Any tips for hitting fat?

[ScottL]

I have only been playing golf for about a year now consistently. Although I am improving, Im not to where I want to be (goal is to be an 80s shooter).

My main 2 things right now are alignment and hitting the ball fat. I rarely slice/hook my irons, but when I mis-hit its almost always fat and I chunk up a ton of grass and the ball obviously doesnt go near as far as I wanted it to.

Im trying to keep my hands forward, in fact I even setup with them pressed forward a tad bit now and I think its helping a little. I went last week and got fitted for new shafts and cut them down about 1/2" and they are lighter. I think that has helped too (but only played with them once since)...

any other thoughts/ideas?

[$2 Nassau]

I spent the first 2 years of my golfing career hitting the ball fat. Talk about frustrating. For me it was never getting my weight to my front foot at impact - I pretty much stayed on my back foot until after impact. Also, people kept telling me to swing slow, so basically I would take the club back normally and decelerate on the way down, causing my weight to hang back even more on my back foot.

Once I started to get the idea in my head to swing smooth, not slow, the fats immedaitely stopped. Accelerate through the ball and get your weight to your front foot.

Try this drill. Take a 7i and set up to the ball as you normally would. Now use the club to push the ball way forward in your stance, a good 9-12 inches. The ball is now positioned off your front foot, maybe even a little ahead. Get ready to hit your shot as if the ball is still in it's normal position- but of course on the downswing you really have to get your weight forward and extend out to get to the ball. The result should be a high pull/hook(don't try to hit a hook though, try to extend out and hit the ball as straight as possible, but since the ball is so far forward and you are really rocking your weight forward the natural tendency is a pull/hook). You may hit the first few a little thin, or even top a couple, that's okay.

Do this 10-15 times then put the ball back in it's normal position, but still keeping in mind that you must get your weight forward and extend. It will seem so easy to get to the ball and you'll stripe them down the middle as pure as ever.

[ScottL]

that sounds like a cool little drill. Makes a little sense, I rarely have that divot in front of the ball like you are supposed too.

You sounded alot like how I am now. My golfing buddy constantly tells me to get my weight on my front foot. I dont know why its not clicking with me, I feel like I am, but guess Im not.

I also know I swing faster than I should, tempo is another thing Im working on..

[JetFan1983]

Put a penny 2-3 inches in front of the ball and look at that instead of the ball.

[kleinrider]

I am having the same issue as you are. My instructor has asked me to get a little bit more on the balls of my feet, also i need to get an even tempo i am going to fast on the downswing. When i really think about my tempo i seem to hit the ball well.

[$2 Nassau]

that sounds like a cool little drill. Makes a little sense, I rarely have that divot in front of the ball like you are supposed too.

We probably are very similar. You've only been playing for a year, it will come. As a 23 index you are definitely better than I was after one year, I was still around a 28-30 after one year. Been playing for about 5 years now. Tougher to improve now!!

I took one lesson when I first started and the pro told me that I was "faking my finish position." I was the same as you, I felt like I was getting to my front foot, but I wasn't. He said if you are accelerating through the ball and getting your weight to the front foot the finish will happen naturally. Took me a while to understand what he meant but it finally clicked.

[ScottL]

well thats encouraging. I have actually been a little frustrated lately. I play with pretty much the same 2-3 guys every time I golf. They all shoot mid/low 80s and Im always in mid 90s. On Sunday my buddy shot a 79 and I shot a 95. I even told him that day how frustrated I was not getting any better, or at least not as fast as I wanted... But then he quickly reminded me how it wasnt that long ago when I was begging for a 99. Now Im begging for an 89 (lowest is 91 so far).

thanks, Im playing again Saturday and I think Im gonna try and really concentrate on tempo and getting weight forward and see what happens.

[wrx_junki]

When I am hitting fat, I make it a point at the top of my swing to start with a weight shift forward. Sometimes I don't play for a couple weeks and I forget to shift my weight.

[Lebowski]

one of the best pieces of advice I've ever received was "the bottom of your swing will be in line with your tail-bone" so trying to make sure I have the ball in line with my pants zipper or even a tad back of that, really took the fat shot out of my repertoire. That train of thought is also very useful for people who struggle in bunkers. Keeping the lower body stable will keep the point at which you enter the club into the sand consistent and that will make hitting quality bunker shots much easier.

[right handed phil mickelson]

The reason for a fat shot is that the bottom of your swing, which should be just after the ball, is actually bottoming out before your ball. There can be several causes of this.

1. Your ball position is too far forward.

2. You might be moving up and down on your swing, possibly causing the bottom of the swing to be before the ball.

3. If you shift your weight on the backswing, you might not be shifting it far enough forward to bottom out after the ball.

4. You're extending your arms too much on the downswing.

5. You are standing too close to the ball.

(#2 & #3 shouldn't be happening in the first place)

Evaluate your swing and then find out what your doing wrong. Hope this helps!

~RHPM

[iacas]

1. Your ball position is too far forward.

Could be the opposite: ball position too far back. You have to swing so steeply down into the ball that you just drive down into the ground.

One thing to bear in mind: 98% of the time, fat and thin contact are the same problem.

[bruce]

Could be that your moving back with the club on the backswing and lurching
foward on the downswing.Brace that right leg.

[Brakkus]

Also your arms may be disconnected on the way down.If you develop a hit instinct then the arms can outrace the body causing the club to arrive early at the ball.
Think Vijay and that towel drill helped me enormously when I just couldn't hit a wedge to save my life.
Put it under the left armpit and see if this happening in your full swing

[AmenCorner]

Try to sweep that ball, not chop at it. Therefore, drag the club back as much as you can as opposed to pick it up.

[rothkin]

Hitting fat is a huge problem and I still struggle with it on occasions. However, once my son gave me a tip it has helped tremendously. Once you get to the top of your backswing, start your downswing imagining your left side of your body is hitting an imaginary brick wall created by the outside of your front foot. Even though your hips may clear where they were at address while you are impacting the ball, you will surely get your weight forward.