Lesson Notes: Fixing Fat Shots & Shifting Low Point
The Goal: To eliminate chunked shots and maximize compression by shifting your body’s mass forward, moving the low point of the swing arc ahead of the golf ball.
Why You Hit It Fat
- Early Bottoming Out: Hitting a fat or chunked shot means the clubhead’s downward path bottoms out too early, striking the ground behind the ball. This error severely penalizes your distance and ruins the direction of the shot.
- Rotation Without Shift: The primary physical cause of early bottoming out is rotating the body without moving your mass forward. If the center of your pelvis stays back while you spin, the club stays trapped behind the ball.
The Recipe for Clean Compression
To hit clean, compressed shots, your body must blend three distinct movements seamlessly as you transition into a full finish:
- 1. Moving Forward: Your mass and pelvis must slide laterally toward the target.
- 2. Rotation: The hips and torso must clear open.
- 3. Extension: The body must extend up into a tall, balanced posture.
The Club-Scraping Drill
Use this simple practice routine to physically feel your low point relocate ahead of the ball:
- Step 1: Take your normal setup position to a golf ball.
- Step 2: Place your club head directly on the ground roughly one foot behind the ball.
- Step 3: From there, deliberately scrape the club forward along the ground by shifting your body weight and rotating toward the target.
FAQ
Q: What does the scraping drill feel like if I am doing it incorrectly?
A: If you perform the drill and notice the club stays stuck in place or simply spins in a tight circle one foot back, you are rotating without moving your mass forward. This directly simulates the feeling of bottoming out too early on the course. You must feel the physical shift of your body pulling the club forward along the grass.
Q: Why can’t I just try to scoop the ball into the air to avoid hitting it fat?
A: Trying to scoop the ball actually exacerbates fat shots because it drops the low point even further backward. True loft and launch come from clean compression, which is entirely dependent on moving the bottom of your swing arc forward closer to the target line.
