Golfers thin the ball when our swing bottoms out in the wrong place. If your swing bottoms out behind the ball, the result is a fat shot. If the swing bottoms out ahead of the ball, the result is a thin shot.
What is the difference between a thin and fat shot?
A fat shot is the opposite of a thin shot. And while a thin shot, for very skilled golfers, might sometimes be played intentionally, a fat shot never is, and the results of a fat shot are rarely good. How do golfers talk about fat shots?
What is a thin shot in golf?
A thin shot is the opposite of a fat shot (in which the golfer's club hits the ground before contacting the golf ball). Thinning it is preferable to hitting it fat.
What is a fat shot in golf?
A "fat shot" happens when the golfer's club hits the ground prior to making contact with the golf ball. That's not something the golfer ever wants to do (except with bunker shots), and it leads to grass or even a chunk of turf/sod coming between the clubface and the ball.
Is it better to hit it fat or thin in golf?
Thinning it is preferable to hitting it fat. In fact, the best golfers, who are talented enough to hit it slightly thin on purpose, have an expression: "Thin to win," or "thin it to win it." Which simply means that thin shots (which, depending on the severity of the mishit, still sometimes work out) are preferable to fat shots.
What does fat and thin mean 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).
What does it mean to hit a golf shot fat?
What is a “fat” shot in golf? 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.
What is a thin golf shot?
In golf a thin shot – or a golf shot hit thin – is one that see the club hitting the ball below its equator. But in contrast to a better shot that sees the clubface striking the ball inside the sweet spot hitting it thin will often see the leading edge of the club making contact with the ball.
What does a thin golf shot look like?
6:0515:12[SIMPLE FIX ] Stop Hitting Thin Shots During Your Golf Game - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBad part or the thin shot would be if you spin excessively passive and just rotate. Yeah you'reMoreBad part or the thin shot would be if you spin excessively passive and just rotate. Yeah you're gonna bring both so to fix. Both steep. And thin just deep and shallow. Take the club up to the top let
What causes a golfer to hit it fat?
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.
How do you not hit Fat iron shots?
4:208:39HOW TO STOP HITTING BEHIND THE BALL INSTANTLY (No Joke)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipOkay we get the weight off the heel. Then the club will clear and you will instantly eliminate fatMoreOkay we get the weight off the heel. Then the club will clear and you will instantly eliminate fat shots. So you've hit a fat.
Why do you hit thin golf shots?
Golfers who hit a lot of thin shots tend to swing the club too steeply into the ball. That's because they slide past the ball on the downswing and have to force the club down to make contact. When they slide too far, they catch only the top half of the ball, hitting it thin.
Why do I hit fat shots with 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.
Why do I hit my driver well but not my irons?
There is a myriad of reasons why you hit your driver better than your irons. However, the root cause for most golfers stems from posture, the position of the ball in your stance, and your swing plane. Plus, the optimal ball speed and forgiveness produced by a driver make it easy to launch.
Why am I hitting the ground before the golf ball?
When a player hits the ground before the ball it is generally because their club is attacking the ball from too shallow an angle. Golf coaches refer to this as the "Angle of Approach".
How do you hit the ball before the ground with irons?
3:385:12HOW TO STOP HITTING THE GROUND BEFORE THE GOLF BALLYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd in the goal swing focus on a point two to three inches in front of the ball shift. In front ofMoreAnd in the goal swing focus on a point two to three inches in front of the ball shift. In front of it. And we're sure to be able to get that strike much more solid take away those fat shots.
What is a thin shot in golf?
Updated April 29, 2019. A "thin shot" in golf is one in which the clubhead strikes the golf ball too high (near the midpoint of the golf ball, or slightly lower or higher), which typically results in a low, sometimes slicing shot. A thin shot also often produces much more vibration that is felt in ...
How does a thin shot affect golf?
A thin shot also often produces much more vibration that is felt in the golfer's hands. It's impossible to predict how a thin shot will turn out. If it's a low screamer but one that stays up in the air and then gets lots of roll-out, the ball can overshoot the target by a lot. If it's a ball that barely gets off the ground and then drops, ...
Why do golfers thin the ball?
Thin shots happen when the golf club impacts the golf ball too high on the ball - near or a little below the ball's equator. But what causes that ? Golfers thin the ball when our swing bottoms out in the wrong place. If your swing bottoms out behind the ball, the result is a fat shot. If the swing bottoms out ahead of the ball, ...
Why does my golf swing thinning?
Another common cause of thinning it is when the golfer raises up just before impact, lifting his or her head and torso. This pulls your arms up, too, which raises the club. In that case, even if the bottom of the swing is in the right place, the club will contact the golf ball too high on the ball's surface.
How to stop hitting a golf ball thin?
Start with the easiest things to check: your basic setup positions. Make sure you aren't positioning the golf ball in your stance way off normal; make sure you aren't setting up with your shoulders aligned well right or left. These things can throw off where your swing bottoms out.
What happens if you hit a thin shot?
If you're hitting from the fairway with a short iron or wedge and hit a thin shot, the ball might wind up way over the green. A thin shot is the opposite of a fat shot (in which the golfer's club hits the ground before contacting the golf ball). Thinning it is preferable to hitting it fat.
What does "thin to win" mean?
Which simply means that thin shots (which, depending on the severity of the mishit, still sometimes work out) are preferable to fat shots.
What is the name of the second shot that a golfer is allowed to take without penalty?
Happy Ball. The name of the second shot that a golfer is allowed to take without penalty, specifically from the tee-box on hole #1. Or in other words, a happy ball is the alternative name for a mulligan when it is hit from the very first hole.
What does it mean when a golfer hits the ball fat?
A golfer is said to have hit the ball fat when his club will have penetrated through the ground before striking the ball. Ideally, in a successful strike at the ball, the clubface will come in contact with the ball first before it continues its forward descent into the ground. Consequence: Hitting a shot fat will result in a loss ...
What is a shank shot?
Shank. A shanked shot will occur when the ball will shoot straight off to the right of the intended target line on a very low trajectory. It usually comes as a result of the ball being hit by the hosel of the club instead of its clubface. Consequence: A shank shot will often put the golfer in catastrophic situations for the next shot.
What does it mean when a golfer whiffes his shot?
A whiffed shot refers to an attempt made by a golfer to hit his ball through a live swing, i.e., not during a practice swing, and missing it entirely. The name comes from the sound made by the club traveling at full speed without the expected ball striking noise that is a staple of a golf stroke. Consequence: Whiffing a ball will result in ...
How many happy balls can you have in a round?
Regardless, a happy ball is the designation of a mulligan when it is hit from the first tee, and as such a golfer could theoretically only be allowed one happy ball during a round of eighteen holes.
What happens if you whiff a golf ball?
Consequence: Whiffing a ball will result in the total loss of distance, i.e., the ball will remain in its original spot. In accordance to the official rules, the golfer will need to count a whiff as a full stroke, even though the club has not touched the ball at all. More on: How to Fix Whiffs.
What is double tap in golf?
A double tap occurs when the golfer’s clubhead strikes the ball twice, the first time when the ball is on the ground and the second time shortly after when the ball is off the ground. This type of golf shot error usually occurs near the green during chip shots, when the ball is launched slowly enough for the club to catch up to it ...
What is the difference between a fat golf shot and a thin golf shot?
Fat golf shots end up with an impact position with less weight on the front leg, the hands may lag behind and the ground will be struck before the ball causing the golfer to hit the ball towards the top of the clubface. A thin golf shot will be the opposite.
What does it mean when you hit a fat golf shot?
A fat golf shot happens when you hit the ground before the ball. It’s most common with short irons and wedges but can also happen with fairway woods and long irons. Even on occasion, you might hit a fat golf shot with your driver, but this is not as common.
How to shallow out a golf swing plane?
One of the best drills for shallowing out your swing plane is the roll the ball backward drill. This drill is exactly what it sounds like. Start with the normal golf ball you plan to hit and place second golf ball about 12 to 18 inches directly behind the ball.
Why is my golf ball so far forward?
You can have the ball place perfectly when it comes to your feet, but your weight distribution is off, which puts the ball too far forward in your stand. When the golf ball is too far forward in your stand, you’re more likely to hit a fat golf shot. A fat golf shot happens when you hit the ground before the ball.
How to turn your body with a golf club?
Tee the ball up higher than normal and lay a towel down on the ground where you will put your knees. Swing around your body and hit the golf ball with the club. When done properly, you will learn how to turn your body with a quiet lower body.
Why is my golf club so thin?
Posture Makes a Difference. A common cause of thin golf shots is lifting up during the swing. In other words, you could start with perfect posture and a good spine angle, but by the time you get to impact, you’ve straightened your spine some causing the clubhead to strike the top half of the golf ball.
How to fix a thin shot in golf?
Moving the ball slightly back in your stance may solve the problem. For golfers hitting thin shots, check to ensure you’re not putting the ball too far behind your breast bone (center of the chest). You may not need to adjust your feet, but you may need to adjust your weight to distribute more onto the back leg. 2.
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.
How to hit a tennis ball with your back?
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.
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).
Why do golfers use thinner grips?
For chipping, many golfers will find better results with thinner grips. The reason for this is the ability to feel the club head as it swings through the grass. Since you are using your hands and wrists actively while chipping, a thin grip is going to translate the feel of the club through your hands effectively.
Why do golf clubs have thick grips?
Very thick grips tend to cause a player to have 'quieter hands' meaning they are less likely to turn them over through impact and send a shot left (for a right handed golfer).
Why are thin grips important?
On the other hand, very thin grips allow golfers struggling for feel around the green to better judge the distance and line on putts. As well as fat or thin grips, there is also the grip shape to consider which can also affect the way someone holds the putter and hits the shots.
What is the importance of grip size in short game?
Grip Size in the Short Game. As was mentioned previously, grip size is important in the short game as it is in the long game. You need to have grips which feel comfortable in your hands when playing short shots, and you need to make sure those grips allow you to control the speed of your swing properly.
Do you need thick grips for putting?
Once you step onto the greens, however, things change. While putting, more and more golfers are finding it beneficial to use thick grips. In fact, there has been a wave of extra-thick putting grips brought to market in recent years due to the popularity of this option.
Can thick grips cause slice patterns?
If thick grips are combined with other swing mistakes, you may even find that you are stuck in a slice pattern due to this equipment problem. Thick grips can be just as much of a problem as thin grips, although for different reasons. Playing with improper grip thickness can also be a problem in the short game.
