative to the ball, and it will increase your chances of hitting the ball first.
What happens if you leave your weight on the back foot through the downswing?
If you leave your weight on the back foot through the downswing, you will tend to lean your shoulders and body backwards (away from the target) and your club will bottom out behind the ball, thus hitting it fat.
How to fix a fat shot?
The best way to go about fixing the fat shot is to look at your own swing and try to determine why you’re hitting the ground before the ball. You can look at your own swing recorded on video, or you can get someone else to look at your swing and try and isolate the problem. Also note that it is impossible to eliminate fat shots completely — every ...
What happens when you try to kill the ball?
Also note that when a less experienced golfer tries to force a shot or “kill” the ball, they become much more prone to making a sharp transition at the top of the backswing and coming into the ball too steep. As noted above, this will tend to cause a fat shot.
Why are fat shots called fat divots?
Fat shots are often steeper, so that the club produces a larger and deeper divot than normal. These divots are sometimes called fat divots, and that may very well be the origin of the term “fat shot”.
What happens if your swing is too steep?
If your swing is too steep, your club will tend to reach the ground quicker and your divots will tend to be larger. This problem is common in over-the-top swingers who also tend to have issues with slicing the ball.
What is a fat shot?
The opposite of a thin shot, a fat shot is a shot in which the club (typically an iron) makes contact with and digs into the ground before it reaches the golf ball. This normally does two things: it slows the club down immensely and it throws up a layer of sod/turf between the clubface and the ball. This typically results in poor contact, reduced ...
Where should weight be in golf?
The basic key here is that your weight should move towards your back foot in the backswing and then towards the target in the downswing. For some golfers, there is a desire to lean back through impact to help the ball into the air.
How to hit fat golf shots?
If you are hitting fat golf shots, the first place to start is with your address position. With your mid irons, the ball should be positioned slightly forward of middle in your stance so that your sternum is over the ball. Importantly, your hands should be a fraction ahead of the ball. This will encourage the downward angle ...
What is fat golf?
Hitting fat golf shots is one of the most frustrating faults in the game. It doesn’t matter how forgiving your irons are, if you are striking the ground before the ball, some technical swing changes are needed. Here, we will look at where hitting fat golf shots comes from and offer some pointers for how to improve your ball striking.
When hitting irons, should your divots start after the ball?
When hitting irons, your divots should start after the ball. For the best possible iron contact, you should aim to strike the ball and then the ground. This is a useful image to have in mind for any player who is struggling hitting fat golf shots.
Where should the bottom of the arc come?
The bottom of the arc should come just after the ball ( with your i rons). If you are hitting fat golf shots, the lowest point of the arc will be before the ball causing the club to strike the ground first.
Stickney: The only 2 ways to hit a golf ball farther
If I had a dollar for every time someone walked into my Academy (myself included!) and asked how to hit it farther I’d own a bank by now. Golf course agronomy has evolved and the rock-hard fairways of yesterday are gone and have been replaced by soft conditions that require more and more carry off the tee.
Stickney: The evolution of necessary technology in golf instruction
Over time technology has improved so that we (as teachers) can see and understand motion and forces in action during the swing.
The Wedge Guy: You can change your stripes
Over my 40-plus years in the golf industry and a lifetime in the game, I have had the opportunity to observe thousands of recreational golfers of all skill levels. I believe the common thread between all of us – from scratch player to high-handicapper – is that we all would like to get better.
Why is distance important in golf?
Many golfers think that the distance between you and the golf ball is equally important as the distance between you and the golf club. This distance helps you with enough ‘swing space’ while maintaining the correct balance during the swing. The length of the golf club is also an important factor to determine your distance from the golf ball.
What is the hand span of a golfer?
5. Hand – Right Span. A golfer needs to check if he can pass his hand between his body and the end of his club to ensure that he has got a good balance. The approximate distance between his golf club and his left thigh will be a hand-span.
What is the best posture for golf?
The best posture is to keep the spine at a neutral posture and hinge your hips out slightly. 4. Spine – Right Angle. Some golfers recommend that it is enough for a golfer to change the angle of his spine to the pelvis to accommodate the length of the golf club.
How to know if a golfer is using a 6 iron?
For e.g., if a golfer is using a 6 iron in hand, he has to first make sure that he can lift his heel and wiggle his toes in the shoes at the same time. If he cannot lift his heels, then he is probably too far away from the ball.
How to get a golf club to fall down?
Stand erect with the knees flexed. With the spine at the right angle, relax your elbows keeping them close to your chest. Ensure that the tail of the club points above the buckle of your belt. Bend your body at the hips and ensure the club falls down towards the ball at the normal position.
What is the biggest challenge in golf?
The biggest challenge, however, while maintaining the posture is that the golfer doesn’t encounter the same conditions for each successive shot. Every shot presents a different contest on a different ground surface. A successful golfer is the one who adapts to these challenges. Once he is able to adapt his distance from ...
How to balance golf swing?
For great balance, the knees of the golfer should be flexed or slightly bent in a way that the golfer feels the weight shift from his heels to the balls of his feet. The back knee should be bent inwards to eliminate the chances of the body swaying during the swing. 3.
How to know how close to stand to the ball?
Guideline. "Golf Digest" offers a simple solution for determining how close to stand to the ball. It all begins with taking a good stance at address. Place your feet shoulder-width apart with your knees slightly flexed and a natural bend at your hips. This places you in a balanced, athletic position.
How does standing from the ball affect your swing?
How far you stand from the golf ball at address will affect your swing. Standing too far away can force you to reach out with the club, with your arms completely straight and your elbows locked -- ruining any chance of a nice, easy swing.
Where to put a golf club on the ground?
Place the butt of the club on the tip of your thumb. That space -- from the top of your thumb to your belt buckle -- represents how far your body should be from the end of the club. From that position you can simply place the club on the ground behind the ball to achieve the proper stance.
Who said he rarely sees anyone stand too close to the ball?
Tom Watson, one of golf's all-time greats, told "Golf Digest" that he rarely sees anyone stand too close to the ball. Two other golf legends, Byron Nelson and Johnny Miller, have made similar statements, according to Watson.
1. Too Far
As Bova illustrates: Set up to the golf ball and once you’re comfortable, let go of the club with your trail hand. If your hand swings closer to your body, that’s an indication that you’re standing too far away from the ball.
2. Too close
The opposite will happen if you’re standing too close to the golf ball. Let go with your trail hand, and it’ll swing out in front of the club.
3. Just Right
And if you’re perfect? You’ll know if you drop your trail hand off the golf club and your hand swings even with the grip, parallel to your body.
How far should a golf club touch your left leg?
The club should touch your left leg about two inches above the kneecap. (A little higher if you tend to grip down more than an inch.) If it's considerably higher than two inches, you're probably standing too close to the ball. Lower than two inches and you're too far away.
How to address a golf ball?
Any club will work, driver through lob wedge. Carefully place the butt of the grip on your left leg while retaining your address posture. Make sure not to change the position of the clubhead or lock your knees. The club should touch your left leg about two inches above the kneecap.
