Hitting the ball fat (chunking it) or thin (skulling or blading it) are among the most frustrating and common ball-striking errors in golf. Both faults stem from the same core problem: the low point of your swing arc is in the wrong place. Understanding why this happens — and the specific drills to fix it — will transform your ball striking more reliably than any equipment change or tip about “keeping your head down.”
Understanding Fat and Thin Shots: The Same Root Cause
A fat shot occurs when the clubhead contacts the ground before the ball. A thin shot occurs when the clubhead makes contact above the ball’s equator (sometimes with the leading edge). Although they look opposite — one hits behind the ball, one catches it low — both typically share the same underlying fault: the low point of the swing arc is too far behind the ball.
In a correct iron swing, the low point of the arc should be slightly forward of the ball — meaning the club is still moving slightly downward when it contacts the ball, then reaches its lowest point in the turf just ahead of the ball position. This is why good ball-strikers take a divot in front of the ball, not behind it.
When the low point shifts backward (behind the ball), the club either digs into the ground before impact (fat) or — if the body instinctively tries to avoid the fat shot by raising up through impact — catches the ball on the upswing (thin). The body’s attempt to avoid fat shots is precisely what creates thin shots, which is why many golfers alternate between the two on the same range session.
Why Does the Low Point Shift Backward?
Several common swing faults cause the low point to shift back. Understanding which one applies to you is the key to fixing the issue efficiently.
1. Hanging Back (Reverse Pivot or Weight Shift Failure)
This is the most common cause. If your weight stays on your back foot through impact rather than transferring to the front foot, the bottom of your arc stays over your back foot — which is behind the ball. The fix is a complete weight transfer to the lead side through the downswing. At impact, 80–90% of your weight should be on the front foot, and your left hip (for right-handed golfers) should be forward of the ball. Drill: hit shots with your back foot up on its toe — this forces weight to shift forward and prevents hanging back.
2. Early Extension (Hips Thrusting Toward the Ball)
Early extension occurs when the hips move toward the ball during the downswing instead of rotating around a stable spine. This causes the arms to have nowhere to go, resulting in the club bottoming out too early. Fix: practise “bumping” the left hip toward the target slightly before rotating — this keeps the hips rotating rather than thrusting. An alignment rod placed through a belt loop can provide feedback when the hips are thrusting forward.
3. Ball Position Too Far Back in the Stance
With irons, ball position significantly affects where in the arc contact occurs. Ball positioned too far back (toward the right foot for right-handers) forces contact before the natural low point of the arc, making fat contact much more likely. For mid-irons, the ball should be roughly in the centre of the stance. For long irons, slightly forward of centre. Only the driver should be played off the front heel. Check your ball position with an alignment rod on the ground — it’s surprising how many golfers have drifted significantly from where they think they’re playing the ball.
4. Scooping at Impact (Trying to “Help the Ball Up”)
Many golfers intuitively feel they need to scoop under the ball to get it airborne — which is the opposite of what produces a good shot. Scooping adds loft at impact and shifts the arc backward, causing fat or thin contact depending on the exact timing. The counterintuitive truth: the loft built into the club gets the ball up. You need to hit down and through. Drill: hit shots deliberately trying to drive the ball into the ground. The instinct to scoop will still partially activate, and the result will be a properly struck shot.
Key Drills to Fix Fat and Thin Shots
The Towel Drill
Place a folded towel or headcover about 4 inches behind your ball. Make your normal swing with an iron — if you hit the towel, you’ve confirmed a backward low point. If you clear the towel and make clean contact with the ball, the low point is forward enough. This provides immediate, clear feedback on every swing without a launch monitor. Start with slow half-swings and build to full speed.
Forward Shaft Lean at Address
Set up to the ball with the shaft leaning slightly toward the target (handle slightly ahead of the clubhead). This pre-sets the impact position you’re trying to create. Golfers who hit fat shots typically have the shaft pointing at or behind the ball at address, which makes achieving forward lean at impact even more difficult. Setting it at address trains the feeling of the desired impact condition.
The Step Drill
Take your normal stance, then step your lead foot back next to your trail foot as you begin your backswing. As you start the downswing, step your lead foot forward to its normal address position. This walking motion exaggerates the lateral weight transfer needed to forward the low point. Practice this for 10–15 swings before returning to your normal stance — the improved weight transfer typically carries over immediately.
Hit Divots in Front of a Tee
Press a tee into the ground without a ball. Make swings trying to strike the tee and take a divot starting at the tee, extending forward (toward the target). The divot’s start point reveals your low point. If you’re creating divots behind the tee consistently, the weight transfer and low point drills above are your priority. This drill is particularly useful on grass rather than mats — mats can mask fat shots by allowing the club to slide rather than dig.
Fat vs. Thin: Specific Diagnostics
If you predominantly hit fat shots: Focus primarily on weight transfer. Your low point is clearly too far back and the most direct fix is getting more weight onto the front foot through impact. The towel drill and step drill are your primary tools.
If you predominantly hit thin shots: You may be correctly sensing the fat problem and overcorrecting by raising up through impact. Work on the weight transfer fundamentals, but also focus on maintaining your spine angle through impact — don’t raise up or stand up at the ball. A feeling of “staying in your posture” through impact helps.
If you alternate between fat and thin on the same shots: This is the most telling pattern — it confirms the body is sensing the backward low point and overcorrecting. Address the root cause (weight transfer) rather than trying to fix the symptoms independently.
Related Ball-Striking Problems
Fat and thin shots often coexist with other ball-striking issues. A consistent slice frequently accompanies fat contact — the same early extension fault that creates fat shots also causes an over-the-top swing path. Our guide to how to fix a slice covers the path and face angle elements that typically accompany these contact problems. Similarly, improving overall ball striking addresses the broader impact position fundamentals that underlie all solid iron play. And for the swing path drills that complement low-point work, our golf swing path drills guide provides a complete sequencing framework.
The Bottom Line
Fat and thin shots share a single root cause: a low point that’s too far behind the ball. Fixing this requires a complete weight transfer to the lead side before impact — not a “keep your head down” reminder, not a new club, and not a more complicated swing thought. Practice the towel drill and step drill consistently for two to three weeks, focusing solely on where your divots start relative to the ball. The ball striking transformation that follows will be more dramatic than anything else you can do for your game.
