Fat and thin shots are caused by the same problem: The club bottoms out before the ball. The cause often is that the swing is out of sequence. When I get out of sync--say, an overactive lower body--I feel I'm late with my hands, so I release the club to catch up.
Full Answer
Is your golf swing too fat or too thin?
Unfortunately this experience is not what most golfer experience on a shot to shot or day to day basis. The fat and thin golf shots have one thing in common, the bottom of the swing is too far behind the ball.
What causes a fat shot in golf?
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.
Why are my golf shots so thin?
The top 3 swing faults that lead to thin golf shots 1 Standing up in the downswing or coming out of posture 2 Flipping the golf club or casting in the downswing 3 Poor ball position in the golf set up
How can I Fix my Fat and thin golf shots?
Fixing your fat and thin shots could be as simple as the ball being too far forward in your stance. Work on your set up with a mirror to feel like a vertical line would intersect down from your left eye through your hands and through the ball, as in Photo 1 .
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 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.
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.
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 ...
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 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.
No. 1: Ball Position
Fixing your fat and thin shots could be as simple as the ball being too far forward in your stance.
No. 2: Excessive Head Movement
In an effort to create power, players will often move too far off the ball to the right for a right handed player (Photo 3).
No. 3: Reduction of the Length of the Arms at Impact
It does not take long after hitting the ground behind the ball that your arms will figure out how to shorten to avoid this impact condition. The result is now you a thin shot and it is bladed across the back of the green. I show this position in Photo 6.
No. 4: Club Points Too Far Right of the Target at the Top of the Swing
From this position ( Photo 14) the club will tend to rebound and approach the ball too much from the inside the target line at impact. Players with this condition will also tend to block and hook the ball away from their intended target.
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 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.
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 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 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.
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 is a thin shot in golf?
A thin golf shot is one that is struck below the sweet spot on the face of the club. There are a range of thin shots, from ones that are hit only a groove or two below the sweet spot, all the way to shots that miss the club face completely and are only hit with the leading edge. You will know immediately that you have it a thin shot because ...
Why do thin shots fall short?
Thin shots present a two-fold problem. With longer clubs on full swings, they tend to fall short of the target because they miss the sweet spot. With wedges or partial swings from 100 yards and in, thin shot s usually sail too far – as in over the green.
What does "thin to win" mean in golf?
"Thin to win" is an old golf proverb signifying that a thin shot – where the ball is struck near the bottom of the clubface – is better than a fat shot, or one where the club hits the ground before the ball. While that's true more often than not, it's really a lesser-of-two-evils proposition.
What are the skills of a golfer?
One of the most important skills you can possess as a golfer is the ability to hit the ball the right distance time after time. Hitting shots off line is part of the game, but if you can improve the control you have over the distance of your shots, you will instantly become a better player.
Do thin shots fly on line?
Thin shots will actually fly on line quite frequently, but they will rarely travel the right distance. Prioritize the ability to make contact on the sweet spot and you will find that the game becomes much easier. All of the instruction contained below is based on a right handed golfer.
Is tempo good for golf?
Just like eliminating the reverse pivot, building a reliable tempo in your golf swing is something that is good for your game as a whole, not just for eliminating thin shots . Tempo, along with balance, is one of the key building blocks within any good golf swing.
Do golfers hit the ball thin?
Every golfer hits the ball thin from time to time. Even the best golfers in the world miss the sweet spot, and some of those misses come off as thin shots. You shouldn't expect perfection from yourself in terms of ball striking – instead, your goal should be to consistently improve as you practice and gain experience.
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 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.
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.
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 ...