
How to Stop Hitting Golf Shots Fat
- Balance. When chipping, most golfers worry about the need to get the ball lofted high into the air so they tend to lean back and put their weight on the ...
- Swing. Try slowing your backswing a bit without slowing your swing speed down. ...
- Club Face. Sometimes golfers open their club face too much because they’re afraid of skulling the ball or hitting it “thin.”
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˚.
Why do I get Fat shots?
A typical error that golfers make which can lead to fat shots is that they fail to keep this spine angle constant throughout the golf swing. Moving your upper body forward and down during the swing will lower the bottom of the swing arc, which can lead to fat shots. FIX: Keep your forward spine angle constant until impact is made with the ball
What is a thin shot in golf?
As a result, they hit the ground first (fat shot) or catch the ball on the upswing (thin shot). If that sounds familiar, let me give you two simple keys.
How does swaying lead to fat shots?
Swaying can lead to fat shots because it moves the bottom of the swing arc away from where it was set at address. Specifically, swaying during the backswing, i.e., moving your hips back, and failing to bringing the hips back forward will result in the bottom of the swing arc being located behind the ball.

What causes fat golf iron shots?
One of the main faults behind hitting fat golf shots is the way your weight moves during the swing. 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.
How do I stop hitting fat and thin golf shots?
0:467:33How to stop hitting topped, thin and fat iron shots - 3 Causes - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd at the same time you want to make sure that we've got the shaft leaning forward. So if we canMoreAnd at the same time you want to make sure that we've got the shaft leaning forward. So if we can get the the shallow path with the club leaning. Forward we'll eliminate all of those fat thin.
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 do I keep hitting fat shots?
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 do I hit it fat and thin?
A lot of golfers never get over the instinct to lift the ball off the ground. They swing off their back foot or flip their hands through impact, both of which make the club bottom out too soon. As a result, they hit the ground first (fat shot) or catch the ball on the upswing (thin shot).
How do I stop hitting my irons fat?
1:043:36How to stop hitting your irons fat - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo moving that upper body too far forwards creating a really steep angle of attack making. The ballMoreSo moving that upper body too far forwards creating a really steep angle of attack making. The ball get when the club really gets deep into the ground or you backing out of it. Don't get any weight
How do I know if my golf grips are too strong?
While in the address position, count how many knuckles you can see on your left hand. If you can see three knuckles or more on your left hand, you have a strong left hand golf grip.
Why am I hitting behind the ball with my irons?
A common problem is to whip the club inside on the takeaway and over rotate the hips. When this happens the backswing becomes flat and inside and it's very easy to hit behind the ball. To avoid this, feel as though the hands, arms, and club move away as one piece during the takeaway.
What is a Fat Golf Shot?
If you’re a relatively new golf player, it won’t be unlikely if you hear the term ‘fat shot’ for the first time. Some players even go ahead and think that the term is associated with the weight or the size of the golfer.
What Happens When You Hit a Fat Shot?
The biggest impact of such a shot would be less distance covered by the ball. It’s the telltale sign that there was something wrong with your swing. Ideally, you should be hitting the green with your short irons. Instead, you may very well land in the fairway again!
The Common Causes of Hitting Fat Golf Shots
For different players, the reason for hitting fat shots vary. A PGA instructor can always guide you in the right direction if you’re serious about fixing your swing issues.
Drills to Fix Fat Golf Shots
By now, you should have a precise idea about what fat shots mean and why you may be hitting those. It’s time to fix the issue once and for all!
Final Words
Hitting fat golf shots is a real problem. We’ve seen plenty of players being guilty of it. It might seem like a serious problem at first. But you should know that it’s quite easy to fix it with the drills we’ve designed for you in this guide.
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What causes a chunk shot in golf?
Close the face to a normal angle but be careful not to close it too much. A closed club face may cause the heel of the club to strike the ground on a downward angle before the club makes contact with the ball, causing the dreaded chunk shot.
How to hit approach shots in golf?
Slow down your back swing a bit but try to still come through the ball at normal speed and make sure your club face stays square through impact.
Why do golfers open their clubs so much?
Sometimes golfers open their club face too much because they’re afraid of skulling the ball or hitting it “thin.” However, the wide open club face will force you to pop the ball up and hit it short , essentially not allowing the club head to do what it is designed to do.
Why do golfers put their weight on the back leg?
When chipping, most golfers worry about the need to get the ball lofted high into the air so they tend to lean back and put their weight on the back leg. This causes an unnatural shift in balance to the backside and ultimately causes the club to ground into the dirt before the contact is made with the golf ball.
How many balls can you hit on your front leg?
Now that almost all your weight is on the front foot/leg and the back leg is neutralized try hitting 20-30 balls just standing on your front leg. What this does is train you shift your weight forward, forcing you to swing through the ball instead of swinging under to try and lift it.
What happens when you hit the ground before the ball hits the ground?
Making contact with the ground before the ball causes a dramatic loss in club head speed and momentum, thus resulting in a shot that travels far less than desired.
How to get your hands lower to the ground?
Swing. Try slowing your backswing a bit without slowing your swing speed down. Slowing down your swing speed can cause you to drop your body and shoulders which will result in your hands being lower to the ball, and ultimately, striking the ground first.
How to hit a tennis ball with your back hand?
If that sounds familiar, let me give you two simple keys. First, make your initial move from the top a little bump onto your front foot. Feel like you’re shifting toward the target, so your chest is over the ball. Second, get to impact with the back of your top hand facing the target (left), not pointing upward. A good image is that you’re back-handing the ball, like a tennis stroke. If you get those two moves right, you’ll swing into impact with your weight forward and your wrists firm—two things every good ball-striker does.
What is a good image for a tennis player?
A good image is that you’re back-handing the ball, like a tennis stroke. If you get those two moves right, you’ll swing into impact with your weight forward and your wrists firm—two things every good ball-striker does.
Who were the two golfers in the 2003 Presidents Cup?
In the 2003 Presidents Cup in South Africa, two of the sweetest swingers at that time, Adam Scott and Stuart Appleby, were matched against two of the most unconventional, Jim Furyk and Jay Haas. As they warmed up, murmurs from the crowd suggested the “pretty” swings had it made. At one point, Jay said to Jim, “I bet those people don’t give us much of a chance.” Jim laughed, and the Americans went on to win, 6 and 5, one of the most lopsided victories in the history of the event. Don’t get me wrong, Adam and Stuart are tremendous talents. (I taught Adam for years.) But the only real barometer of a golf swing is the shots it produces.
Do golfers hit the ground first?
A lot of golfers never get over the instinct to lift the ball off the ground. They swing off their back foot or flip their hands through impact, both of which make the club bottom out too soon. As a result, they hit the ground first (fat shot) or catch the ball on the upswing (thin shot).
What are Fat Golf Shots?
Technically, a fat golf shot is any time you hit the ball into the ground before it gets out of your swing. However, most people also use it to describe shots that don’t go anywhere near their target or have a lot of sidespin on them (which sends them veering off to one side).
Tips to Never Hit Fat Golf Shots Again – Conclusion
There are many things that golfers can do to avoid hitting fat golf shots. Hopefully, the above tips will help you the next time that you are on the course.
What is a fat golf shot?
A fat golf shot is what occurs when you attempt to hit the ball, but you hit the ground first which results in a poor shot that hardly goes any distance followed by a large divot.
How to hit the ball properly in golf?
To hit the ball properly, your golf swing should turn around the body, not make your move in an awkward up and down motion.
How far should your body be from your hips when hitting the golf ball?
When you are getting ready to hit the ball, make sure you are leaning forward and your body is about 20 degrees from your hips. You should also make sure that you aren’t dipping your body because low posture can lead to fat golf shots.
Why is my golf swing so steep?
This is also the reason they slice the ball a lot. The reason that their swing is so steep, is because their angle of approach is way too sharp. If you find yourself doing this, it means that you are tilting your shoulders too much, instead of just turning them.
Why is posture important in golf?
When it comes to golf posture is very important, because it affects how you hit the ball. Before you swing your club, make sure that you have the right posture, which means that your chin should be up and your head should be away from your chest. This will make it easier for you to swing through and hit the ball very well.
Why is weight transference important in golf?
As previously mentioned, weight transference during your swing makes a big difference when it comes to how well you hit the ball. This is why you need to learn how to properly transfer your weight when you swing the ball.
Why is it important to swing the club on the opposite side?
When you are swinging the club, it is important that you move your weight to the opposite side when you are on your downswing. Having too much weight on one side causes the body to twist like a bow and makes it difficult to get the lateral movement you need to hit the ball properly.
