There's no worse feeling than seeing that perfectly perched ball in the fairway, expecting solid contact, and then watching helplessly as your club anihilates it, sending a rocket-like screamer just a few feet off the ground and across the green. That bladed shot, also known as a thin or skull, is one of golf's most frustrating and confidence-killing misses. This article will explain exactly why you're blading the ball and, more importantly, give you a clear, actionable plan with practical drills to eliminate it from your game for good.
Before we can fix the problem, we need to understand it. A bladed shot happens when the leading edge of your iron makes contact with the equator (the middle) of the golf ball, instead of striking the back of the ball in a slightly descending motion. Instead of compressing the ball against the clubface and taking a small divot after the ball, the clubhead strikes it "on the up" or perfectly level, launching a low, hot missile with very little spin.
Think of your golf swing as a giant circle with the bottom of that circle, or "low point," being where the club makes contact with the ground. For a perfect iron shot, that low point should be just in front of the golf ball. When you blade it, the low point of your swing has shifted behind the ball, or it's simply too high altogether, causing it to catch the ball thin.
This unwanted outcome isn't just bad luck, it’s the result of some very common physical errors. Let's look at the main culprits.
This is probably the number one reason amateurs blade their shots. You establish a specific spine angle and height from the ball at address. In an attempt to "help" the ball up or generate more power, many golfers instinctively stand up during the downswing. As your chest and head rise, the clubhead rises with them. Your arms can stay perfectly in position, but if your entire body lifts up by even an inch, the bottom of that swing arc lifts up with it. The result? The leading edge comes in too high and catches the middle of the ball.
Power and solid contact in golf come from a dynamic weight shift. During the backswing, you load into your trail side (your right side for a right-handed golfer). The downswing is a powerful unraveling where you shift your weight forward onto your lead side (your left side). Many players, especially those afraid of hitting it fat, do the opposite. They hang back on their trail foot, trying to "scoop" the ball into the air. When your weight stays back, the low point of your swing moves back with it, causing you to catch the ball on the upswing - the perfect recipe for a skulled shot.
Fear of hitting the ground often causes golfers to pull their arms in toward their body through impact. The arms bend and the lead elbow (left elbow for a righty) flies out and away from the body in a move infamously known as the "chicken wing." This is a subconscious self-preservation move to avoid smashing into the turf. Just like standing up, pulling your arms in lifts the clubhead at the last moment, raising the swing's low point and guaranteeing thin contact.
Great impact is often the result of a great setup. If you build a solid foundation before you even take the club back, you give yourself a much better chance of success. This isn't about awkward or unnatural positions, it's about getting into an athletic stance that promotes crisp contact.
Standing too tall at address is a common starting point for a bladed shot. Think athletically. From a standing position, hinge forward from your hips - not your waist. Imagine pushing your bottom back as if you're about to sit in a high barstool. This should cause your chest to tilt over the ball naturally.
This posture sets your distance from the ball and establishes the spine angle you need to maintain throughout the swing. If you feel too upright, you're setting yourself up to hit the top half of the ball from the astart.
Where you place the ball in your stance dictates where the club will bottom out. For mid-irons (think 7, 8, and 9-irons) and wedges, the ideal ball position is in the middle of your stance. You can check this by taking your setup and placing a club on the ground connecting the insides of your heels. The ball should sit roughly on that centerline, directly underneath the buttons on your shirt.
A ball that's too far forward in your stance will encourage you to hit it on the upswing. By keeping it centered, you make it much easier to strike the ball on a slight downward angle, just before the club reaches its lowest point.
Knowing why you blade the ball is half the battle. Now, let’s engrain the right feelings with some simple drills you can do at the driving range. These exercises are designed to give you instant feedback and train your body to anihillate the ball-first, turf-second contact..
This drill is my go-to for fixing a hanging-back weight issue. It physically forces you to move your pressure forward and stop scooping.
You’ll know you did it wrong if your foot is still pinned on the towel after you hit. Successfully getting your heel off the towel requires an active forward shift, which gets your swing's low point in front of the ball, promoting a healthy, downward strike.
This amazingly simple drill clearly illustrates the concept of ball-then-turf contact. It gives you a visual target for where your swing should bottom out.
If you catch the ball thin, you'll notice that you make no contact with the ground at all, or your scuff mark is a on the ball side of the line. Strive to make the majority of your divot appear in front of that line. This trains your body and mind to get the an an anihilating contact you want.
This is a anihilating feedback mechanism to stop you from standing up during your swing. The fear of hitting something will keep your body down and through the shot.
If you stand up early (an early extension), you will likely bring the club too far inside coming back and be forced to reroute over the top, hitting the headcover. If you maintain stay in your posture and rotate properly,. anihilating this obstacle feels quite easy. It gives you a powerful awareness of where your body is in space and keeps your chest covering the ball through impact.
Blading the golf ball can be one of the most disheartening experiences in the game, but it's not a permanent flaw. It's almost always a symptom of a swing's low point being too high, typically caused by lifting your posture, hanging back on your trail leg, or pulling your arms in. By focusing on an athletic setup and practicing drills that promote a forward weight shift and consistent low point, you can train your body to make that coveted ball-first, turf-second strike.
Understanding these concepts is the first step, but getting feedback in the moment is a what truly accelerates learning. On the course, when emotions are high after a bladed shot, it can be tough to diagnose the problem on your own. This is where a tool like Caddie AI can become your new best friend. I've designed it so you can describe what just happened - like "I just bladed my 8-iron thin" - and get an immediate, simple swing thought or drill reminder right there on the spot. It helps you turn a moment of frustration into a constructive learning opportunity, so you can make an adjustment before your very next swing.
Thinking about hosting a golf tournament fundraiser is the first swing, executing it successfully is what gets the ball in the hole. This guide will walk you through the entire process, step-by-step, from laying the initial groundwork months in advance to watching your happy golfers tee off. We’ll cover everything from securing sponsors and setting your budget to planning the on-course fun that makes an event unforgettable.
A golf handicap does more than just give you bragging rights (or a reason to demand strokes from your friends) - it’s the game’s great equalizer and the single best way to track your improvement. This guide breaks down what a handicap is, how the supportive math behind a handicap index a is, and exactly how you can get one for yourself. We’ll look at everything from Course Rating to Adjusted Gross Score, helping you feel confident both on the course and in the clubhouse.
The compression of a Pinnacle Rush golf ball is one of its most defining features, engineered specifically to help a huge swath of golfers get more distance and enjoyment from their game. We'll break down exactly what its low compression means, who it's for, and how you can use that knowledge to shoot lower scores.
Figuring out which spikes go into your new (or old) pair of Puma golf shoes can feel like a puzzle, but it’s much simpler than you think. The key isn't the brand of the shoe, but the type of receptacle system they use. This guide will walk you through exactly how to identify your Puma's spike system, choose the perfect replacements for your game, and change them out like a pro.
The Golf Genius app is one of the best tools for managing and participating in competitive golf events, but figuring it out for the first time can feel like reading a new set of greens. This guide cuts through the confusion and shows you exactly how to use the app as a player. We’ll cover everything from logging into your tournament and entering scores to checking the live leaderboard so you can enjoy the competition without any tech headaches.
Walking onto the first tee with sweaty palms, worried you’ll be a good partner to paly wtih...or even asked back again ...We’ve all been there - trust me! The real trick of feeling confortable... is about how you handle you’re ready to plsy. THIS guide explains the simple rules of the rode to show you hnow t play golf while staying calm relaxed and focused... an having much morse fun while you,',re aat it? You'll also play with confidence a dn make fiendsa while you're at i
Just ask a question or share a photo and Caddie gives personalized guidance for every shot - anytime, anywhere.
