How To Stop Hitting The Golf Ball Fat
Hitting the golf ball fat, also known as chunking, is one of the most common mishits golfers encounter. This frustrating error happens when your club strikes the ground before hitting the ball, leading to a poor shot that loses distance and control. Does that sound familiar?
It doesn’t matter if you are a brand new golfer or have been playing your entire life; the fat shots hardly get any distance, it costs you a stroke, and it may even get mud on your golf pants!
You can hit the golf ball fat with any club, but it tends to be more common with certain clubs, particularly irons and wedges because these clubs are designed to make contact with the ball before striking the ground, creating divots. The downward angle of attack required for irons and wedges increases the likelihood of hitting the ground too early, leading to fat shots.
With longer clubs like fairway woods, hybrids, or drivers, fat shots are less common because these clubs are typically swung with a more sweeping motion, and the ball is positioned more forward in the stance, which reduces the likelihood of striking the ground first. However, hitting the ball fat is still possible if the golfer's swing mechanics are off, such as an improper weight shift or an overly steep swing path.
Fortunately, with the right understanding of the causes and adjustments, you can eliminate fat shots from your game.
Understanding the Causes of Fat Shots
Before addressing how to fix fat shots, we believe that it will be helpful if you understand what causes them.
- Poor weight transfer: Failing to transfer your weight from the back foot to the front during your swing can cause your club to hit the ground before the ball.
- Improper ball position: Placing the ball too far forward or too far back in your stance can result in hitting the ground first.
- Early release: Releasing the club too early in the downswing causes the club to hit the ground before the ball.
- Swing path issues: An over-the-top or steep swing path often leads to hitting the turf first.
- Posture breakdown: Losing posture or balance during your swing can also cause fat shots.
Fixing Your Weight Transfer
A common culprit behind fat shots is improper weight transfer. Many golfers tend to keep too much weight on their back foot during the swing, which leads to an earlier-than-desired contact with the ground.
One of the most common reasons golfers struggle with hitting fat shots is that they don’t transfer their weight forward in their swing. As we take a backswing, the weight will transfer to the right leg (for right-handed players).
On the downswing, this weight needs to make the transition to the left foot. Golfers that spend too much time transferring their weight or never transferring their weight can often hit behind the ball.
For some players, this can feel like a shoulder dropping or a dipping motion. Focus on your right arm in your golf swing.
Getting the weight to travel through the ball will only help accuracy with all shots in your game. In addition, this movement can increase power considerably.
When you finish your golf swing, are you watching it in balance from your left foot? Or are you leaning backward on your right leg. This will teach you a lot about your weight transfer and where it lacks efficiency.
To correct, try this drill- Practice hitting with a slight forward shift of weight. Set up with 60% of your weight on your front foot (left foot for right-handed golfers) and ensure that, through the swing, you are transferring weight from the back foot to the front. Focus on finishing with most of your weight on the front foot.
Ball Position Correction
Incorrect ball position is another major cause of fat shots. If the ball is too far back in your stance, your club will descend too steeply and hit the turf before the ball. Conversely, if the ball is too far forward, your body will remain behind the ball at impact, resulting in fat shots.
Check Your Distance to The Golf Ball
The most common reason to hit a golf ball fat is that your setup is incorrect. The majority of golfers that hit fat shots are standing too close to the ball.
Finding that exact distance to stand from the golf ball can take a bit of trial and error.
Your arms should be hanging but not extended too far. In addition, make sure that you are not feeling crammed where your hands don’t have enough space to clear as you come through impact.
Exactly how far from the ball you stand will change based on the club in your hand and your overall height and posture.
However, if you are standing too close, the club will most certainly hit the ground first, causing a fat shot.
For most golf shots, the ball will end up being directly in the middle of your golf stance. When you hit behind the ball, chances are you had it up in the stance a bit too far forward.
Forward in the stance is good for woods, drivers, and lower lofted hybrids like the 3 hybrid, but for irons and wedges, the center of the stance is a much better position to keep the ball.
A Fix:
- For most shots with irons, the ball should be positioned just ahead of the center of your stance. For longer clubs, like hybrids and woods, position the ball more forward, closer to your front foot. Ensuring proper ball placement can help create cleaner contact.
Avoiding Early Release
Another reason you may hit the ball fat is due to an early release, or "casting." This means releasing the angle between your wrists and the club too early in the downswing, causing the clubhead to bottom out before reaching the ball.
Try this Drill:
- Practice holding the wrist angle for as long as possible before impact. One effective drill is the "pump drill," where you make several half-swings while keeping your wrists hinged until just before impact. This helps delay the release and encourages a more solid ball strike.
Adjusting Your Swing Path
An over-the-top or steep swing path can also lead to fat shots. A shallower swing path ensures better ball-first contact.
Once your setup is ideal, and your hands, feet, and golf ball are all situated where they should be, it’s time to ensure that your swing plane is correct.
Hitting fat shots is typically the result of a swing plane that is much too steep. We know that in the past, this has happened to us when our takeaway is not perfect. When the club comes down too vertically, it digs into the ground before the ball.
Keep your takeaway more low and slow, and you will end up with a better swing plane, one that is slightly shallower golf swing and won’t’ result in a fat golf shot.
A Fix with a Drill:
- Work on swinging from the inside to create a shallower angle of attack. A good visualization technique is imagining your clubhead following a wider arc as it descends into the ball. This shallow arc prevents your club from digging too deeply into the turf.
- Place an object (like a headcover or alignment stick) a few inches behind the ball and practice swinging without hitting the object. This drill helps train your body to approach the ball with a more level, sweeping motion, which reduces the chances of hitting fat shots.
Maintaining Proper Posture
A breakdown in posture, such as standing up too early or losing balance, can cause fat shots. Does this sound like you? Maintaining a stable, consistent posture throughout your swing is key to striking the ball cleanly.
A Fix with a Drill:
- Focus on keeping your spine angle intact throughout the swing. One drill to help maintain posture is the "chair drill." Set up a chair behind your hips and practice swinging without letting your hips move away from the chair. This drill helps ensure your body stays in the correct posture throughout the swing.
Improving Your Timing
Fat shots often stem from a poor sequencing of body and arm movements. If your lower body doesn’t lead the downswing and your arms take over, it can cause the club to bottom out early. The proper sequence involves starting the downswing with your lower body, followed by your upper body and arms. Have someone video so you can see what's happening during your swing.
A Fix with a Drill:- Work on initiating the downswing by rotating your hips toward the target. This sequencing ensures the club arrives at the ball with proper timing. A common drill is the "step-through drill," where you take a step toward the target during the downswing, forcing your lower body to lead.
Ensure Your Equipment Is Correct
Nine times out of ten, the reason that golfers hit behind the ball is the fact that they are struggling with something in their swing. Even the slightest mechanics issue will cause a golfer to hit a fat shot.
Sometimes, however, you could be hitting the golf ball fat because you are using the wrong equipment. Sometimes if a golf club is too heavy, it’s hard for players to swing it through entirely, and you will end up hitting the ball fat.
Practice Drills to Stop Hitting Fat Shots
To effectively stop hitting fat shots, regular practice is key. Isn't that the truth. So, here are some drills designed to help improve your ball striking:
The Divot Drill
- Set up a line (use a tee or a piece of tape) and place the ball just in front of it.
- Take a swing and aim to make your divot in front of the line. This drill helps you ensure you’re hitting the ball first and the ground after.
- Stand with your feet together and hit shots. This forces you to maintain balance and proper sequencing. When you lose balance, it’s usually because of poor swing mechanics, which often leads to fat shots.
- Place a tee in the ground (without a ball) and practice hitting the tee without hitting the ground behind it. This drill reinforces a ball-first, ground-second contact.
Spend Some Time On The Range
Our steps to helping you determine why you are hitting a golf ball fat and eventually be able to fix it are undoubtedly effective. However, if you want to get better at golf and make your ball striking more consistently, you must spend time at the range.
When working on your golf game at the range be sure to work on all different types of golf shots, and always use alignment sticks or clubs to check alignment, posture, and setup.
Even professional golfers work on their setup and stance because of how important these skills are.
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Always keep in mind that when you set up to hit a golf ball, all parts of the setup should be perfect for ensuring the best possible results and eliminating fat shots.
Mastering the ability to stop hitting the ball fat is a key step in improving your golf game. By focusing on proper weight transfer, ball position, and swing mechanics, you can consistently strike the ball cleanly and with confidence. Incorporating the drills and tips mentioned will help you develop the muscle memory needed to avoid fat shots, leading to better ball flight, more distance, and greater control over your game. It is that consistent practice and attention to detail which eventually will allow you to turn your mishits into solid, reliable shots on the course.
