Golf Tips: Dealing With Fat Shots

Fat shot: the golf club strikes the ground before striking the ball. Fat shots are some of the most frustrating and humiliating shots in golf. The results of fat shots are almost never good. The club has been greatly slowed down by the ground and usually hits the ball off center. The ball typically only travels a few feet or a fraction of the intended distance. Faults What causes a fat shot? There are a few of the most common causes of fat shots listed below: 1. The ball position may be improper. Most likely the ball is too far forward in the player’s stance. 2. Steep approaches, where the club comes sharply downward to the ball, can cause fat shots if not perfectly executed. 3. Lunging, where the player’s weight comes forward toward the ball, can cause fat shots. Solutions 1. Move the ball farther back in the stance. This can be exaggerated greatly to get the feel of hitting the ball before the ground. 2. Bring the club back from the ball with a low takeaway, trying to repeat the same path when returning the club to the ball. 3. Keep upper body core weight still, turning around the spine rather than moving toward the ball. Conclusion Getting back to basics is usually the best way to solve problems in the golf swing. Check setup and basic swing techniques first when diagnosing a problem like fat shots.