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. 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."
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 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.
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.
Why do I hit my golf ball fat?
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.
What is a thin shot in golf?
Why do golfers thin the ball?
Why does my golf swing thinning?
How to stop hitting a golf ball thin?
What happens if you hit a thin shot?
How does a thin shot affect golf?
What does "thin to win" mean?
See more
What is hitting it fat or thin in golf?
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 does hitting it thin mean in golf?
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.
What does hitting fat mean?
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.
What is a fat golf 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.
How do you avoid fat shots in golf?
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.
What does hitting fat and thin mean?
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. 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.
What causes a fat in golf?
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 I stop hitting skinny shots?
1:447:11HOW TO STOP HITTING THIN GOLF SHOTS - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou hardly need any downward hit to hit that solidly there's room under the ball to push the sweetMoreYou hardly need any downward hit to hit that solidly there's room under the ball to push the sweet spot against the ball. Just a slight slight downward hit is enough for solid. Contact.
Why is my golf ball thin?
Another common reason for hitting the golf ball thin is what’s called flipping or casting which happens in the golf downswing. This is when the clubhead overtakes the hands prior to reaching the rear thigh in the downswing and the clubhead reaches the golf ball on an upward trajectory exposing the lower or leading edge of the club.
What is lag shot golf?
The lag shot golf training aid helps you eliminate thin golf shots and hit them flush. The good news is it’s not difficult to fix once you identify what’s causing the shot and then finally implement some simple drills. I used to hit many thin golf shots but learned how to hit compressed golf shots in the Rotary Swing system.
How to maintain lag angle in golf?
2. As you commence the downswing you need to maintain the angle you had at the top of the backswing between your right arm and the shaft (call lag angle). 3. Ideally you’ll want to maintain this angle until you reach the rear thigh and then you can release the golf club at the golf ball.
How to fix lag in golf club?
To fix you need to do a couple of things: 1. Ensure you have a light grip pressure particularly in the right hand (right-hander) so that when you start the downswing you are not pushing against the golf club and reducing the lag angle. 2.
Why is it so hard to catch the sweet spot in golf?
If your golf ball is positioned particularly too far forward in your stance, it makes it difficult to catch the sweet spot because the bottom of the swing arc is usually well before it reaches the golf ball. This exposes the bottom of the clubface leading to thinned golf shots.
How low does a golf ball travel?
The golf ball will typically travel very low to the ground or at least lower than your normal centred strike. Typically you won’t get a lot of spin on the golf ball, and if you’re lucky enough to hit the green it will most likely run through the back into trouble. Additionally, a thin shot will result in no divot being taken ...
How to fix a butt in golf?
To fix this you need to train your body to stay in posture by doing several (at least 30) repetitions of hitting golf shots whilst your butt stays against a chair or similar. You can practice this at home or ideally at the golf driving range.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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), ...
What does it mean when a golfer hits the ball fat?
In addition to resulting in a terrible shot, hitting the ball fat can also be jarring to a golfer's hands, wrists and arms, depending on just how "fat" (how badly the club digs into the turf) the shot is. A fat shot is the opposite of a thin shot.
How do golfers talk about fat shots?
Golfers might talk about "fatting it," or say, "I fatted that one" or "I caught that one fat" or "I hit it fat."
How to get rid of fat shots in golf?
Make sure the golf ball isn't positioned too far forward in your stance. Check the Mishit Tip Sheets feature for a checklist of possible additional causes of fat shots.
Why is the golf ball traveling shorter distances?
That kills much of the energy of the shot, resulting in the ball traveling shorter distances. The more severely "fat" the ball is hit (meaning the more turf is between the club and ball), the shorter distance the ball will travel.
What does it mean when you hit behind the ball?
Most people who hit an occasional (fat shot) move their heads backward as they start their downswings, which means that they hit behind the ball.". A similar approach to stop hitting the behind the ball (one using an object to block the club from bottoming out too early) is demonstrated in a YouTube videos.
What is a thin shot in golf?
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. This results in a ball that doesn’t travel as high ...
Why does the bottom of the swing move?
The position of the bottom of the swing arc may have moved from where it should be thanks to the swaying swing error. Specifically, a golfer who is said to sway will move his hips laterally during the course of the swing, moving them back during the backswing before bringing them forward during the downswing.
Why is my right shoulder lower than my left?
Because your right hand is positioned lower on the grip of the club than your left hand, it is natural for your right shoulder to find itself slightly lower than the right. Some golfers fight this natural stance and position their shoulders level to the ground instead. Doing so can produce thin shots.
Can the bottom of the swing arc be too high?
Alternatively, the bottom of the swing arc can also be too high in contrast to where it should be. A pure strike at the ball will see the clubface hitting the ball in the sweetspot whereas a thin shot will see the bottom of the clubface and oftentimes its leading edge hitting the ball instead. This can happen as a result ...
Does flipping the club head cause swing error?
Specifically, it involves letting the clubhead catch up to your hands at impact instead of seeing your hands ahead of the club and ball at impact. Doing so, while not a swing error per se, can result in one when it is not done purposefully. Indeed, flipping the club will tend to move the bottom of the swing arc back behind ...
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).
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.
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.
What happens if you leave your weight on the back foot through the downswing?
If you leave your weight on the back foot through the downswing, you will tend to lean your shoulders and body backwards (away from the target) and your club will bottom out behind the ball, thus hitting it fat.
How to beat the fats in golf?
FIGHT THE FATS. Grab your 7-iron, take your address position, lift your right foot off the ground, and then hit balls while standing on your left foot only. With all your weight forward, you’ll make a descending blow and ball-first contact. To beat the fats, strive for this front-sided feeling when you play.
What is fat iron shot?
Fat iron shots are the scourge of the average player. The club hits the ground behind the ball, turf goes flying — and the ball goes nowhere. If you can get to the fat shot’s root cause — hanging back on your right leg through impact — you’ll fix it quickly.
What is impact in golf?
Impact is a turned position where the hips and shoulders are open, versus address where the body is neutral, or square, to the target line. Most golfers who consistently catch the ball thin start out as fat hitters. Over time, they learn to shorten their arms through impact to avoid the ground, and as a result stop hitting the ground altogether.
How to divot a golf ball?
Draw a line in the sand several feet long representing your ball position, and place a ball down on the line. Work your way down the line, seeing if you can get each divot to start on the line and exit several inches forward of the line. If you release the clubhead too soon, then the divot is going to start several inches behind the line.
How to hit a golf club with a bungee cord?
Loop a bungee cord or rope around your left shoulder and fasten it to the butt end of the club so it's fairly taut in the address position. Pose a few impact positions first, getting a feel for how the hands are leaning forward and the right arm is bracing and pushing downward on the left arm (see photo, above).
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 ...
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.
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, ...
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.
