A fat shot happens when the club hits the ground before the ball. It can feel heavy, weak, and frustrating because the swing may feel powerful but the ball goes nowhere.
Chubbs looks first at low point. Where is the club reaching the bottom of the swing?
The quick answer
To fix fat golf shots, move the low point forward by improving weight pressure, ball position, and finish. Practice small swings where the club brushes the turf after the ball instead of behind it.
Why fat shots happen
Fat shots often come from hanging back, swaying, placing the ball too far forward for the club, or trying to scoop the ball up. The body stays behind the ball and the club bottoms out early.
The fix is not always “hit down harder.” The fix is controlling where the swing bottoms out.
One drill: towel-behind-ball drill
Place a small towel four to six inches behind the ball. Hit half shots without touching the towel. Start slow. If the towel moves, your low point is still too far back.
Use a short iron first. Do not start this drill with full-speed long irons.
Finish checkpoint
After the shot, your chest should face the target and your weight should be more on the lead foot. If you finish on the trail foot, the club probably reached the ground too early.
What to avoid
Do not put every ball far back in your stance as a permanent solution. That can create steep contact and new problems. Use ball position as a checkpoint, not a crutch.
Chubbs' coaching note
Fat shots are low-point feedback. Find the bottom of the swing and move it forward one small step at a time.
Upload your swing if you cannot tell whether the fat shot is from sway, setup, or release.
