We’ve all been there – staring down at a golf ball resting peacefully in the fairway, only to catch it a little thin and watch it rocket off the face of your club. It’s frustrating! While a thin shot may get you closer to the hole than a chunked shot, it’s not exactly the pure contact we’re looking for.
In this article, we’ll break down what exactly causes a thin shot, look at a few setup tweaks to help you stop thinning the ball, and give you some feel drills you can take to the range. Let’s get started!
Golf Thin Shots Explained
Every golfer is intimately familiar with the three types of ball striking – pure contact, fat shots, and thin shots. Where we make contact on the clubface determines flight and distance. Let’s break down each in more detail:
Fat Shots
These painful mis-hits occur when the leading edge digs into the turf well behind the ball. With no compression, fat shots squirt low and short. Distance loss is massive. Your clubhead gets caked with dirt. Fat shots are incredibly frustrating, especially when you’re left with a similar shot next.
Pure Contact
Striking the sweet spot results in the perfect high, straight launch we strive for. The ball rockets off the face, holding its line even into the wind. Distance and control are optimized. Pure contact requires perfect synchronization of the body and clubhead. It’s easier said than done for most golfers.
Thin Shots
Thin strikes happen when the bottom grooves of the club make contact. Without the ball compressing properly, thin shots fly lower but still carry close to normal distance. They tend to fly fairly straight as well. Most golfers happily take a thin shot over a fat one. But consistency demands finding the sweet spot.
While modern clubs are quite forgiving, we can’t rely on thin contact. Compromised distance and lack of control will eventually haunt our scores. Proper impact requires adjustments to both setup and swing. Let’s get to the root of this frustrating issue!
Cause Of A Thin Golf Shot
We’ve all wondered, “Why do I keep hitting it thin?” There are a few usual suspects that cause those pesky thin strikes.
A steep, overly vertical downswing makes it tough to properly compress the ball. Swaying off the ball during the swing bottom’s out too early. Allowing your posture to collapse leads to thin contact. Playing the ball too far forward encourages a downward strike.
Weight that stays too far back on the trail side can also lead to thinning the ball. Diagnose your swing issues, then make setup tweaks as needed. A few simple fixes can banish thin shots for good!
How To Stop Hitting Thin Golf Shots
Let’s diagnose what causes thin shots and make some simple setup tweaks. Small adjustments can make a big difference in compressing the ball!
Check Your Stance
A stance too narrow reduces balance, leading to compromised shots. Set your feet shoulder-width for shorter clubs, widening as club length increases. Check that your ball position isn’t too far forward. This encourages an upward strike. Play the ball slightly back of center, especially with short irons, to shallow your swing.
Shoulder Alignment and Tilt
If your shoulders aim left or right of the target, it’s easy to bottom out incorrectly. Square your shoulders to the target, even if your feet are aimed left or right. Monitor shoulder tilt too. Use minimal tilt for fairway woods and irons to ensure proper compression. More tilt helps increase launch with the driver.
Improve Your Weight Transfer
Weight stuck on the trail side causes thin contact. Start with weight balanced on both feet, then transfer to the lead side during the downswing. Don’t sway laterally or slide your hips. Allow the turning of your core to move weight forward. If the weight stays back, you’ll hit up on the ball.
Maintain Your Posture
Collapsing your posture during the swing is a recipe for thin shots. Set your posture at the address, then keep your spine angle and head position throughout the backswing and downswing. Don’t straighten your legs or allow your upper body to move out of position. Maintain posture and use your core for power.
Create More Lag
If your downswing gets too steep, thin strikes are inevitable. Shallow out the downswing by creating a lag between your arms and body. Feel the clubhead lagging behind your hands and arms on the downswing. An in-to-out path helps properly compress the ball.
Thin vs. Skull Shots
Thin shots lose some distance but stay relatively straight. Skulling the ball is more extreme, with massive distance loss. The club bottoms out so early that the ball is whipped across the face with minimal compression. Thin shots are annoying but playable. Skulled shots are gut-wrenching.
Tweaking your setup and swing can help minimize thin strikes and maximize solid contact. Proper weight shift, posture, ball position, and compression create more consistent ball striking.
FAQs About Ball Striking
What causes fat and thin golf shots?
Weight too far back or posture changes during the swing. Keep weight forward and maintain posture.
How do I stop hitting my irons thin?
Focus on hitting the ball, then the turf, and refer to the tips above to start hitting your irons better than ever.
What happens if the ball is too far forward or back in my stance with irons?
Forward encourages thin shots and left misses. Back leads to fat shots and right misses. Position the ball correctly.
How do you hit solid iron shots?
Hit slightly down through impact, compressing the ball. Adjust if the ball sits up in rough – take a steeper angle for proper compression. Check the ball line and make adjustments.
The key is solid contact by compressing the ball. Weight shift, posture, and ball position are vital for consistent iron play. Make adjustments as needed, and your ball striking will improve!
Final Thoughts
Consistent golf depends on solid, compressive contact with the golf ball. A thin shot every now and then won’t kill your scorecard, but persistent thin contact requires attention.
Focus on proper setup, maintaining your posture, and controlling body movements during the swing. A few simple tweaks and some feel drills can get your ball striking back on track in no time.
Here’s to more flushed shots and more consistent golf. You’ve got this!
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