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...
- Sliding the Hips. Sliding the hips forward before or at impact causes the body to shift...
Why do some 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.
Why does my golf club bottom out behind the ball?
Cause #3: You leave your weight on your back foot. 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.
Why do I hit it fat when I try to swing?
And I hit it fat. This usually happens when you try to do something you shouldn't do, like hit a very hard or very soft shot. That's why it's critical to learn one swing, and adjust your grip or stance, rather than changing your swing. The late Jim Flick always said, "Measure yourself to where you want to be, and then stay level."
Why do some golfers hit the ground before the ball?
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. This causes the sternum to move away from the target and the lowest point in the swing arc moves back too - causing the player to strike the ground before the ball. To remedy this, try this drill.
How do I stop hitting the golf ball fat?
3:358:39HOW TO STOP HITTING BEHIND THE BALL INSTANTLY (No Joke)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIs lifting your weight is shifting so you're not going to be hanging back on this back foot. Okay weMoreIs lifting your weight is shifting so you're not going to be hanging back on this back foot. Okay we get the weight off the heel. Then the club will clear and you will instantly eliminate fat shots.
How do I stop hitting fat pitch shots?
0:452:37Stop Hitting Fat/Heavy Pitch Shots - Simple Tips - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipGo back along your shoulder. Line down your toe. Line. And that's going to get you really shallowingMoreGo back along your shoulder. Line down your toe. Line. And that's going to get you really shallowing that wedge. Out on the way.
What causes fat iron shots?
0:563:36How to stop hitting your irons fat - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipNow there's a couple of key principles of why you frat it to begin with either. You are getting tooMoreNow there's a couple of key principles of why you frat it to begin with either. You are getting too steep on the ball. So moving that upper body too far forwards creating a really steep angle of
How do you fix fat shots in golf?
One of the main faults behind hitting fat golf shots is the way your weight moves during the swing. 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.
What causes fat pitch shots?
The biggest problem is making a backswing that's too long, and then, in fear of hitting the shot too far, slowing the club down as it approaches the ball. The typical result is contact with the ground behind the ball—the dreaded fat 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 I stop hitting irons fat and thin?
2:377:33How to stop hitting topped, thin and fat iron shots - 3 Causes - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo the club and arms go around my body my shoulders will turn a little bit on it and a further planeMoreSo the club and arms go around my body my shoulders will turn a little bit on it and a further plane. And that way I build her to come in this way.
Why do I keep hitting my chips fat?
If you tend to hit chips fat more than thin then it could be that your chipping stroke is too steep and you're digging into the ground too much. Taking a divot is ideal for a full iron shot but when chipping from short grass, you want to simply brush the grass past impact.
How do you hit a pitch shot with crisps?
0:161:33Tip Tuesday | Hitting Crisp Pitch Shots - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWhat you start seeing is way too much of the sharp leading edge here you see a lot of chunking. LikeMoreWhat you start seeing is way too much of the sharp leading edge here you see a lot of chunking. Like i did there and typically the ball is going to pull to the left like it did.
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.
What happens when you get to the top of the backswing?
2. By the time they get to the top of the backswing, their torso and pelvis have “re-centered” back over the ball.
Do fat shots recenter late?
Inevitably, they’ll often re- center too late, which causes inconsistencies and fat shots.
What does it mean when a golf club is farther behind the ball?
The farther behind the ball your club makes contact with the ground, the fatter and shorter the shot.
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”.
Why is my divot bigger?
Cause #2: Your swing path 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.
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.
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.
Why do players lean back in the swing arc?
This causes the sternum to move away from the target and the lowest point in the swing arc moves back too - causing the player to strike the ground before the ball.
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.
What Causes a Golfer to Hit it Fat?
Right now, I’m talking specifically about chunking your irons. As you may know from past articles on hitting stellar iron shots, you want to catch the ball on a downward motion. To put it another way, you have to make contact with the golf ball before you reach the low point of your swing.
How to swing a golf ball with your feet together?
An easy way to do this is by standing with your feet together and the ball aligned with the center. Then, step your lead foot forward and your trail foot back and equal distance. Second, notice the pressure on your feet as you take your swing.
What does it feel like to chunk a golf shot?
All golfers know the pain of chunking golf shots. You take a powerful backswing, you feel like you’re about to hit a quality shot, then you swing down and feel the club hit the ground. When you look up, you see a huge piece of turf traveling down the fairway. Meanwhile, your ball has only gone a few feet. The chunk shot is a common problem.
Why is the low point of a golf swing important?
This is significant because the low point of your swing follows the pressure in your feet. If most of your pressure is still in your back foot when the club comes back down, the clubhead is going to hit the ground well behind your golf ball. You wind up chunking the shot.
Why is chunk shot so common?
The chunk shot is a common problem. But it’s not common because it’s hard to overcome. It’s common because so few amateur golfers have gotten the right advice for preventing heavy shots.
How to start pressure on a golf club?
You should start with most pressure on the lead foot, shift to the trail foot on the backswing, and shift pressure back to the lead foot as you swing through. You can find more tips on pressure in the feet here. Third, check the butt end of your club at setup.
What does the tilt in the club do to the clubhead?
And what does that do to your clubhead? It forces the leading edge to tilt down towards the ground. When you swing through, the tilt in your club causes the leading edge to dig into the ground.
How to hit a tennis ball with your back hand?
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. 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 do golfers' heads move?
Many top golfers' heads do move a little downward and to the right in response to the targetward thrust of the lower body. But if the motion becomes accentuated, they--and you--will surely catch the ground before the ball.
Why is it important to learn one swing?
That's why it's critical to learn one swing, and adjust your grip or stance, rather than changing your swing.
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 happens when you come over the top in golf?
Coming over the top with outside to in and how to fix. The over the top golf swing causes a multitude of problems in golfers, not the least hitting heel golf shots. It also leads to toe shots, fat shots and thin golf shots as well. When an over the top golf swing combines with a weak grip and an open clubface, heel shots often occur.
Why do you keep your golf club back?
Keeping it back will ensure the golf club gets delivered on a more inside to out swing path and a better chance of solid contact.
How to know if your golf club grip is weak?
To fix you firstly need to grip the golf club correctly which means showing 2 knuckles on your left hand so your grip is strong enough so it squares the clubface on the downswing. No knuckles showing on the left hand is a sure sign your grip is too weak!
Why do my arms extend past the address position?
Because you are too close to the golf ball at address, on the downswing your arms will naturally extend past the address position pushing the golf club out pass the golf ball causing heel contact .
What is heel shot in golf?
A golf heel shot is when the golf ball strikes the far left portion (not the hosel) of the clubface. Most commonly hitting the golf ball on the heel results in golf slices that curve around to the right and into trouble.
How to address a golf ball?
Next, bend your knees slightly, grip the golf club and let your arms hang down naturally by your sides. Now, the butt end of the golf club should be pointing at your belt buckle and your hands should be approximately right beneath your chin line.
Can you fix heel shots in golf?
The good news is with just a slight change to your set up, grip and swing plane you can fix your golf heel shots and hit the golf ball more consistently.
