Why do I hit fat golf shots?
Strike
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Strike
Why do I hit thin golf shots?
The short answer
A thin iron shot strikes the ball low on the face, often near the leading edge, producing a harsh feel and an unexpectedly low flight. It can arise from several contact patterns, including a club that bottoms out too early and rises into the ball. Thin contact is not proof that you lifted your head.
What to check first
01
Distinguish thin, topped and deliberately low
A topped ball typically stays very low or rolls after contact high on the ball. A thin ball can still fly a long way. A well-struck low shot is different again. Use impact location and turf contact to distinguish them rather than labelling every low flight a thin.
02
Look for a paired heavy miss
Do heavy and thin shots occur with the same club and lie? If so, investigate ground-contact location and the height of the club's arc rather than treating them as completely separate problems. You still need evidence to determine the movement behind that pattern.
03
Check the lie before blaming technique
A ball above or below the feet changes your relationship to the ground. Compare a few flat-lie shots with the same club before generalising. Note whether contact changes with fatigue, speed or an unusually long swing.
04
Inspect posture through the strike
Use a steady down-the-line video to observe how your pelvis and torso move relative to their starting position. Visible standing-up motion may be worth investigating, but its presence does not prove it caused the thin strike.
Try this in practice
Begin with a short iron and a modest swing from a level lie. Observe the face contact and where the club brushes the turf relative to the ball. Hit a group of five before changing anything. Make the task easier with a shorter motion if both contact and balance are inconsistent.
What to measure
Count centred, thin and ground-first contacts separately. Keep the same setup for the comparison. Gradually add speed or change the target when you can retain the contact pattern.
Keep the conclusion proportionate
Forcing your head down or holding the body rigid can interfere with a functional turn. Investigate the contact evidence and movement together; a useful swing change should improve the strike, not just make one camera frame look better.
Sources and further reading
The definitions and coaching principles above draw on these primary resources. Practice tasks and numerical examples are STROKES GPD educational illustrations.
Bring evidence to your next review.
Review your swing on video for a movement question, or use the free golf scorecard to identify a recurring on-course pattern.
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