What Causes Hitting Behind the Golf Ball?
- Overview. Hitting behind the golf ball, or hitting it "fat," is a common problem, especially with high handicappers.
- Ball Position. Perhaps the most common problem for fat shots is playing the ball too close to the front foot, especially with shorter clubs.
- Sliding the Hips. Sliding the hips forward before or at impact causes the body to shift forward, causing the club to drop behind the ball.
- Head Slide. During the downswing, players sometimes have the tendency to slide their head forward. This causes the upper body to slide forward, impeding a proper recoil.
- Loose Leading Arm. When the leading arm (left arm for right-handed players) isn't straight, it causes a short backswing and prevents the upper body from making the proper coil.
- Back Shoulder Dip. Dipping the back shoulder during the downswing causes the body and hands to scoop at the ball (commonly called a "chili dip").
- Improper Weight Transfer. During the backswing, the player's weight is on the back foot. ...
Why do I hit it fat in the golf swing?
Here are 3 reasons and fixes for why you hit it fat: Staying centered during the swing is a big issue for a lot of golfers. If your weight moves laterally (away from the target) on the backswing, the center of your swing moves. The problem with this is that the golf ball does not move with you.
Are You hitting fat golf shots?
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.
What causes fat on the bottom of the foot in golf?
“Swaying” (getting the swing center too far off the golf ball) is another cause of fat, as well as falling to the rear foot or “reversing the weight.” Both of these moves can cause one to bottom out well behind the ball.
Why do I hit the golf ball behind the ball?
What Causes Hitting Behind the Golf Ball? 1 Ball Position. Perhaps the most common problem for fat shots is playing the ball too close to the front foot, especially with shorter clubs. As a ... 2 Sliding the Hips. 3 Head Slide. 4 Loose Leading Arm. 5 Back Shoulder Dip. More items
What causes you to hit a golf ball fat?
Hitting the ball fat is when you hit the ground before the ball and as a result you have grass and dirt get between the club and the ball. The result to your performance is you lose distance. Angle of attack: The farther back the steeper the club will come down on the ball.
How do I stop hitting the ball fat?
5:268:39HOW TO STOP HITTING BEHIND THE BALL INSTANTLY (No Joke)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMove right there you're using your arms to release early so that would be hitting with your arms.MoreMove right there you're using your arms to release early so that would be hitting with your arms. You're up here you're pulling the club.
How do I stop hitting my golf clubs fat?
Shifting your weight forward correctly on the downswing is another way to stop hitting it heavy. As you draw the club back, your weight should shift to your back foot. To eliminate a heavy strike, shift your weight back across to your front foot as you finish your downswing.
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).
What causes fat iron shots?
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).
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.
How do you not hit Fat iron shots?
1:143:36How to stop hitting your irons fat - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipDon't get any weight shift going forward and ground out very early in the golfing. Both our dredges.MoreDon't get any weight shift going forward and ground out very early in the golfing. Both our dredges. In terms of getting any consistency.
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.
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.
How do I stop hitting the golf ball fat and thin?
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.
How do you avoid fat and thin shots?
4:267:32How to stop hitting topped, thin and fat iron shots - 3 Causes - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd make sure it's it's not too weak and over in this position here make sure you've got at least aMoreAnd make sure it's it's not too weak and over in this position here make sure you've got at least a neutral grip or even slightly strong and that way they should help square the club face.
Why do I hit my pitch shots fat?
0:382:38Stop Hitting Fat/Heavy Pitch Shots - Simple Tips - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipNow if you're here to know the fat heavy chunky shots it's because you're too steep coming down intoMoreNow if you're here to know the fat heavy chunky shots it's because you're too steep coming down into the golf ball. So you go back the angle of attack's too steep the shaft angle is too steep.
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.
Why do I hit behind the golf ball?
What Causes Hitting Behind the Golf Ball? Improper weight transfer and dropping the right shoulder can lead to "fat" shots. Hitting behind the golf ball, or hitting it "fat," is a common problem, especially with high handicappers. It is a frustrating mishit that results in added strokes to the scorecard. There are several causes to hitting fat ...
Why does my golf club drop behind the ball?
Failure to naturally transfer the weight through the ball and onto the left commonly causes the club to drop behind the ball. The body and the club must work together in a proper weight transfer.
What does it mean when you hit behind the ball?
Hitting behind the golf ball, or hitting it "fat," is a common problem, especially with high handicappers. It is a frustrating mishit that results in added strokes to the scorecard.
What is the dip in golf?
Dipping the back shoulder during the downswing causes the body and hands to scoop at the ball (commonly called a "chili dip"). Keeping the upper body upright during the swing and concentrating on leading with the front shoulder can remedy this habit.
Where should I play a fat shot?
As a general rule, the ball should be played in the middle of the stance and slightly back with shorter clubs.
What does it mean when your leading arm is loose?
When the leading arm (left arm for right-handed players) isn't straight, it causes a short backswing and prevents the upper body from making the proper coil. Keep the left arm straight, but not tense, and lead the body into the shot with the head and hips behind the ball.
Why does my golf ball get fat?
But many golfers will hit the ball fat because they address it too far forwards in their stance. If the ball is too far forwards, your swing arc will bottom out before you reach the ball meaning you’ll strike the ground too early. The quick fix is to simply move the ball back towards the central position of your body.
What is hitting the ball fat?
Updated April 26, 2021. Hitting a golf shot sweet is one of the best feelings in sport. But a lot has to go right for you to hit the perfect shot and one of the most common issues golfers suffer from is what’s known as hitting the ball fat. A fat golf shot is when a golfer miscues his swing and chunks the ground with their club before they hit ...
How to move weight in the wrong direction?
Laterally moving backwards on your downswing and pushing your hips out behind you will move your weight in the wrong direction, favouring your back leg. This will move your swing arc back a couple of inches, causing you to to come down much sooner and narrower on the ball, chunking the turf too early.
How far should the bottom of the arc of a golf swing land?
In order to connect with the ball properly, the bottom of the arc of the swing should land a couple of inches behind the ball. This means you’re striking the ball on your downswing and taking a divot after you’ve hit connected with the ball.
What is a fat shot in golf?
A fat golf shot is when a golfer miscues his swing and chunks the ground with their club before they hit the ball. Hitting your shot fat, or chunking the ball can be costly on your scorecard, as the ball will travel only a short distance after you’ve made impact with the ground, costing you vital yards on the fairway.
What is the line A in golf?
Line A shows the swing arc of a good golf shot, connecting with the ball on the downswing, and bottoming out behind the ball. Line B shows the arc of a fat golf shot which hits the ground first and bottoms out before or underneath the ball. This shallow swing trajectory can be caused by a number of factors, from where you place ...
What happens if you hit a shot thin?
If you hit a shot thin, you strike the ball too early in your downswing, usually with the butt of your clubface striking high up on the ball. The ball will then fly off at a low trajectory and much more limited trajectory than usual.
What does it mean when your golf club hits the ball fat?
Hitting the ball fat is one of the worst feelings in golf. As soon as your club digs in to the turf, you know that the shot is going to come up short of your target. You don't even want to look up to watch the ball fly, because you know the end result is not going to be a good one.
Why do golfers hit fat shots?
Most fat shots occur when: The golfer fails to transfer weight from the right side to the left (for a right-hander) during the downswing. The swing arc moves to the right and the club bottoms out before reaching the ball. The swing is too steep, causing the club to impact the turf before the ball.
Why do fat shots lead to missed greens?
Not only do fat shots usually lead to missed greens, they can also lead to penalty strokes if there is a pond or other hazard waiting short of the target. It is hard to work on correcting the problem of hitting fat shots because there can be a number of causes at the root of the issue.
Why are golf clubs fat?
Clubs that are too long can lead to fat shots simply because you won't have enough room to swing them down to impact without first catching the turf behind the ball. Golf clubs can be adjusted either longer or shorter based on your needs, so visit a professional club fitter to have your set checked.
What does it mean when you swing down toward the ball?
When you are swinging down toward the ball, you need to trust in your swing completely. When that trust starts to waver, you may slow down the movement of the club in an effort to 'guide' the club face to the ball.
Why is my golf swing so steep?
The swing is too steep, causing the club to impact the turf before the ball. The ball is too far forward or too close to your body. If the ball is to the left of the spot where your swing naturally bottoms out, you'll either hit it thin or fat. Standing too close to the ball creates an overly upright (steep) path.
Why is it important to keep your level at the same level throughout the swing?
Ideally, you would like to keep everything at roughly the same level throughout the swing, because moving up and down will make it much more difficult to achieve solid contact at impact. If you lose your level and drop your entire body down during the golf swing, hitting the ball fat is the likely outcome.
How to avoid fat shots in golf?
But rather than correct the problem with the correct move (s), golfers often correct a fault with a fault. Shortening the radius (chicken-winging), raising the swing center, early lower-body extension, holding on through impact (saving it), running the upper body ahead of the golf ball and even coming over the top are all ways of avoiding fat shots.
What happens if you don't rotate your chest and shoulders back and through?
If you don’t rotate your chest and shoulders back and through, you won’t develop good consistency in distance or contact.
Can you hit the headcover if you are stuck too far inside coming down?
You’ll hit the headcover if you are stuck too far inside coming down. The point is that most players do what they have to do to avoid their disastrous result. Slicers swing way left, players who fight a hook swing inside out and anybody who has ever laid sod over the golf ball will find a way to avoid doing it again.
Why do I hit the ball fat?
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. This motion should feel more around your body, as opposed to a steep up and down movement.
Why do golfers hit fat shots?
One of the main reasons that golfers hit fat shots is they are desperately trying to get the ball in the air. Instead of keeping their upper body over the ball (where the sternum is directly above the ball at impact), they lean back through the contact.
How to practice flatter swing?
To practice this flatter swing motion, try to hit from a side hill lie where the ball is above your feet. This will encourage a flatter swing plane.
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 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.
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 ...
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 ...
Why is my swing arc bottom out?
Cause #1: The ball is too far forward in your stance. This is fairly straightforward. If your ball is too far forward, your swing arc will bottom out before you reach the ball and you will hit it fat.
