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 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. ...
What causes a fat shot in golf?
A noted above, a fat shot is caused by hitting behind the ball: Your golf club contacts the ground before it contacts the golf ball. Another way of saying the same thing: Your swing is bottoming out behind the ball.
What is a fat shot?
Fat shots happen when the clubface bottoms out digging behind the ball instead of pinching the back of the ball on the downswing. The timing is off, as the upper body hits before the lower body shifts weight back to your front foot.
What is a'fat shot'in golf?
Brent Kelley is an award-winning sports journalist and golf expert with over 30 years in print and online journalism. A "fat shot" happens when the golfer's club hits the ground prior to making contact with the golf ball.
Does it matter what club you swing when it comes to fat shots?
It doesn't really matter what club you are swinging when it comes to fat shots, because a breakdown in your technique is going to lead you to hit the ground behind the ball regardless of which club is in your hands. From a sand wedge all the way up to the driver, no club is completely safe from the prospect of hitting a fat shot.
Why do you hit fat golf shots?
The main reason that a fat shot occurs, though, is that a player has unnecessarily moved their “swing center.” You can think of your center as one of two things, either your head or your sternum. I tend to use the head reference more often because it doesn't twist throughout the swing as the sternum does.
What are fat and thin shots in golf?
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 you fix fat golf shots?
3:3516:26Top 5 Golf Tips to Fix The Fat Chunk Shot - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo keep the ball in the center of your stance. And just start moving your hands backwards. And seeMoreSo keep the ball in the center of your stance. And just start moving your hands backwards. And see what happens most of the time. You hit a fat.
How do you avoid fat shots in golf?
2:4615:34GOLF: How To Stop Hitting Fat Shots - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe more forward or towards the target the weight is in my feet the odds of me not hitting behindMoreThe more forward or towards the target the weight is in my feet the odds of me not hitting behind the ball get better or the more of my weight or body is to the right or behind the ball.
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 FAT my irons?
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 do I hit my irons pure every time?
5:017:25HOW TO STRIKE YOUR IRONS PURE AND SOLID EVERY SINGLE ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWe're going to feel that the lower half starts it we want the right elbow in right hand on top orMoreWe're going to feel that the lower half starts it we want the right elbow in right hand on top or left logo to the ground whatever way you like to feel it we're gonna come down prepare it swing.
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 fat?
4:208:39HOW TO STOP HITTING BEHIND THE BALL INSTANTLY (No Joke)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThis practice swing you're gonna lift the heel. Three or four inches with irons. Five or six inchesMoreThis practice swing you're gonna lift the heel. Three or four inches with irons. Five or six inches with driver if you're drop kicking. So you've got that.
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.
Should you take a divot with a 5 iron?
You should take a divot when striking a golf shot, but not with every club. Wedges and short irons when hit correctly will create a clear divot, imparting backspin on the ball, yet longer clubs like 5-irons and hybrids should 'brush' the turf, rather than take a deep chunk out of the ground.
Why am I hitting the ground first with my driver?
Hitting the ground first is because your angle of approach (angle at which the club is striking the golf ball) is too shallow. To put it in another understandable way, you are trying to hit the ball with an upwards motion.
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 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 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 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 ...
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 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.
Why does widening your stance affect your golf game?
Widening your stance reduces the distance between your body to the ground, but your club will stay the same length, meaning that as you bottom out , the length of the club to the ground will be disproportionate and cause you to strike the ground too early .
How to correct a fat shot in golf?
Correct a "fat" golf shot by hitting the ball cleaner for greater distance. “Fat” shots occur when you take a divot before you even touch the ball. Hitting the ground is not only bad for your golf stroke, but it is hard on your body. Sometimes a fat shot is the result of a new golfer being told “keep your head down,” or it's the result ...
How to prevent fat shots on downswing?
Shifting your weight forward properly on the downswing will prevent a fat shot. When you take the club back and it is parallel to the ground, your weight will transfer to your back foot.
How to hit the ball fat?
Hitting the ball fat is the result of a steep golf swing. Take the club back with the arms as you rotate your shoulders around your spine. The movement is around your body, rather than a steep up and down motion.
How to stop hitting the ball fat?
Straighten Your Posture. To stop hitting the ball fat, make sure your posture is correct during setup. Although your knees should be soft or slightly bent, you should lean forward just 20 degrees from the hips, and your back should be close to straight.
How to check your posture on golf?
To check on your posture, put the club a few inches behind the ball before hitting. The club should not reach the ground. If it does, you are bent over too much. Low posture promotes a fat shot.
Is hitting the ground bad for golf?
Hitting the ground is not only bad for your golf stroke, but it is hard on your body. Sometimes a fat shot is the result of a new golfer being told “keep your head down,” or it's the result of a too-steep swing. With practice, though, you can eliminate the fat shot and bring more distance to your golf game.
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 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 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.
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 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.
What does it mean when a golfer hits the ground too far back?
A fat shot means that a player is striking the ground too far back in the swing process. In an ideal swing, the club strikes the ground in front of the ball, after contact, creating a divot in front of where the ball was resting.
Why does a shot come up fat?
Most often, a shot comes up fat because a player has failed to get his weight forward before the moment of impact. By keeping the weight on the back leg, instead of transferring it onto the lead leg, the player is leaning back at impact, causing him to hit too far behind the ball.
How to get a good finish on golf?
Begin by standing over the ball in the ideal contact position, with the straight line from your lead leg through your lead wrist and arm, and your trailing wrist breaking so that the club is ready to hit where a ball would be. Bring the club back slightly and swing forward, being sure you maintain this form at the bottom of the swing. Continue to gradually increase the length of the arc of the swing until you are taking a full swing with the proper drive down on the ball.
How to get proper impact in golf?
To get proper impact, the first motion in the downswing should be a slight flexing of the legs, lowering the center of gravity. The player should then move parallel to the ground toward the lead leg, so that the player's center of gravity is slightly forward of the ball when contact is made.
What does it mean when a golfer hits a fat shot?
Proper control in the downswing will prevent fat shots. A "fat shot" is a term used to describe a shot that travels less distance than expected due to a swing that takes a large divot behind the ball. When a player hits it fat, it usually means that he failed to strike down on the ball.
What is a fat shot in golf?
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. Fat golf shots are also referred to as duffed shots or scuffed shots, but as previously mentioned, it has happened to everyone that ever picked up a club.
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.
How to hit the ball properly?
To hit the ball properly, your golf swing should turn around the body, not make your move in an awkward up and down motion. You should try and make sure that your shoulders are level before swinging at the ball to avoid a steep swing that will likely result in a fat shot .
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 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.
Which side of the golf club should you swing on?
If you have ever had a lesson on how to properly swing your golf club, you should know that swinging the club properly requires you to transfer weight from your right side to your left side (right-hander).
Is a swing plane too shallow?
swing plane is not TOO steep or shallow. We stated earlier that hitting the ball steeply will result in a fat golf shot, which is why you should try to flatten your shoulder turn which will encourage a shallower plane. If you are on too shallow a plane, you should push your club away on your backswing, that way it doesn’t come inside ...
