How to Fix Fat Shots (Hitting Behind the Ball)

A fat shot — where the club strikes the ground before the ball — happens for one structural reason: your swing's low point arrives too early, before the ball's actual position. Everything else is really a question of why the low point is arriving early.

Cause 1: weight hanging back

If your weight stays on your trail side through impact instead of continuing toward the target, your swing arc's low point shifts backward (toward your trail foot) relative to the ball. This is one of the most common causes of fat shots, especially under pressure, when golfers subconsciously "hang back" hoping to help the ball into the air.

Fix: Practice with a conscious feel of your belt buckle facing the target at the finish of your swing — if your weight didn't move forward, you physically can't reach a balanced finish facing the target, which makes this an excellent self-checking cue.

Cause 2: ball position too far back

If the ball is positioned further back in your stance than appropriate for the club, you may be swinging correctly but reaching the ball before your swing's natural low point — effectively catching the descending part of the arc too early relative to where the ground actually is at that point.

Fix: Check your ball position against a reliable reference for each club (see our setup and posture guide) using alignment sticks or clubs laid on the ground, since ball position drift is very hard to notice by feel alone.

Cause 3: early release ("casting")

Releasing your wrist hinge too early in the downswing — sometimes called "casting" — moves the club's low point earlier in the swing arc, before the club reaches the ball. This is a timing and sequencing issue more than a setup issue.

Fix: Slow-motion practice swings focusing on keeping wrist hinge intact longer into the downswing, only releasing through the ball rather than before it, retrain the sequencing. This connects closely to our downswing sequencing guide.

A course-management stopgap while you fix it

If fat shots are currently costing you strokes on the course, taking one more club and swinging at 80% effort (rather than your normal full swing with a shorter club) can reduce the chance of a fat mishit while you work on the underlying cause in practice.