- Check Your Setup. A vast majority of the issues amateur golfers face can be traced back to a poor set up. ...
- Watch for the Hip Sway. You may have the perfect set up, but you still hit fat or thin golf shots. ...
- Shallow Out Your Swing Arc. A steep swing causes fat or thin golf shots rather commonly. ...
- Posture Makes a Difference. A common cause of thin golf shots is lifting up during the swing. ...
- Stop Focusing on Keeping Your Head Down. Yes, you should see the ball hit the clubface, but your head won’t stay down throughout the entire golf swing.
Full Answer
How do you stop hitting golf balls fat?
How to Stop Hitting Fat or Thin Golf Shots – 5 Quick Tips 1. Check Your Setup. A vast majority of the issues amateur golfers face can be traced back to a poor set up. If you’re hitting fat golf shots, make sure the ball is positioned properly in your stance by using your breast bone (middle of the chest) instead of your feet.
What causes you to hit a fat golf shot?
What Causes a Golfer to Hit it Fat?
- Ball Position This is the most common mistake I see among amateur golfers. Fortunately, it’s also the easiest to fix. ...
- Pressure Shift I talk about pressure shift a lot. It may seem overly simple, but trust me: When my students get the pressure shift right, they see major improvement ...
- Angle of Club Shaft
How to stop hitting a fat golf shot?
Video Drill To Stop Hitting The Ball Fat
- Have a friend take a video or record your own (preferably a slow-motion video if possible) of you hitting a golf ball.
- Then, draw a circle around your head at address, using a free app like “Hudl Technique.”
- As you watch the video, focus on your head. ...
- Be sure to notice your biggest tendencies. ...
How far do average golfers really hit the ball?
The average distances an amateur golfer drives a ball is 200 yards. A pro golfer on the PGA tour hits the ball further, with an average distance of 270 yards off the tee. It’s no surprise that golfers can be a very competitive bunch of people. Many golfers like to see who can hit the ball the furthest.
How to explain hitting fat shots?
Hitting fat shots from fairway bunkers are commonplace and can be explained by how deep your feet are dug in at address. Indeed, a sandy lie brings with it another variable in how deep your feet dig into the ground, in relation to the ball.
What is a fat shot in golf?
In golf a fat shot – or a golf shot hit fat – is one that sees the club penetrating the ground before making contact with the ball. This is in contrast to a better shot that sees the clubhead making contact with the ball before it proceeds to penetrating the ground, as should happen in shots made with irons and wedges.
Why does swinging make you fat?
Swaying can lead to fat shots because it moves the bottom of the swing arc away from where it was set at address.
Why do fat shots occur?
The fundamental causes behind fat shots relate to the arc of the swing itself and more specifically to the position of the bottom of the swing arc. Indeed, in order to produce a shot that sees the club penetrating the ground before contact is made with the ball – such as the case with fat shots – the bottom of the swing arc needs ...
Why is my golf ball so far forward?
Is the ball located too much forward? One of the reasons your club may penetrate the ground before it hits the ball has to do with the placement of the ball itself in your stance , in relation to your feet. A ball placed too much forward – towards the target – can prove tricky to hit cleanly and can result in fat shots.
What is the error in golf that leads to 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.
Why do you need to lower the bottom of the swing arc?
Doing so will reduce the number of possible positions the bottom of the swing arc can be found and should allow you to produce purer shots on a more consistent basis.
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.
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.
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.
How to get fat shots in golf?
Swinging too steep. While it is a problem when you try to lift the ball into the air, the opposite mistake can be just as damaging to your game. A swing that is coming down into impact on an angle that is too steep is very likely to create a fat shot as well. This problem is usually caused by a lack of lower body rotation in the downswing. When you start the club down toward the ball, your body should be turning out of the way to make room for your hands and arms to swing through the shot. However, if you fail to turn enough, your arms will be forced to take a steeper path down into the ball. Not only will you likely hit the shot fat when this happens, but there usually will be slice spin added to the ball as well. Correct your steep plane by working on your balance and practicing the rotation of your body in the downswing.
How to get the ball to float up?
Trying to lift the ball. Your irons have loft for a reason – so the club can do the work of getting the ball up into the air for you. As long as you hit down through the shot and make solid contact with the back of the ball, you should have no trouble getting the ball to float up nicely into the sky. However, if you try to help the ball get off the ground by scooping it instead of hitting down through it, you may run into trouble with fat shots. Many golfers make the mistake of thinking that they have to lift the ball into the air, so they try to hit up through the shot at impact. Don't fall into that trap. Hit down through your iron shots and trust that the loft of the club will do the rest.
How to hit a golf ball on the fairway?
Hitting your fairway woods requires a swing that is similar to the one you use with your driver, however you will often be hitting the ball right off of the turf instead of a tee. That means that you need to strike the ball cleanly in order to hit a good shot. If your swing were to bottom out even an inch or two behind the ball during the downswing, a fat shot could result.
How to reduce frustration on the golf course?
To reduce your frustration on the course, and reduce your scores at the same time, striking the ball cleanly should be something that is high on your priority list. Following is a list of three swing mistakes that could be leading to your problem with fat shots. Weight moving the wrong direction.
What happens if you put weight on your right foot after a golf swing?
If you have a significant amount of your weight on your right foot after the swing is over, there is a problem. Work on getting more of your weight onto your left side in the finish position and the fat shot issue might just take care of itself. Trying to lift the ball.
What causes a golf club to hit the ground before the ball?
Putter. One of golfs most deflating mishits is the “fat” golf shot, when the club strikes the ground before the ball. Fat shots typically occur with an iron in hand and may be rooted in any number of swing faults. A poor weight shift is a common culprit.
How to improve your swing weight shift?
Improve your golf swing weight shift and strike ball before ground using this classic drill: 1. With any club shorter than a 5-iron, take your usual address with the ball positioned at or near the middle of your stance. 2. Lift your right heel off the ground, balancing on the toes. 3.
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.
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.
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.
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 Shots?
Fat Shots are when a golfer hits the ground when coming down with their club instead of hitting the ball. This usually "chunks up" ground, which is where this type of shot gets its name.
Tips to Prevent Fat Shots
The proper golf stance is probably the first line of defense against Fat Shots, as an improper stance is more likely to lead to digging up ground then a proper one is.
Conclusion
Fat Shots are probably one of the worst things that newer golfers can encounter, bringing with it a plethora of negative effects, some of which are long-lasting. However, with the right amount of time and practice, you will hopefully be able to soon kiss Fat Shots goodbye for good!
Why do golfers' heads move?
Many top golfers' heads do move a little downward and to the right in response to the targetward thrust of the lower body. But if the motion becomes accentuated, they--and you--will surely catch the ground before the ball.
Why is it important to learn one swing?
That's why it's critical to learn one swing, and adjust your grip or stance, rather than changing your swing.
What happens when you get to the top of the backswing?
2. By the time they get to the top of the backswing, their torso and pelvis have “re-centered” back over the ball.
Do fat shots recenter late?
Inevitably, they’ll often re- center too late, which causes inconsistencies and fat shots.
