Fat shots are one of the most frustrating problems in golf. Whether you’re hitting behind the ball on approach shots or chunking chip shots around the green, fat shots destroy your scorecard and shake your confidence. The good news? This is one of the most fixable swing problems once you understand the root causes and commit to targeted practice.
In this guide, I’ll break down exactly why you’re hitting fat shots, show you the specific swing mechanics to fix, and give you five battle-tested drills that’ll transform your contact within days of practice.
What Causes Fat Shots?
Before we fix the problem, let’s understand what’s happening. A fat shot occurs when the club strikes the ground before making contact with the ball, removing soil or turf before the ball. The club bottoms out too early in your swing arc.
The most common culprits are:
- Poor weight distribution: Too much weight stays on your back foot during the downswing, causing your bottom to shift backward and the club to hit ground first.
- Incorrect ball position: Playing the ball too far forward in your stance makes it harder to catch clean contact, especially with your irons.
- Steep angle of attack: Coming down too steeply creates a divot pattern that starts before the ball.
- Early extension: Your body stands up too quickly through impact, raising the low point of your swing.
- Reverse pivot: Shifting weight forward during the backswing and back during the downswing (opposite of what you need).
Understanding which of these issues applies to you is the first step. Most golfers have a combination of two or three, which is why addressing them systematically with drills is essential.
The Weight Shift Foundation: Your #1 Priority
The single biggest cause of fat shots is a poor weight shift. During your backswing, your weight should move to your back foot (around 70/30 or 80/20 ratio). Then, in your downswing, your weight must transfer forward aggressively so that by impact, approximately 80-90% of your weight is on your front foot.
When weight stays on your back foot through impact, your body tilts away from the target, moving the club’s bottom point behind the ball. This is fat shot city.
The fix starts with a fundamental understanding: golf swing fundamentals like grip, stance, and posture create the foundation for proper weight shift. If your grip is weak or your stance is too narrow, weight transfer becomes nearly impossible. Take time to audit these basics before moving to the drills.
Drill 1: The Step-Through Drill (Downswing Weight Transfer)
This is my favorite drill for immediately correcting weight shift issues.
Setup: Take your normal stance with a 7-iron. Make a full backswing normally.
The drill: Instead of completing your normal downswing and finish, actually step forward with your back foot as you swing down. This exaggerates the weight transfer and makes it physically impossible to leave weight on your back foot.
Why it works: The step-through forces your lower body to drive forward aggressively. After 20-30 reps, your body learns what proper weight transfer feels like. Then you remove the step and maintain that same sensation of moving weight forward.
Progression: Start with half-swings (waist-high backswing), then move to three-quarter swings, then full swings. Hit 5-10 balls with the step, then 10 without, comparing the feel.
Drill 2: The Feet-Together Drill (Balance and Low Point)
This drill forces you to find your true swing center and eliminates fat shots by improving balance and low point control.
Setup: Place your feet together or just slightly apart (6-12 inches). Take a 7 or 8-iron with a ball teed up slightly to make contact easier.
The drill: Make smooth, controlled swings at about 75% effort. Don’t try to hit the ball hard—focus on clean contact and balance. You should feel centered through the shot without falling forward or backward.
Why it works: With feet together, you can’t rely on a wide base or excessive weight shift. The club must pass through the ball at the correct low point. This drill teaches your body where that point should be.
Challenge variation: Once you’re comfortable, remove the tee and hit balls off the turf with feet together. This will quickly reveal whether you’re truly catching the ball first.
Drill 3: The Brush the Grass Drill (Shallow Angle of Attack)
Many golfers create fat shots by attacking the ball too steeply. This drill teaches a shallower, more efficient downswing path.
Setup: Go to a practice area and lay down an alignment stick on the ground, perpendicular to your target line, about 6 inches behind the ball.
The drill: Make swings where your club brushes the grass just barely over the alignment stick as you approach the ball. This forces you to enter the impact zone more shallowly, encouraging the club to pass through the ball rather than dig into the ground.
Why it works: The alignment stick provides immediate feedback. If you hit it, you’re too steep. By focusing on clearing it smoothly, you train a shallower, more consistent swing plane.
Pro tip: This drill naturally pairs with weight shift work. A proper weight transfer encourages a shallower path, so combining this with Drill 1 accelerates improvement.
Drill 4: The One-Leg Finish Drill (Core Stability and Balance)
A surprising number of fat shots happen because your body collapses through impact, raising your center and moving the low point behind the ball.
Setup: Take your normal stance with a 6, 7, or 8-iron.
The drill: Make your normal swing, but hold your finish on one leg—your front leg. Your back foot should be off the ground at the finish. Hold this balanced position for 2-3 seconds before releasing.
Why it works: Finishing on one leg forces your core to stabilize and prevents your body from collapsing. It also guarantees proper weight transfer, since you can’t finish on your front leg if weight stayed on your back foot.
Progression: Start with controlled swings at 50% effort. Once you’re stable, increase to full speed. You’ll be amazed how clean your contact becomes when you commit to this finish position.
Drill 5: The Towel Roll Drill (Feel for Compression and Low Point)
This tactile drill gives immediate feedback on your low point control and is especially valuable for chip shots and short irons where fat shots are most damaging.
Setup: Place a rolled-up towel on the ground where the grass is relatively flat. Position a golf ball just in front of the towel (2-3 inches).
The drill: Hit chip shots and short iron shots where your club strikes the ball, then the towel. The goal is to feel the club compress the towel, indicating you’ve made solid contact with the ball first.
Why it works: The towel provides sensory and physical feedback. You’ll feel the difference between hitting the towel (good contact) and missing it (fat shot). After 20-30 reps, your body learns the exact sequence you need. The towel also makes the exercise more engaging and memorable.
Distance variation: Start with chip shots (20-30 yards), then graduate to pitch shots (40-60 yards) and eventually full short iron swings. Each distance challenges your low point control differently.
Your Complete Practice Routine to Stop Hitting Fat
Now that you have five proven drills, here’s how to structure your practice for maximum improvement:
Week 1-2: Foundation Phase
- Drill 1 (Step-Through): 2-3 sessions per week, 20-30 reps each (with and without the step)
- Drill 4 (One-Leg Finish): 1-2 sessions per week, 10-15 reps focused on balance and feel
- Light chipping practice with normal technique to rebuild confidence
Week 3-4: Expansion Phase
- Combine Drill 1 and Drill 4 in single practice sessions (10 step-throughs, then 10 one-leg finishes)
- Add Drill 2 (Feet-Together) 1-2x per week, starting with teed balls
- Introduce Drill 3 (Alignment Stick) 1x per week with 7-8 irons
Week 5+: Integration Phase
- Use all five drills rotating through your practice sessions
- Add Drill 5 (Towel Roll) for 1-2 sessions per week on short game
- Progress to course play with focus on pre-shot routine
Mental Cues for Clean Contact
Beyond mechanics, your mind influences fat shots. Here are three mental cues to use during your swing:
Cue 1: “Forward and Down” Think about moving your lower body forward and the club down through impact. This simple phrase reminds you that weight shift and downswing happen together.
Cue 2: “Brush the Turf” Imagine lightly brushing grass with your club sole as you pass through the ball. This creates a mental image of a shallow, smooth swing path.
Cue 3: “Finish Tall” Picture yourself finishing on your front leg, balanced and tall. This reinforces the one-leg finish and prevents body collapse.
How Fat Shots Differ from Thin Shots
It’s important to understand that fat shots are the opposite extreme from thin shots. While fat shots occur when you hit ground before ball, thin shots happen when you catch the ball above its center. If you’ve fixed your fat shot problem but now struggle with how to stop hitting thin shots, you may have overcorrected your weight shift or angle of attack. The solution is finding the middle ground—proper weight transfer without lifting through impact.
Connecting to Your Overall Golf Improvement
Fixing fat shots improves more than just your contact quality. Clean contact is foundational to how to hit irons consistently, which is essential for lower scores. Additionally, the weight shift and balance principles you develop here directly support fixing other swing issues. If you struggle with a slice, many of the same drills will help, particularly the alignment stick drill which improves your swing path.
For golfers over 50, fat shots become more common as flexibility and balance decline. If this applies to you, review our golf tips for seniors to see if equipment or stance adjustments could help alongside these drills.
The Bottom Line
Fat shots are frustrating, but they’re completely fixable. The five drills in this guide—step-through, feet-together, brush the grass, one-leg finish, and towel roll—address the root causes: weight shift, balance, angle of attack, and low point control. Pick two to start with, practice them consistently for 2-3 weeks, then expand your routine.
You’ll be surprised how quickly your contact improves and how much more consistent your golf becomes. Most golfers see significant improvement within 3-4 weeks of committed practice. Stick with it, trust the process, and enjoy the confidence that comes with pure, clean contact off every club in your bag.
