Golf Tips: Preventing Fat Shots

One area most amateur golfers struggle with is hitting "fat" shots.  The term "fat" refers to when the golfer's club goes too deep into the ground.  When this happens a large divot is usually produced and the shot goes very short.  Often times fat shots are struck behind the ball as the player is dipping down during the swing, changing the bottom point of the arc.  Those shots can produce blades or skulls, where the club bounces up and catches the ball as it is going up.  Those types of shots will most often go too far, and dribble along the ground. Either fat scenario is a one-way ticket to bogey land. One great drill to practice on the range which can help with fat shots and with preventing dipping down in the swing involves the use of a coin.  When hitting irons, hybrids, or even fairway woods, the player tees the ball up on top of the coin.  The goal is to "pick" the ball off of the coin cleanly without striking the coin. Hitting clean and solid shots off of a coin without moving the coin itself will mean the player is keeping the upper body and head still, and delivering the club head at a perfect position in the bottom of the swing. Gambler? If you really want to put pressure on yourself, don't use a penny.  Use dollar coins.  That way the "cost" of hitting a bad shot could mean a dollar donated to the driving range!