The Funniest Golf On The Web - Hilarious golf gifts. Novelty and extra-distance golf balls.Golf games,cartoon books,videos, novelties,gags,jokes. Wacky golf clubs and executive golf gifts.

How to Prevent a Fat Shot in Golf ?

November 10, 2007 | under Beginners, Golf Tips, Golf Swing |

For the inexperienced golfer, the game will seem to provide never-ending moments of frustration due to making poor contact with the ball. It is impossible not to experience shots that can leave you a bit embarrassed, especially for the beginner. Previously, we discussed about the Thin Shot in Golf, now let’s look at the other common frustration for beginners - the Fat Shot.

You may have practiced your swing, producing a fluid-like graceful backswing, come with the club as your body is perfectly aligned with the target, only to make impact with the ball so inappropriately that it hardly moves, or worse yet, a lump of dirt and grass travels further than the ball itself. This ugly scenario is a fat shot.

The Fat Shot Problem

Most likely your biggest problem with contact issues will be making the fat shot. This simply means that the clubhead is hitting the ground first, before making contact with the ball. A bad mishit can send a jolt through your hands and wrists when the club hits the ground. This can cause injuries to the wrist.

Fat shots typically result in the ball traveling far less than half the distance desired on the shot, as well as creating a huge divot in the course. Men and women who repeat the fat shot often enough can develop swelling in the wrists due to hitting the ground over and over again.

What causes the Fat Shot ?

For the majority of golfers facing this issue, their fat shots are typically the result of the bottom of the swing arc being too far behind the ball. The cause of this can vary. One reason is due to having too much bend at the waist and knees during your downswing.

Another reason could be improper weight shift where the bulk of the weight should be shifted to the left, but remains on the right foot during the downswing (right-handed golfers). A third reason is if your swing plane is too steep. And lastly, fat shots can be caused by playing the ball a bit too forward within your stance.

How To Prevent The Fat Shot ?

In order to eliminate the chances of creating the fat shot, you need to make a few adjustments, as described below:

1. Maintain your spine angle. Make sure you are not bending into the ball during your downswing. Maintain the same amount of bend within your waist, hips, and knees, throughout the entire downswing. Keeping your spine straight can help.

2. At address, be conscious of your weight and keep it balanced between the heels and the balls of your feet. Always keep your weight off the toes.

3. On the downswing, transfer your weight from the right foot to the left. Doing so will prevent the club from bottoming out too early.

4. Lastly, try adjusting the ball by moving it back approximately 1 inch in your stance. This can help the bottom of your swing to match up with the position of the ball.

Again, keep practising and you should have a good feel of the swing.

Have a great golfing weekend…

Tag:No Tags

Comments

2 Comments so far

  1. How to Prevent a Fat Shot in Golf ? | Golf on November 10, 2007 12:38 pm

    […] you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!Golf Forum - Golf Rewound - Family Friendly | Golf Discussion | Golf Equipment & Reviews | Golf … wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt For the inexperienced golfer, the […]

  2. Mike Pedersen Golf on November 12, 2007 6:08 pm

    This article is dead on in discussing the causes of a fat shot and what you can do to eliminate it. I think the spine angle is a biggy. Another way to think of it is not raising or lowering your head throughout your golf swing. This will maintain spine angle as well.

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

Speak your mind